The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors and the soft whisper of the ventilation system. Ghassan lay in his bed, his face pale against the white pillow, his eyes fixed on Ali with an intensity that belied his weakened state.Ali had come alone this time. He pulled the chair close to the bed and sat down heavily, the weight of the past few days evident in every line of his face."I talked to someone," Ali began quietly. "Someone who knows things about Ghouls. About what might be happening to you."Ghassan's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing."His name is Abu Jumana. He's... he's not well. He's in prison. But he knows more about Ghouls than almost anyone alive." Ali chose his words carefully. "He read ancient texts. Ghoul texts. And he said something important.""What?" Ghassan's voice was a whisper."He said the Ghouls don't transform humans. They don't want to. They think we're beneath them." Ali leaned forward, holding the boy's gaze. "The voice you