The Huntress’s absence was like the pulling of a blade. Her departure left a wound, raw and bleeding into the air.

Her scent still clung to the clearing, cold metal over wet stone, mingling with the faint steam of my bloodheat.

Kael’s grip was still iron on my arm, his fingers digging deep enough to bruise. This time, I pried his hand away slowly, deliberately making sure he felt every inch of separation.

“You almost ruined that,” I told him, my voice low enough to slice.

His eyes ...