Mira’s POV

The bond pulsed like a heartbeat I couldn’t silence. Kael’s collapse had opened something worse than fear; his pain bled through the link, and I felt every throb. I left before dawn and went to the western tower where Cyrus waited, quiet, steady, the one constant I could lean on without falling apart.

He looked up as I entered the chamber. His face was plain but, to some extent, suspicious. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said softly.

“I couldn’t stay silent,” I ...