Karl's POV.

The council stared. No one spoke. I could feel their unease crawl through the silence. I lifted her carefully, ignoring the weight of their stares, and carried her out. Orders, explanations, none of it mattered. Her pulse steadied slowly against mine, syncing and unwillingly aligned.

Once she was settled under the healer’s supervision, I went straight to Vella. Her chamber smelled faintly of sage and steel. She looked up before I spoke, already expecting me.

“She felt it,” I ...