POV: Maya

The bond between Seraphina and me was worse than torture. At least torture ended eventually. This was constant. Every waking moment, I felt her emotions bleeding into mine. Her thoughts brushed against my consciousness. Her presence in my mind was like a splinter I couldn't remove.

And the worst part? I couldn't lie to her anymore. Couldn't hide. The bond stripped away every pretense, every wall, every carefully constructed defense. She felt my pain. The constant, grinding ...