Chapter 15: A Fragile Peace

Caleb slept for a day and a night, a healing, dreamless sleep guarded by the residual silver light I had woven around him. I didn’t leave his side. I sat in a chair by his cot, watching the steady rhythm of his breathing, the color slowly return to his face. The bond was a quiet, humming warmth between us, no longer a source of agony or tension, but a comforting presence, like a hearth fire on a cold night. When he finally stirred, his eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, they were clear,...