Chapter 5: The First Rebellion

The cold resolve that had taken root in my chest after the healing courtyard hardened into a solid, unyielding knot of ice. Caleb’s words—a blight—echoed in my mind, a toxic refrain that poisoned every memory, every interaction. I had poured my energy, my very essence, into saving him, and he had used my lifeforce to fuel the fires of hatred that kept me chained. I was a fool. A lovesick fool who had mistaken a biological imperative for something resembling affection. The bond was a curse,...