Chapter 9: The Order of Annihilation

The bitter taste of Kael’s potion lingered in my mouth for days, a constant, unpleasant reminder of his intrusion and our inescapable connection. But it had worked. The frayed, agonizing feeling in my chest had settled into a dull, manageable thrum. The bond was stable, a quiet, ominous hum in the background of my existence, like the sound of a distant waterfall that you know could become a flood. Elara had woken that night to find me sitting up in bed, looking less like death. She’d put...