Chapter 9: An Unspoken Pact of Claws and Teeth

The air in the Crossroads still hummed with the aftermath of the silent earthquake that had passed between Kaelus and me. I could feel the heat of his gaze boring into my back long after I’d turned away. The easy banter with Finn became a performance I had to consciously maintain, every laugh a shield against the pain screaming through the bond. I concluded my business with the trader as swiftly as possible, my every instinct screaming to flee, to put as much distance between myself and the...