Chapter 10: The Hunter's Shadow

The silence of the forest after leaving Kaelen was a lie. It was filled with the roaring in my ears, the phantom echo of his presence, and the steadily growing ache of the Bond as the distance between us widened once more. The Silvervein Root was gone, and the familiar, grinding pain was settling back into my bones with a vengeance. Each step away from him was a struggle against an invisible tide pulling me back. I had been walking for maybe an hour, my senses dulled by pain and exhaustion,...