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My toe caught on a stone, and I stumbled forward, knees shaking as a wave of exhaustion and pain rushed over me.
I caught myself just in time and heaved a deep sigh.
Why was my body suddenly so heavy, though? Were those wounds worse than I thought?
The monster must have felt me reaching my limit, too, because it surged forward.
Grunting, I gripped the stone wall to ground myself.
Saints forsaken. It felt much stronger than it was supposed to. Could the kings have been wrong in their time estimates? Or had my bond with Kaiya escalated the process?
Fear nearly made my knees buckle.
If it overwhelmed me here with all these people —
A somewhat familiar tingling heat surged through me — fresh, spicy, and distinctly feminine — calming and subduing the monster with ease, as though it had heard my need.
Before I could respond, it spread further, inflaming the charisma until it burned brightly in my chest.
I could feel Kaiya's concern through the bond, and my breath caught.
I looked up to meet those familiar hazel eyes, framed by a pair of arched brows. "Is your shadow creature getting … larger?"
My heart stuttered and panic twisted my guts.
"It's fine," I said, pulse suddenly thrumming loudly in my ears. I'd guessed that it had grown, but to have it confirmed …
Her frown deepened. "Are you sure? If it's growing, doesn't that mean —"
Screams echoed around me as the smoky darkness poured out of a young man's body. He shook violently, face contorted in pain as the shadow consumed him, burning every inch of his body.
I stood, fists clenched, at King Torsten's side — watching in horror from behind the thick, dark glass that would supposedly keep us safe.
"He only lasted a few months," the King intoned. "But with your Fae essences, you may survive a while longer."
"I said it's fine," I hissed, slamming the lid on those errant memories.
Gods, she was getting too close! I should have pushed her away harder the first time she strengthened our bond to calm the monster.
She was too smart.
How long would it be before she put the pieces together and asked how much time I had left?
The last thing I needed was her fucking pity. Or worse, her brittle sympathy.
I would not be abandoned again.
Disliked. Dismissed. Alone. But never abandoned.
And if it took me over like it had that boy? The last thing I wanted was to have her around when it happened …
"I've said I don't want this bond," I said, eyes burning. "And I mean it."
"You can barely stand," she snapped. "And we already have the bond. Might as well use it!"
My heart ached at her concern, but the truth stilled my tongue.
Even if I had more time, she deserved someone far, far better than a burden like me.
