KAEL'S POV
Dawn broke cold and mercilessly.
I'd been walking for six hours straight. The venom was gone—burned away by Ayla's power—but exhaustion had taken its place. Every step felt like wading through deep water.
"The temple's closed," Rylan said, his ghost form solidifying as we approached sacred ground. "Another mile. Maybe less."
"Good." My voice was rough. I hadn't spoken in hours. Hadn't needed to. The bond said everything.
Ayla was coming. Fast. Furious. Alive.
I felt her through the connection—felt her rage and determination and that stubborn refusal to let me die alone. It warmed something inside me that had been cold for far too long.
"She saved you," Rylan observed. "After everything you did. She still saved you."
"Don't read too much into it."
"Why not? I think it's the most hopeful thing I've seen in months."
I didn't answer. Hope was dangerous. Hope made you weak, made you believe in second chances when all you deserved was the first death.
