Elara POV
The hallway was cold the moment I stepped into it, the kind of cold that bites at the air and makes everything feel thinner. My legs shook, but I made myself walk anyway. The sixteenth mark still burned under the linen like someone had pressed a hot coin to my skin.
I just needed to reach the gate.
I just needed to breathe fresh air and tell Kaelen the truth before the bond twisted again.
Mira stayed a step behind me, close enough to catch me if I fell but far enough that I could pretend I wasn't falling apart. Every few steps she whispered, "Slow down," and I ignored her every time.
The stairs to the courtyard felt longer than they had yesterday. Each breath scraped down my throat. When I reached the bottom, the cold wind hit my face and snapped something awake inside me — fear, hope, something in between.
The outer gates were open. Guards lined the walls. Everyone was staring at the horizon as if waiting for something.
