“That’s the first part,” Lila murmurs. “Now we sever the bond.”
“Mara,” Elena says. Her voice sounds distant. Echoing. “This might feel strange. Don’t fight it. Just breathe.”
The magic reaches for me.
I flinch. Can’t help it.
“It’s okay,” Lila murmurs. “We’re not hurting you. Just finding the bond. Tracing its structure.”
The witch-fire touches my arm. Warm. Almost pleasant. It sinks into my skin without pain. Just pressure. Like someone pressing fingers against my ribs from the inside.
Searching.
I glance at Kael. He’s rigid in the chair. Hands gripping the armrests. Face carefully blank.
But his eyes—
His eyes are still locked on me. Burning. Intense.
The witch-fire finds what it’s looking for.
The bond flares in my chest. Bright. Hot. Suddenly visible in a way it’s never been before. Not a physical thing—I can’t actuallyseeit—but Iknowit’s there. A tether running from my heart to his. Pulsing with warmth and life and connection.
“There,” Elena breathes. “I see it.”
“It’s beautiful,” Lila says quietly. “And so tangled. He really did pour everything he had into you.”
“Can you break it?” My voice sounds strange. Thin.
“Yes. But Mara—” Elena’s eyes open. Gray and serious. “Once we start, we can’t stop. If we leave it half-severed again, it could kill you both. Are you absolutely certain?”
Am I?
I look at Kael.
He meets my gaze. Doesn’t speak. Doesn’t nod or shake his head.
Just watches me. Lets me choose.
“I’m certain,” I whisper.
“Then hold still.”
The magic intensifies.
It wraps around the bond like fingers gripping a rope. Testing its strength. Finding the weakest points.
Then—
They pull.
Pain explodes in my chest.
Not physical pain. Worse than physical. It’s like someone’s undoing me from the inside. Taking pieces I didn’t know were vital andremovingthem.
I gasp. Try to breathe through it.
“Almost there,” Lila says. “Just a little more.”
