“What?” I ask, my voice tight.
“You’re supposed to be the one supporting Amara, her anchor—guiding her training. You disappear and she’s a fucking wreck!”
Rian stays silent, his hands still on Jarek. But his eyes narrow.
He clearly agrees with him.
Jarek’s voice drops—deadly low. “She’s the fucking Spiritborn. We need her to win this war. And you’re messing with her head—putting the whole realm at risk.”
My horse fidgets, sensing the tension. I turn my back on my brothers and run a hand down his flank, murmuring somethinglow—maybe I need to hear it, too.
“Thane! Don’t turn your back on me!” Jarek spits out.
Rian finally speaks. “Thane, Amara’s struggling. We know you care about each other. But if you were going to cross that line—which you did—you don’t get to disappear when things get hard. This isn’t just about you and Amara anymore.”
I don’t respond. I can’t. Every fucking word out of their mouths is true.
Idocare for her. More than I can sometimes even admit to myself. Being away from her felt like my heart was trying to break through my chest—and not just because of this fucking bond, but because I missed her.
The bond has twisted everything. When I was the only one feeling it, I could keep it buried. Now, it’s waking things I can’t control.
I can shoulder one more thing, but once she felt it too—it became a risk I can’t justify. Being with me will only hurther.
I turn to face my brothers and offer the only truth Icanshare.
“I had to meet with the council about the increase in border attacks.”
Rian studies my face. He doesn’t believe me—but he’s too generous to say it. Jarek, on the other hand, has no problem calling me out.
“Bullshit.” His jaw is tight. “That’s not the whole truth. What are you playing at? This isn’t you—you don’t put anything before the realm.”
He shrugs off Rian’s hands and steps into my space, only one pace between us. The intensity in Jarek’s hazel eyes roots me to the spot.
“This is us, brother. What the fuck is going on?” he growls, spit flecking my cheek.
The fire in my veins begins to heat. I close my eyes, take one breath through my nose, then open my eyes slowly. I raisea hand and wipe the wetness off my face, never breaking eye contact.
I can’t tell them. If I do, everyone’s at risk.
I rake a hand through my hair. At least Garrick’s at the stables. He’d side with Jarek—I’ve seen it in his silence these past days.
“We don’t have time for this,” I say, but my voice lacks bite.
Jarek laughs bitterly. I don’t blame him. This is what I respect most about Jarek—his sense of right and wrong. He doesn’t waver. Doesn’t bullshit. When things get messy, he dives in and fixes it.
Rian exhales slowly. “Amara’s magics have been all over the place the last few days. Everything she’s worked for these past months—gone.”
Shit.
The last thing I wanted was for Amara to unravel like this.
Guilt presses against my ribs. All it did was leave her unraveling—and doubting herself because of me. I close my eyes, just for a breath. I see her under the oak tree. The moment she smiled—when I should’ve told her everything. The moment she felt this bloody bond.
Rian places a firm hand on my shoulder—the weight of it grounding. He always knows how to cut through the noise.
I meet his gaze—deep blue, vast as the ocean.
“I’ll speak to her,” I promise.
