AYLA'S POV
The clearing was a ruin of churned snow and shattered trees. The air still trembled with the echo of their power. Kael's body lay half-buried in frost, his breath a ragged cloud in the night.
I stumbled toward him. "Kael—"
He coughed once, pushing up on an elbow. "I'm fine." His voice was raw, scraped from the inside. "Where is he?"
"Gone," I said. My voice didn't sound like mine. "He vanished."
Kael's eyes flicked to the treeline, gold flaring for a heartbeat. "Coward."
I dropped to my knees beside him. "Don't move. You're bleeding." The gash across his shoulder was deep, glowing faintly where Rylan's power had burned through fur and flesh. I pressed my palm to it, light blooming from my skin. The scent of iron filled the air.
He watched me in silence while the wound sealed. When I finished, his hand caught mine. "He said things to you. Don't listen."
I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Kael—"
"He's manipulating you."
