AYLA'S POV
One moment, I was in Kael's arms, the ruins cold and broken beneath us. The next, I was drowning in memories that weren't mine.
A blade. Silver. Dripping.
My blood—no, her blood—pooling on stone.
Kael's voice, rough with command: "It has to be done this way."
I gasped, clawing back to reality. "What did you do?"
Kael's face was pale, his jaw locked. He didn't answer.
Rylan's presence surged inside me, hot and furious. His voice rippled through my throat. "He forced the bond, Ayla. The night you thought it formed naturally—it didn't."
"That's not—" Kael started.
"Tell her!" Rylan's roar shook my bones.
I shoved away from Kael, stumbling to my feet. The runes beneath my skin flared violet, then gold, then both at once. Pain lanced through my chest where the bond mark lived.
"Ayla, listen to me—"
"No." My voice cracked. "Show me."
Kael's eyes widened. "You don't want to see this."
"I didn't ask what I wanted. Show me."
