AYLA'S POV
The water wasn't water.
It was a memory made of liquid. Power made tangible. Every bond ever formed, every love ever born, every betrayal ever suffered—all of it flowing through me at once.
I drowned in sensation.
"Show me," I commanded the magic. "Show me what he did."
The pool answered.
VISION: THE BLOOD BOND CEREMONY
I watched myself from outside my body. Saw the fear in my eyes as Kael raised the blade. Saw him hesitate—just for a heartbeat—before cutting.
But this time, I felt what he felt.
Terror. Absolute, bone-deep terror that the Council would execute me before dawn. That Cassia's lies would win. That he'd lose me before ever having me.
"Trust me," he said, and I felt the plea beneath the command. Please trust me. Please let me save you. Please don't die.
The blade cut. Our blood mixed.
I felt the moment the bond snapped into place—felt it from his side. The relief was overwhelming. She's safe. She's mine. They can't touch her now.
