Eldira's spoon slipped from her fingers and clattered against the pot.
Aedric froze.
Rell straightened beside him, sensing the shift in the room.
Slowly, Eldira turned toward him. Her face had gone pale, her eyes wide with surprise.
"You are Val'Razen."
Aedric's brows pulled together. "What does that mean?"
Eldira stepped closer, studying him as if she were seeing something no one else could.
"Val'Razen," she repeated, her voice trembling, "is a mark carried by only one kind of soul… a soul whose mate died long ago."
Aedric's breath caught.
Rell's eyes widened. "Grandmother..."
Eldira lifted a hand for silence, her gaze locked on Aedric.
"It is a mark that does not fade," she said softly. "Even death could not break the bond you once had. And now…"
Her voice wavered, but she did not look away.
"…your mate has returned to this world, in another body."
Aedric felt the air leave his lungs.
Rell stared at him, stunned.
Eldira whispered the words once more.
