SKYE'S POV
The amber glow didn't keep the cold out.
Deep beneath the bedrock of Nighthaven, in a cavern where the air tasted of ancient dust and rusted iron, the warmth of the mountain’s core felt like a distant, mocking heartbeat. My bare feet slid against the gritty stone floor, my toes curling to find purchase on the uneven surface. Every muscle in my thighs trembled, a dull, throbbing ache that had settled into my bones hours ago.
"Again," Eryx’s voice cut through the dimness, flat and unyielding as the granite surrounding us.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My lungs burned as if I were inhaling broken glass, and the sweat dripping from my hairline stung my eyes, blurring his silhouette. He stood ten paces away, his broad shoulders relaxed, a simple wooden training staff balanced ligh
