Mira did not sleep because the vision followed her into the night like a shadow that refused to fade. She sat on the edge of the narrow bed inside the mountain chamber, staring at her hands as if they might still hold pieces of Ryker’s past.
She could still see the boy in the forest, she could still feel his grief, and that frightened her more than the bond ever had. Understanding an enemy was dangerous, it weakened anger, it softened certainty and it made hatred harder to hold.
And hatred was the only thing that had kept her strong for years. The bond stirred quietly, as if aware of her thoughts.
Mira stood and began pacing the chamber. “Why did I see that?” she whispered.
The stone walls did not answer. But deep down, she knew, the bond was changing again and so was she.
Morning cam
