Naya’s eyes glowed before she could even think.
Her hand shot up, ready to strike, to protect Serena.
But Kaelen was faster. His sword flashed, slicing through the air and cutting the creature clean in half.
The bird let out a sharp cry before bursting into smoke and disappearing into the night.
Naya froze, her heartbeat thundering. She quickly lowered her hand, hoping neither Kaelen nor Serena had noticed what just happened.
Thankfully, it had all happened too fast for anyone to see.
Serena looked at him, eyes wide and heart pounding.
“Are you okay?” Kaelen asked, his voice low but filled with concern.
For a moment, Serena couldn’t tell if he was acting out of duty, because of their bonded lives and he can't let his lifeline drag him down or because he actually cared. But he had
