The clearing held its breath.
The Echo Unbound had gone still, its form cracked and flickering, as if unsure whether to obey Rowan’s command or dissolve entirely. Its eyes—Kaelen’s eyes—remained fixed on the boy. But they no longer burned with rage.
They trembled.
As if remembering something.
Quinn’s arms tightened around Rowan, his heart thundering in his chest. The pup was barely conscious, his pulse fluttering like moth wings. And yet, that voice—that voice—still echoed in Quinn’s bones.
Stop.
A single word. Spoken not just with magic, but with authority. Not Rowan’s, not Kaelen’s, but something deeper still. Something that felt older than either.
“Is he…” Quinn whispered, brushing a blood-matted curl from Rowan’s forehead, “still with us?”
Jace knelt beside them. “He’s alive. I
