WREN'S POV
The sanctuary was filled with a haunting quiet, a silence that carried both solace and unease. Sunlight filtered through the high windows, bathing the ancient stone walls in a warm glow. But there was no warmth in the air, only the lingering tension between Hunter and me.
The bond that had always been our strength, our lifeline, now felt like a shadow of itself. Gertrude’s spell had weakened it, leaving us unsteady, and the distance between us was palpable.
Lyra’s voice was faint but insistent. “Wren, this is not the time to falter. Trust him. Trust the bond.”
I clenched my fists, frustrated by the emptiness where our connection should have been. “I’m trying,” I whispered.
Hunter stood across the room, his jaw tight as he studied the maps. The weight of the fractured bond p
