Alina sank to the floor of the corridor once the shadow had dissipated, legs trembling beneath her. The stone was cold, biting through her thin leggings, but she barely noticed. Her pulse was still racing, her mark throbbing with a heat that felt alive. Even now, she could feel the Veil lingering, tendrils brushing against her mind, whispering promises she couldn’t quite understand.
Kael knelt beside her in a fluid motion, one hand on her shoulder, his other resting just above the hilt of his sword. “You’re doing well,” he said, though his voice carried the tension of every thought unspoken. “Better than I expected. But we can’t let the Veil take advantage of your confusion.”
Alina let out a shaky breath, leaning slightly against him. “I… I think I understand it better now. But it’s like
