Demitri’s POV
The day had been uneventful—quiet, too quiet. Ezra was buried in his books, meticulously going through the ancient journals that seemed to provide more questions than answers. I, on the other hand, was pacing. My patience was wearing thin. If there was one thing I despised, it was waiting.
And then it happened.
It started as a dull ache in my chest, almost like an itch I couldn’t reach. But within seconds, it morphed into a sharp, piercing pain that sent me crashing to my knees.
Ezra was by my side in an instant. “Demitri!”
I couldn’t respond. The air seemed too thick to breathe, and my hand clutched at my chest as if I could stop the unbearable ripping sensation. The bond—it was gone.
No, not gone. Severed.
“Aria,” I managed to choke out, her name a bitter taste in my
