The moment the balance shifted, I felt it in a way that could not be mistaken, because the connection between us, which had once obeyed my control and followed my intent, no longer moved in a single direction, and instead began to twist into something unstable, something shared, something that no longer belonged entirely to me.
Kessler did not pull away. That was the first thing I understood. Because anyone else would have broken contact the instant the force between us intensified, yet he remained exactly where he was, his hand steady at my throat, his grip firm but measured, as though he had chosen this position deliberately and intended to hold it no matter what it cost.
My breath faltered as the pressure surged again, stronger than before, but this time it did not expand outward from
