Kael’s POV
Lyra stood in front of me with the dagger in her hand, and she didn’t bend even a little, and something in me tightened. I was proud of her. Not the quiet pride people felt when someone did something small. This was different. This was the kind of pride I had never felt for anyone before, and I didn’t tell her because she would only argue or look away like she didn’t want to hear it.
She had no idea how much I had watched her since the day I left her here. She thought I walked away and forgot about her, but I never stopped thinking about where she was or what she was doing. I knew she could manage on her own because she was strong, and I wanted her to stand alone without me guiding her, but even then, I couldn’t push away the unease. It stayed with me every night, and it staye
