KELLY THOMPSON'S POV
Panting, chests heaving like bellows stoking a forge, we took a moment to gather ourselves in the aftermath. The air, still thick with the residue of magic and combat, hummed with an energy that prickled against my skin. I glanced at Eden, whose youthful face was painted with both exhilaration and uncertainty. He had grown in more ways than one today.
"Are you hurt?" I asked, touching his shoulder. The concern of a mother clashed with the pride of a queen.
"I'm fine, Mother," Eden replied, a slight quiver betraying his nerves. "Just... surprised."
"Surprises can be our allies," Paul Biansky murmured, his eyes scanning the shadows as if expecting them to burst forth with new threats.
"Indeed," I said, nodding at him. At this point, trust was not freely
