Arthur’s POV
The moon hung low and swollen, a bruised orb barely bleeding light through the storm clouds gathering over the ridge. The world smelled wrong—too still, too quiet—like the land itself was holding its breath.
And Tyla wasn’t beside me.
Again.
Every instinct inside me rasped raw, clawing for her, my magic scraping the walls of my ribcage like an animal ready to burst through bone.
Ash stood a few paces ahead, shoulders stiff, silver bleeding faintly through the cracks in his skin. He was healing, but not naturally. The moon wasn’t touching him; Tyla was.
The bond changed everything.
He turned his head sharply, eyes narrowing at the horizon. “She’s pulling on the mark.”
My pulse dropped into a hard, cold thud.
“How strong?”
Ash’s jaw clenched. “Strong enough to fracture
