VALERIE
The light in my chamber flickered, even though the candles hadn’t moved. I sat cross-legged on the cold floor, hands shaking, trying to pull in the fractured pieces of my power. It wasn’t listening. It hadn’t been for days. It burned behind my ribcage. Choked my lungs. Unraveled in bursts I couldn’t control. I saved Jasper. But at what cost? He hadn’t spoken much since I nearly threw him across the wall two nights ago. Not out of anger, out of fear. Today, he came to me in silence, shoulders tense, jaw set. He didn’t ask permission when he knelt beside me and placed his hand over mine. “I can feel the bond weakening.” His voice was hoarse. “I know,” I whispered. Jason’s eyes, usually stormy with rage and devotion, were dimmer. He looked... tired. “I’m trying to anchor it,” I told
