VALERIE
At first, it was small things.
Jasper stared into the fire too long. He called Rose “Maerra” once — a midwife from his childhood who’d died years ago. He paused mid-sentence when telling Dorian a story… because he couldn’t remember how it ended. At night, when we lay close, his eyes would drift past me — like he was slipping somewhere I couldn’t follow. And each time I tried to reach for our bond, I felt him… dim.
“He’s still here,” Dorian insisted, gripping my arm gently. “But something’s unraveling inside him.” “He’s forgetting,” I whispered. Jason stood beside the window, arms folded tightly across his chest. “And you’re still too weak to try anything reckless.” “Too weak?” I turned to him, jaw trembling. “I’m not sitting here while Jasper fades in front of us.” “You almost d
