Chrystal’s breath caught.
He's scared! Scared for me! She realized. Maybe even more scared than I am…Why…? Why would someone like him care about me? Is it the bond? Is he scared I’ll die, and he will too? She wondered, as she stared up at him, her lips pressed together.
Castain grabbed her by the upper arms and stared into her eyes, more intently than he had since they had encountered each other at the Bonding Ceremony.
Her eyes trembled, her mouth falling open as she heard his voice in her head, heard it, not felt it or sensed it, this time words filled her mind – an impossibility, or so it should have been.
[[Hear me, princess. To run with us, we must know your capabilities. This is a rite of passage. Remember this: step inside their attack range rather than trying to retreat, don’t
