Kael’s POV
She felt it the moment we stepped into the clearing.
I saw it in the way her body stilled, in the subtle shift of her breathing as the bond anchored itself more firmly between us. This place always did that. It stripped away distance, sharpened awareness, and made it impossible to ignore what was already there.
I watched her carefully, measuring every reaction. Fear wasn’t the problem. I could handle fear. It was curiosity that made this dangerous.
“What is this place?” she asked.
Her voice was quieter now, but steadier than before. She was adjusting faster than I expected, which only confirmed what I already knew. She was not going to break under this. She was going to push into it.
“This is where the truth starts,” I said.
I didn’t look away from her when I said it. She
