Kael’s POV
We didn’t make it far enough.
That was the first realization.
Not because we slowed.
Not because she hesitated.
Because it was faster than distance.
The pressure behind us didn’t fade.
It stretched.
It followed.
And then—
It surged.
The corridor darkened in a single breath, the torches flaring violently before dimming just enough to shift everything into something unfamiliar. My grip tightened on Elara as I pulled her closer, my body already turning slightly to shield her.
Too late.
Footsteps.
Ahead.
Multiple.
Fast.
I didn’t slow.
Didn’t stop.
But I knew.
They had already felt it.
Figures rounded the corridor.
Guards first.
Two of them.
Then—
Lucien.
Of course.
His gaze locked onto us instantly, sharp and alert, but it shifted just as quickly. Not to m
