"Because I've seen what you're capable of. You survived Leighton's poison. Tamed forbidden magic. Fought shadow assassins. You're stronger than you know."
I wanted to believe him. Wanted to have that kind of faith in myself.
"Thank you," I whispered. "For believing in me."
"Always."
We stayed up late, talking quietly about everything and nothing. He told me stories about his two hundred years of wandering. The places he'd seen, the people he'd met, the near-death experiences that somehow never quite killed him.
I told him about my childhood, the good memories before everything went wrong. Playing in the forests. Learning to shift. My mother's laughter.
As the fire died down to coals, Kael pulled me closer. "We should sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard day."
"I know. But I don't want thi
