For two days, I barely left the clearing.
My father’s runes still glowed faintly on the ground, a soft ring of blue and white that held back the power when it surged. He said it was for my protection, but it felt more like a cage.
Every breath I took felt heavier. Every thought louder.
The bond was quieter than before, but not silent. I could still feel the faint flicker of my brothers’ emotions in the back of my mind. Frustration, anger and exhaustion. It came and went like the tide.
Talon had been staying nearby. My father pretended not to notice, or maybe he just didn’t care anymore. Every night, I’d hear soft footsteps in the forest, the sound of a branch shifting, the whisper of his voice through the trees.
He was careful. Always careful. But I knew his rhythm now, the way he mov
