Aria's POV
Damon turned. I saw no recognition. Only that terrible emptiness. I swallowed the panic rising in my throat.
"You know me. You know my voice."
His claws emerged.
I continued. "You know my scent. You know our bond."
Something inside him twitched. I felt it. A faint pull. A thread buried beneath layers of darkness. Our mate bond.
I grabbed onto it with everything I had.
Damon. I pushed my consciousness toward his. It's me. Aria.
The thread strengthened. For a moment, warmth spread through my chest. I could almost feel him reaching back. Then I hit something. An invisible, impenetrable barrier. I recoiled.
"What the hell?"
Something is blocking us, Lydia whispered.
I pushed again. The barrier trembled but refused to break. And then I understood. It wasn't only Silas's bl
