Aria opened her eyes at first light in the chamber below.
Kael was awake already. He sat on the floor near her bedroll, a strong fire crackling in the small hearth. A wooden bowl filled with steaming food rested in his hands. He clearly hadn’t slept. The weariness showed in his face. The silver in his eyes looked dulled, and the faint lines around his mouth seemed deeper than the day before. Still, he had remained there. He hadn’t left her side through the entire night.
She attempted to push herself upright.
She failed.
Her body felt far heavier than she had anticipated. Not with simple fatigue. This weight was different. Something now existed inside her, something real and substantial that she hadn’t carried before. The iron-colored mark in her chest felt much like the silver ring had
