Page 57 of Kael

They’re talking. Not out loud, but in that eerie, telepathic, I’m-so-bonded-to-you-I-don’t-even-need-words way. My pulse stumbles, my stomach lurching as the realisation lands with a weight I wasn’t ready for.

Because I started my side of the bond with Kael.

I swallow hard, my heart jumping—not quite in panic, but in the stark awareness that my life is already irrevocably changed.

Before I can spiral too much, Kael shifts closer. Then, to my surprise, he comforts me.

He leans in, his breath warm against my ear as he murmurs, “You are not alone in this.” His voice is low, deep, and threaded with something so steady that my entire body reacts before my mind catches up. A shiver—a delicious one—runs down my spine.

Damn.

I can’t wait to get on a proper bed with this man. This Glowranth who’s promised to be mine. Somehow, I hold back my amusement at myself. Apparently, I’m a fickle bitch.

Iris interrupts before I can do anything about it. “All right, I’m ready.”

I blink. “Shit, already?”

I know we have to go. I know Dawson’s life is hanging in the balance. But damn, I’d really been hoping for food. And maybe five glorious minutes in an actual bed.

Iris watches my expression shift, and then she laughs. “Oh, don’t worry,” she says, her grin knowing. “We’re not walking.”

“What do you mean?” I narrow my eyes.

She gestures vaguely towards Henny. “Why would we trek when my Henny can transport us there in the blink of an eye?”

Kael goes rigid. More rigid than before. I glance at him, then at Henny, who just stares at us. And not in a friendly way. More like he’s picturing our bodies splattered against a rock and wondering whether it would be inconvenient to clean up.

“Right,” I say, exhaling sharply. “That’s… great. I love interdimensional smoke vortex travel.”

Kael does not love it. At all. He looks at me. Looks at Iris. Looks at Henny, who hasn’t moved an inch but still somehow feels closer. “This is a bad idea,” he mutters.

Iris waves a hand. “Relax. You’ll be fine.”

Kael does not relax. Neither do I, honestly. But eventually, we agree, because what other choice do we have?

Henny lifts one massive hand. Smoke swirls around us, thick and curling, swallowing everything in an instant.

As the world distorts, I barely get the chance to say, “If we die, I’m haunting you, Iris,” before the ground vanishes beneath my feet.

The shift from swirling smoke to solid ground is so abrupt that I stumble forwards, catching myself just in time. We’re inside Dathanor’s headquarters, not the main township.

Smart. No need to terrify the masses with Henny’s looming, shadow-drenched presence. That being said, the weapons trained on us aren’t great.

My hands fly up instinctively. “It’s me, Sonny! I’ve brought Iris!”

The mist fully clears just as Varek races through the door. His gaze locks onto me, his frown deep and assessing—but then, just as quickly, it eases. A smile forms, relief flashing in his sharp eyes.

“Sonny,” he greets me, and that single word carries more weight than I expected.

I grin. “Told you I’d make it.”

Varek lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. “That you did.”

We’re still grinning at each other when his gaze flicks past me, landing on Henny.

To most, Varek looks completely calm. Unruffled. But I know better. The tension in his jaw, the subtle way his stance shifts, weight distributing evenly, his body ready despite his relaxed posture—he’s anxious.

Because everyone knows the Hendroy’s reputation.

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