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“I told you to stay back,” he growled, his voice tight with frustration.

“And I told you I can’t just sit and watch,” she shot back, her own fear laced with gritty purpose.

“Then stand and watch,” he bit out as he fought off the remaining Marauders. When the last Marauder fell, they stood in silence, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“We need to move,” Zar’Ryn said finally, his voice steady despite his exhaustion.

“The women?”

“Are good where they are. They do not have the necessary energy to find a way out of here, so they stay put for now. We will return for them.”

Elara nodded, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. “I’ll let them know,” she informed him, before following his lead. The bond between them pulsed with a quiet intensity, unspoken emotions weaving through the connection like threads offate.

As they made their way through the facility, Elara couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The bond reflected Zar’Ryn’s tension, his sharp gaze flicking to every shadow. They moved in silence, the weight of their shared connection pressing down on them like a heavy shroud.

Finally, they reached a small, dimly lit room that appeared to be a storage area. Zar’Ryn closed the door behind them, his expression grim. “We will rest here for a moment,” he said. “But we cannot stay long.”

Elara sank to the floor, her body trembling with exhaustion. She clutched the bracelet on her wrist, her mind racing with everything that had happened. The bond was a constant presence, areminder of the connection she shared with Zar’Ryn. It was overwhelming, but it was also strangely comforting.

“What is this thing?” she asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. “The bond. The bracelets. What do they mean?”

Zar’Ryn didn’t answer immediately. He sat across from her, his penetrating gaze studying her intently. “I do not know,” he admitted finally. “But it is not natural. It is… something else.”

“Something dangerous,” she said, her voice trembling.

He nodded, his expression somber. “Affirmative.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the bond throbbing quietly between them. Elara couldn’t help but feel that whatever this connection was, it had already changed her—changed them both. And she had a feeling it was only the beginning.

Elara forced herself to her feet. “Let’s see what’s in here. Maybe there’s something we can use on that wound of yours.”

He grunted, gesturing toward a white box sitting on a nearby shelf. “That.”

Okay. She picked up the box and opened the lid. Sure enough it contained bandages and bottles of liquid she could only hope were for sterilization. Zar’Ryn held out his hand and she gave him the container.

He made short work of the process, pouring one of the bottles of liquid onto his cut. She hissed as the sting traveled through their bond. Fortunately, it only lasted a second. Then he pulled out a round disc and held it over the wound. Pressing an indented area, apale green beam flowed from the disc and shifted up and down his wound. Within seconds, it healed.

“Use that disc thing on your other injuries,” she encouraged.

For an instant, it looked like he intended to argue, but gave in with a gruff sigh. Little by little the pain communicating through the bracelet vanished. Finally, he nodded. “It is done.”

“That is a really nifty gadget.” Instead of returning it to the med kit, she pocketedit.

Zar’Ryn didn’t object. He simply stood and walked to the door, beckoning her to follow. “Stay behind me.”

As they moved deeper into the facility, Zar’Ryn’s steps slowed. They reached a row of cells, and Elara’s heart clenched at the sight of more frightened women inside. Their eyes were hollow, their bodies battered. She took a step forward, her voice trembling.

“Are you all right?” she asked gently.

One woman, clutching her arm against her chest, nodded weakly. “I think it’s broken, but I’m okay.”

“Will this disc thing fix her arm?” Elara asked Zar’Ryn.

“It will.” His hand grazed her shoulder, acomforting gesture. “We will free them, as we did the others,” he said firmly.

He worked quickly, dismantling the glowing locks while Elara crouched and used the disc on the woman’s arm. Within minutes, it seemed healed, tears of gratitude creeping down hercheeks. Elara checked on each of the other women, using the disc on any wounds or injuries.

Once finished, she turned to the warrior. “They’re weak, but they can walk. Even so, we need an exit. Now. And we need to get the other women hiding in the auxiliary tunnel and lead them here to join us.”

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