Chapter 32 - The Mark’s Secret

The rogue camp stood as a fragile shelter in the light of the midday sun, its tents leaning from the rain of last night and the ground heavy with the smell of wet earth and pine. The fight in the Witch's Hollow had taken a toll on my body, the claw marks on my arm still sore despite Elder Mira's salves. Kael flanked my side, our hands brushing as we walked side by side; the bond hummed out warmth that centered me, steadying me after being thrust into the chaos that was fighting Isolde's champion. His declaration of love — or mine, for that matter — had changed something between us, a bond sealed in blood and sacrifice. But the gravity of my blood oath to Isolde, coupled with the imminence of Gavyn's threat, collided on me like a storm waiting to break.