I froze, the air leaving my lungs in a silent wheeze.
It did not make sense. The bond was a matter of law, of ink and ancient blood-rites designed to hold—not something that could be undone by the stray threads of a dream.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the towel, the rough fabric biting into my palms.
“No,” I managed. “That is not possible.”
“Your soul is no longer anchored to her, Kaelia.”
“But, we were not together,” I argued. “A severance is as mutual as the bonding itself. It requires a rite. It is not possible.”
Understanding dawned on Sora’s face, her gaze sharpening as she leaned forward.
“So,” she said, her voice dropping. “This was the Veythar’s doing. Tell me, Kaelia… did he touch you?”
My eyes widened fractionally before I schooled my expression. Had I just given him away unknowingly?
“No.”
Sora leaned back, her gaze boring into mine, assessing the flush on my cheeks and the way my hands trembled. I stayed silent, offering her nothing but a wooden stare.
“Why did you not press the Whisper Stone?”
“I…” I trailed off, my mind racing for a cover. “I did not want to worry you into thinking this was an emergency.”
“This is an emergency!” Sora snapped, rising from her chair. “You are being dragged into a forbidden relationship with a Veythar. I thought you were smarter than this, Kaelia.”
I stood up, anger finally cutting through the fog of my fever. “I am being dragged into no such thing! The only thing I am being dragged into is a loveless bond that benefits only Haelen. I am a pawn to you, and Hera was just the square you moved me to.”
“A loveless bond that you have torn to pieces,” Sora deadpanned. “Which has left an innocent for dead.”
My hands froze by my sides. The room seemed to grow cold, the fever in my blood turning to ice.
“What?” I whispered.
“Hera,” she said. “She will be extremely unwell in the wake of this severance. When a bond is torn without preparation, the spiritual recoil is lethal.”
“She could die?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“Yes,” Sora said simply. “She will be feverish and nauseous. If she can ingest anything, herbs may help, but the damage is done.”
The room seemed to tilt. I had used Hera as a shield to protect my parents, tying her soul to mine just so I could havea moment of safety. Now, that shield had shattered, and the shards were piercing her instead of me.
“Now do you see how selfish your actions are?” she asked quietly.
I looked away, unable to meet the judgment in her eyes.
“Do not act as if you care,” I diverted.
Sora’s brows rose in surprise. “Of course I care. I care for all of the people of Haelen.”
“You do not!” I shouted. “You care for the strength of this realm and the stability of the council, and that is all!”
Keeper Sora moved the book from her desk back to the shelf and started for the door.
“Go and rest, Kaelia,” she said, her back to me. “You are unwell, and your mind is clouded. You know where the sleeping chamber is.”
“No,” I whispered, clutching the towel tighter. “I want to go home.”