[Gale's POV]
My body was a leaden weight, each step an act of sheer will. The constant drain of mana to maintain my human form, compounded by the psychic backlash from Ovelia's earlier terror and my own disturbing visions, had left me dangerously depleted.
But a change had come through our bond.
The icy, gnawing loneliness and sharp panic that had been echoing from her were gone, replaced by a gentle, steady warmth. Relief. Safety. Companionship.
She's with the others.
Through the faint, persistent thrum of the connection, I could feel her moving. She was getting closer, walking with purpose. I had followed the thread as far as my draining mana would allow, pushing my fairy sight to its absolute limit until the world became a translucent, energy-streaked blur and my own life force began to flicker in protest. Now, I let the enhanced vision go, the strain on my senses releasing with a dizzying rush. The alley walls around me snapped back into solid, grimy stone.
