KIERAN’S POV
The barrier breathed.
That was the only way I could describe it—the way the silvery lattice of magic above the ravine pulsed, slowed, then gradually exhaled into something gentler. Less violent. Less excruciating.
The air no longer screamed against my senses. The pressure behind my eyes loosened, retreating inch by inch.
The agony that had been tearing through my chest for hours softened, like a muscle finally unclenching after being held too tight for too long.
It didn’t completely disappear. It lingered, dull and tender. But it was no longer consuming me whole.
My breath stuttered out of me.
“She’s…” My voice broke, weak and hoarse. “She’s fine.”
The bond no longer convulsed. It hummed—weak, distant, but alive.
Alive.
I pressed my palms harder against the moonstone, feeling its steady pulse beneath my skin. For the first time since I’d arrived, my hands stopped shaking.
