The ground hadn't stopped trembling since I shattered the bond. The air reeked of ozone, thick with the scent of scorched magic, and every hair on my skin stood on end like the forest itself had begun to breathe.

Xavier held me tighter than before, his hand against my spine like a shield. His eyes searched the treetops, his muscles coiled in instinctive defense. He wasn’t just looking for danger—he felt it too.

“Something’s coming,” I whispered.

“No,” the healer croaked behind us, trembling. “Someone is already here.”

The trees groaned.

A murder of crows erupted from the canopy, shrieking as if fleeing a predator no one could see. The...