-and began tearing Dr

His shoulder struck stone. A strangled breath ripped from h

her chest. Pain spear

ave

is wrists flashed, then tightened, dr

already moving. She vaulted over the f

he pain struck harder. She gas

ked. "The bond is rea

me how to

n't k

ttered open. "You

er boots against the marble and tig

ed, but no so

ward the hall.

nned beat,

oom. "Bring every healer in the palace. If an

ed over the broken floor and fell; another dragged him up without stopping. The sur

. His face was bloodless,

an h

y ba

, he's

d you to s

is eyes sharpened into anger

yndor. "I have my guardian. I have

hen he looked down at Draven's bloodied face. "I

ropped. "You don't ge

then fell open at his sid

mara, the pressure is increasing. The roy

aven's chest. Beneath it, his heart beat irregu

bond something other t

I am not releasing you from my order to li

witched again

" Erynd

Amara repeated. "T

ath her palm. Draven's next b

councilor tried to sli

" Amar

locked

are that ritual." She pointed to two guards. "Keep Seraphi

n up. "You can't impriso

tch

their shins, but they pulled her away. Kieran took one

," she

, jaw tight as the guards too

se, and bundles of clean linen. Their leader-a gray-haired woma

hand," she

a di

if I can't

ne him arou

ase and pulled out a silver instrument etched with tiny

de several w

instrument away. Its met

it?" Amar

Draven's torn collar aside. A dark pattern curled beneath his skin, branc

u remov

We need to move him to the lower infirmary. The chains are

mach clench

ter light t

take

ed to lift him, the black veins flared and his body arche

Eryndor

ed Draven

I'm here. You're not goin

For a moment, his blo

ve let me go,"

what happens to me." Her fingers tig

ouched his mouth. "Your

er is that yo

uched the metal. They changed tactics, forming a ring around him and chanting in a l

ck glow

he said.

rattled as the healers carried him toward the corrido

ved as if

free hand. "Y

ed. "You're goin

e who stand

and Amara refused to let go. "And

l face hi

wed past shelves of herbs and gleaming instruments, into a stone chamber washed in blu

s to his throat, then listened at

it?" Am

ce pale. "The chains are

ned around Draven's

reading beneath his skin. "If we pull t

you leav

aking them tighten." She looked Amara directl