in and garbage thick in the air. Three men closed in, their laughter ugly and sharp. My breath

for me, a shadow move

was t

bling strikes. It was over in seconds. The men were groani

storm of fear. He held me tightly, his warmth seeping into my skin, chasing away th

there to sav

ered, his hand stroki

y, this absolute reliance, was built on a sacrifice I could never forget.

rbidden ritual, a way to bind our life forces together. The shaman called it the Soul-Link. It meant his pain would be my pain, hi

line of his jaw, the intensity in

. His touch was gentle, but his eyes were alr

he question was always there, a consta

low promise. "I have my best men searching every corner of

I had. Since my sister disappeared a month ago, the worl

to her," he said, seeing the

ce pale with fear, trapped in a gilded cage. A woman with cold, regal eyes stood before her, a cruel smile on her

dream felt too real, a cold premonition that settled deep in my

was empty. The sheets

around my shoulders. The house was quiet, the only sound the faint ticking of a clock i

d. I saw him standing by the window, his back to me. He wasn't alone

head. It was the woman from my dream