Lyra's POV.
When I woke, the light coming through the shutters was pale and thin. The first thing I felt was heat on my shoulder. When I looked down, a new mark shimmered there, part of Kael's oath rune, part of the Hollow's sigil. The lines had fused while I slept. The skin around it was smooth but warm, as if it were breathing.
Kael was sitting in a chair near the window, still wearing his torn shirt from the night before. His eyes were half-closed, with one hand resting against his temple. The air between us hummed with quiet tension.
"You didn't leave," I said softly. He opened his eyes. "I couldn't. Every time I tried, the mark pulled me back."
I touched the place on my shoulder. "It's changing again." "I know." He stood and came closer. "Let me see."
