Leo moved through the forest in silent, every step swift and deliberate, every muscle wound tight with urgency. Amaya lay cradled in his arms, her body trembling from the backlash of her uncontrolled power. Her breathing was shallow, uneven, and every time her eyes flickered, panic clawed at his chest.
He had felt her power earlier—felt it explode across the clearing like a divine command—and even now, traces of it clung to her skin like shimmering dust. It frightened him. Not because she was dangerous. But because her body wasn't ready for it.
Because she could burn herself out from the inside.
And he had almost watched her do exactly that.
"leo…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
He tightened his hold. "I'm here."
"I can't… breathe right."
"It will settle soon," he murmured, though the truth twisted inside him. The backlash was worse than he'd expected. Worse than any awakened tamer had experienced in centuries. "We're almost there."
