Kaelen's POV.
The stone balcony of the Black Ridge stronghold was cold. I stood at the edge, my fingers digging into the rough masonry.
I didn't hear him enter, the air in the room shifted, growing thick and heavy with the scent of pine.
"You're vibrating," Varro said.
His voice was a low rumble in the doorway. I didn't turn around, I couldn't because if I looked at him, I knew the pull would become a physical weight.
"It's the bond," I said. "It won't shut up."
"It's not just the bond. You're thinking about the Emperor." Varro walked toward the balcony, his movements silent despite his size.
He stopped a few feet away, his icy blue eyes fixed on the horizon. "I saw his face when the Elder spoke. I saw the way he looked at you. Like you were a liability."
"He thinks I've already left him," I said.
"Have you?"
