Chapter 135
The moment the pressure narrowed completely around Ariana, Kael understood that the fight had changed in a way he couldn't ignore. It was no longer about resisting what moved through him or holding the line against the force pressing in from every direction. The presence had shifted, and now everything it was focused on had settled on her.
He didn't hesitate.
His grip on her hand tightened as he pulled her closer, stepping into her space instead of away from it. The movement was instinctive, but it carried something more deliberate beneath it, something that refused to let her stand alone against what was closing in. "No," he said, his voice low but steady, no longer breaking under pressure.
Ariana felt it immediately.
