Chapter 147
The clearing did not fully settle after Augustus left, but the violence that had torn through it was gone. The air moved again, slow and uneven, carrying the scent of broken earth and crushed leaves, while the trees stood at unnatural angles where the force had bent them.
Somewhere deeper in the forest, something small moved, cautious and distant, as if the world itself was testing whether it was safe to return.
Ariana noticed it first.
Her shoulders lowered slightly as she drew in a breath that did not hurt, her body finally beginning to release the tension it had been holding for too long. Her hand remained pressed against Kael's chest, not because she needed to steady herself anymore, but because she wasn't ready to let go.
Kael didn't move.
He stood where he was, his arm still around her, his breathing slower now but not completely steady. The storm inside him had quieted, but she could feel it there, beneath the surface, contained but not gone.
