Kael's Pov
There was no better time to move. No second chances. No safer moment to get Jasper out of this cursed place before they turned their claws on him again—or worse, before they used him as bait. It was almost time. I could feel it, the way the sky looked darker even at dawn, the way the ground itself seemed to vibrate with that ancient hum. It was almost time for the blood moon. Almost time for me to use Sera.
Jasper had to be out of here before I could focus on that.
I had been confined to the trainee quarters for days now. A perfectly executed leash disguised as precautionary hospitality. It was clever, in its own way. No chains. No obvious suspicion. Just constant watch. Lucian hadn't needed to say it. His eyes had said enough. I wasn't trusted, and after what happened with the recent mission, I couldn't blame him.
