Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Kayline takes Mireth to the hot spring for a deeper cleansing ritual using her own skin and herbs. They spend the afternoon in the water while Aldren builds a fire, cooks the deer, and prepares the hide. Later, Aldren arrives covered in blood, strips naked, and approaches the women. He kisses Kayline and declares the feast ready. Kayline then turns to Mireth, kisses her deeply, and holds her. The black streaks vanish entirely, astonishing everyone.
They carried Mireth through the front door, the leather-bound shutters flexing as if the house itself exhaled in relief. Kayline’s arms ached from the weight, but she would not set her down until they reached the kitchen hearth. Aldren supported the woman’s other side, his jaw tight, his eyes scanning the corners of the room as if the shadow might seep through the walls.
Corvus had already arrived, perched on the mantel, his black eyes tracking their movement. Vesper landed on the windowsill, her golden gaze fixed on the black streaks that pulsed faintly on Mireth’s skin. Harrow stood in the doorway, his hackles only slightly lowered, his amber eyes never leaving the woman’s hand.
Kayline eased Mireth onto a chair by the fire. The warmth of the flames seemed to soothe something in the air, but the streaks remained—dark as ink, branching like veins, alive with a slow, rhythmic pulse.
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