#Chapter 113: Withdrawal

Ember It starts the moment I open my eyes. Not pain, not exactly—more like someone hooked a thread behind my sternum overnight and is now pulling it taut toward the east wing of the palace where Kaine sleeps. My mark throbs faintly warm and Nara stirs with a noise that's almost a purr. I can feel Rafe, she whispers. Really feel him—he's calling for us. I press my hand against my chest and tell her to shut up, which accomplishes nothing. Clara is still asleep in the other bed. I force myself upright, grabbing the bedpost when the room tilts and gripping until my knuckles ache. By the time the walls settle I'm already late for morning drills. I make it through my morning routine on autopilot—wash, dress, braid, boots—with fingers that feel like they belong to someone else. Every step toward the training yard tugs harder on that invisible thread, and every step away from Kaine feels like wading through knee-deep water. Jake spots me the second I duck under the fence rail and giv