#Chapter 116: New Ground

Ember The bond sits quiet in my chest this morning, a low hum instead of the desperate pull I've grown used to fighting. No pain, no withdrawal clawing at my insides. Just steady warmth and the awareness that Kaine is somewhere in the palace, awake, moving through his own morning. Connected to me by something I've finally stopped trying to sever. I lace my boots and strap my sword belt on. The mark on my shoulder glows faintly through the fabric of my uniform, visible if you know where to look, and every guard in this palace knows where to look by now. Word travels fast. The Crown Prince's mate, bonded and marked—the guard who hid it for a year and nearly died from the suppression. "Let them stare," Nara says. "We earned this." The training yard is already full when I arrive. I take my usual position at the edge, draw my sword, and begin my drills. The movements come easier today than they have in weeks—no trembling in my arms, no bond-fever making my vision swim. My body remem