Loyalty is proven in fire, not words.
"We need to show them we're not a threat," Darius said the morning after discovering Katheris's coordination with Gideon. Sunlight streamed through the window of his office, dust motes dancing in the golden beams. "Show everyone that our bond makes us stronger, not unstable."
"How?" I asked, my coffee growing cold in my hands.
"A controlled challenge. Public. Witnessed by the Academy and council." His eyes met mine, intense and golden. "We fight together. Show perfect coordination. Prove the bond enhances rather than corrupts."
Through our connection, I felt his desperation. His need to prove Katheris wrong. To show he wasn't losing control. The emotion pulled at me, urgent and raw.
"That's risky," Caleb said, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed. "If something goes wrong, if either of you loses control, you prove her point."
