Kaelen went still.
"You think avoiding her will protect her," Varyn continued. "You think distance will starve the bond."
"It will," Kaelen said firmly.
"No," Varyn replied and the word landed heavier than any shout.
"The curse is not silenced by denial. It feeds on it, it twists it. If you avoid Lyra forever, the curse will not fade, it will find another way to break you both."
Kaelen's expression flickered with anger, fear and something rawer beneath it.
"It has always destroyed the bond when it was resisted," Varyn added. "Always."
"You are terrified of harming her," Varyn said more gently now. "I understand that but pushing her away will not save her."
Kaelen looked back toward the water, jaw clenched tight.
"For the first time in centuries," Varyn continued, "there is hope. The curse did not surge into violence when you touched her. It receded."
"That could change," Kaelen said quietly.
"Yes," Varyn agreed. "It could."
