Chapter 27 · The Poisoned Bond

"You're shaking, Elara. Is the little monster inside you finally waking up?"

Silas’s voice was a wet slide against my ear. He didn't just stand there—he crowded me, his grip on my shoulder tight enough to bruise. He’d stepped out of the shadows like a ghost that refused to stay dead, wearing that smug, knowing look that made me want to claw his eyes out.

"Get away from me," I snapped. I tried to wrench my shoulder free. I didn't move an inch. He was stronger. He knew it.

"Why?" Silas chuckled. His breath smelled of peppermint and malice. "I'm the only one telling you the truth. Kane isn't using you for peace. He's pouring his rot into you. Every time he touches you, every time he drinks your light, a piece of that curse settles in your marrow."

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping. "You aren't his cure, sweetheart. You're his trash can."

I shoved him, hard. "You're lying!"

"Am I?" He stepped back, arms spread wide. "Look at your wrist. Look at the mark. It's not a bond—it's a leak. Soon, you won't be able to tell where your hunger ends and his bloodlust begins.