Chapter 17 · The Echo in the Bell

"Let him go, Seline!"

Mara lunged. She didn't get far. Cael’s arm clamped around her waist like a steel band, jerking her back so hard the air left her lungs.

"Stay put, Mara. Don't move," Cael hissed. His voice was strained, vibrating with a pain he was fighting to hide.

Seline didn't even flinch. She kept her grip on the boy’s wrist, fingers digging into the kid's pale skin. The boy—the one who looked exactly like Ian—shrank away, eyes wide and terrified.

"He’s just a vessel, Mara. A beautiful, empty shell," Seline said. Her voice was silk and ice. She tilted the boy’s head up. "Isn't that right, darling? Tell her who you are."

"Mara... help me..."

It was a ghost of a voice. A rasping echo of the brother she’d lost. It tore through her chest.

"He's my brother!" Mara fought, her heels digging into the stone floor. "Seline, I don't know what game you're playing, but let him go right now!"

Cael tightened his hold, pulling her flush against his chest. Mara could feel the heat radiating off him, the erratic thumping of his heart against her spine. He was shaking.