Page 223 of Elemental Becoming

Thane shifts in his chair, his voice low, clipped.

“Valen, just so I’m clear—this bond between us. You’re saying it’s the same one the last Shadow Warden had?”

A beat. His eyes sharpen.

“And it appears that bond only existed because of theUnmaking.”

He exhales, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“Does that mean it’s breaking free?”

Valen’s gaze drops to the cup in front of him. He drags a hand back through his hair, fingers pausing at the crown of his head like the weight is too much to carry.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this. Not uncertain. But . . . unsettled. When he looks back at Thane, his eyes are unwavering.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Shit,” Thane mutters, bowing his head, his hands braced against the table.

I grip the arms of my chair, fingers digging into the wood.

Valen’s eyes soften. And in that moment, the years seem to settle into him all at once. His shoulders round. And the warrior I’ve always known gives way to something quieter. Older.

Thane lifts his head, jaw tight. “So this isn’t just a war against the Shadeheart anymore.” He looks between us, voice low. “We’re also facing something much bigger. Something older.”

Valen gives a single nod. “It appears so.”

The room is still, but my chest is tightening like the air has thickened. I draw in a breath—but it doesn’t feel like enough. Another. Shallower. Something cold spreads beneath my skin, like a current winding through my veins. My fingers tremble. I curl them into fists, trying to stop it.

My thoughts begin to loop.

This is too much.

I can’t—

No one’s saying anything. Why isn’t anyone saying anything?

The walls feel closer. The floor, too far. Everything familiar starts to feel just a little bit wrong. And somewhere in the blur, I know I’m not dying—but try telling that to my body.

The spiraling is interrupted when a hand presses against the back of my neck.

I turn to my left.

Smoke-gray eyes meet mine, the still point in my spinning world.

Thane.

Valen rises swiftly, then returns with a glass of water, pressing it gently into my hands.

“Drink, girl. All of it. But slowly.” His voice is calm, deliberate. “Focus on each sip. Feel the water move down your throat. It’ll calm your mind. Bring you back to yourself.”

I nod, wordless, and do as he says—cheeks burning with shame I don’t know how to hide.

The Spiritborn. Chosen. Powerful. Unyielding.

That’s who I’m supposed to be. Instead, I come apart the moment things get too real.

Thane’s thumb grazes my skin. His touch is somehow too much and not enough at once.