Chapter 168

Emily’s POV

The library went completely still. Liam was already moving before I even fully understood what he’d sensed. Every trace of humor vanished from his face, his expression turning stone-cold.

“…Stay behind me.”

The air shifted. Then, I caught it, too. A scent. Blood, silver, and underneath it—pain. A sharp, rotting grief twisted through my empath senses, making me nauseous.

“…Cindy.” I said to him by the mind link.

“She’s hiding beneath the eastern window,” Liam muttered. “Crouched under the stone ledge.”

Cindy must have slipped away during the chaos of clearing the castle of rogues.

And she was still carrying traces of Varga’s corruption—I could feel the wrongness warping her emotions. It wasn't just grief over Declan; it was an obsession, a dark rage. The shattered remains of a mate bond ripped apart violently. No wonder she seemed half insane.

Liam glanced at me, and a quick understanding passed between us. I