Her fear spills out, a punishing torrent that rakes the inside of my chest, that pounds a sharp ache behind my eyes. I gasp for breath, and Kalta goes instantly quiet. “Oh my god,” she says, gathering me against her. The pain recedes, and we’re left trembling in each other’s arms. “I’m so sorry,” she says into my hair. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know.” She sounds horrified that the bond could do this, that her emotions could carry so much power.
