Chapter Fifty-One - Visions of Betrayal

Ella's POV

I drifted in the void between dreaming and waking, seeking connection along the fragile thread that tied my soul to Aiden's.

Our mindlink had been quiescent since our last intimate conversation, his energies focused on the journey home.

Or so I guess.

But though his spirit was beyond my reach, images still flickered at the edge of my consciousness.

Brief glimpses of unfamiliar forests, a cavern lit by firelight...flashing faces wreathed in shadow. Were these Aiden's dreams I was tapping into? Or had the twisting curse infiltrated even our bond, showing me phantoms meant to mislead?

I clung desperately to the flashes of sight and sound, straining to decipher meaning in the disjointed mosaic. But just as quickly, they faded, smoke through my grasping fingers.

With a gasp, I jolted fully awake, heart racing. The images had vanished like mist under the harsh sun.

"What was that again?" I mumbled as I rubbed my temples, struggling to hold on to any sliver, any clue that migh