The explosion at the summit. Arden tries to ground the energy and wakes up with a golden-white cord connecting her sternum to Dante's.

They test the tether. The agony of the Stretch. Dante realizes he cannot fly his squadron back without the human in his arms.

Forced travel on a single mount. The visceral friction of their bodies. Arden's siphon starts to hum in Dante's proximity.

Dante's energy spikes during a night-time ambush. Arden has to siphon him to prevent a blast that would level the camp.

They reach Dante's fortress. The Fae court is suspicious of the Human Battery. Dante's protective streak overrides his political logic.

Politics and proximity. They have to sleep in the same room to stay alive. They argue about history, power, and the arrogance of immortal courts.

They find the origin of the Soul-Anchor spell in a forbidden text. It was not an accident: it is a Fated bond used for kings.

Dante's magic becomes unstable in the cold. Arden must ground him. A magically-charged, high-intensity intimate encounter.

A rival Fae house tries to kidnap Arden to weaken Dante. Dante unleashes his full solar kinetic force to save her.

They find a way to break the bond, but it will leave Dante powerless and Arden magically blind.