“Mia? Mia, please, please come back to me,” I cry, rocking her back and forth in my arms.
My hand rests on Mia’s cheek, and I close my eyes, pushing my magic into her. Warmth encases me in a golden glow, and I feel Maxon’s magic right there beside mine, the two entwining and pulsing with love and life.
Mia stirs, and I think my mind has finally fractured.
Maxon’s magic and mine combined pulse into Mia as I chant over and over to release her back to me. Mia twitches in my arms, a soft breath falls from her lips, and I sag in relief. She is alive.
Maxon crouches down and grips my chin, lifting my face to his. Pain and fury line his features.
“Let me carry her.” He wipes away my tears.
The walls begin to crumble around us. Maxon’s fire won’t protect us from a cave in. He scoops Mia into his arms as I stumble to my feet, swiping up my dagger and turning to follow Maxon. The second he draws his fire back, Raiden appears in the entrance. His silver eyes are glowing as he takes us in.
“Come on, this way!” he yells over the rumbling on the earth.
Maxon inclines his head, waiting for me. I take off after Raiden, my magic swelling again as I do my best to keep the roof from falling on us as we run through the tunnels. My adrenaline overrides my panic at the thought of being trapped, but I can feel it at the edge of my mind, ready to take over if I let it.
I hear the echo of a sinister laugh, a sound that seems to bounce off the walls of my mind, reverberating until it fills every corner of my thoughts. And then realization hits at what I’ve done. The reality strikes me like a sudden plunge into an icy lake, freezing my breath and constricting my ribs. I’ve set the Shadoweaver free.
Chapter seventy-two
Everly
Iburst out into the open-air gasping, my hands landing on my knees, as I try drawing in a lungful of clean air. Each breath burns, and my body trembles from the exertion. I peer over my shoulder, my lungs still heaving, and spot Maxon standing tall behind me, Mia firmly in his arms. He’s covered in dust and debris, blood smeared all over his bare chest and face. I know he is still in pain, but he holds my friend with such care.
A piercing howl cuts through the momentary calm, freezing me in place. The sound is raw and furious. My head snaps toward the source just in time to see Fenris in wolf form barreling toward us, his massive frame scattering soldiers who leap out of his path. He skids to a halt mere steps away, his chest heaving as his wild eyes sweep over me. Before I can react, he shifts, and his arms wrap around me tightly, crushing me against him.
“Thank fuck,” he growls, his voice rough with emotion. “When the caves started collapsing, I–”
His words cut off abruptly. His body goes stiff, his arms dropping away as though he’s been struck in the back. Confused, I follow his gaze and see where his attention has landed—Maxon, or more precisely, Mia.
Fenris’s expression darkens, his features twisting into a mask of rage. “What the fuck?” he snarls, his voice low and dangerous. “How did she get here?”
Maxon’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t respond.
I step forward, my voice coming out quieter than I intend. “Senka. She betrayed us.”
Fenris’s eyes snap to mine, the fury in them tempered only by a flicker of disbelief.
I choke down the lump rising in my throat as Fenris steps closer, his movements deliberate yet trembling. His hand reaches out, brushing a stray strand of hair from Mia’s pale forehead. His chest heaves with unspoken emotion, his breaths uneven and raw.
He glances up at Maxon, and their eyes meet—a silent exchange, heavy with gratitude and shared pain. Slowly, almost reverently, Maxon passes Mia’s frail body into Fenris’s waiting arms.
Fenris pulls her close, his grip tightening as though to shield her. His head bows, his lips grazing her hair in a fleeting, tender touch before he presses his cheek against her head.
“She is alive, but barely,” I whisper, coming to stand beside them. “The Shadoweaver broke her neck. I don’t know how, but we managed to heal her.” Words get stuck in my throat as I look at her. “I don’t know what damage has been done. Can you take her to the healers?”
Fenris dips his head. “Thank you for bringing her back. I . . . She . . . I will take care of her,” he finally says.
I watch as he turns, carrying my best friend toward the horses.
Maxon pulls me into his arms, his familiar scent surrounding me, and I break. Floods of tears swell and cling to him.
‘Everything will be okay, Stóirín.’Maxon’s arms tighten around me, his arms holding me up.
‘I wasn’t thinking straight. When I saw her, I just . . . ’
‘Shhh . . . I know. It’s okay, we will figure it out.’
