“Don’t you dare, Red!” he mutters, barely audible. “Don’t you dare fucking die on me.”
The floor quakes again. Guards shout. The Queen’s voice rises over the chaos, but I can’t hear her words. All I see is Jess, limp and unresponsive, her blood staining the marble.
Light builds in my palm. I can fix this. I can fix her.
Graven grabs my wrist before it reaches her body. “Don’t.” His voice is rough. “We don’t know what it’ll do to her with the potion. Wait for a healer.”
I try ripping my hand free, but he’s too strong. Every part of me screams to reach her while I struggle against his grip. Something wraps around my waist, pulling me up until my feet leave the floor. I kick and scream, desperate to break free. I have to save her!
“Frankie.” Zarreth’s voice is low against my ear. “She’s breathing. Let him work.”
She’s breathing!Okay, she’s breathing.I finally sag against him, gulping for air, but my lungs won’t open.
He lowers us to the floor, his wings folding around us, shutting out the chaos. His arms wrap around me, holding me against his solid chest. “Breathe with me.”
I try, but my lungs refuse to work. He tightens his hold and whispers, “In…hold…out.”
I match him, inhaling and exhaling until the air finally moves right again.
The world leaks back in—the shuffle of boots, muffled voices. I can feel the tremor running through Zarreth’s body while he pretends to be calm. He’s rocking me now, and I draw in another breath, slower this time. I finally lift my head, the darkness shifting as his wings pull back.
Between the swirls of robes and hands, I catch a flash of red. Jess’ hair. Healers crowd around her, their palms glowing as they press against her chest, her throat, her wrists. One of them reaches for Graven’s shoulder, trying to pull him back, but he jerks away, baring his teeth.
“You can work around me,” he grits out.
“We need to get her on a gurney,” one of them says.
“I’ll carry her.” His voice cracks while he carefully repositions Jess so he can stand, every line of him shaking when he follows them toward the doors.
I’m right behind them, my legs unsteady, but I can’t let them out of my sight. “How is she?” I ask, scared to hear the answer.
“She’s stable,” one of the healers says without looking back. Zarreth squeezes my hand, and I finally exhale.
Once we reach the infirmary, the noise drops away. Graven sets Jess down on the nearest cot, his hands trembling when he pulls back. I stay close, leaning against Zarreth to stay upright.
“Back up,” one of the healers says gently. I do, but only a step. I can’t take my eyes off her. Minutes blur, and I have no idea what they’re doing, only that they keep checking her pulse and passing bottles back and forth.
Then she stirs. It’s small, just a twitch of her fingers, but it’s enough. “Jess?” My voice barely comes out while I move closer. Her eyelids flutter. She doesn’t speak, but her lips part as she sucks in some air.
Relief hits so hard it hurts. My eyes sting as my knees give out. Zarreth is there to catch me. He always is. I press my hands to my mouth so they don’t reach for the bed. “She’s okay.”
He pulls me in tighter, pressing his lips to my head.
When the healers finally clear out, the room feels too quiet. Zarreth is still beside me, but my attention’s glued to Jess. Her face is pale against the pillow, a faint pink starting to return to her cheeks.
I ease down on the cot beside her. “Hey,” I whisper.
Her lashes twitch. “Well, that…sucked.” The words rasp out, barely audible. But they’re words, and that’s enough.
Graven exhales, his shoulders finally relaxing. He presses a damp cloth to her forehead. “Don’t talk,” he orders. “Just rest.”
Jess ignores him and moves closer. Her fingers find mine while I climb in beside her, careful not to jostle the bed too much.
I plant a kiss on her head, my body trembling as she rests her cheek on my chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”
She tilts her head up, trying to smile, but it looks wrong. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Zarreth pats her leg. “Rest while you can,” he says, moving toward the door. “I’ll gather what we need so we can leave tonight.”
