Paz continued reading: "'The ritual requires isolation in a place of power. The demon must tear away pieces of essence, freely given for another's survival. The process is...'" He squinted at the text. "'Agonizing beyond mortal comprehension.'"
"How long does it take?" I asked. "She's running out of time."
"It doesn't say." Paz looked up at me. "Sir, are you certain about this? Once you begin, there's no reversing it. The power you sacrifice is gone permanently."
I thought of Charlie, sleeping fitfully in my bed. The pain on her face when the power had surged. The very real possibility that without intervention, the power inside her would consume her completely.
The choice was obvious.
"Sir, please don't..."
I studied his face, then nodded slowly. "I'll be in the catacombs. They're a natural place of power, isolated enough that I won't be disturbed. I'll need time to prepare the space, draw the necessary symbols, gather components..."
Paz nodded. "Sir? This is... are you absolutely certain?"
"She didn't ask for any of this," I said quietly. "It was all my doing. If I have to give up everything to keep her safe..."
"I understand."
"I need to say goodbye to her and I need you to watch over her while I'm gone."
"I will, sir."
I returned to my chambers, where Charlie still slept. I settled beside her carefully, and she immediately shifted closer.
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her as if I could protect her through sheer will alone.
I pressed my lips to her forehead, breathing her in.
"I love you," I whispered against her skin. "I'm going to fix this. I promise."
She murmured something that might have been my name but didn't wake.
I tightened my arms around her. "Goodbye, my love."
13
CHARLIE
Silence.
For a disorienting moment, I couldn't remember where I was. The room was unfamiliar, the sheets too fine, the ceiling too high. Then it came back in a rush. The Gala, the terrace, Malrik's suite, and everything that had happened between us.
I sat up slowly, expecting to feel the chaotic surge of power that had been my constant companion for weeks. Instead, I felt... calm. The power was still there, humming beneath my skin, but it was different. Quieter. As if someone had turned down the volume on a radio that had been blaring.
"Malrik?" I called out, my voice rough with sleep.
No answer.
The space beside me was cold, the indentation in the pillow the only evidence he'd been there at all. I touched the spot where he'd slept, and the patterns on my skin pulsed gently in response. Fainter than they'd been before, but still visible.
Something was wrong.
I slid out of bed, pulling on the black robe that had been draped over a nearby chair. My bare feet were silent on the cool floor as I moved through the suite, checking the bathroom, the sitting area, even the balcony beyond the glass doors.
Empty. All of it.
"Malrik?" I called again, louder this time.
