“Hold him,” Ambrosia murmured.
“Already done,” Hammond replied.
The spell tightened—chains made of energy, threading through bone and muscle. My limbs trembled despite my will. My jaw locked. The first pull of the ritual hit like a blade driven into the center of my chest. The siphoning was slow and cruel.
My vision flickered at the edges.
Forgive me, Nadia, my love.
Ambrosia crouched before me, her eyes bright with triumph. “So noble,” she purred. “So foolish.”
I glared at her through the haze. “Spare me your theatrics.”
“Oh, come now. You could have ruled beside us all this time.” Her fingers traced my jaw, and I jerked away. She laughed. “All this sacrifice, for a fragile little human.” Her lips curled. “How despicable you’ve become.”
Hammond’s chanting deepened, vibrating through the floor, into my ribs. The siphon continued—draining, draining,draining—stealing the energy I had hoarded over centuries.
My spine bowed under the weight.
“When we bind you,” Hammond said, “we will help you give your little human her freedom.”
I had no choice but to believe that they would keep their word even though they had a history of betrayal. They were not trustworthy, and yet, trusting them was my only hope.
I gritted my teeth until they ached. “If any harm comes to her?—”
Ambrosia’s expression morphed into mock-sympathy. “My dear Cristian. You are in no state to protest.”
The room tilted, and my pulse slowed as the world dulled around me.
I had expected pain. I had not expected her absence. The bond, stretched thin across distance, sputtered like a wick drowning in its own wax.
Nadia,I thought, as another wave of the spell tore through me.I am doing this for you. Live. Please.
Darkness swarmed my vision.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and light flooded the chamber. A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway—breathless, shaking, eyes wide with fear.
“Nadia.” Her name tore from my throat. A warning. A plea.
She stepped inside. She looked devastated, but determined. Like she’d run through fire to reach me.
“No,” I choked, struggling against the ritual bonds until my muscles screamed. “No. Go back. Get out.”
Ambrosia clasped her hands together in glee. “How touching. She came to watch you burn.”
Hammond’s chanting never faltered.
The siphoning doubled.
My vision blurred, then sharpened painfully on Nadia—on her trembling hands, her pale face, the fury and fear etched into every line.
“Don’t,” I begged as she moved closer. “You shouldn’t be here.”
She shook her head, voice breaking. “I’m not leaving you.”
My breath stalled. The woman was stubborn beyond reason.
Something tore inside me. “Please, Nadia,” I rasped, “listen to me?—”
