“Don’t—” My cry rips into a snarl as his hands roam, pressing against me, trying to pin every frantic movement.
One of his hands snake around to cup my ass as the other holds my jaw. His mouth crashes against mine, lips untamed.
Fury surges. I squirm away enough to break the unwanted kiss, then reel back and slap him, the crack sharp, echoing between us. His head jerks to the side, his cheek reddening, but instead of retreating, his eyes darken, hunger flaring.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he growls.
His mouth opens, his fangs sharp and merciless as they sink into my neck.
I scream, the sound raw, strangled. Fire shoots through my veins, hot and sharp, the sting of betrayal and pain colliding all at once. My knees buckle, but fury keeps me upright. With everything in me, I summon the smallest spark of power, just enough to blast him back.
A wave of energy bursts from my palms, snapping against his chest. He stumbles, hissing, my blood still wet on his lips. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my hands trembling as I grab the burning wound at my neck.
For a heartbeat, he just stares at me—his chest heaving, lips curled back. His eyes dart across my face, as if he can’t comprehend that I dared strike him. Then the disbelief curdles into monstrous anger, his expression twisting, every muscle in his face taut with rage and hunger.
“Unlock her room,” he snarls at a nearby guard, his voice guttural, shaking with restraint.
I’m unsure of what he means until the guard obeys, fumbling for the keys and sliding it into the lock of the nearby door.
Nadya’s room! I hold on to the hope that I will be able to see my friend.
Torbin’s eyes cut back to me, feral and starving, his lips curling into something between a warning and a promise. “Go ahead and see your friend,” he says, his voice low, dangerous. “But whatever you do… you should step away from me. I don’t know how much longer I can resist the smell of your blood.”
The door creaks open, and I force my legs to move, every step swaying under the pull of blood loss. My neck throbs, warm liquid seeping down my collar, staining the fabric. The hallway blurs, walls tilting, until at last, I stumble through the threshold.
“Celeste?” Nadya’s voice breaks on my name. She’s on her feet in an instant, skirts rustling as she rushes to me.
I collapse against her, the last of my strength draining away. My head finds her shoulder, her hands clutching my arms tight to keep me from crumpling to the floor. I lift my gaze with effort, the world hazy, her face the only thing that stays clear.
“You’re alive,” I whisper, the words slipping from my lips with what little breath I can manage. Relief burns through the pain, a fragile comfort. “Gods… you’re alive. Oh, Nadya, I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you about the note.”
She gently shushes me, her arms wrapping around me. My knees buckle, and Nadya lowers us both, cradling me as if I were made of glass. Her hand presses against my neck, trying to stem the flow, her body trembling beneath me.
“Stay with me, Celeste,” she mumbles, her voice thick with panic, breaking into fragments as she rocks me in her arms. “Don’t you dare leave me.”
She mumbles something more. I can’t understand it, but it’s rhythmic and somehow filled with a hum. The sound of her voice fades, swallowed by the darkness closing in. I let go, sinking into it, into a consuming darkness.
Someone is stroking my hair as my eyes flutter open. For a second, I flinch, not knowing where I am or who’s touching me. But then I realize it’s Nadya, and my shoulders relax.
“Nadya?”
Her voice wavers as she helps me sit up. “Celeste…what happened to you? Gods, you’re covered in blood. Did someone—did they use a dagger on you?”
I shake my head faintly, fingers trembling as they rise to my neck. The skin is closed, smooth now—only tender bruising left beneath Nadya’s touch. “No. It wasn’t a blade.” I swallow, the taste of iron still permeating my tongue. “It was Torbin. He has fangs, Nadya. Like the carnoraxis.”
Her hand freezes in my hair, her eyes wide with horror. “Fangs? But… how—”
“The elixir,” I rasp. “He… He’s gone feral. Wasn’t even himself. He fought me, and then he bit me. Tore into my neck like—” My voice falters, heavy with the memory.
Nadya presses her lips together, as if to swallow down her own revulsion. “Oh, Celeste.”
“How am I healed? Did you…?” My words stumble out raw, my throat aching.
She nods.
“But how were you able to? Even with fae magic, it shouldn’t be possible. Not that fast. That bite—he nearly…” The sentence trails into silence, my chest too tight to finish it.
Nadya offers me a shaky smile, though her hands don’t stop smoothing over my hair, as if reassuring herself I’m really here. “I’ve been practicing. I don’t know why, but lately, it feels like my magic listens to me better than it used to. It’s stronger, sharper. And I’ve been thinking that if I can use it on you, maybe I can use it to get us out of here.”
