Her breath escaped her on a ragged exhale as brown eyes met hers.
Worry lines creased Marius’s forehead, and tears streaked down his cheeks. Black blood was spattered across his nose and chin, but he didn’t seem to notice. The worry-free man she’d come to know was gone, and someone deeply troubled was in his place.
“It hurts,” she whispered, the two words the first ones that came to mind.
She hated admitting to the pain, hated that she wasn’t the strong oneright now, but she couldn’t get her mind off the agony coursing through her.
“I know.” More tears ran down his cheeks. Had she ever seen him cry before? “They gave you some strong medicine to wake you up, but I’m afraid it won’t last long.”
She didn’t need to be a healer to know he spoke the truth. Fire raged in her chest, and death waited in the wings.
Her gaze crawled past the prince. The king and queen stood against the wall with a team of healers and witches that she vaguely recognized.
“Why?” The word burned its way up her throat, leaving her on a gasp.
Why wake me up?
Why bring me back?
Why do any of this?
The question seemed to pain him almost as much as it did her.
He cupped her cheek and leaned closer. “The First... those creatures she Made weren’t normal. And they... they hurt you.”
Not just her. Flashes of a bloody forest went through Vivienne’s mind.
Her chest tightened. “Are they...”
“Dead, all of them,” Marius said, his eyes never leaving hers. He was perched beside her.
She was on a four-poster bed, she realized. Someone had ripped off her bloody outer garments, and bandages were loosely wrapped around her stomach.
They didn’t stop the burning.
“You did it.” Pride warmed her heart, a momentary reprieve from the fire.
He nodded, giving her a watery smile. “I killed the First with the dagger, and the rest of them died instantly.”
“Good,” she breathed. “That’s good.”
At least Marius was safe. Even though she’d be gone soon, even though this pain would surely devour her from the inside out, he’d be safe with his sister and brother-in-law.
Her eyes grew heavy, and somewhere nearby, death smiled.
It wouldn’t be long, now.
“Marius, I—” she started at the same time that he said, “Bind yourself to me, Vivienne.”
They both paused and stared at each other.
“What?” She could barely force the words out of her mouth. She must’ve misheard him.
“Bind yourself to me,” the prince repeated. “I love you, and I don’t want you to die.” His words came faster as if he knew they were ludicrous. “The healers don’t think that regular blood will be enough to save you, but if you’re Bound to me, if I’m your Source, and we’re tied together, it should be enough.”
She blinked up at him, her brows furrowed. Pain was clouding her mind and making her mishear him. Right? There was no way he said what she thought he said.
Still, she had to check.
