Nothing.
Her breaths stopped. Her chest stilled.
No.
No.
No.
“Anna. Wake up now!”
The door burst open. Sean and Isobel spilled into the room.
They’d come.
They’dcome.
David fell into a sea of deliverance while Isobel rushed to the bedside, pushing him out of the way. She bent to press her mouth against Anna’s.
Anna jerked, a last breath pulled into her lungs.
Then…nothing.
Isobel kept her lips on Anna’s for several more seconds, but the pixie’s skin remained ashen, her limbs still.
David stared, unable to breathe, to think, and black spots danced in his vision.
Were they too late?
Please. No.Wake up. Please wake up.
With a flash of movement, Anna gripped Isobel’s shoulders to hold her in place.
David’s breath released in a great rush. “Yes,” he whispered. “Thank you.” Every muscle in his body relaxed.
She wasalive.
Bel had arrived in time.
He had never been so grateful for the existence of Isobel Faywood. When she backed away, Anna took a full breath. Pink returned to her lips and cheeks.
Isobel touched her mouth. “That was very close.”
As Anna’s ribcage moved—a rapid flare and retract as if she’d been sprinting—David felt a collar release from his neck. It had never been so clear to him—the precariousness of his sanity, totally dependent on the existence of this small woman.
“You will not die,” he said, the words ripped from him, out of control. The magic in them was so powerful, it shimmered with Luster in the air between them, and his head swooped with dizziness. He fell against the wall, letting it prop his weight.
He knew he couldn’t control it, but he’d never wanted something more than he wanted her safety. The magic slipped out, desperate to obtain it for him.
Anna blinked dazed eyes at him. Her pupils blew out until the blue disappeared. “I won’t die.”
“Anna?” Sean asked, stepping closer to the bed.
She sat up slowly, clutching at her healed abdomen. Isobel touched her arm. “You’re going to be all right?”
“Yeah,” Anna said. “Thanks.” Her gaze lifted to David, then to Sean. “Thank you all.”
“I’ll let the spaes know she’s safe,” Isobel said, gliding toward the door. She left them in silence.
