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My stomach drops at the words, a nauseating swoop of dread and anticipation. It’s not that I’m not happy for Seraphina and her parents, of course I am. This has been the whole point. For Seraphina and her parents to be reunited. Seraphina needs to go home to her family.

But some small, selfish part of me has grown used to having her here. I’ve come to care for her, to love her, in a way I never expected. Saying goodbye to my Bee will be harder than I thought.

Nico seems to sense my turbulent emotions, because he pulls me closer, tucking my head under his chin. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmurs. “You did good, Katerina. You kept her safe. You gave her back to her family. That’s what matters.”

I nod against his chest, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. He’s right, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

The next hour passes in a blur of restless dozing and groggy, pain-muddled waking.

True to his word, Nico rouses me, checking my pupils, asking me basic questions. I

t’s annoying, being prodded awake just as I’m starting to drift off.

But I know he’s only doing it out of love and concern for my wellbeing. So I endure it with as much grace as I can muster, which admittedly isn’t much.

There’s a sudden, sharp knock at the door, startling me out of my drowsy haze.

Nico tenses beside me, his arm tightening around my shoulders. But after a moment, he calls out a curt, “Enter,” his voice tight.

The door swings open and Nico’s comforting weight disappears as he greets whomever it is at the door.

I can hear the low murmur of voices, the words indistinct but the tone urgent.

I strain to make out what they’re saying, but the pounding in my head and the rustling of sheets as I struggle to sit up makes it impossible to decipher.

After a few moments, the door closes again, and Nico turns to me, his expression grave. “The Santoros and your cousins are almost here,” he says quietly. “They’re pulling soon.”

I nod, swallowing hard against the sudden lump in my throat. This is it, then. The moment I have to let her go.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and start to swing my legs over the side of the bed. But Nico’s hand on my shoulder stops me, his grip gentle but firm.

“What are you doing?” he asks, his brow furrowed with concern. “Katerina, you’re in no condition to get up. You need to rest.”

I shake my head, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washes over me at the motion. “I need to be there,” I insist, hating how raspy my voice is. “When they take her. I need to—I need to say goodbye.”

Nico’s frown deepens, and I can see the conflict playing out across his handsome face. The desire to protect me warring with his understanding of how much this means to me.

“Katerina,” he starts, his tone a mix of exasperation and tenderness. “You can barely sit up without passing out. How do you expect to make it downstairs, let alone⁠—”

“I’ll manage,” I cut in. “I have to, Nico. Please. Don’t make me miss this. Don’t make me let her go without…without seeing her one last time.”

My voice breaks on the last words, tears burning at the back of my eyes. Nico stares at me for a long moment, his gaze searching. Then, slowly, he nods.

“Okay,” he murmurs, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing away the single tear that escapes down my cheek. “Okay, we’ll do this your way. But I swear to god, Katerina, if you keel over on me…”

He lets the threat hang unfinished, but I can hear the worry beneath the gruffness. It makes my heart clench in my chest, even as I manage a watery smile.

“I won’t,” I promise him. “I’ll lean on you, okay? Just…just help me get downstairs. I can make it. I know I can.”

Nico sighs, but there’s a glimmer of rueful affection in his eyes as he slides his arm around my waist, taking my weight as I gingerly stand.

“You’re too stubborn for your own damn good, you know that?” he grumbles as we start our slow, halting progress out of the room and down the hall. But he keeps me steady, his body a solid, reassuring presence at my side.

Every step is agony, my body screaming with the effort, but I push through it, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, and Nico’s solid warmth at my side.

We make our way down the grand staircase, each step feeling like a mountain to climb.

But finally, finally, we reach the bottom, and Nico guides me gently into the foyer.