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I drop the guard. He lands by my boots in a sputtering heap, but I ignore him and stare at a sight that makes my heart crumble.

“Eden!” I race towards her. She’s lying on the floor, propped up by her shaking arms while blood dribbles down her chin.

Castor better have a damned good reason for why he let her out of his sight.

“What happened?” I try to scoop her up off the floor, but she screams and swings her fists at me.

“Get away from me!” she yells. “Don’t touch me.”

I gather her against my chest anyway. My water has seeped into her chemise, turning the flimsy thing near-translucent. It was hard enough not to touch her earlier when I helped her out of her gown. But now, I can’t fucking think straight.

“What happened, little butterfly?” I try to focus on my ragged breath and not our intense bond burning inside me. She’s still hitting me, but they may as well be kisses for all my desperate body cares.

“Put me down!” she screams. “You just… you just tried to kill Phillion! You m-made water come out of your hands!”

“I told you my magic is just as strong as a pure-blooded fae.” I press a kiss against her cheek. “And I will never hurt you, Eden. You have no reason to fear me.”

Chest heaving, she shakes her head, but before I can argue another voice carries down the hallway.

“Shit. Is she hurt?” Castor sprints towards us.

My gaze turns furious. “You have one minute to explain why I found my mate covered in her own blood crawling through this fucking doorway.”

“Little minx tricked me! She said she wanted your cat.” I feel her tense as he glares at her.

“What?”

“She was crying and said only Maxine would make her feel better, but imagine my surprise when I came back covered in scratches from carrying the little monster only to find your mate’s bed empty,” he growls.

I’d be angry, but the scared way Eden grasps my shirt is sweet enough that I smile.

“Naughty princess,” I tease. “Whatever am I supposed to do with you?”

She blinks up at me with her huge blue eyes. Stars, you could fill an ocean with all that blue. But when I notice the blood on her chin, I tighten my grip on her. “Why did you hurt yourself, Eden?” It’s coming from her lip. She must’ve bitten it.

She just stares at me, her whole body shaking.

“Eden.” I speak softly. “Eden, talk to me, sweetheart. Why did you bite yourself?”

“Lux,” Castor warns, but I ignore him as I scan her body for other injuries.

My brow dips. Her ankle is even more swollen than it was when I left her in her room.

Shit.

“You need to rest,” I tell her in a low tone.

“I want to go home.” Her voice is so broken it hurts.

“I’ve already explained to you, you can’t⁠—”

“Lux!” Castor yells. Heat explodes behind me at the same time a man roars in pain.

Clutching Eden tighter, I spin us around.

Phillion writhes just inches from my face, swallowed by Castor’s flames like a human torch. The broken table leg he was once holding clatters to the floor, the weapon that I’m assuming was intended to go through my back.

Flames lick at his body while his screams fill the room.