Page 238 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

High-pitched ringing filled my ears as fire exploded in my chest, and I dropped to my knees.

Pain blurred everything. I couldn’t breathe—fuck, I needed to breathe. I was gasping like a fish on dry land, hands digging into the ground as heat flared behind my ribs.

Cyrus!? Calypso’s voice crashed through the bond, thick with terror. I’d called her the moment Nix advanced—she and Jo were already getting dressed, on their way—but she must’ve felt that shot. Felt my pain.

Hurry. One word. All I could cognitively send.

I fell forward as Carr yelled something that looked a hell of a lot like you stupid son of a bitch, then slammed the butt of the gun into Nix’s skull.

Once.

Twice.

Three times before the bastard went limp.

So…time really did slow down when you were dying.

I managed to roll over, dragging in a breath that tasted like blood and fire—and saw her.

Wide, stunned green eyes. Glossy with shock.

Ajax was pushing to his feet, wincing—but unharmed. Kevlar. He was wearing Kevlar.

But Freya⁠—

No.

Terror cracked through me like a whip. I dragged myself across the dirt on hands and knees, unable to stand. The pain was fading now. And when I looked down, my chest was intact. Which meant…

“Cyrus!” Carr dropped beside me, hands clamping my shoulders and shoving me upright as he searched my body for the wound.

But my eyes were locked on her.

Freya. Paralyzed. Her gaze found mine as understanding clicked.

“No,” I breathed—horror carving through me like a blade. I would’ve torn my heart out of my chest and handed it to her if it would’ve kept her here.

“Her! Freya!” I shouted at Carr, grabbing for his shirt, begging him to understand what I didn’t know how to say.

It was impossible. Improbable. But there she was.

And I was so utterly, thoroughly fucked.

Light burst from her chest and she arched off the mud, hair falling back in a wave of crimson as her eyes rolled into her skull. Then came the scream, shredding me from the inside out.

If any god was still standing, I’d give them my soul to make her pain stop. And what the fuck was happening to me?

I was beside her in the next breath, knife in hand, tearing through her suit. She was choking on those screams. Carr dove in beside me, helping rip the fabric away.

The energy tilted—then Calypso’s voice cut through like a whip. “Move!”

Carr scrambled back as my sister hit the ground at my side. But I couldn’t look away from Freya. Couldn’t see anything but her. Couldn’t breathe until she did.

Her eyes fluttered open and locked on mine, her chin trembling.

“You’re okay,” I said hoarsely. “You’re going to be fine. Jo and Cali will fix this.”

“Cyrus,” my sister breathed. Something about my skin. I didn’t register it. Couldn’t.