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Four winged women dropped Vann’s blood-soaked body on the floor.

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Vann blinked and tried to speak, but no sound came out. His mind pulsed red as blood drained from his abdomen. His head. His ears.

Eryn ran for him and dove to her knees.

“Talk to me.” Hands and eyes searched him. For injuries on the outside, and worse ones on the inside.

He forced sound into his voice enough to croak, “Hi.”

“Hi? That’s it?” The back of his head. The pool of blood. She delicately touched, her bottom lip quivering.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Eryn’s lips twitched, her brow contorted. She palmed his cheek.

Visions flashed in his mind. Of failure. Eryn sporting a set of feathery black wings. A few feet above the ground, looking like a valkyrie, ready to kill.

Fingertips cold as ice, Eryn whimpered a sob as she traced the angle of his jaw. The curve of his cheekbones. Her mouth opened to say something, but her chin quivered. “I can’t. It’s… I needed more time. She still has my soul.”

Shivers rushed over his skin.

Satisfaction curled into her lips as ice prickled his face. Shock and horror filled her eyes.

“Eryn. Stay with me. Focus on me,” he pleaded softly, putting every ounce of energy he had left into talking her through this. “You can do this. You can resist.”

Hand still on his cheek.

Fingers extended as she anticipated him.

Just a sip. He could handle that.

Just a sip would satisfy her enough to end this fight.

Inches from death. He was a feast waiting to be swallowed by a fury on the brink of awakening.

Eryn blinked away a rush of tears and yanked back her hand.

She hadn’t taken even a taste. Fighting to keep him safe, when her life and soul were on the line.

Eryn’s sob vibrated her voice. “I love you.”

Vann gulped the blood in his mouth and coughed to clear his lungs enough to talk. “I love you, too.”

She rose to her feet.

Metal crumpled as his friends kicked open the front door.

Wood splintered and blew into the room like shrapnel.

Cool air rushed in the door behind him.

Feet pounded toward him. Limping, broken but solid and still in the fight, the team rushed to him.

It took a mountain of energy, but Vann reached up.

Quinn slipped her arm around him.

Ryan strolled up from behind them, and held out Vann’s sword.