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“Tarnley?”
Her voice grounds me, and I open my eyes, turning toward Bronywyn. Green eyes stare back at me, and I all but cry out with relief as I lean onto her bed and wrap my arms around her, yanking her against my chest.
The feel of her pressed against me, the familiar weight of her slight form—it’s everything to me. “We did it,” she whispers.
“No. You did it.”
“What exactly happened in there?” Ridley questions.
“How about you give them a fucking moment,” Cole snaps.
The door shuts, and the room falls silent—save the sounds of our joined breathing. “I’m so sorry you had to come in after me. I’m so sorry I didn’t just listen to you guys after Lucy.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I did,” she replies as she pulls back from me and sits up. I do the same. “The moment we defeated Lucy, I should have given up the power.”
I can’t argue with her because I refuse to lie or downplay what has happened since. So, instead, I reach forward and brush my fingers over her still-bruised cheek. “You’re here now,” I promise. “Which means we can fix it.”
She smiles tightly at me. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
“You have that backward, love.” I lean forward and press my lips to hers. She’s so fucking soft beneath me, and while I know we’re running out of time, I don’t want this moment to end.
Bronywyn yanks away from me and presses her hands to her ears. “What is that noise?”
“What noise?” I glance around the otherwise silent room.
She gasps for air, and the overwhelming scent of copper fills my lungs. “Ridley! Fearghas!” I roar.
The fae rush inside. “We need to do this now,” Ridley says as he waves a hand. Bronywyn slams back onto the bed.
Rainey, Elijah, Delaney, and Cole all race into the room right behind them.
“Hold her down!” Ridley orders.
“Hurry,” Bronywyn screams. Her body arches off the bed, and I grip an arm while each of the others holds down one of her limbs as well. She surges again, her body shaking, muscles quivering. Her pupils fully expand, blocking out all color as she snarls up at us. “You’ll never win,” she says, her voice layered with others. “This witch is mine!”
Ridley and Fearghas begin whispering, and magic charges the air around us. Massive wings stretch out, tips touching to create a circle around us.
“Kill me!” Bronywyn yells as her pupils shrink again.
“Not a fucking chance.”
She screams and arches off the gurney. It takes all of the strength in me to keep hold of her. Terror ices my veins, sending a chill up my spine as I’m helpless to do anything but keep her pinned to the table. I can feel her pain through our bond.
End her agony,a voice urges me.Release her and kill everyone in this room who dared put hands on her.
I shut my eyes and shake my head in an attempt to clear the darkness creeping through that very bond. “Hurry!” I yell, not even sure it’s possible for them to do such a thing.
They are killing her!
Shadows cloud my vision, and I blur forward. Elijah slams into me, knocking us from the circle completely. I fight against him, canines sliding down until all I can focus on is sinking my teeth into my best friend’s throat.
“Knock it off, Tarnley!” Elijah orders.
“You won’t kill her!”
“We’re not going to!”
“Keep him there!” Fearghas orders.
You’re letting them kill the woman you claim to love! You coward! Fight! Fight! Fight! Kill! Kill! Kill!
“Tarnley!” Bronywyn’s blood-curdling scream is the last thing I hear before light slams into me, expelling the darkness.
