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“Tell me what to do.”

I moved closer, resting my hands beside Annika’s head as Rowena began chanting again. The tension returned, pressing against me like the weight of a storm about to break.

I leaned down, my lips brushing Annika’s ear.

“Come back to me,” I whispered. “I need you, Annika. Don’t let him take you. Fight.”

Her breath hitched—just a tiny, shallow sound—but it was enough to make my heart lurch.

“Fight, Annika,” I said again, my voice stronger this time. “You can do this. I’m right here.”

Rowena’s chanting grew louder, and I held onto Annika’s hand, squeezing it as if that alone could keep her tethered to me. Her skin was cold, far too cold, but her fingers twitched faintly beneath mine. That flicker of movement was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Energy crackled in the air, and for a moment, it felt like something inside me snapped, like the bond that tethered Annika to Aurelius trembled, threatening to break.

Her body jerked.

Rowena gasped, but she didn’t stop, her words turning almost frantic.

“Annika!” I shouted, gripping her hand tighter. Her eyelids fluttered, but they didn’t open. “You can fight him. You’re stronger than this, stronger than him!”

Her lips parted, and a soft, shuddering breath escaped, but her body sagged against the cot, limp again.

“I love you,” I breathed. “I love you, Annika. And I’m not letting you go.”

The moment the words left my mouth, something shifted.

A sudden surge of power erupted around us, so strong it knocked Rowena back a step. The torches flared, and Annika arched off the cot, her mouth opening in a silent cry.

“Annika!” I shouted, holding her down as the force rippled through her.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

She collapsed against the cot, her breath ragged but steady. Her fingers tightened around mine… weak, but there.

“Annika?” I whispered, my voice shaking.

Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused at first, but then they found mine.

“Lucas?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

Relief hit me so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. “I’m here,” I said, brushing the damp strands of hair from her face. “I’m right here.”

I couldn’t stop looking at her. Even now, as she lay weak and trembling in my arms, she was the most breathtaking thing I’d ever seen.

Her head rested against my chest, her breathing soft but steady. It was a sound I had been terrified I’d never hear again. My fingers brushed through her hair, damp strands clinging to her temples. She leaned into my touch, and it shattered something inside me.

“You scared the hell out of me,” I whispered, my voice rough.

Her lips curved into the faintest smile, but her eyes didn’t open. “You’re always worried about me.”

“Because you never stop throwing yourself into danger,” I said, but there was no bite to my words. Only relief. Only love.

She shifted slightly, just enough to lift her gaze to mine. Her eyes were still glassy, still exhausted, but they held a light that hadn’t been there before. “I had to,” she murmured. “You know I had to.”

I swallowed hard. “I know.”

I cupped her face, my thumb brushing along her cheekbone. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, and my chest tightened.