KAEL'S POV
The chamber roared like a beast in its death throes.
Stone split in jagged lines, chunks crashing down from the ceiling. The floor buckled beneath us, spitting up dust and shards that burned against my skin.
But I didn't let go of Ayla. Not when her body was limp, her skin slick with blood, her breath barely there.
I pressed my forehead against hers. "Stay with me. Do you hear me? You don't get to leave me now."
Her lashes fluttered, a sound escaping her throat—hoarse, broken—but alive. My chest clenched so hard it nearly tore me apart.
The golden glow still pulsed faintly beneath her skin, the bond burning hot, fierce, defiant. But it was unstable. Flickering. As if too much had been poured through her body at once.
The ground heaved again.
I surged to my feet, lifting her against me, my arms banded tight around her. Dust choked the air, my lungs burning with every inhale, but I didn't care. I would carry her through fire if I had to.
