Veronica's blood ran cold.
*Failed?*
The word echoed in her mind, not like a whisper but a crushing blow. All the effort, the careful planning to stick to the plot like a fly on honey, was now for nothing. The system's voice was as cold and flat as a slab of marble, delivering the catastrophic news as if it were reporting the morning dew. The bond between the heroine, Evangeline, and her male leads would now be forged in the fires of the Abyss. How was Veronica supposed to drive a wedge between them when they'd just gone through a life-or-death trial together?
"No," she whispered, the word ripped from her lips by the wind. "No, you have to take me back! Right now!"
She began to struggle in Zareth's arms, pushing against the unyielding stone of his chest. It was like trying to move a mountain. He didn't even flinch, his grip as firm as the ancient cliffs they'd just left behind.
