POV: Lucian
I ran.
Severan's laughter echoed behind me, but I didn't care. Didn't care about the siege, the spirits still tearing through rebel lines, the citadel foundations screaming as blood magic ate through wards that had stood for centuries.
All I cared about was reaching him.
Jasper collapsed the moment Severan released him, crumpling like a puppet with cut strings. I caught him before he hit the ground, felt how light he was—the blood magic had consumed him from the inside, leaving barely enough to sustain life.
"Don't." The word tore from my throat. "Don't you dare die on me. Not after—not after this."
His eyes opened—storm-gray like mine used to be, before the hybrid colors took over. They focused on my face with effort, with something that looked like relief.
"Lucian." My name on his lips was half-prayer, half-apology. "You're—you're alive. Still alive. I thought—when Severan said—"
