Nora's POV
"James!" The scream tears from my throat, helplessness flooding my veins as I watch those familiar deep blue eyes shift to the blackest shade I've ever seen. "James!"
"Nora, stop." Hugo's fingers clamp around my arm like a vise, yanking me backwards. I strain against his grip, every muscle in my body fighting to reach my husband. My breath catches as James trembles, tendrils of dark smoke curling around his frame, wrapping him in a filthy brown robe. The hood drops over his face, casting shadows across his features in the pale moonlight. But his eyes remain fixed on mine, and the raw desperation there makes my chest constrict.
This cannot be happening. I refuse to let it happen.
