Page 136 of The Siren's Reaper
When she fell, so did my heart.
I can’t lose her. I won’t survive.
Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.
I tap her cheek, trying to wake her up, but she doesn’t move. “Hazel, open your eyes, baby. Wake up. Please… just for a moment.”
I flinch when a trail of blood slips from the corner of her mouth, my vision blurring.
No. No, no, no.
I smooth her hair back, checking the back of her head for injuries, but there’s nothing. I know she didn’t hit anything. I made sure of that.
She’s fine. Then why the fuck isn’t she waking up?
Suddenly, Nevaeh is at my side, pulling Hazel’s hand from mine. I grit my teeth, forcing myself not to snap at her. She’s here to help.
I need to keep it together. Even if every instinct in me is screaming to tear the world apart instead.
“I don’t get it.” Nevaeh’s brows furrow. “She’s not hurt. There’s nothing to heal.”
“Then why isn’t she waking up?”
The absence of an answer on her face sends a storm of emotions spiraling through me until everything else burns away, leaving nothing but fear.
Anxo rushes toward us, dropping to his knees beside Hazel’s head. His hand hovers just above her, waiting until I give him permission before he touches her.
His eyes close as he slips into my mate’s mind, searching for whatever is keeping her from waking up.
His head jerks, eyes squeezing shut in pain before they snap to me. “Take her to Grace. Hazel needsmens sanitatem. That will help her until I’m back. Then I’ll fix the rest.”
“Fix what?”
Anxo swallows, his gaze flicking to Nevaeh before he sighs. “Dean… she broke whatever hold Tiberius had on her Divine.”
“That’s supposed to be a good thing.”
“It should be... but it’s too much. The magic, the flood of memories, killing Tiberius, being back here. Her mind is a mess. I think her Divine is trying to protect her before it completely shatters.”
“By putting her in a fucking coma?” I snap.
I should’ve known. There’s only so much a person can take before they break.
Why did I let her come here? We could’ve dealt with Tiberius without her. She could’ve been safe back in the kingdom this whole time.
But Hazel never would’ve agreed to that. She’s a fighter. She was always going to fight this battle on her own, but I should’ve been here. I should’ve protected her.
“But she’ll wake up? She’ll be fine?” My voice cracks, but I don’t look away from Hazel, afraid I’ll miss the moment she opens her eyes.
Anxo’s hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing until I finally look at him. “We won’t let anything happen to her.”
I nod, repeating his words in my head until I almost convince myself this isn’t as bad as it looks.
She’s just resting, taking a break from everything. If anyone deserves it, it’s her.
I carefully lift my mate into my arms as my shadows surround us, ready to take us back to our kingdom, where someone will have answers.
She’ll come back to me. She has to.
