Page 10 of To The Final End
“Touch her… or it burns her.”
Stellan shifts. His voice is rough, stripped of its usual elegance.
“She’s absorbing the Ether that kept the sanctuary alive. She’ll rupture if she has nowhere to send it.”
Jace’s head snaps toward him. “But send itwhere—?”
Theo looks around at each of us. One by one.
“Us.”
Gray makes a sound. Broken. Wounded.
Thane whispers, horrified. “It’ll kill her if she tries to hold it alone.”
My hands curl into fists. My whole body trembling.
“Then we don’t let her do it alone.”
The moment stretches.
No one moves.
The moment stretches.
No one moves.
Then Gray reaches first.
His hand trembles—I can see the effort it takes—but it lands on her shoulder. Solid. Committed.
Jace next. He presses his palm flat against her back, jaw tight.
Rhett sets two fingers over her wrist. His fire dies completely, but he doesn’t pull away.
Theo cups the back of her hand. Gentle. Careful. Like she might break.
Thane touches the place over her spine. His eyes are closed. His lips move without sound.
Stellan’s hand hovers. One breath. Two.
Then he commits.
Jace looks at Seth—still unconscious, still angled toward her like his body knows where she is even when his mind doesn’t.
“He’s bonded too.” Jace’s voice is rough. “He needs to be part of this.”
He reaches over, takes Seth’s limp hand, and places it against Bree’s arm.
Seth’s fingers twitch. Even unconscious, they curl toward her skin.
I wait until last.
My vision blurs. I don’t bother wiping my face.
I place my palm over her heart.
Something clicks.
