The cavern reeked of ash and blood. Smoke still curled along the jagged stones, the scent of charred shadow clinging stubbornly to the air as if refusing to leave.
Zaria stirred weakly against Damian’s hold, her eyelids fluttering open. Every muscle screamed, her veins still burning as though fire threaded through them. The memory of that pillar of golden flame seared her mind. She had unleashed it but at what cost?
“You shouldn’t move,” Damian murmured, his voice softer than the battle-hardened Alpha usually allowed. He adjusted his grip on her, one arm steady beneath her knees, the other around her shoulders. His warmth was solid, grounding. “You pushed yourself too far.”
“I had to,” Zaria whispered, her throat raw. Her voice cracked, but there was steel in her words. “If I hadn’t, it
