Zoe gripped the edge of the bed, her knuckles white as she pushed herself into a sitting position despite Marella’s protests. Pain stabbed through her ribs like shards of ice, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to let it show. Her gaze locked on Cassius, his presence commanding yet quietly steady at her side.
“We need to stop him,” she said, her voice strained but determined.
Marella’s firm hand landed on her shoulder, guiding her back down with surprising strength for someone her size. “You’re not strong enough,” the healer said, her voice brooking no argument. “Not yet.”
Zoe’s frustration boiled over, and she turned toward Marella with fire in her eyes. “I can’t just sit here while people are suffering. My friends - Dominic, Nikola, Sara - they’re out there fighting, risking their li
