ANDREW POV
I turned just in time to see Manakel struggling for air, her breath shallow and ragged. Each slow thump of her heart pounded painfully in my ears like a cruel reminder. I wasn't even aware of when I'd shifted back into human form, but suddenly I was kneeling beside her, clutching her hand tightly to my chest. Gabriel was hovering, whispering her name, shaking her gently, but her eyelids stayed stubbornly closed.
Desperation clawed at me. I leaned forward, brushing my lips lightly over hers, barely daring to hope.
"Wake up, love. Please... wake up for me."
A new voice cut through the charged silence behind me.
"Manakel! Oh god... this is my fault. Damn it!"
I whirled around to see a young man in his twenties, brown hair tousled and eyes wide with guilt and fear. His worrie
