I stayed close to Kieran, my body pressed against his warmth as the night chilled around us. The battle had drained me, not just physically, but emotionally too. Every pulse of magic within me felt like it was on the edge of slipping out of control, and the realization that Lucian was far from finished haunted the back of my mind.
We’d won tonight, but barely.
Kieran’s arms were still around me, holding me tighter than before. He wasn’t ready to let go, and neither was I. It was the only thing grounding me as the whirlwind of the past few hours threatened to tear me apart. His steady heartbeat thudded under my cheek, a comforting rhythm that I clung to.
“I don’t know what I would have done if…” His voice was low, rough with the emotion he rarely showed.
I lifted my head to look up at
