Chapter 138
Nikolas' POV
The earth trembled. Or perhaps I was the only one. Something sacred was bleeding out, and the ground beneath my feet pulsed like a dying heart. The air felt cold and strange, as if it had veins and breath like frost. Everything seemed overly stretched, as if the sky might burst apart at any moment and show us something we weren't supposed to see. Eira stood motionless in front of me, her arms raised in a trembling gesture. Her eyes were unfocused, and her face was ghost-pale. Her chin was dripping with sweat. I could see that she was dying from the strain of keeping the Veil open; her lips were split, veins were bulging, and magic was leaking from her pores like smoke. Emilia held onto my arm behind me, her fingernails digging into my flesh through the jacket. Sh
