I see a light, the kind of light you see after death, but it’s all blotched with blood. I don’t know what’s up-to-the-minute; I still had to make sure Mikala was safe in Derek’s arms. I want her to know that I love her.
“Don’t die, please,” I hear Derek’s faint voice through my weak ears, the beeping of the machine inside me telling me that I’m barely breathing.
“Dad made a mistake, he shouldn’t have casted the shift potion. It should have made you stronger but the blackness inside you, that darkness almost destroyed your heart and life. You are going to be okay, trust me, I won’t let anything hurt you just please, give me a sign that you’re alive.” He holds my hand, and I can feel his gentle touch as he whispers, “please.”
I try squeezing his hand but can’t even feel it. I imagine me h
