Phantom’s POV
Maryelle’s scream tore through the courtyard, raw and guttural, before it broke into something else—something not human. Her body convulsed, bones shifting, skin rippling as the Intercrossed form surged out of her.
I froze, helpless, as her coyote spirit gave way to the aberration. Her eyes glowed, her claws lengthened, her breath came in ragged bursts. For a heartbeat, she stood tall, terrifying and magnificent, a creature caught between worlds.
Then she collapsed.
I was at her side in an instant, catching her before she hit the stone. Her body was trembling, her skin clammy, her pulse erratic beneath my fingers. “Maryelle!” My voice cracked, sharper than I intended. “Stay with me.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. Only a faint gasp, a sound that chilled me more
