She clings to it with what little strength she has left. She gathers every scrap of will, every memory of Ryker’s touch, every whisper of his voice, every heartbeat they’ve ever shared. She pushes toward him through the fog, through the pain, through the crushing weight of the binding magic.
Ryker…
She tries to form the thought, to send it down the trembling thread between them.
Be careful. Don’t rush in. Don’t let them trap you. Please—
But the bindings tighten the moment she reaches for him. A cold, suffocating pressure clamps down on her chest, squeezing the breath from her lungs. The magic coils around her mind like iron bands, choking off the connection before it can form.
Her head snaps back against the chair. A sharp, dizzying wave of pain crashes over her. The room blurs. Her
