He had to bite me. He had to, or he’d never be free of his curse.
With one leap, he was back by my side, towering over me as I sank back to the earth. I barely felt the sting of his teeth on my neck as he leaned down to bite me. All I could feel was the awful, horrible burning as someone screamed. My throat was hoarse, and I realized it was me. All I could hear was the sound of my own voice as the fire crackled upward, and everything went black.
I woke up with a gasp, shaking as I realized how cold I was. Smoke filled the air, and I coughed as I sat up, regretting what a deep breath I’d taken. As I shivered and looked around, I realized I was sitting in the moon temple, or what was left of it. Sun shone down through the hole—or holes, I realized grimly—in the roof.
The eclipse is over.
