Valerius came through the wrecked doorway.
His silver hair hung loose around his face, disturbed for the first time since I had met him. His eyes swept past Serena, the broken cup, and the trail of blood. They stopped when they found my body.
A broken sound left him. He crossed the room too fast, slipped in my blood, and caught himself with one hand before dropping to his knees beside me. The careful grace I had seen all week was gone. Dark fabric at his legs soaked red, and he did not look down.
Both hands shook over the dagger hilt. He reached for it, stopped, and moved to my face.
Red light poured from his palms into my skin, bright enough to paint the ceiling. From above, I felt its warmth searching for me, pulling at the thin link between my soul and my body. Muscle closed around
