“Grandfather,” she whispered, tears welling in her glowing eyes. He’d taken the brunt of the necromagical attacks, and he’d used himself as a shield for physical attacks, too. Objectively that had been the right call—if Keriya was injured and started bleeding, she wouldn’t be able to wield—but seeing him like this, leaking black blood from various lacerations, was too much to bear.
“This can’t kill me,” he panted. His wings drooped and his chest was heaving.
Biting her lip, Keriya turned from him and ran smack into Viran. He caught her arm as she swayed, her weakened legs betraying her.
“We have to retreat,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the chorus of magic and steel.
That sent an electric jolt through her haze of weariness. “We can’t!”
“We have no choice. Necrovar hasn’
