I clung to consciousness, focusing on the bond, using it as an anchor against the pain and fear threatening to overwhelm me. Through it, I could sense Ragnar's growing urgency as he fought his way toward where I was trapped.
After what seemed like an eternity, a shaft of light appeared as someone shifted a large stone above me. More dust rained down, but the light grew brighter as more debris was cleared away. Finally, a gap opened, and I saw Ragnar's face peering down at me, his golden eyes wild with an emotion I'd never seen in them before.
"I've found her!" he shouted to the others, his voice cracking with relief. "She's alive!"
More hands joined his, carefully removing the stones pinning me down. When the last weight was lifted from my legs, Ragnar reached down and gathered me into
