I didn't know how he stayed upright as long as he had. Cy hung between Shade and Deonte, barely more than dead weight, his limbs slack, his shoes dragging across the carpeted steps. Shade had him by the shoulder, keeping his head from lolling to the side. I sat stiff in the corner seat of the jet.
The moment his foot hit the top step, Cy collapsed forward. Shade caught him, pulled him up with a grunt, and carried him through the cabin without slowing down.
I stared. Not at Shade. Not at Deonte, who silently followed. I stared at Cy. He didn't make a sound. He didn't lift his head. His body wasn't resisting. It wasn't cooperating either. It was just… done.
She'd marked him seconds before she died. That bond had barely latched onto his core when it ripped itself out again. I didn't have t
