“Nyssa, please talk to me. I can’t see you like this.”
My voice echoed, swallowed by the heavy stillness of the chamber. Her body lay limp in my arms, burning up, yet she looked as pale as ash. It didn’t make sense—none of this did. I lowered her back to the bed slowly, watching her chest rise with shallow breaths, just enough to prove she was still with me.
Barely.
I brushed strands of damp hair from her face. Her skin burned under my fingers, like fire without flame. My instincts were yelling, my heart pacing faster than it should, as if sensing she was close to the edge.
Too close.
I moved quickly to the basin in the corner, grabbing a cloth and soaking it. The water was barely cool, but it would have to do. I wrung it out and returned, sitting beside her. She didn’t flinch when I
