Page 65 (1/2)

"I’ control of her arms only to have her jerk her head backward to bust Styx’s nose

"Try harder," the king gritted, spitting out a les, her screa whiainst her stoaze turning toward Santiago "Do you hear o? This host will die just as Gaius did"

Siljar stepped forward "Don’t listen"

Yeah, easy for her to say

Already he could begin to detect the daave a shit what she looked like His love for Nefri wasn’t about flesh and bone But the fear that she would be destroyed along with the spirit threatened to tip hie

"You have a minute to do what you have to do," he hissed "After thatI make no promises"

Siljar rolled her eyes,about leeches beneath her breath Then she shifted her attention to Sally

"I will need your assistance, witch"

Sally grimaced, her face drenched in sweat and her slender body treainst Nefri "I don’t know anything about sorcery," she said, her voice strained

"I will start the weave; I just need you to help hold the threads"

It all sounded like gibberish to Santiago, but Sally gave a hesitant nod "Okay"

Siljar closed her eyes and held out her tiny hands "Let’s begin"

Santiago was vaguely aware of Rokebody and Styx’s hiss of pain as Nefri gave him another head butt, but his sole focus was on the woman wrapped in his ar ashen as the witch and Oracle performed their mystical voodoo

"Don’t leave ain"

The glow began to fade froht he was truly losing her

No

He tightened his ar her to survive

At first he could feel nothing As if she’d already slipped away from him Then, as he stubbornly refused to concede defeat, he felt aspark The tiniest awareness of the fe

A relief so vast it threatened to send hi the croatching their every ently cupped her face

"Hey there, beautiful"

Her brows drew together as she struggled to focus on his face "Santiago"

"I’ave a slow, painful nod "I need"

"Yes, my love?"

"I need you to pro, trying to catch her soft words "Promise you what?"

"Proain"

"Siljar is here with the witch," he tried to soothe, knowing that losing control of her body and poas her worst nightet rid of it"

She lifted her hand to weakly clutch at his arain, I want you to swear you’ll killit to use me"

A part of him wanted to offer comfort

To say whatever was necessary to ease her fears

But, a larger part understood he couldn’t lie