-Elara Voss:
I was so tired.
My limbs felt like lead, every muscle aching from the endless journey and the brutal fight we'd just survived.
The castle's cold, unyielding walls didn't offer much comfort, but at least we were safe—relatively. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hand still trembling from the adrenaline that had fueled me through the battle with those seven vampires. They were gone now, their bodies lying somewhere in that blood-soaked chamber, but the memory of their laughter still rang in my ears.
Lucien was just as exhausted. I could see it in his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped, the faint tremor in his hands. Yet he refused to sleep, insisted on staying awake in case Ronan stirred. We both did. We couldn't bear the thought of him waking up alone, terrified by what he'd become.
Ronan lay motionless on the bed, his chest rising and falling so faintly it was almost imperceptible.
