Aching, I scrambled upright, still intact. The blast had missed me, though just barely. Frantically, I searched for Grey. He was already on his feet, sprinting toward one of the sorcerers. The bastard was recharging his power, his palm glowing faintly green.

I plunged my hand into my potion bag and withdrew a bomb. I had no idea what it did—there was no time to look. I just threw it, hurling it at the other sorcerer. He ducked.

His hand glowed green, and I didn’t have long before he’d throw another blast at me. I sprinted for him, plunging my hand back into the satchel.

To my left, Grey reached the sorcerer before he could hurl his magic. He drew back his fist and punched him so hard in the face that the sorcerer wheeled backward, landing hard on the ground.

He lay still, unconscious.

Grey turned toward Rasla, who stood only ten feet away. He stalked toward him.

I pulled out another potion bomb and hurled it at the sorcerer who had almost charged up his second blast. It slammed into his shoulder. He gasped, going to his knees. I charged him, my eyes on the glowing green orb in his hand. It was nearly at full power. He’d hurl it at me any second.

I braced myself, ready to dodge the blast if he threw it before I reached him.

He drew back his arm, then threw.

Only, instead of hurling it at me, he chucked it at Grey, who held Rasla by the lapels, speaking harshly into his face.

“Grey!” I screamed, reaching for him.

The green magic slammed into his back.

17

Grey

The explosive force of the blast seemed to pulverize my insides. Pain like I’d never felt. An atom bomb inside my chest. My vision blacked, and my breathing stopped.

Dying.

There was no other end to this.

I dropped to my knees in a total state of shock. There was silence all around—deadly, deafening silence that had to be false. It was only this silent when you lost your hearing.

Or when you were dead.

A scream broke through the quiet, piercing my mind, dragging me back to the present. Agony still suffused every inch of me, but I managed to force my eyes open. Through bleary vision, I spotted a confused Rasla staring at me.

The charm that had been pinned to his lapel was gone, and he blinked in a slow, befuddled manner.

I’d torn off the protective charm and erased his memory right before I’d been hit. What about the sorcerers? I didn’t need them making hell for my former self. It was almost impossible to keep my thoughts in order, but I forced every ounce of energy that I had toward the task.

I might be dying now—I was definitely dying now—but if I didn’t clean up this mess for my past self, then history might change and keep me from ever meeting Carrow.

I couldn’t lose the time I’d had with her.

The thought gave me strength.

She appeared at my side a half moment later, dropping to her knees. “Grey!”

She touched me gently, her hands running over my body, searching for wounds. I leaned into her touch, drawing strength from her. She wouldn’t find any wounds on the outside, but I already knew that I was running on the fumes of death.

Still on my knees, I reached up and grabbed Rasla’s coat, pulling him down to face me. I used all the magic I had left to say, “Forget this ever happened or that you have any quarrel with me. If your men speak of it, they are lying.”

He nodded, his gaze unfocused and his mouth slack.

“Go.”

He turned and walked off, moving slowly.

“Grey.” Carrow moved around to face me, shoving a tiny vial into my hands. “Here. The last healing potion. Take it.”

The cork had already been removed, so I tossed it back.

The liquid ran down my throat and filled my belly, but I only felt a fraction of its power. The pain still surged, and nausea followed in its wake.

The curse had its hooks fully into me.

It had been trying to drag me away from this world for so long, growing stronger every time I was injured. This would be the last straw. I could feel the ether tugging on me even now, the curse determined to pull me away from Carrow and the life that I had almost had.

A life of light and love.

“Are you all right?” she demanded, her voice wavering. “Is the potion working?”

“I’m fine.” I had minutes left, maybe. We needed to get out of here. If I didn't survive, I couldn’t leave Carrow here with my body. Would my body stay behind when I left?

I had no idea. Couldn’t risk it. Too much to ask of her.

“Help me up, if you can.” The words tasted sour as they left my lips.

Tears rolled down her face as she pulled me to my feet. Every part of me felt broken, shattered beyond repair. The sorcerer’s magic had rent me inside, the blast doing irreparable damage.

Once, I might have survived it. Now, not a chance.

Carrow tucked herself under my arm to help support me, and I leaned on her, hating it. She shouldn’t have to do this. Shouldn’t have to be here for this.

I could only imagine what I would be feeling if I thought she were about to die. Utter devastation. The idea that she might hold that depth of feeling for me seemed almost laughable. But from the tears that streamed down her face, it also seemed almost possible.

My heart thundered.

Her scent wrapped around me as we walked, rousing the beast inside me. It wanted her blood, wanted me to drink to save us both.

This was my last chance. If I took her blood now, I would survive this. She would not, but her blood would not only break the curse, it would undo the damage of the sorcerer’s magic. It would make me whole again.

I forced the beast back, unwilling to even consider it.

“We’re almost there,” she said. “The library is right up here, and we’ll be home in no time. We’ll fix you right up with more healing potions.”

The sea could be made of healing potions, and it wouldn’t be enough. I said nothing.

We staggered toward the library, finding it locked at this late hour. Carrow leaned back and kicked open the door, hitting it so hard that the wood around the lock splintered and it swung open.

“I guess fear gives extra strength,” she said as she helped pull me inside.

The cavernous library was dark save for a few fairy lights floating near the ceiling. Our footsteps echoed as we staggered toward the back of the library. My strength was waning, and I could feel myself putting more weight on Carrow.

She plowed onward, dragging me behind her.

“We’ve got this,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Of course.” The words almost took the last of my breath.

Finally, we reached the very back of the library. The empty aisle called to me, the glowing light a beacon of hope. Not that I’d survive this, but that we’d at least make it back to our time for Carrow.

She pulled the small book out of her pocket, and we entered the aisle. The magic pulsed around us, bright and warm. My heartbeat began to slow as we entered deeper into the aisle, my vision starting to go dark at the edges.

Not yet.

I wanted one last look at her face.

I fought the pull of the afterlife, grateful when I felt the ether tugging on me. It caught us both and spun us through time. I gripped Carrow hard, determined not to lose her here.

A moment later, solid ground appeared beneath my feet. I staggered, the ground calling to me. Carrow tried to keep me up, her grip strong. We managed to get out of the stacks and into the cavernous space of the main library, but I was too heavy. I staggered to my knees, going down hard.

“Grey!” She followed me down, trying to slow my fall.

I hit the floor anyway, the tile cold beneath my feverish skin.

“Grey, you must drink from me.” Her voice broke as she held her wrist to my mouth. “You need strength. The blow was too much.”

I turned my mouth away, nearly insensible as the afterworld called to me. The beast within me roared, trying to force me to follow her commands. There was still time. Time to save us both. The beast and me.

Not Carrow.

I would never.

I looked up at her, wanting her face to be the last thing I saw. My voice rasped as I said, “I love you.”

Why hadn’t I said the words before? Why hadn’t I shown her more?

What wasted time.

“Please, Grey. Don’t go.” Tears sounded in her voice. Rolled down her face. “I love you. I love you.”

The words cloaked me in warmth as the darkness crept in. Nearly blind, I stole one last look at her. She was the sun, glowing golden above me, a promise of all that could have been and all that I didn’t deserve.

We’d almost done it.

Almost.

Carrow

Grey went limp on the floor. His energy disappeared from the air, and I was alone.

Alone.

Something inside me broke, shattering into a thousand pieces. My scream echoed in the cavernous space. Frantically, I pulled at his shoulders, trying to drag him back. To make him stand, healthy and whole. “I love you. I love you.”

I couldn’t stop repeating the words, couldn’t get ahold of myself. Everything was frantic inside me, everything terrible. I was pure energy, pure emotion.

On the ground, his body began to disappear.

I clutched at him, trying to keep him with me. Was this normal? Why was this happening? His form faded even more, becoming nearly transparent.

“Grey, don’t go. Grey!”

Seconds later, he was entirely gone. I sat alone in the dark library, the air so still that it almost suffocated me. My mind went blank with pain and loss.

“Carrow!” Seraphia’s voice sounded from the other side of the library, concern in her tone. She hurried toward me and fell to her knees at my side. “Carrow? Where’s Grey? What’s happened?”

I looked up at her, vision blurry with tears. “Gone. Gone.”

“Where?”

“The curse took him. We were too late.” I pressed a hand to the cold stone tile beneath me. “He was right here.”

Seraphia looked down, as if she might see him. “It just happened?”

I sucked in a ragged breath, my throat so tight I almost couldn’t manage to get the air in. “He was hit by a sorcerer’s magic. It was too much. The damage was too much. He’s been weakening, the afterworld pulling harder. And it was just too much.”