Riley’s POV
I had been lying on the bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling and trying to calm down after everything that just happened with Cane. My body was still warm, my thoughts all over the place, and I didn’t even know what to do with myself anymore.
Then suddenly, it hit .
A sharp pain slamd into my chest and I gasped, my hand flying straight to my heart. It wasn’t like I got hurt inside my chest or pulled a muscle.
This felt wrong. My breathing got uneven imdiately and I tried to sit up, pressing my palm harder against my chest like that would sohow stop it.
"What is this..." I muttered, my voice shaky.
The pain didn’t go away. It got worse. My heart started beating fast, too fast, like it was trying to run out of my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus, trying to breathe properly, but the mont I did that, I saw her.
Carian.
She was standing right in front of like she had always been there, looking straight at .
"Aemoria."
That voice again.
I let out an annoyed breath imdiately and opened my eyes. "Carian, I’m not doing this with you again."
She didn’t move. She didn’t even look surprised. She just kept staring at like she expected to listen.
"I an it," I continued, pushing myself up on the bed even though my chest still hurt. "Whatever you’re trying to do, I don’t care. Today was already too much. It’s your fault I’m dragged into that whole ss with the vampire, and I’m not interested in whatever you have to say right now."
She stayed quiet for a second, and for so reason, that made even more irritated.
Then she finally spoke. "Gunnar is in danger."
My body froze.
I didn’t react imdiately, but sothing about the way she said it made my chest tighten again.
"If you keep lying here and wasting ti," she continued, her voice serious now, "he’s going to die."
That got my attention fully.
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, my voice louder now.
"That pain in your chest," she said, stepping closer, "it’s not random. His life force is leaving him, and you’re connected to it."
I shook my head quickly. "No, that doesn’t make sense. How would I even be connected to him like that?"
She didn’t argue. She just said, "He was stabbed. Rember?"
My breath caught.
"The blade that hit him," she went on, "it’s called Blackbane core. It’s not a normal weapon. It kills alphas, and it doesn’t take long."
My heart started racing again. "So? That doesn’t an he’s going to die right now. There has to be sothing-"
"There isn’t," she cut in. "There is no cure for it."
The words hit hard. "No cure?" I repeated, my voice lower now.
"No cure," she said again, not looking away.
For a second, I couldn’t even think straight. Gunnar... dying? Just like that?
"No," I said, shaking my head again. "That’s not happening. It can’t happen."
"It will," she replied calmly, "if you don’t do sothing."
I swung my legs off the bed and stood up quickly, ignoring how unsteady I felt. "Then tell what to do!" I shouted. "You’re the one saying all this, so tell what I’m supposed to do!"
She didn’t hesitate this ti.
"You have to let co to Obsidian Veil."
I stared at her."What did you just say?"
"You have to let co through you," she repeated.
I let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Oh, wow. So this is where we are now."
"I’m serious."
"No, you’re not," I said imdiately. "This is one of your tricks again. You just want to co here because you’re obsessed with him. Don’t think I don’t know that."
She didn’t deny it.
"You’re right , I am obsessed with him," she said plainly.
I blinked at her. "You’re actually admitting that?"
"Yes," she said. "But that’s not the point right now."
"Of course it is," I shot back. "Everything with you always has a hidden motive."
"This doesn’t," she said, her tone getting sharper. "This is about keeping him alive."
"And I’m just supposed to believe that?" I asked.
"You don’t have a choice," she replied. "You can either argue with , or you can act before it’s too late."
I folded my arms, trying to stay calm even though my chest still felt tight. "Explain properly. No vague nonsense. If you want to even think about this, you’re going to tell exactly what you an."
She nodded once. "I am not human. You already know that. The blade that struck Gunnar is not sothing normal healers can handle. It requires sothing stronger. Sothing that doesn’t follow the sa rules as the living world."
"And that’s you?" I asked.
"Yes."
"And how exactly are you planning to help him?" I pressed.
"I need to co through you," she said. "I need to take form in your body long enough to reach him and heal him."
I frowned. "Take form in my body? That sounds like possession."
"It’s not the sa," she said quickly. "You’ll still be there. You’ll be aware of everything. I’ll just be the one controlling your body for a short ti."
"That is literally possession," I said flatly.
"It’s temporary, Riley" she insisted.
I shook my head. "This sounds like a bad idea."
"It’s the only idea," she replied.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling frustrated. "How long are we even talking about?"
"A few minutes," she said. "That’s all I need."
"And what happens to during those minutes?" I asked.
"You stay conscious," she answered. "You’ll feel everything, but you won’t be the one moving."
I didn’t like that at all.
"There’s more," I said, narrowing my eyes. "You’re not telling everything."
She hesitated for a second, and that was enough to confirm it.
"What else?" I demanded.
"I’ll need so of your life force," she said finally.
I stepped back imdiately. "No. Absolutely not."
"It’s necessary," she said. "Without it, I won’t be able to cross over properly or stay long enough to help him."
"You’re asking for too much Carian," I snapped. "First you want control of my body, now you want my life force? What if you take more than you need?"
"I won’t," she said.
"And I’m supposed to trust that?" I asked.
"If I take too much, you die," she replied. "And that defeats the whole purpose."
"That’s not comforting," I said.
"It’s the truth," she answered.
I went quiet for a mont, trying to think. Everything she was saying sounded crazy.
But Gunnar was dying. And if she was right...
God I didn’t have a choice.
I swallowed hard. "Why should I believe you’re not going to do sothing stupid once you’re in control? You already admitted you’re obsessed with him."
Her expression didn’t change. "Because I want him alive, not dead. If I ss this up, he dies. I’m not going to risk that."
I studied her face carefully, looking for any sign she was lying.
I didn’t see it.
Still, I wasn’t ready to just agree without setting rules.
"If I do this," I said slowly, "you follow my conditions."
She nodded imdiately. "Fine."
"You don’t make things worse," I continued. "You don’t act on impulse, and you definitely don’t let your obsession with Gunnar control what you do."
She pressed her lips together briefly, then nodded again. "I won’t."
"I’m serious," I added. "If I feel like you’re going too far, I stop this."
"You can try," she said, then quickly added, "but I won’t give you a reason to."
"Promise ," I said firmly.
"I promise," she replied without hesitation.
I took a deep breath."One more thing," I said.
She waited.
"When this is over," I continued, "you give back my life force. Everything you take, you return."
She nodded. "I will."
"I need more than that," I said. "I need your word."
"You have it," she said. "I’ll return it."
I held her gaze, making sure she understood I wasn’t joking.
"If you don’t-"
"I will," she repeated.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the decision settle in.
This was risky. But doing nothing was worse.
"Fine," I said finally. "We do it."
Her expression changed imdiately, more focused now.
"Good," she said.
I swallowed hard. "Tell what to do."
She stepped closer to , raising her hand.
"Don’t resist," she said.
My heart started beating faster again.
"Wait," I said quickly, holding up my hand. "If anything feels wrong, I’m pulling back."
She nodded. "Understood."
I lowered my hand slowly. "Do it," I said.
She looked straight into my eyes.
"You trust enough for this?" she asked quietly.
I hesitated for a second, then answered honestly.
"No. But I trust that you don’t want him to die."
She gave a small nod."That’s enough."
I took one last breath, steadying myself.
"You promised," I reminded her.
She smiled, although I didn’t understand the smile "I promised,"
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