She fell.

Backwards.

Fell and the blade slipped free.

Fell.

And landed in Donal’s arms.

“Tam. Oh, God, Tam!”

She laughed and felt something spray from her lips. Blood.

Pain.

Tamsin opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out.

Hands. Hands pressed against her wound.

Hands struggled to hold her blood inside her body. Blood that squished out between grasping fingers.

“Tam, stay with me.”

So damn tired.

She kept her eyes open with pure determination. She was dying.

She knew it.

And the look in Donal’s eyes said that he did too.

Tamsin wasn’t going to miss a second of time looking at him. It was all that was left to her.

All that she could hold tight, because her arms were useless like the rest of her body.

Donal leaned over her, his eyes a study in determination. In desperation.

He leaned over her and pressed his cheek to hers. Whispered into her ear.

“Tamsin… Tam, I think I can save you. I think I can, but you need to know-”

“Y-yes.”

“It’s not simple, it’s not easy,” his voice, his words, stumbled, “but you need to know-”

“D-do it, Donal. P-please.”

“Tam-”

She opened her mouth to speak… and then the world went black.

Chapter Ten

Tamsin woke up to a dream.

The world around her was brighter, louder, and more… everything.

And then it all came crashing down.