Page 48 of Chains of Nightshade

Max pounds against the barrier, his magic crackling uselessly against Vera's shield. "You can't hide in there forever, witch!"

"Shut up!" Vera's voice cracks with rage. The dome pulses brighter, sending Max staggering backward.

I reach up, my fingers leaving bloody trails on her cheek. "Worth it," I murmur. "Everything... was worth it... for you."

Her magic wraps around me like a warm embrace, trying to heal what's broken inside. But Max's blade was cursed - I can feel its magic eating away at my core. Still, I don't regret taking the hit. Better me than her.

"Stay with me," she pleads, pressing her forehead to mine. "Please, Aurel. I can't lose you too."

My vision blurs, but I force myself to focus on her face. If these are my last moments, I want to spend them memorizing every detail of her features. My mate. My salvation. My everything.

21

VERA

Ikneel beside Aurel, my hands trembling as I press them against the gaping wound in his chest. His blood seeps through my fingers, hot and sticky, each pulse a reminder that his life is slipping away. The metallic scent fills my nostrils, making my stomach turn.

"Stay with me," I whisper, my voice breaking. My newly awakened magic surges within me, but I don't know how to use it to heal. "Please, don't leave me." Tears blur my vision as I watch his chest rise and fall with shallow breaths.

His scales feel cold beneath my touch, so different from their usual warmth. The noble's spell has left an ugly, dark mark spreading across his skin. My heart pounds against my ribs as I realize how close the spell came to hitting me instead.

"I can't lose you," I say, pressing harder on the wound. "Not like this. Not when I just..." The words catch in my throat. Not when I just started to forgive you.

Aurel's eyes flutter open, those ancient depths finding mine. Despite the pain etched across his face, he manages a weak smile. "I'm sorry..." he whispers, his voice barely audible. "For everything."

Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth as he speaks, and my heart nearly stops. I've never seen him this vulnerable, this human. The mighty naga who once manipulated me, who I thought had used me and thrown me away, now lies broken because he chose to save my life.

I shake my head, tears spilling hot and fast down my cheeks. "No. Don't apologize. Just stay with me." My voice cracks as I press harder against his wound. The blood keeps flowing, warm and sticky between my fingers.

"You're not allowed to die," I whisper, leaning closer. His skin feels colder by the second. "Not when I finally understand what you mean to me."

His eyes, the startling flash of green, struggle to stay open. "Vera..." His voice is barely a breath.

Desperation claws at my chest as I feel his life slipping away beneath my hands. The thought of losing him now, after everything we've been through, sends ice through my veins. I can't lose him. I won't.

"You promised to serve me forever," I remind him, my voice stronger now. "I haven't released you from that oath."

My hands begin to glow with an ethereal light, magic pulsing beneath my skin. I close my eyes, reaching deep within myself, past the anger and hurt, past the betrayal and pain, to something ancient and powerful that has always been there, waiting. The magic burns through my veins, different from the destructive force I wielded before. This feels pure, healing.

"Stay with me," I whisper again, focusing all my power into my hands. "Please, Aurel. Stay."

Magic surges through my body, a torrent of raw power that makes every nerve ending sing. The energy flows from somewhere deep inside me, a wellspring I never knew existed until this moment. It courses down my arms and into my hands,making them glow with an intensity that bathes Aurel's wound in brilliant light.

"I won't let you die," I whisper, pressing my palms harder against his chest. The magic responds to my determination, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. Beneath my fingers, I feel his torn flesh begin to knit together.

Aurel's breath hitches, his body arching slightly off the ground. "Vera..." His voice is strained, caught between pain and wonder. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your life." The words come out through gritted teeth as I channel more power into him. The light grows brighter, almost blinding, and I feel the dark magic from the noble's spell fighting against my healing.

My arms shake with the effort, sweat beading on my forehead. The wound is deep, and the spell's corruption tries to push back against my magic. But I refuse to give up. Not now. Not when I finally understand what he means to me.

"Stay with me," I command, my voice stronger than I feel. The magic surges again, more powerful than before, filling me with a strength I didn't know I possessed. It burns through my veins like liquid fire, but I welcome the pain. "Fight it, Aurel. Fight with me."

The light from my hands pulses one final time, so bright it illuminates the entire battlefield. I pour everything I have into it, every ounce of power, every bit of hope and love and forgiveness I can muster.

Under my hands, the wound begins to close, flesh knitting together as my magic pulses through him. The corrupted spell fights back, but I push harder, channeling every ounce of power I possess. Sweat drips down my face, my arms trembling with effort.

"Come back to me," I whisper, watching color return to his pale skin. His chest rises and falls with stronger breaths now, the rattling gone from his lungs.

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