Aldric felt the panic through the bond a heartbeat too late. Before he could fully register the sudden spike of fear and dizziness from Islinda, she was already falling. His Islinda was unconscious on the floor, her body limp and fragile against the cold marble.
For a brief, fragile moment, the room fell silent. The arguments, the tension, all of it was forgotten in an instant. Aldric's heart hammered in his chest as he rushed to her side. He cradled her, his hands trembling as he lifted her head from the hard ground. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. For the first time in a long while, Aldric felt a cold dread seep into his bones.
"Get help!" Aldric's commanding voice cut through the silence, snapping everyone into action.
Valerie was the first to move, his legs carrying him out of the room before anyone else could react. He vanished down the corridor, moving faster than Aldric had ever seen him move before.
