Eileen collapses against me, her body heavy and limp. My arms instinctively tighten around her, my breath catching as panic flares inside me. Her eyes flutter shut, her head lolling against my shoulder.
She's unconscious, and for a moment, everything else blurs into the background the dim, oppressive room, the cold sweat on my skin, the distant echoes of our battle.
"Eileen? Eileen, wake up!" My voice is desperate, trembling. I shift her in my arms, gently tapping her cheek, trying to stir her awake. "Come on, please…"
But she doesn't respond. Her breathing is shallow, but it's there a small comfort in the middle of this nightmare.
I cradle her close, my mind racing. I can't stay here. We can't stay here. Thalira could come at any moment, and we're still trapped in her lair, surrounded by her darkness.
