Page 204 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“Get her out of here!” Cerridwen yelled.
Hawthorn grabbed Aislinn off the floor and pelted towards the door.
The barrier.If he could just get her across it, he could heal her—
Aeron made a move to follow them, but Cerridwen threw the chains around his ankles and forced him to the floor. Another guard reached out to grab her—
Finally, Caer found the strength to move, crashing into his back so hard they both went sprawling to the floor.
“The Prince!” hissed Aeron hungrily.
Cerridwen smacked him in the back of the head, just as Beau staggered free.
“Go, go!” she yelled at them both. “I’ll handle this one.”
Caer struggled upright, his chest tight. Beau raced ahead of him as Cerridwen battled the remaining guards. He forced himself forward, summoning the residuals of his strength.
Aislinn, Aislinn, Aislinn—
He fled the room. Hawthorn was out on the balcony, the railing half torn apart by the platform of branches rising from the gardens. Aislinn was nestled at the centre of them, Hawthorn’s hands at her throat.
The blood was everywhere. All over the floor, the branches, her dress. How much blood could still be in her?
“Beau!” Hawthorn screamed. “Help me!”
Beau’s hands cupped her neck. Light radiated around them. Caer crawled closer as flesh knitted back together.
She still didn’t move.
He dragged himselfonto the platform.
Outside of the barrier, he could see her lifeforce… a fading, dribbling thing.
“Her heart’s not beating,” Hawthorn whispered, “come on, darling. Come on. Come back.”
You have to come back,Caer thought desperately.You have to.
He clambered towards her, pressing his palm over her chest. He had done it once before, he could do it again now.
This heart is mine, Ais. I will have it.
He pushed all of his strength, all of his power, into her body. He imagined his heart as an object that could be cut and shared, given away.
All yours, Ais. It always was.
Something throbbed beneath his hand, and her lifeforce flared back, bright and blinding.
She shot up, gasping for breath.
Alive. Definitely alive.
She grabbed her neck, eyes widening at the blood on her chest. “Father, what—”
Hawthorn yanked her into his arms, and Beau folded over both of them. Caer hung back, no strength to move, panting hard.
Arms fastened around his shoulders, dragginghim backwards. He kicked out, but he couldn’t fight. He’d used the last of his strength on her.
Aislinn screamed, scrambling off the platform. Hawthorn and Beau followed, not thinking, not considering what they’d lose as they stepped over the barrier—
