Lucien pov

I sat beside Gabriel’s bed and watched the healers work. They moved around him fast, cleaning wounds, giving herbs, checking his breathing. I heard everything they said, but none of it felt real. My brother was in front of me. Alive. Breathing. Broken, but alive.

My hands shook even though I tried to keep them still.

Mara placed a cloth on Gabriel’s forehead. “His pulse is weak but steady,” she said. “He needs rest more than anything.”

I nodded, but I didn’t say a ...