LYRA

The kiss ended when Kael winced, pain breaking through whatever adrenaline had been sustaining him. I pulled back carefully and watched his face contort as the reality of his injury caught up with the moment we'd just shared.

"Sorry," I whispered, keeping my hand in his.

"Don't be," he managed, his voice strained. "It's worth every second of pain."

The door opened and healers rushed back in, their expressions urgent as they checked his bandages and the color returning to his face. The ...