The world stopped.
Nate stood frozen.
Aire lay limp against his chest, warm, breathing, and alive. Yet he couldn't even celebrate.
His eyes remained locked on Alaric.
The vines had disappeared the instant they struck him, dissolving into black smoke that vanished into his skin as though they had never existed.
Only the blood remained. There was so much blood.
It streamed steadily from both of Alaric's nostrils, trailing over his lips and down his neck before soaking into the front of his shirt.
For one impossible heartbeat, nobody moved. Nobody could even breath.
"ALARIC!" Xander's scream shattered the silence.
He ran. Not even remembering his own feet.
He dropped to his knees so hard beside Alaric that the impact bruised them against the stone.
His shaking hands reached for his brother's shoulders.
"Alaric..." He called, and there was nothing.
"Al..." There was still nothing.
Xander swallowed. He slapped Alaric's cheek lightly.
"Wake up."
