"Stay," I whispered against his skin. "Please, Lucian. Stay with me."
"I can help."
Aiyana's voice cut through my desperation. She knelt beside us, the light-stone still glowing faintly in her hands. Up close, I could see it wasn't just one color but dozens, shifting and swirling like oil on water.
"What?" I looked up at her, not daring to hope.
"The vampire side can't separate cleanly. It's too intertwined with his lycan nature, with his very soul." She placed the stone against Lucian's chest, right over his heart. "But I can help them merge properly. Fully. No more war between the two."
"Do it," I said immediately. "Please, just do it."
Aiyana began to chant, her voice low and melodic, words that seemed to vibrate in the air itself. The stone's light grew brighter, pulsing in rhythm with Lucian's failing heartbeat.
