William continues as if he didn’t hear me. “When it happened to you, it was different. The healing aether I applied to your injuries the first night we met? It was a risk, but nothing that would affect you long-term. And it turned out, you weren’t Onceborn, so there had been nothing to worry about. But Alice…” His voice cracks. “I had to use so, so much, Bree, and the aether in her isn’t fading like it should—”

Another slow exhale, and a puff of aether—bright and citrus, William’s signature—rises from her lungs. The air over her bed is a low, silver-blue cloud now.

“I don’t know what it’s doing to her. I don’t know what will happen when she wakes up.”

“You’re worried this is permanent.” My voice sounds far away.

He nods. “Yes.”

I want to scream that it doesn’t matter, that she’s alive and that’s what matters, but I don’t. She wouldn’t have even come close to dying if I—we—hadn’t hurt her.

I can’t even blame it on Arthur, because it wasn’t just his choice that led us here. It was mine, too.

“There is, truly, nothing else I can do.” William shakes his head, like even he can’t believe it. Like there should be more healing at his fingertips for everyone who needs it, regardless of their injury.

A soft knock at the door interrupts us. When it opens, Lark peeks his head through. “Looks like Kane is waking up, Will,” he says quietly. “Still pretty out of it, though. If ye want to come check on him.”

William squeezes my shoulder and gets up. “I should go see Sel.”

Lark notices me hesitate, caught between going with William and staying with Alice. His expression turns rueful. “I’m sorry, Bree. I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to explain.” Lark isn’t sure it’s a good idea that I be there when Sel wakes up. I’m not sure it’s a good idea either, after what happened. I offer Lark a watery smile that threatens to break my own heart even further. “He gave up his humanity to save me. Maybe I shouldn’t be the first person he sees.”

“I was going to say,” Lark says gently, “that I don’t know what Kane will be like when he fully comes to. I’ve put a barrier around him, just in case, and Nick is guarding the door.”

I blink, swallow. “Right.” Because Sel might be dangerous now. Demons want fear and rage and pain, however they can get it.

William begins to speak, then stops. “Let me know if anything changes. And get some rest tonight. We’ll all know more in the morning.”