“Well, I’m not a healer either,” Morgan says. “But we have to do something.”

“Uruz.” Aoife names the earth rune used for healing as she staggers, her shoulder knocking eerie tinkling sounds from the dangling, but thankfully closed, eyeballs.

Uruz. Yes, that could work, especially…

“Combine it with laguz and nauthiz.” I draw the water and air runes for strength and survival in the snow.

“Dude, you’re brilliant!” Morgan smiles and gets to work, casting the sigils in the air.

He shoves one hand into the snow and presses the other to Aoife’s injured shoulder. His tattoos turn luminescent again, opening up the scabs. Aoife whimpers as the magic takes effect, blinking away tears which freeze instantly on her cheeks. The trees and hanging eyes freeze too. Branches drop off and shatter when they hit the ground. A few pairs of eyes do as well, scattering vitreous glitter across the snow.

After an agonizing ninety seconds, Morgan removes his hand from her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I can’t do more.” He’s trembling. “But I think it’s enough to stop the bleeding. If Da were here…”

“It’s okay. It’s enough,” Aoife says.

“You can do more.” I offer him my hand right as a howl slices through the air, making all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Before I can scream, a huge gray wolf leaps into the clearing. It stalks toward Aoife, nose quivering, before turning to Toivo with a snarl. Then it rears on its back legs and the wolf disappears in a blur of fur, leaving Sorin standing naked in the snow.

I should look away—I absolutely should—but I’m in shock, my eyes frozen wide open.

“I told you this was dangerous,” Sorin says, his voice all lupine growl. He turns his back on Toivo and pads over to Aoife.

She’s bleeding. He has fangs. For a moment, I think Aoife might become the vampire’s dinner, but he kneels beside her and gently takes her arm.

“You should be all right.” He looks down at her with eyes dark but no longer wolfish. “It’s not arterial and”—he pauses to sniff—“the spell is working. Nice work.” He nods at Morgan, who has backed away and looks as awkward as I feel.

I mean, I’ve seen naked people before. It’s normal really, considering Finland’s sauna culture, but it’s not every day you get to see a beautiful vampire transform right in front of you. If I had a body like Sorin’s, I wouldn’t hide it under baggy clothes. I’m having serious bicep envy and look at his traps! And damn—his deltoids! I tear my gaze away before he notices how hard I’m staring.