Cami looks distressed by that, but Arryn places a soothing hand on her shoulder and points to the glass, saying, “We’ll be able to see and hear everything. It’s best if we stay out of their way and let them work.”

Cami clenches her jaw, but she gives a sharp nod of acceptance, stepping right up to the glass and planting her feet, her arms crossed as she stares through the barrier at her brother.

“We’ll have him back to normal in no time, Cam,” I promise.

Despite my words, when Kael steps through and seals the door behind us, my heart begins to pick up speed. Especially with what he says next.

“We need to tie him down.”

“What?” I stammer. “Why?”

Kael’s dark eyes are steady, comforting, when he answers, “Because he needs to be awake for us to free him from Manning, and once he’s awake, he could lash out and try to fight us off. It’s just a precaution—a few seconds and then we can release him again.”

I swallow, knowing he’s right. But I still can’t bring myself to tighten the straps around Ward’s wrists and ankles. I have to look away as Kael does this, my eyes catching Cami’s, noting her pale face through the glass.

“It’s done,” Kael says, drawing my gaze back to him.

I look down and take in Ward’s bound form, his long, jeans-covered legs, his fitted white T-shirt under the leather jacket, his broad shoulders, tanned skin, tousled golden hair. There are flecks of blood on his torn clothes from the small cuts he acquired after falling in Vanik’s lab, wounds either Cami or I can heal the moment he’s back with us.

I know we dragged him from Lengard all the way here in his current state of unconsciousness, but it’s only hitting me now that I’ve never seen him like this. Never seen him so vulnerable.

He looks so young here, not at all like the future leader of Lengard. He looks like the nineteen-year-old that he is.

“Ready, princess?”

I swallow again before steeling my spine. “Ready.”

“Then you do the honors. Once he’s awake, we’ll have to act fast—I’ll destroy his protective power so you can Speak him free. We may only get one shot at this, so make it count.”

Make it count.

I intend to.

I reach out and place my hand on Ward’s forearm, the contact steadying me. I’m convinced I can hear Cami’s ragged breathing through the glass, and I draw in my own deep breath, centering myself.

With my body tense and prepared for anything, I whisper, “Wake.”

And grind my teeth when nothing happens.