“That’s a terrifying image,” I said, trying not to panic. “And a flawed concept. I think, when you’re past a certain age, there isn’t one person on earth you need to survive. I mean, I did it for weeks on my own.”

“It’s not about surviving. It’s about living. I’m not convinced I was truly doing that before you.” He leaned closer, and my heart picked up. “And now I know I won’t last without you. You are my soulmate, my meaning, the entire point to my existence.”

I could barely look at him, so I settled my gaze on his shoulder, hugging myself to stop my trembling. “You’re scaring me, Magnus.”

“I’m scaring you?”

I heard the teasing in his voice, but I couldn’t laugh, not without breaking down into tears. “That you think you can’t live without me. Your heart was beating long before we met.”

“Was it?”

His tone sounded so gentle, so heartfelt, it nearly tore my heart open from feeling too much. And that was it. The tears started to flow without my permission.

“My love may be mad and reckless,” he went on quickly, “but it’s real and honest. Please believe me, this is not a trick—”

“I need a minute,” I gasped. “Please.” And I rushed between two tall bookshelves to collect myself.

I leaned against the books, resting in the shadows, trying to steady my breath. And then, after a few moments, the tinkle of bells approached. Magnus came around the bookshelf, his movements tentative. “Andromeda?” His face was mostly in shadow, only beautiful hints of it where the candlelight glowed through the cracks. “Was I wrong to confess?”

“You love me?” I whispered.

He strode over and took me in his arms, and it didn’t matter that I could barely see him, his hands like anchors holding me to this earth. “You know I do.”

“Only me?”

“My darling,” he cooed, running his fingertips across my lips, “it’s always been only you.” And he pressed his lips where his fingers had warmed.

CHAPTER 25

The plan was almost too simple. Kelela would stand in front of the door to act as bait. Saba would make sure the hyena couldn’t get out of Magnus’s room. I would cleanse it. Five minutes before the Waking, we took our positions.

Saba and I stood in front of Magnus’s bedroom door, with Kelela slightly behind us. When I glanced back at her she was grey-faced. Trembling. But there was a spark of something—of will, of life, of determination. She planned on seeing this through to the end.

And the end would be quick. One hour. That’s all the time I needed to seal it.

I heard the sudden shift of a lock and pulled my knife. But it wasn’t Magnus’s door—in hindsight, a hyena wouldn’t be much good at opening one, anyway.