Aria's POV
"Not permanently." Mara looked at me. "I can slow it down for a short time."
Hope flickered in my chest. "How?"
"I can suppress the process."
Damon didn't hesitate. "Do it."
Mara's eyes dropped toward the ground. She immediately began gathering pieces of broken stone, fragments of wood, and several herbs from the forest.
She worked quickly, drawing rough sigils into the earth with a sharpened piece of stone. Her fingers moved with practiced precision despite her exhaustion.
Damon stood beside me. His fingers slipped into mine. I looked up at him. He stared at me for a moment, his expression tight with worry, before looking away. I squeezed his hand.
Mara suddenly called my name. "Aria. Sit in the center."
I obeyed. I lowered myself onto the ground while Mara finished dr
