Aria’s POV
I opened my eyes.
Viktor’s hand was still locked around my wrist. His claws had pierced deep; the metallic tang of my blood hung thick in the air. Yet something was wrong. I felt it in the sudden, almost fragile quiet that had settled over him.
A confused frown cut across his face. The oppressive pressure that had pressed against my skin only moments ago was thinning like smoke in a sudden wind.
Aria. His power is weakening. Lydia’s voice was tight, almost hungry.
I know.
I swallowed hard. Viktor released my wrist. He stared at his own hand as if it no longer belonged to him.
“What…” The word left him in a rough whisper.
I rose carefully and took one measured step back. His breathing had changed. It was ragged and uneven now. The veins at his temples stood out in sharp r
