The cold night wrapped around them like a suffocating cloak, the moon casting pale light over the rocky slopes. Adrianna staggered, Sera's limp weight heavy in her arms. Her heart pounded, raw and aching, as Acantha pulled them both into a sheltered hollow beneath the cliffs.
Acantha's chest rose and fell rapidly, but her face remained calm, almost unnervingly so. She crouched beside Adrianna, helping to ease Sera from her arms. "Let me," she murmured softly, gathering Sera's frail form with surprising gentleness.
Adrianna collapsed to her knees, gasping, her arms trembling violently. Her eyes darted to Sera's pale face — bruised, gaunt, her once-vibrant features dulled by exhaustion and torment.
Tears burned in Adrianna's eyes. She reached out, fingers hovering near Acantha's sister's hair, but stopped herself.
Sera stirred faintly, a soft groan slipping from her cracked lips.
Acantha stiffened slightly. She shot Adrianna a sharp glance — a silent warning.
