Lorraine's POV
"Elise!!!"
The scream ripped out of me before I could stop it. I didn't care who was watching or how cold the marble floor felt beneath my knees, I threw myself beside her.
Her face was barely recognizable under the blood and bruises. Her wrists were blistered from the silver chains digging into her skin. She looked so… small. Broken.
"Elise, wake up. Please, it's me, it's Lorraine. Wake up!" I cried, my voice cracking, fingers trembling as I touched her clammy skin. "Elise, please, don't do this. Don't leave me. You can't die, not like this...."
"Lorraine!" Astrid yanked me back sharply, her grip strong, eyes scanning Elise with terrifying precision. She bent low, pressing two fingers to her throat.
A beat of silence.
"She's still alive," Astrid said, her voice tight. "Barely. But she is."
I let out a sharp, strangled breath, the world spinning. Thank the moon.
"She needs to get to the hospital now," Astrid continued.
