Ela, Fern, Lilac, May, and Ria have come down many times over the past few days to help me. Another two days pass, filled with the constant bubbling of the cauldron, the swirling of magical ingredients, and the desperate whispers of incantations. Magnus has been persistent, trying to talk to me at every opportunity.
'I’m not ready to talk about it, Magnus,' I tell him each time. However, I allow him to hug me and kiss me. His touch brings a mix of comfort and turmoil, a reminder of the love for him that I can't deny.
As I return to the basement, my flesh begins to warm more than usual, but I dismiss it as the result of the added steam and plumes of smoke in the confined space. I continue making potions. Reaper has been perched in his designated spot. Today, I told my coven sisters I wanted to be alone, and Reaper is the only one I've allowed to stay by my side.
'You should get some rest, Luna. You've been making potions for more than five days now. You don't appear to be in good health, either,' he mind-links.
I ignore him, but he persists. 'Perhaps you could shift and go for a run, and I'll fly beside you?' he suggests.
Sweat beads collect across my face and torso. 'It's boiling down here,' I complain to him.
'How about going outside for some fresh air?' he persists.
I cave and nod, the warmth in the basement almost suffocating.
‘Luna! I’ll get help,’ Reaper caws, concern evident in his tone.
'No, don't. I'm fine,' I whimper, my voice barely audible.
'I'll get Magnus for you,' Reaper says as he flies up the stairs, leaving little time for me to refuse.
I hear Reaper's desperate caws. Suddenly, feet come thudding down the stairs. Magnus falls to his knees at my side and places his hand on my arm. ‘Why is she so hot? Is she sick?' Magnus asks Reaper, then realizes he and Reaper cannot mind-link.
Magnus picks me up, cradling me in his arms. ‘May! Lilac!’ he shouts for help as he races up the stairs.
Hurried footsteps follow, and May and Lilac come running to us.
'Magnus, what's the matter with Luna?' Lilac asks.
'I'm not sure. Reaper came up to me, wildly cawing. I followed him down to the basement and discovered her on the floor. She is unbearably hot to the touch. I’m struggling to hold her any longer. Her flesh is burning my skin,’ he says, his disbelief as he glances at his skin being seared.
‘Take her to her room and place her in a cold bath. I’ll go to Pandora’s Box and bring Yiselda back with me,’ May instructs, her tone urgent.
Magnus nods, his eyes filled with worry, and he races up the next set of stairs into our room, entering the ensuite. He can’t remove my clothes, as the sweat and heat make them stick and almost melt into my skin. He quickly turns the tap on, gently placing me in the bath, and holds my head up with one hand. He uses his other hand to trickle cold water around my face. After a few minutes, Magnus rests his palm against my forehead. 'You're still flaming hot, Nina,' he exclaims, horrified at the intense heat.
A frantic knock echoes through the bedroom door. 'It's May, and I'm here with Yiselda,' she calls out urgently.
'Please send her in quickly,' Magnus pleads, his voice trembling with concern.
Magnus lifts me from the water onto his lap, water dripping onto the bathroom tiles. Yiselda enters, her gaze flicking between Magnus, soaked on the floor, and me in his arms.
Yiselda speaks with a heavy sigh. 'It's begun,' she says, her expression sombre.
'What has begun?' Magnus asks, a perplexed frown creasing his forehead.
'Did Luna not warn you that the bond with Alec will continue to pull her and urge her to Alec and that if she resists it for too long or fights it, there will be implications?'
Magnus shakes his head, bewildered. 'No, I knew she'd be battling the urge to see him, but she never mentioned any negative effects?'
Yiselda purses her lips together. 'When you resist it or stay away from your blood flame for too long, you physically start to burn. It begins as warm skin, then burns hot. Your body will continue to heat up until you blister and burn to the point you crumple into ash and die,' she reveals.
'She's going to die!' Magnus snaps angrily. 'Argh,' he groans as he places me on the tiled floor, glancing down at his scorched hands from holding me. Thankfully, his wolf starts to heal the burns.
'What do we do? How can I help her?' He pleads, his voice filled with desperation. ‘Her wolf won’t be able to heal her fast enough at the rate she is burning,’ he adds, becoming frantic.
'The only way to prevent her death is to bring them together,' Yiselda tells him, her tone grave.
‘What! No, there has to be another way,' he says, his eyes wide with disbelief.
'The only other option is to break the bond, but we don't know how to, and it appears that we don't have much time left. If you wish to save your Luna, then you must bring her to Pandora's Box immediately,' Yiselda warns him.
Magnus growls low, his internal conflict evident in the furrowed lines on his forehead and the turmoil flickering in his green eyes. He refuses to let me perish, yet the idea of bringing me to Alec is a bitter pill to swallow. With grim determination, he snatches a blanket, carefully wrapping me in it to avoid direct skin contact and the searing burns that would follow. Yiselda, sensing the urgency, bolts downstairs and gestures towards the dormant campfire near the entrance. Reaper and Magnus hasten after her.
Yiselda seizes the back of Magnus's shirt, directing him toward the portal. In the urgency of the moment, there's no room for hesitation. The shadows play on Magnus's face as he grapples with the gravity of the situation.
For a brief period, my eyelids flutter open, and I glimpse the shadow of someone else walking out of the portal, but they don't follow us inside; instead, whoever it was darted into nearby shrubs.
Weakly, I extend my arm and point toward the lurking figure to draw attention to the potential threat. However, the urgency of our situation takes precedence, and Magnus, focused on ensuring my survival, rushes past the unnoticed observer.
Inside Pandora’s Box, Magnus is momentarily captivated by the vast mirror Yiselda steps through. The surreal beauty of the portal doesn't afford him the luxury of contemplation. He has a singular goal—to save me. Without dwelling on the breathtaking surroundings, he leaps through the mirror, determined to save me.