Until the World Falls Down

Chapter 28

28

O nce on the other side of the portal, I hit the ground hard enough to knock the air from my lungs and make my ears ring. It took me a second to recover, the ringing gradually giving way to the faint sound of water trickling. My eyes shot open, seeing the night sky, now clear and decorated with stars instead of heavy clouds.

A sharp intake of breath came from my left, then the rustle of fabric, followed by a pained, guttural whisper.

“ No .”

Enver.

“Nell, no,” he breathed, the words choked and desperate.

I turned toward him as he staggered toward me. The heartbreak and despair in his voice was mirrored in his expression as he dropped to his knees beside me. His hands found my face, cupping my cheeks. They shook, as did the rest of his body. His touch was light, careful, as if he was afraid he would break me.

Like how he’d been with Evangeline.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. The memory of his heart being ripped out played over and over in my mind. The image of him lying in a puddle of his blood. His silence. His acceptance. Tears filled my eyes again as I reached my hands up and put them over his. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Not for failing the labyrinth. But for the cruel fate he’d endured. The one I couldn’t spare him from.

Our shadow rings eddied and tangled together, their tendrils twisting around our fingers as if trying to keep us close.

Enver’s face crumpled, his forehead coming to mine, his breath shuddering. His fingers tightened around my face, his lips finding mine, pressing hard, his kiss tasting like my tears. I closed my eyes as his lips brushed over my cheeks, eyelids, and forehead, kissing away my tears and pain.

I let him, despite the ache in my chest, the knowledge I wasn’t the one he longed for. It would be the last time. I would be selfish just for a moment longer. I would pretend he was mine, and I was his, and that we could have our happily ever after. That there was no curse, no labyrinth. Just us.

His lips left my skin, and I opened my eyes, not ready to let him go yet. He stared down at me, his thumbs tracing my cheeks as his jaw set. “I will not let this happen. I will not let you be trapped here with me. The labyrinth will not claim you.”

“How long do we have?” I asked. “Before the labyrinth takes me?”

“Mere moments,” he told me, “but do not worry. Our oath?—”

“Let me have oblivion.”

My request was composed. Soft.

His reaction was not.

He recoiled, his entire body stiffening. His lips parted, and his eyes flashed, hurt, denial, then anger swirling in their dark grey depths. “No,” he said.

“Please,” I whispered, knowing I was being selfish, but I didn’t know if I could handle it—knowing that everything he felt toward me was mistaken. That what he felt drawn to was the reminder of Evangeline, not me. They loved each other, even if they could not remember.

“I said no .”

He released my face, hands sliding behind my back and knees as he stood, lifting me with him. I swallowed, struggling to get out of his grasp. “Enver?—”

“Do not ask this of me,” he cut in, his voice hard. “I refuse to be the one who damns you to this fate.”

“It’s already too late!”

“We made an oath,” he snapped, his voice rising with fury. But as our gazes met again, the anger flickered out, replaced by a haunted look that swept across his face. “You swore to become mine.”

I shook my head, my chest tightening. “I’m not yours. I won’t ever be yours. You?—”

“Have I not suffered enough?” he asked, strained. “Have I not endured enough torment? I will not survive, Nell. I will not survive if I have to spend eternity with you within my reach yet forever out of my grasp.”

“Enver, please.”

“You will haunt me. Every second of every minute. Every hour of every day. Your warmth. Your scent. Your voice. The softness of your skin. The taste of your lips. The memories of you will drive me insane. And then when I inevitably break, I will come to you for comfort, only to be reminded of what I can never have again,” he told me, his voice rough and anguished. “I will gaze upon your lifeless eyes and see them stripped of the warmth and light that once defined you. I will know your soul, once so radiant and beautiful, has faded into an unbearable nothingness. And I will forever be burdened with the suffocating weight of knowing it was all my fault. It will be agony beyond measure.”

“Enver,” I tried again.

“It will never end,” he promised in a whisper. “I will have no reprieve. I will live my greatest fear every day for the rest of my existence. You may choose to forget me, but I will never forget you, my little lover.”

My eyes grew wet again as he spoke the nickname he’d given me. It wasn’t teasing this time. No, there was a deep, agonized sadness to it—a plea. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and Enver leaned down, once again kissing them away.

“Do not do this to me,” he pleaded. “Do not let me fall further than I have. You can call me cruel. You can call me heartless. You can call me a monster. But do not ask this of me. You are my only solace, and you are asking me to ruin it. To ruin you. And I will not. I cannot.”

My throat felt too tight to speak.

“I know I do not deserve this, but… please ,” Enver begged, and it was a ragged sound, tearing free of him. “Do not leave me. Please, stay here. Stay with me. I am begging you, Eleanora. I cannot lose you.”

“Enver—”

“I have lost everything. You are all I have now—all I want. I will give you the stars I promised you, even if I have to destroy entire constellations to do so,” he rasped, clutching me to his chest. “So, please. Stay with me.”

I couldn’t do this. I knew it would hurt. I knew I would suffer. But the thought of Enver suffering, of him blaming himself for my fate when none of this was his fault to begin with, was even more unbearable. What he feared happening with me was already happening with Evangeline. She was trapped here with him, but neither of them recognized each other— could recognize each other.

I refused to cause Enver any more pain than he’d endured already. If I was destined for ruin, then I’d rather have him be the one to ruin me.

And… I was already used to being a stand-in for someone else. I was used to being unloved. This would be no different fr om my life before. Maybe I was never meant for anything more than that. Maybe I was never meant to be loved. Never meant to have a happy ending. Maybe this was all I was meant for.

I would have no future. Enver had no past. At least together, we could have the present. At least we could take comfort in each other.

I buried my face into his neck, his black hair tickling my forehead. “I’ll be yours,” I breathed into his skin.

A shudder went through his body and his hold on me tightened briefly before he let go, settling me onto my feet. His arms wrapped around my waist, keeping me close. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, but he reached out and tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.

There was no hint of satisfaction. No pleasure in my surrender. Only a quiet, deep-rooted relief, and an even greater tenderness.

Before, it would have made my heart soar, and would have me convincing myself he would end up loving me one day, but now it only hurt. He didn’t love me. He never would. Even if one day someone completed his labyrinth and gave him love back, the feeling wouldn’t be for me.

“Say it again,” he requested.

“I’m yours,” I whispered.

“The oath will be sealed soon.”

I nodded, not knowing what to say, feeling anxiety building in my chest. It will be fine , I told myself . I’ll be with Enver .

Enver pulled me to his chest, his arms wrapping around me. His chin rested against the top of my head, and my heart pounded against my ribs, waiting for the inevitable. Moments passed, and I clung to Enver, squeezing my eyes shut.

Nothing happened. Nothing changed.

Eventually, Enver pulled back, his brows drawn together. I looked at him, waiting, watching as a frown flitted across his face. “This is strange.”

“What?”

“I do not feel the pull of the oath, nor of the labyrinth,” he said.

“What does that mean?”

He slowly shook his head. “I do not know.”

Behind him, his castle loomed, catching my attention. “You said I had to make it to the top of the clock tower to complete my labyrinth. Yet, I appeared here. Where I started.”

“Perhaps because I was out here when you returned?” Enver suggested.

I glanced behind me, taking in the statue of Evangeline again. “No. I don’t think it’s that. Maybe… maybe my last challenge isn’t over,” I said, my breath catching.

The pendant.

I reached for it, finding it incomplete. One ruby shard was still missing.

Enver tensed, and his hand shot out, grasping my wrist tightly. “No. It is over. You are here with me. You have failed.”

My mind raced. Why would I return here if the challenge wasn’t complete yet? Did it mean Kayn was here somewhere? But hadn’t he gotten what he wanted? Why wasn’t his labyrinth completed, then?

The moonlight caught the water flowing down the statue of Evangeline, drawing my eyes to her illuminated features and displaying her serene expression.

Evangeline . She was here. She had been here all along. I’d assumed it was Kayn’s challenge to which I was linked. But what if…

“Enver, can you summon a servant here?”

“For what reason?”

I turned to him, my mouth dry. “Call for Evangeline.”

He hesitated, his muscles tensing, but after a moment, a shadow portal appeared. I pulled my wrist free of his hold, a lump forming in my throat.

Evangeline stepped through a moment later. Her black hair was cut just above her shoulders, her face impassive, and her hands folded together in front of her as she bowed her head to Enver. “My lord.”

I studied Enver’s expression closely as he regarded Evangeline. There was no hint of recognition. No inkling of the love that had filled his face when he’d gazed at her before. Nothing. He looked at her as if she were a stranger. As if she were just another one of his many servants.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words were stuck. It hit me then. If I was right—if this really was Evangeline’s labyrinth and I helped her complete it—she would be free of its grasp. She would remember Enver. Her fiancé. Her lover. What would happen then? Would she refuse to leave him? Would she try to get him to remember her? To remember everything they had together?

Would Enver feel the same warmth he found in me in her again? Would he realize it belonged to her in the first place?

If I saved her, would I be the one losing everything?

Enver’s touch on my face startled me, and he cupped my cheek, guiding me to face him. “What is wrong?” he asked gently.

I stared into his eyes, their obsidian depths pulling me in, the concern I found there making me ache stronger for a love that wasn’t mine. His hand on my cheek only reminded me of how tenderly he’d held Evangeline. How he’d cradled her against him. The way he looked at her then was not the same as he looked at me now. It never would be.

I would never have the love he had for her.

“Enver…” I began, my voice trembling. I would not get between them. I would not stop Enver from having the love he deserved .

“Yes, my little lover?”

A lump formed in my throat, and I raised my hand to his, the shadow ring on my finger brushing over his. “Can you do what you did before? Back with Agatha and Oliver? Can you pull Evangeline from oblivion?”

He glanced at Evangeline, frowning. “Why?”

“Please.”

Enver didn’t make a move to pull away from me. “Tell me why you are asking me to do this.”

“Just do it,” I whispered, afraid of losing my resolve.

His fingers flexed against my cheek, his eyes darkening. “No.”

Tears threatened again. “I need you to bring her to me.”

“Why do I feel as though I will lose you forever if I do as you ask?” he murmured, his thumb tracing over my cheek. “I feel your pain. Did you forget? You are hurting. Deeply. What does this woman have to do with it?”

“Enver, please,” I pleaded, my voice catching as my hand tightened around his. “I need to do this.”

A muscle feathered in his jaw, but he finally turned to Evangeline, pulling his hand away from my face. I could hardly breathe as Enver stepped closer to Evangeline, his fingers brushing against her forehead.

At his touch, Evangeline closed her eyes, but then they snapped back open, wide and frantic. A gasp left her lips as she gazed up at him, tears filling her eyes immediately as she reached for him. “ Verofer .”

Enver’s shoulders stiffened, and he fell back a step, creating a space between him and Evangeline. “That name…”

“Verofer,” Evangeline repeated, and the tears in her eyes spilled over, streaking down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what Kayn planned to do to you. I should have tried harder to keep him away from us.”

“Why do you speak to me as if you know me?” Enver asked, but his head turned to me, his eyes piercing into mine, demanding an answer.

I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to ignore him, looking past him. To Evangeline, who turned toward me, following Enver’s line of sight. Our gazes locked together, and her face paled. “It’s you. You were with Kayn that night.” Suddenly, anger blazed across her features. “Were you in on everything?”

“No,” I said, but she made to move toward me, her hands curling into fists, a faint glow beginning to emit from them.

Enver intercepted her, placing himself between us, his voice rough as he held out his arm. “Stay away from her.”

Evangeline stopped, her lips parting, her gaze going back to him. “Verofer…”

I forced myself forward, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s okay, Enver,” I said, coming to stand in front of Evangeline. “Evangeline, I’m also doing the labyrinth.”

“You are?” she asked, her eyes darting between Enver and me, confusion written across her face. “But…”

“I have been helping people during their challenges,” I explained, feeling Enver’s gaze weighing down on me. I couldn’t look at him. I would lose my resolve. “I thought I was supposed to be helping Kayn back then, but I was wrong. I think I was supposed to be helping you.”

“That can’t be,” she said. “I wasn’t doing the labyrinth back then. It didn’t exist.”

“What happened after Kayn gave you the antidote?” I asked.

“He kidnapped me and kept me locked up,” she said, her voice wavering. “He told me Verofer was dead, but I didn’t believe him. I was desperate to escape and find Verofer, but Kayn made it impossible. Then Verofer showed up. I thought to save me, but…” She turned to Enver again, taking a shaky breath. “But he was already like this. He’d forgotten me. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“Your father cursed him,” I told her. “That night, Kayn deceived everyone. Your father believed you died, and that Enver is the one who killed you. In retaliation, he cursed Enver. He…” I swallowed, the memory coming back to me again, making nausea rise in me. “He ripped Enver’s heart out, stole his memories and emotions, and banished him to this castle. Forced him to become the labyrinth’s ruler.”

“No, why would my father…?” Evangeline’s voice cracked, a sob lodging in her throat, and her knees buckled, sending her toward the ground. “No…”

Enver caught her before I had the chance to react. His arm went around her waist, supporting her weight as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, refusing to let him go, even when he steadied her.

“My father forbids magic from being used in the kingdom, yet used it to curse you?” Evangeline asked, and she tugged on his shirt, exposing the scar on his chest. “How could he…?”

Enver didn’t move to stop her.

“This is all my fault,” Evangeline whispered, pressing her face against Enver’s scarred skin. “Forgive me, Verofer. What has my father done to you? Have you been suffering like this since then? Cursed and alone?”

“What is the meaning of this?” Enver asked, his question directed at me again, the tension in his tone almost palpable. “Nell. Look at me.”

I couldn’t. It already hurt too much. His arm was still around her, and the sight of her clinging to him was like a dagger to my chest. “Enver,” I started, hating how hard it was to get his name out, how breathless it sounded. “You know her.”

“I do not,” he replied, his voice clipped. “Stop avoiding my gaze. Look at me, Eleanora. Who is this woman?”

“Look behind you,” I whispered, forcing the words out.

Enver remained still for a long moment before he shifted, his head turning toward the fountain behind him. He never released Evangeline, keeping his arm around her as he faced the statue. My pulse thundered in my ears as heartbeat after heartbeat passed. Enver’s head turned up, then back down, his entire body stiffening.

“Who are you?” Enver asked Evangeline, his words so quiet I almost didn’t hear them. “What did you mean to me?”

Evangeline lifted her head, her cheeks glistening with tears. “Verofer?—”

He suddenly rose, forcing Evangeline to release him, and he backed away, putting space between them. “No. It does not matter. Leave us.”

“Verofer,” she started, scrambling to her feet. “No, please. You have to remember. It’s me, Evangeline. Your fiancée. You have to remember?—”

“I do not,” Enver interrupted her, his expression hard. Cold. “Do not call me by that name. You have mistaken me for someone else.”

Evangeline shook her head, her lips trembling as she stumbled closer to Enver. “I would recognize you anywhere, Verofer. No matter how much time has passed. Don’t you remember when you had this statue commissioned? Don’t you remember how much time we spent together in this garden?”

“ Enough ,” he snarled, and lifted his hand, prepared to send her back into oblivion.

“Enver!” I cried, and his head snapped toward me. “Stop! It’s true. She’s your lover.”

His expression darkened, shadows beginning to seep up through the ground. “No. You are my only lover.”

Evangeline drew in a harsh breath of air, and I ignored it, focusing on Enver, my chin trembling. “I’m not. It’s been her. All this time.”

He glared at me, frustration and fury rolling off him. “Stop. She is no one to me. It has always been you?—”

“No—”

“ Yes, you are my?— ”

Evangeline threw herself at him, cutting him off as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. “I will make you remember, Verofer. I will not let you continue to suffer. You will not bear the blame for what Kayn has done any longer.”

“Release me,” Enver demanded roughly. “I am not suffering, I have Eleanora?—”

“I only hope I’m strong enough,” Evangeline said, drawing back to place a hand against the spot his heart should have beat. “I will undo your curse.”

Enver grabbed her wrist, wrenching it back from his scar. “No. Leave us?—”

“Nell, tell me, what did my father do to Enver’s heart?” Evangeline asked frantically, her head turning toward me.

My throat burned, and my chest constricted. This was it. This was my last chance to stop this, to keep things as they were. To keep Enver.

“Nell,” Enver said, and the desperation in his voice stunned me. The panic. The fear. What scared him, though? The thought of remembering everything?

Or the thought of losing me?

Even if he feared it now, it would only be fleeting. Once he remembered everything—once he remembered Evangeline—he would feel the way he used to. The way he was supposed to. He would remember who he was meant to love.

Yet, even though this was the right thing to do, the ache inside me spread, becoming so painful I thought I would suffocate from it.

“You have his heart,” I told Evangeline, the words ripping free, leaving a gaping wound in their wake. “Your father left it with you. You’re the only one who can save him.”

“With me?” she repeated. Her expression softened as she looked at Enver again. “Then my father did not destroy it. I will return it and make you whole once more, Verofer. You will never be alone again. I promise. ”

Enver’s shadows suddenly surged. “ No ,” he rasped, his hand shooting to her forehead, his fingers centimeters from brushing against her, sending her back to oblivion.

“Remember,” Evangeline urged, and a burst of light emitted from her hand, enveloping them, causing Enver’s shadows to recede, dissipating into the air as a groan escaped him.

Enver’s shoulders curled inward as he staggered, falling to one knee, his hand moving to clutch Evangeline’s. She kept it pressed against his chest, her shoulders rising and falling as her breathing grew rough, her brows furrowing as the light grew brighter, more intense.

A sharp pain erupted in my chest, and I gasped, jerking back.

“Something’s wrong,” Evangeline said, the pitch of her voice rising with alarm. “I don’t feel his heart!” Her eyes were wide when she whipped her head toward me. “You said?—”

The pain grew worse, and I realized it wasn’t in my chest. It was on my chest. My gaze dropped to my breasts, and I tore at the front of my dress, seeing the heart pendant glowing brightly, its edges searing my skin.

It pulsed, each throb more intense than the last, as though something inside was trying to break out.

“What? That’s my—” Evangeline began, but choked as Enver’s hand shot to her throat, curling around it.

My gaze snapped to him, my heart lurching. His shadows crept along his body, dark and sinister, bleeding into his eyes, turning them solid black. A strained whimper came from Evangeline as Enver rose to his feet, dragging her up with him.

I watched, horrified, as Evangeline struggled against his hold. The light from her hand faded, and she clawed at his arm, fighting for breath.

“Enver, no!” I cried, recognizing the darkness that had overcome him. It was exactly the same as the time Isla tried to kill me—when he’d thought Isla was going to take me from him .

The pendant burned hotter as I forced myself forward, closing the distance between us. His shadows writhed and twisted around him, growing more aggressive as he squeezed Evangeline’s neck tighter, causing her eyes to roll back.

Panic welled in me, and I launched myself at him, grabbing his wrist and trying to pry his hand off her with all my might. But it was no use. He wouldn’t budge. His shadows coiled around me, trapping me against him, crushing my chest to his. The pendant flared so hot between us that I thought it would burn right through me.

“Enver,” I said again, my hands moving to his face, cupping his cheeks as I’d done so many times before.

At my touch, his darkened eyes shot down to me. The sight of him consumed by his own shadows made me tremble. My hands slid down to his jaw, tendrils of shadow snaking up my arms, wrapping around my wrists.

“I’ll stay with you,” I whispered. “Even if your curse is broken and you are free of this labyrinth, I will stay by your side.”

He didn’t react. The noises Evangeline made grew fainter, her struggles becoming less frantic. It was clear she was fading fast.

“Let her go,” I begged. “Let her go, and you will have my heart. My everything. You will be enough for me—you are enough for me, Enver. I will give myself to you entirely. Every single piece. I will be yours. I am yours.”

His voice came out distorted as he spoke—too deep and resonant. “Until when?”

“Until forever,” I promised. “Until the world falls down.”

I stood on my tiptoes, kissing him. At first, his lips were stiff and unmoving, but they gradually softened, molding to mine in the way only his could.

His grip on Evangeline loosened.

Her fingers curled around the pendant, yanking it off my neck. I broke away from Enver, catching a brief glimpse of it before she closed her fist around it completely.

The ruby was now complete, glowing brightly and beautifully, alive and full of magic.

The air seemed to pulse, and then light violently exploded around us. Enver recoiled, and I gasped as the heart pendant shattered, sending a wave of heat and light outward, knocking us all backward. I crashed into the ground hard, stars bursting behind my eyes.

I pushed myself to my knees shakily, my heart beating wildly, turning my attention back to Enver. My mouth opened to call for him, but the words died on my lips as Evangeline approached his crumpled form, her hand outstretched. Her body radiated with light, and her harsh breathing cut through the air, causing her shoulders to heave. A familiar shadowy object sat in her palm, pulsating, shadows swirling around it, the pulsing growing stronger and wilder the closer she moved to Enver.

His heart.

Her light wove around his shadows as she stopped in front of him. He knelt in the grass, looking up at her through hooded eyes, the darkness receding until only his obsidian irises remained. His body relaxed as Evangeline’s light bathed over him.

“You have suffered too long, Verofer,” she murmured. “But no more.”

With a subtle shift, his eyes found mine, and time seemed to stop. The hard lines of his face melted away, replacing his usual stoicism with a pained softness.

I stared back, unable to move, to speak.

His lips parted, but before he could say anything, Evangeline placed his heart against his chest. The shadows around it seemed to writhe and recoil at first, as if resisting the light emanating from Evangeline, but when they contacted his scarred skin they calmed, curling around his heart like a protective embrace.

“Please!” Evangeline cried as she pushed against his heart.

Enver’s back arched as a brilliant flash of white lit up the night. His heart sank into his chest, the shadows seeping into his skin, turning the pale, smooth lines of his scar black before both the shadows and his heart disappeared into him. His head bowed, his black hair curtaining his face, obscuring his features.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Hours seemed to pass, though it was mere seconds. My stomach knotted, and my chest tightened, waiting for Enver to move, to speak. Anything. Anything to show that he was okay. That the curse was broken.

Evangeline moved first.

She swayed on her feet, her hand clutching at her throat, and then she collapsed, her body crumpling into the grass.

My eyes widened. “Eva?—”

“Evangeline?”

My heart stopped. Enver’s gaze settled on Evangeline, his brows drawn together, and then he groaned, his hand shooting to his chest.

“What is…?” he started, then stopped, inhaling sharply. “Evangeline,” he repeated, this time his voice full of urgency. He launched forward, his hand sliding along her neck, lifting her head up. “Evangeline!”

I had to help. I had to make sure Evangeline was okay. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything but watch. Watch as Enver remembered his true love. Watch as I lost him.

“Evangeline, wake up,” Enver said roughly, but kept his touch gentle. “Open your eyes.”

She stirred, her lashes fluttering. “Verofer.”

“Yes, I am here,” he murmured.

“You remember. ”

His hand brushed her hair away from her face. “I remember.”

She smiled at him, and I swallowed, forcing myself to look away as Enver helped her to her feet, holding onto her arm to keep her steady. I couldn’t handle it. Not the affection in his touch. Not the fondness of her gaze.

My heart couldn’t take it.

Something rustled beside me, and then the recognizable chill of shadows crept over me. They started at my feet, curling around my legs, then traveled upward, winding around my waist and torso, leisurely and affectionately. They caressed my skin, cool and soothing.

I knew what they were doing. A tear rolled down my cheek as I remained motionless in the grass, letting the shadows cover me.

I didn’t know if I was making the right choice. I had no one to help me with my own labyrinth challenge. No one to lead me on the right path or offer advice. I only had myself and my heart. And my heart told me Enver deserved to be loved. Deserved to never be alone again. Deserved the entire world for how much he had suffered. And if that love was meant to be shared with Evangeline, I would not stand in his way.

I would let him go.

Even if it meant breaking my own heart in the process.

I looked at Enver, trying to blink away the wetness in my eyes. I needed to memorize every part of him. To make sure I didn’t forget anything. His touch, his voice, his warmth, his darkness. His eyes, his smile, his laugh, his everything. I wanted it all burned into my memory, even if it hurt, even if it would inevitably break me. I would gladly let it haunt me.

I wanted to remember him.

I wanted to remember us.

The shadows reached my neck, tendrils brushing along my throat like a lover’s touch. This was it. I would never see Enver again. Never feel him again. Never be his. Never have our forever.

I couldn’t stop the broken sob that tore through me as the shadows reached my chin.

Don’t look at me , I begged Enver in my mind. Don’t look . I didn’t want to see what his expression would be. Didn’t want to see how I now meant nothing to him.

Enver’s head snapped in my direction. His gaze swept over the shadows swallowing me, and realization flashed in his eyes. He released Evangeline, then tore toward me, his movements a blur of determination and urgency. “Nell?—”

“Enver,” I whispered, before the shadows blanketed my lips.

“ No ,” he rasped, his voice raw and frantic. “ No! ”

His hand stretched toward me, his fingers brushing against the shadows as they closed over my eyes. The last thing I saw was his beautiful face, his lips forming my name, his eyes filled with fierce desperation.

And then I was gone.