*Rhys*
The wind whipped around us as I had my men push the helicopter to its limit. Saoirse's breaths were shallow and ragged against my chest, her consciousness tethered by the thinnest of threads. We were a blur of speed. Desperation pushed me toward the sanctuary of the royal palace at top speed.
"Stay with me, Saoirse," I urged. I had no idea if she could hear me. The roar of the air currents nearly swallowed my voice, but I spoke regardless. It was a mantra to keep me from losing myself.
The palace loomed into view, but I breathed no sigh of relief. “Quickly,” I demanded of the pilot. “I don’t… Please just hurry.”
The moment my feet touched the courtyard’s cobblestones, I was moving with Saoirse cradled in my arms. She seemed so frail where she was once strong. Her body was marred by the evidence of Blight's heinous acts.
Bruises bloomed on her skin. Gashes still bled crimson, soaking into the torn fabric that clung to her and bleeding onto my arms as I carried her.
