The concussive force of the blast tore through the corridor, throwing Eilika violently to the floor as the adjacent wall shattered inward.
She struck her forehead against the hard marble floor with a sickening impact, a blinding flash of pain instantly dulling her senses and leaving her head spinning.
Thick blood began to ooze from the wound, trickling down her brow and clouding her vision. With every gasp, the smoke burned her throat, making it nearly impossible to draw breath as the flames rapidly spread along the tapestries and woodwork.
'Save me,' the silent plea echoed in her mind, but her lips refused to form the words. Her eyelids grew too heavy to hold open, and the encroaching darkness swallowed her consciousness whole.
"Eilika! Eilika!"
Damian's frantic voice cut through the roaring heat, echoing down the ruined corridor.
