Once they got inside her home, Aralyn locked the door with the flick of her wrist. She laid Noah down on the couch. The guy was losing his color every second.
"Noah?"
Aralyn dropped to the floor, her hands pressing against his chest. Behind her eyes, she could see a silvery white dust flowing out from him, rising into the air like a moving river, seeping into the ceiling.
Her breathing faltered. Her eyes stung with a burning sensation. His soul was still being siphoned.
"Noah? Noah, wake up," she urged, her palms cradling the sides of his jaw, hoping he would stir, but nothing.
"No, no, no, no, no..."
A single tear rolled down her cheek as panic began to set in. She couldn't lose him.
He had helped her from the very beginning. Maybe it started with harmless flirting, but all of that had long since faded when Noah became unwavering in his determination to help her. The happiness in his eyes had been unmistakable when he helped her retrieve Phoebe's pearl, when he stood by her side sneaking into Fletcher's mansion. Not even a flicker of hesitation or fear had shown.
Because of that, somewhere along the way, the walls she had spent years building had begun to crumble. Piece by piece, worn down by people who offered her nothing but warmth.
Mrs. Collin, who never stopped checking in on her, never allowing her to disappear into solitude.
The children, who found courage to approach her, at first for a kite, but later for something more. Their presence had carved a space in her life she once swore no one could ever fill.
And Noah?
That man waltzed back into town after three years on the road and decided, for reasons beyond her understanding, to stay. To stay with her, even after learning what she was.
Anyone else would have run, and yet he didn't. Not even a little bit. He even stood up for her against those jerks like Jack and his friends tonight, when he could have easily blended in with everyone else instead of staying by her side. But he stayed true to his word.
Without thinking, she pressed her lips against his, channeling her magic into him. Her neck glowed brighter by the second beneath the choker. His lips were soft, yet frighteningly cold against hers, sending another wave of panic through her.
When she pulled away, dizziness crashed over her. She lowered her head onto his chest, her breaths coming in heavy, uneven pulls. For a moment, she forced her eyes open.
The silvery thread in the air had stopped as if something like an invisible blade had severed it cleanly, it snapped back into him. Color slowly returned to his face. He stirred, just barely, his eyes still closed.
Relief flooded her.
Aralyn let out a shaky breath, a weak smile forming as she rested her temple against his chest once more, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. As exhaustion pulled her under, she held onto one quiet thought.
Tonight was the Harvest Moon. Her magic was at its strongest. If it had been any other night, she would have never had the strength to bring him back.