"Come on… come on…"
Emerald's wrists burned like fire as she fought against the ropes, the wolfsbane digging deeper into her skin with every frantic movement. Her hands were sweaty, her breath ragged, lungs filling with smoke instead of air.
The flames had spread halfway through the cabin. She could hear the crackling and hissing of the burning wood, and the heat felt harsh against her skin, like it was trying to reach out and grab her.
"Viola!" she cried in her mind.
She coughed, doubling over from the pain that rocked through her chest. Her fingers finally loosened a knot… barely, but it was enough.
With a gasp, she pulled one hand free, then the other, ignoring the scream of her flesh.
The wolfsbane had numbed her link to Viola almost completely. She couldn't shift, couldn't draw on her strength. Now, she was just… a regular human, vulnerable and trapped.
And the fire was closing in.
