Chapter 83

My heart ached for him, tears threatening to spill as I silently wished I could take his pain away. Adrenaline fueled my resolve, spurring me to help him as best I could.

I could feel the stress hormones surging, pushing my central nervous system into overdrive. A dizzy spell from his blood loss seemed imminent. We needed to hurry.

I was in position by his side in no time, summoning all my strength to lift him swiftly so he wouldn't lose more of his dwindling energy.

"One, two, three," I counted, and on 'three,' we both sprang into action.

I pulled him up by the armpit while he pushed against the chair with his stronger arm, his good leg doing the rest. He was upright, but the effort drained him, and he nearly collapsed onto me.

Quickly, I shifted to support him, throwing his arm over my shoulders and gripping his hand tightly. "Please hang on, Xavier," I begged, praying to the Goddess. "Stay awake and help me get