Chapter 19 · The Altar Starts Drinking

The chains are still warm when I hit the stone.

Gu Hanchuan collapses two steps after setting me down. His knees crack against the altar floor and I lunge for him but my legs won't hold. My spirit root's half-shredded inside my chest—feels like someone took a cheese grater to my soul—and the world keeps tilting sideways.

"Don't." His voice comes out wet. Blood's running from his nose, his ears, the corners of his eyes. The white flames around his body flicker and die. "Don't touch me. The poison—"

"Shut up." I crawl to him anyway. My hands shake so bad I can barely grip his shoulders. He's burning up. Not spirit-fire hot. Fever hot. Dying hot.

He just burned his blood seal for me. The thing keeping him alive.

Behind us, Lin Yuan's laughter echoes across the peak. "Touching. Really. The mighty Sect Leader, reduced to this."

I don't look back. Gu Hanchuan's eyes are losing focus. I cup his face and his skin's so hot it hurts. "Stay with me. Hey. Look at me."

"You're bleeding." He reaches up, touches my mouth. His fingers come away red. "Your root—"

"Is fine. It's fine. You stopped it." Lie.