Chapter 181: Fading Embers

Jace staggered, legs trembling beneath him and the world blurred at the edges. The victory over the Shadow King was won, but his lips tasted of bitter victory. The warmth from his fox bead that had always pulsed from him was slipping away, and every breath burned like embers struggling to reignite.

Before he collapsed, Anita caught him with her arms around his body. The heat he usually possessed was gone, giving way to a chilling absence that caused her fear to spike through her veins.

“Jace!” she gasped, shaking him slightly. “Stay with me!”

His eyes were heavy with exhaustion — dull, his golden eyes, usually sharp, mischievous. He smirked, but there was an absence of confidence to his grin, a mere echo of the boldness that he always exuded.

“Guess… His voice was hoarse, he murmured to himself, 'I overdid it.'