With a final, trembling effort, he pressed something cold and hard into my palm, forcing my fingers to close around it. “Keep... keep it safe…”

His hand fell away, his last breath a silent sigh.

I looked down. In my hand, smeared with his blood, was a guardian fraction badge.

“No, Kael! No, stay with me!” My voice rose into a hysterical plea as I saw life leave his eyes. Malcolm, who’d been standing behind me, knelt and pressed his fingers to Kael's neck.

He looked up at me, his own expression shattered.

“No. It can't be,” I denied, shaking my head, my hands gripping Kael's shoulders as if I...