"Agnes?" I said, my voice trembling. I knelt down beside her, my heart pounding in my chest.

She was lying on her back, her eyes closed and her face pale. There was a gash on her forehead, and blood was trickling down her temple. But what scared me most was the way her chest was barely rising and falling, as if she was struggling to breathe. I looked around t see what had hit her but couldn't see anything obvious. What was clear was that in the monsoon I had created in the barn, something had hit her. I was responsible for hurting her again.

"Agnes, can you hear me?" I said, my voice rising in panic. I reached out to touch her shoulder, but she didn't respond.

Marcus knelt down on the other side of her, his face grim. He pressed his fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse.

"She's alive," he said, "but her pulse is weak. We need to get her to a hospital now."

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. I couldn't lose Agnes, not like this. I couldn't be responsible for hurting someone who had been there for me through everything, guiding me and supporting me. Helping me to understand my new powers.

I looked around, trying to get my bearings. The barn was a smouldering, but it seemed sound. "Marcus, can you carry her out of the hayloft?"

Gently, Marcus lifted her and put her into a fireman's lift as he climbed down the ladder. It occurred to me he was stronger than he ever let me see. Was this part of being a shifter? Did the fact he was a wolf give him extra strength? It was just more evidence that he wasn't the man I thought he was.

I followed them down to the barn floor. The stone walls of the barn were still intact but the door, where Alun had poured the petrol, was pretty much destroyed although there was a skeleton of wood, which I pushed aside so we could escape.

"We have to get her to the farmhouse," I said, my voice shaking. "We have to get help. Where do you think Alun is?"

"I don't know Evie, but remember, I am doing this for you. What ever you need to keep you safe."

Yeah, but if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be here, I refrained from saying. I needed his help at the moment and did not want to antagonise him.

Marcus nodded, his jaw set with determination, and moved Agnes so he was cradling her like a child. I followed close behind as we made our way out of the barn and towards the distant lights of the Miller farmhouse, praying that we would get there in time.

As we approached the farmhouse, I could see the warm glow of lights illuminating the windows. Geraint appeared in the doorway, his rugged features etched with concern. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Marcus, still naked from his transformation, cradling an unconscious Agnes in his arms.

Geraint's gaze lingered on Marcus's unclothed state for a moment. I saw a flicker of confusion and disbelief cross his face. But then he focused on Agnes, and the seriousness of the situation seemed to hit him.

"What happened?" he demanded. "There was a fire in the barn," I said. "Alun, he tried to burn down the barn with us inside. Agnes, she got hurt trying to save us."

Geraint's eyes darkened with anger, and I saw the muscles in his jaw clench. He said nothing, though, just gestured for Marcus to lay Agnes down on the sofa in the living room.

As Marcus gently lowered her onto the cushions, I could see her injuries more clearly. The gash on her forehead was still bleeding, and her arm was at an unnatural angle. Her breathing was shallow and ragged, and I felt a surge of fear.

"We need to get her help," I said. "She needs a doctor, or a healer, or something."

Geraint nodded, already reaching for the phone. "I'll call the village healer. I hope they are as effective as Agnes, she the first person I'd normally call," he said. "I'll then call Gethin. The police need to know what Alun did."

Before he dialled the healer, Geraint shouted to who I assumed was his wife to get Marcus some clothes.

As he dialled the numbers, I knelt down beside Agnes, taking her hand. It was cold and lifeless. This couldn't be how I lost her.

"Please, Agnes," I said. "Please be okay. I need you. We all need you."

I looked up at Marcus, who was standing beside me. His face was etched with worry. He met my gaze, and I could see the same fear and desperation that I felt reflected in his eyes.

I looked on as Geraint's wife handed Marcus a bundle of clothes, her face unreadable. "You'd better put these on," she said gruffly. "And you'd do well to remember, you're not welcome here."

I looked at her, confused.

"We got a message that he had taken you against your will from the lighthouse," explained Geraint. "We were told it was likely you were heading this way, but we couldn't be sure."

"Besides," said Mrs Miller, "Agnes told me over tea how this man abandoned you in the village when the wards held you in, and then took the first opportunity to cheat on you.

Marcus winced at the words, but he took the clothes without argument. As he dressed, I couldn't help but wonder what Geraint meant.

The sound of a car pulling up outside caught my attention. I hurried to the window. My heart lifted at the sight of Gethin getting out of the driver's seat.

He strode into the house, his face grave. "I couldn't find a healer," he said. "The only option is to get her to the one in the next paranormal town over, but it's a hundred miles away. Agnes always asked me not to take her to a human healer. Something about being terminally allergic to the medication they give."

My heart sank. One hundred miles. It might as well have been a thousand. How were we going to get Agnes there in time?

Gethin must have seen my despair, because he put a hand on my shoulder. "We'll make it," he said. "I'll drive. You can stay with her in the back, keep her stable."

"I can't go. I will stop you from getting through the barrier."

Gethin nodded. I swallowed hard. I knew it was a long shot, but it was the only chance we had.

I panicked as Geraint placed his hand on Agnes's forehead. He looked worried and shook his head.

"We can't move her," he said. "If we take her to the healer, she won't survive the journey."

I was devastated. I couldn't lose Agnes. I didn't know what I would do without her.

"We have to do something," I said. "We can't just let her die."

Geraint looked at me. "I'm sorry," he said. "But without immediate intervention, that's exactly what will happen."