She moved to the bed and placed her hand on Lilith's forehead. Her magic pulsed once....gentle, checking, and then withdrew.
"She's in a coma," Victoria said quietly. "Deep one. Her body shut down to conserve energy. To give the curse less to feed on."
"Will she wake up?" Lucian asked from the doorway.
"I don't know," Victoria admitted.
Nicholas appeared behind Lucian, his face carefully blank but his eyes burning with the same desperation they were all feeling.
"How long?" Nicholas asked.
"How long what?"
"How long do we have?" Nicholas clarified. "Before the curse kills her. Selene said maybe a day. Is that accurate?"
Victoria was quiet for a long moment. "I'd say less. Twelve hours. Maybe eighteen if we're lucky. The divine magic Selene used will slow the curse temporarily. But it's already adapting. Already finding ways around the containment. When it breaks through...." She stopped.
"She dies," Sebastian finished.
"Yes."
