If I stopped, the panic would catch me.
And if it caught me, it would drown me.
You’re not human.
The words tore through me again.
Over and over.
I could still see her eyes. Feel the cold in her grip. Hear the sound of her neck cracking.
And that voice. What the hel was that? It shook me in a way nothing else ever had. Not even Arche’s voice came close.
Anditspoke to me.
Told me how to find Licia. What if it was a trap? What if it wanted me dead? How could I trust it—trust anything—after what I’d seen? And the way the seer looked at me, like I didn’t belong in this world…
I wasn’t so sure she was wrong.
Eventually, I slowed.
I didn’t want to, but my legs gave out beneath me.
“Now,” Will panted, coming up behind me. “She stops.”
“What the fuck was that?” Aran snapped.
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
Will stepped in front of me, scanning me quickly. “Did she hurt you?”
“No.”
Aran muttered something behind him, just loud enough to hear.
“Maybe she killed the hag.”
Will spun toward him. “Not funny.”
“Not joking. Could’ve happened.” Aran shrugged, unfazed.
The words landed like a punch to the ribs. My chest locked and my stomach turned. I had to say something—anything—before they forced the rest out of me.
“She killed herself,” I managed, the words scraping up my throat like broken glass.
Will’s expression shifted. He blinked, like he hadn’t quite heard me right. “What are you talking about?”
“She saw something,” I gasped. The sob hit mid-sentence. “Something bad. And she—” My chest cracked open. “She stabbed herself with a dagger.”
“What?” Aran gasped.
Will’s face fell. “Wait... for real?”
Aran turned on him, voice sharper. “Does it look like she’s fucking joking?”
Will dropped to the ground beside me and pulled me into his arms. I collapsed against him, the sobs tearing out raw, messy and loud. His hands were warm on my back as his heartbeat pounded against mine. He just held me, and let me fall apart.
“Shit,” Aran breathed. “Shit. What do we do? What did shesee?”
