“Why are you here? I thought I told you to hide.” He buried his face in my hair.
His warmth, his scent, immediately relieved the pressure I was under, and for the first time I was able to breathe. My hands traced up his arms, to his shoulders and stopped on his cheeks.
“I had to see you,” I said without caring that the others were also there, listening to every word I said.
Tynan kissed the inside of my hand and against my will, my eyes closed.
“What happened to your arm?” he asked and my eyes met his.
“Nothing. Nothing serious. I’m alright. Where’s Sol?” I asked.
Tynan shook his head, and I rested my forehead againsthis chest, swallowing my tears. Once again, death had followed us and there was no way of knowing how many more would fall to the disease.
How many more tears, how many more sleepless nights, awaited us in the future?
Our eyes met, and my anxious gaze locked onto the haunted depths of his umber eyes. It was then that I saw how utterly drained he looked, as if the weight of the world was crushing him. People around us kept staring, some whispering to one another.
“I guess they know the truth now,” I sighed, wiping my face. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he moved closer, his lips pressing gently to mine; slow and tender, as though nothing else mattered. At that moment, it truly did not.
Then, a female voice pierced the silence, “Help!”
I looked up to see Frid, supporting Victor, his head drooping. Blood trickled down his neck, soaking his chest and pooling onto the ground.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
TYNAN
“The sacred water! We need the water!” I grabbed Alina’s hand, unwilling to let go and guided her through the crowd.
“I have some,” a voice responded, and I immediately seized the bottle from an older man.
“Frid,” Alina said.
“Don’t mind me. Help him.” Her face was covered with blood, but her eyes were wide with fear.
I had never seen her so vulnerable, so real.
“Frid,” Victor whißspered, as the three of us lowered him to the ground.
“Don’t speak. Don’t speak.” Fridclasped his hand.
“I was a fool. I wanted to ask you . . . out . . . I went to your room, but . . . you were with someone. I could . . . not . . . bare it.”
“Hold here!” I looked at Alina, she followed my instructions, pressing her hand to the gushing wound on his neck.
“He’s bleeding out,” she said as I wrestled with the bottle, trying to get the cap off.
“Damn it, Victor,” Frid whispered.
“I better ask you now,” Victor smiled, his teeth were colored with streaks of crimson.
I clenched my jaw, unable to even allow the thought that it may not work.
Alina moved her hand and I carefully poured the liquid onto the wound. Blood had soaked his shirt and it seemed like the temple water was unable to get in contact with the skin.
“You have to stay conscious,” I said, forcing him to take a sip of water.
“Frid! Keep talking!” Alina looked up.
