“To the temple waters. I have to try.”
“This is insane.” Victor whispered.
“Don’t follow me. This is where we say goodbye.”
Frid sniffled, and her nose dripped while Sol and Victor stayed silent.
I flipped my wing in the air, before taking a sharp dive down.
The space before the temple looked exactly the way I remembered it. The crawlers stood between the buildings, swaying aimlessly from side to side. I was appreciative that the sun was still up, because I could easily get inside even having Alina lying limp in my arms.
I occupied my thoughts with planning and maneuvers, because when I was busy with something, the dull ache in my chest remained manageable. As soon as my mind disengaged from whatever was directly in front of me, the sharpest pain I had ever felt seized my chest, making my heart squeeze harder.
After landing, I transformed back as an insistent throbbing echoed in my skull. My skin felt raw and exposed. I was quickly deteriorating.
Almost immediately, I spotted a crawler and quickly released my knife, stopping him in his tracks. I had not realized how terrified I was to look at the body I carried inmy arms, until I gently placed her on the ground. It had been days since we left the capital, and with each glance at her, there were more unmistakable signs of her inevitable end. The infection affected dragonborns in unpredictable ways. Some turned within hours, while others suffered for days, but the result was always the same. Once the disease entered a healthy bloodstream, there was no turning back.
My every thought returned to sacred waters. I would get Alina in the water and wait. If that did not work, I would have to end it for both of us. When I finally made that decision, my shoulders relaxed and I looked at the setting sun. There was no more room for fear or hesitation. I was going to follow her even if that meant my life would end.
Working quickly, I opened the set of doors, picked up Alina’s unconscious body and stepped into the darkness of the ceremonial room.
Not much had changed; the scent of faded frankincense lingered in the air, the familiar patterns of the mosaics, and the dark passage ahead.
I placed Alina over my shoulder and lit the torch.
Every step I took, I listened carefully for any signs of crawlers, but as I remembered from before, there was no one else here.
After what felt like forever, I stepped into the cavern with the pool filled with the sacred waters. In my dream, we all bathed in it, and all our wounds healed. It was a desperate idea, one that gave me something to hold on to, the only thing keeping me from falling apart. I placed so much faithin the temple’s pool that I could not even comprehend what would happen if it did not work.
I secured the torch in a corner and carefully placed Alina on the floor. I let my eyes roam over her face. There were dark veins around her eyes, over her lids and down her neck. Her skin had a faint purplish tint to it. But she was still alive, and I had to try this one last thing before it was too late. With every passing moment, she was drawing nearer to the edge.
Not daring to delay any further, I picked her up, before lowering myself into the pool. The warm water soaked through my clothes and filled my boots, but I kept my eyes on Alina, too scared to look away. As if watching her face would somehow keep her from slipping away. With care, I placed her body into the water, submerging her under it. Alina’s hair drifted upward and moved on the surface like scarlet ribbons.
I started to pray. I pleaded and talked to the spirit of the first dragon, made promises, threatened, and begged.
Seconds stretched into minutes and soon my shoulders started to shake.Tears streamed down my face, relentless and unstoppable. I could not even remember the last time I had cried, probably not since I was a child.
It didn’t work. How could it not work?
Deep down, I already knew it would not, but holding on to the hope of getting her back was all that kept me staying sane. She was dying in my arms, and there was nothing I could do to save her. In a world where Iconsidered myself strong enough to face anything, I was nothing, and no one.
My mind returned to the set of knives I still had on my belt. That would work, it would be enough for both of us.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I whispered, pressing Alina closer to my chest.
Her head tilted lifelessly to the side. There was nothing else left.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
ALINA
Iwas in and out of consciousness. My eyes would open and I could clearly see Ty’s face right above me. Then the voices came, but I was too weak to keep listening.
“What the fuck are you doing?” A slender, blond male yelled.
“He’s right. What about the pact? What about everything you used to say?” a female voice joined in.
I lifted my eyes, it was Samantha.
