“Do something!” I shriek, looking up into the grave and somber faces of our friends.
Tears stream down my face, and Elowen squeezes my hand.
“There’s nothing to be done,” she rasps out.
My head slumps to my chest as I stare at her through my burning tears.
“Stay with me, please.”
Blood pours from a slash across her throat. More seeping out when she tries to nod.
“It’s an honor to die among friends.” Her words come out garbled and I have to strain to hear her past the cries of Mina and Mathilda. They hold each other tightly.
“You’re not alone, Elowen. You will never be alone. We’re all here.”
My voice cracks as I force them out past the burning in my throat.
“You’re not alone,” I whisper.
She smiles faintly, her eyes turning glassy as her hand relaxes in my grip.
She’s gone.
Tilting my head up to the sky, tears streak down my face, and I tighten my grip on her hand.
“You’re not alone,” I repeat.
Howls rent the air. They must scent her blood. A large hand settles upon my shoulder, and I flinch.
Lachlan whispers in my ear, “I’m so sorry, Key, but we’ve got to go. We’ve got to move.”
I stare down at her. She’s so still. So small. Her eyes are still gazing at the night sky and the stars twinkling above us. The savage slash across her throat is the only evidence she’s not sleeping peacefully.
“We can’t just leave her here,” I choke out.
“Let me take her.” Lachlan’s voice is only a whisper. It’s like he’s afraid to startle me. Afraid that I’ll fall apart. But this isn’t the first time I’ve seen death this closely.
I can barely manage to nod.
He sweeps her up off the ground, holding her brutalized body close to his chest, and walks swiftly to the building on our right. I trail after them, my head held high as I whisper prayers for my departed friend. Tane swings the door open. His lips are set in a grim line. Mina and Mathilda are on the other side, heads hanging, voices whispering prayers and goodbyes.
Clothes are hung on the walls of the shop. The smell of fresh leather and linen drifts around the room, cleansing my senses from the rancid scent of death on the street. Lachlan lays her gently on the rug in the middle of the room. I tug a cloak off a wooden hanger and drape it over her body before gently closing her eyes.
The growls outside are getting louder, closer. Footsteps thud against the wooden floor, heading back outside.
There’s a gentle tug under my arm, and I turn to look up into Lachlan’s eyes. “We ha’ to go. We—I need ye to push past this. We will grieve her together. After we finish this. Okay?”
My mind empties.
They did this. They killed her.
This woman, whose only wish was to never be alone. Anger burns away my sorrow, sharpening my resolve. They will pay for this, for all of it. My parents, this realm, Elowen, all of it.
Lachlan gives an order to the rest of the group. “Lena and I are going to make a run for the capital. Kill as many as you can and meet us there.”
And then we’re off. Pushing my legs harder than I ever have before, we sprint up the road. A creature shrieks in front of us before it’s gurgling in its own blood, an arrow protruding from its neck. With each slash of my ax, Elowen’s face burns in my mind.
With each demon we down, I get one step closer to making Odessa and Julius pay.
