“No! Jaxs!” I tried to scream, but Bluey kept flying away from Aura.
If she died because of me, because I caused this. I brought all the dragons to her…
Bluey landed on the pad halfway between the Dome and the castle, before opening his claw. My Token flicked on right before I hit the stone.
“Aura is down there,” I shouted, standing to my feet as fast as I could. “I need to get back to her?—”
“Relax,” Jaxs said, holding up his hands. “I heard you the first time. She’s fighting and is doing just fine on her own.”
“But she won’t leave?—”
“She has a shield over her body. None of Dahes’ monsters can get to her. She’s fine?—”
I left Jaxs on the stairs as I sprinted the rest of the way up, not bothering to wait to see what else he was going to say.
Aura was fine—and that was all I needed to know.
“Hael,”I breathed the moment I saw him.
He was covered in blood, clutching a dagger between Elion’s body and neck. I scanned the room, Dahes wasn’t in here, and it was all I needed before I bolted toward him.
He staggered to get up, leaving the dagger sticking out of the floor, before throwing a necklace back over his head, and meeting me halfway.
I leapt into his arms without thinking, and tears pricked my eyes as I realized how badly I needed him to be alive.
“You did it,” I mumbled in between ragged breaths. His one arm shifted until his hand was cupping my cheek, wiping a tear that ran down it.
“Mhm,” his throat made a sound, but it was barely audible, as he pressed his forehead against mine. “Are you alright?”
I didn’t answer right away, just savored the fact that no one else was in the throne room with us. I had no idea how to explain how I knew exactly where he’d be. It was like he was tethered to a string, every fiber of my being dragged me toward this room. I ran through walls, keeping my transparency on just so I could get here the most direct route.
Hael pulled back to scan my face. “Nollie, are you hurt?”
I shook my head as memories of this past week flashed back through me. I shouldn’t be in his arms. I shouldn’t be clinging to him. I caused this. I’m the reason he’d been tortured nonstop by Dahes, the reason he killed Elion…
“I’m so sorry, Hael.” My voice cracked as my walls were slipping again. “I’m so sorry about everything.”
“Nollie,” he said, his hand tightening around my face, still cupping my cheek. “I need to know if you’re okay.”
I reeled back becausehewasn’t okay. His lip was split over the scar he already had, and I could just glimpse a deep cut across his chest, poking out of the top of his shirt. Other parts of him were burned. His skin was ripped in places. I was pretty sure his fingernails were missing, and I knew almost every inch of him was covered in bruises.
“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered, the words lodging in my throat. It was all I could focus on. He should hate me. “I didn’t want to.” I stopped. Started again. “I didn’t want…”
“Shhh,” Hael’s hand started moving around my face, tucking strands of hair behind my ears. “I know.”
Any last shred of composure I had broke. My breath hitched as tears slowly fell from my face. Hael wiped them away, then pulled me closer to his chest. I was still in his arms…
“None of this is your fault, Nollie.”
I shook my head. He didn’t get to write this off. He didn’t get to look past this.
“I’m sorry,” I said again because I needed to.
“I’m sorry too, Nollie.”
It only made me sob harder. Suns, I told myself I was done crying, but I was crumbling in his arms, shattering all over again. Like the moment I was around him, I became unglued, the tightly wound ball I shriveled myself into was unraveling.
“You aren’t the one who needs to be sorry,” I cried, barely getting the words out. “I’m the reason you’re in this mess in the first place.” My voice hitched as I looked up at him. “I’m the reason you’re hurt.”
