“I can’t disturb him,” another replied. “He’s preparing for the Darke Games. They begin today.”
A nurse reached for Ava’s body and tried tugging her out of my arms. I knew I needed to hand her over to the doctors, but I couldn’t let go of her. She wasmyAva. I had to make sure she made it.
“Sir, we need to get her into surgery,now!” the nurse snapped.
“I’m going with her,” I insisted.
“Not unless you’re family—”
“I’m her husband!” I screamed. Tears began pouring from my eyes. The nurses must’ve noticed my desperation, because they didn’t argue.
“Get her onto the gurney and come with us,” one of them said.
“We’re her parents,” Liam said firmly.
“All of you, with us,” another nurse demanded.
My arms were still frozen around Ava. The nurses had to yank her away from me to get her onto the gurney. I held her hand tightly as they rushed her into a private room. Everyone followed.
Ava’s fingers were cold and limp in my hand. No matter how tightly I held on, she didn’t squeeze back.
My head spun. I couldn’t make sense of what was going on. So many doctors and nurses filled the room, and they yelled orders at one another. I heard the sound of machines being wheeled in, tubes hitting the floor, and medical supplies being unwrapped as a swarm of frantic activity burst out around me. It was overwhelming, and the worst part was, everyone sounded scared, even the doctors who were supposed to be in charge. If they were afraid...
All I could do was push Ava’s hair out of her face and pray.
Fuck, I wasn’t the kind of guy who prayed, but right now, I had no other options.Please, ancestors. You can’t take her from me. She has to make it. Let her stay.
Suddenly, all action in the room stopped. I heard the medical staff collectively hold their breath.
I had the thought this couldn’t be fucking real. Then a woman said softly, “There’s no pulse.”
My heart crumbled into a million pieces. The room went silent, and the nurses took a collective step back. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Kallie had to be fucking with it. But I heard the sound of breathing beside me, and I knew time was still moving forward. But I must’ve heard them wrong…
“Check again!” I screamed.
Nobody moved. It was like they hadn’t even heard me. All I heard was Oberi’s soft whimper beside me. No one spoke, but we all seemed to feel the same thing.
It was no use.
“Call it,” a man said.
“Don’t you fucking dare—” I started, but a woman was already speaking.
“Time of death, three thirty-three a.m.”
Sophia began to wail, and Marcus and Kallie choked up beside me. Oberi nudged his wet nose into my hand. Ava’s father gave a gasp of grief. I heard him stumble backward as he collapsed on the floor in shock.
“No, you fuckers!” I cried. “You have to do something. You have to try again. You havemagic.Are you going to use it, or are you going to stand around like useless fucking idiots?!”
The nurses were already leaving the room. They ignored me.
“Are you her husband?” a man asked.
My head spun, but I managed to answer. “Yes.”
He shoved a clipboard into my hands, and I took it before I knew what was happening. “We need your signature. You need to sign the death certificate, so we—”
Hell, no!I threw the clipboard onto the ground as complete fury exploded through me. I grabbed the man by the throat and shoved him up against the wall. Surgical tools fell from a nearby table and clattered to the ground.
