And then . . . more death.
This time, I had caused it.Me. The person who took in injured animals and helped heal them.Ibrought about their deaths.
And now I’m something I never thought I’d be: a murderer.
My eyes sting, and my nose runs as more tears flow down my face. They feel never-ending.
There is so much death and pain and suffering that I can barely parse through it all. I weep until it seems impossible that my body can produce more tears. And yet, they still stream freely down my cheeks.
Who knew it was possible to cry so fucking much?
The afternoon drags on, time a blur, as I silently grieve. For myself and for my friends. My family. For the life I thought I’d live. At some point, the light dims and the suns begin their nightly descent.
And then, the air shifts. The temperature, which had already begun cooling, plummets so rapidly that my tears dry up.
Something has changed.
I rub the heels of my hands across my cheeks, drying them, and look around. My sisters are still huddled together, sleeping. They look so young and innocent. At peace, despite our surroundings.
My shoulders loosen a fraction, and I exhale, my eyes finding Gabriel on their own accord.
He’s awake. Crouched before me, he’s gripping his sword, and his jaw is tense. He looks every bit the Hunter I know him to be—a predator, through and through.
“Did you feel it, too?” I ask, my skin prickling. “The shift in the air?”
He nods grimly, his gaze slowly sweeping through the small space.
My forehead feels feverish, and my fingers tingle. I swallow past the growing lump in my throat. “What...”
My voice trails off as something red catches my eye. A crimson speck, no bigger than an ember, floats through one of the windows. It drifts to the ground and lands between me and Gabriel.
I lean in, intent on getting a better look, but a hand lands on my arm. Fingers dig into my flesh, wrenching me back.
“Stop! Don’t get too close,” Gabriel growls. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think there was panic in his voice. For me? I’m not sure.
I freeze. “You want me to keep my distance from the speck? It’s tiny.”
It doesn’t seem that threatening, but the way he’s acting...
Gabriel yanks me away from the offending particle. “Don’t let the size fool you; it’s extremely dangerous.”
This seems rather dramatic, all things considered.
“What is it?”
“A magical ember,” he replies ominously.
My breath hitches, and my mind spins. Magical? “As in...”
“The king sent it.” Gabriel rakes a hand through his hair, a frustrated sound rumbling through his chest. “He’s searching for you.”
“With... that.” My brows furrow. “But it’s minuscule.”
Red and glowy and small. Honestly, it’s a miracle I even noticed it.
Gabriel nods, his eyes darkening. “It’s a tracker. If it touches you, King Andreas will know exactly where you are.”
I freeze, the crimson ember seeming far more ominous in light of the Hunter’s new information. “I didn’t know.”
