Page 44 of The Human’s Heart

As if seeing it in slow motion, I watched as what looked like half of Phia’s face exploded in a blast of red and gore. So much bloody gore.

My feet moved toward her as her body crumpled to the ground. I heard someone scream her name, and it took a moment for me to realize it was me, my own voice, screaming in horror, calling out her name as I tried to catch her in my arms.

I went down with her, her body falling half on top of me as I grabbed onto her, trying to… trying to stop… stop something. Stop this? Stop the blood? Help her lie down so she was comfortable until help arrived?

Blood spilled over her face, dripping down her neck, down her body, dripping all over me. There was so much of it, I didn’t know what to do.

I knelt beside her, still yelling, although I didn’t even know what was coming out of my mouth. Her body was lying over my legs, but I couldn’t see. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I grabbed her shoulder, turning her face toward me, and I gasped.

“Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.”

Half her face was gone, and she was covered in so much blood and other… gooey things that I felt bile coming up my throat.

“Hugo! HUGO!”

Hearing Zaos screaming my name through our link snapped me out of it enough to yell back, “What!”

“Take your shield stick out of your pocket and snap it.”

“What?” This time my voice sounded more… or rather, less panicked. Maybe. Or maybe it just sounded terrified.

“Take out your shield stick and snap it. Please, mezelie. You need to get in a safe place. Cover yourself with a shield. Right fucking now.”

I blinked a few more times before I finally understood what he was saying.

Right. Someone… shot Phia, and I was still out here ripe for the taking.

I reached into my pocket, found the stick—one of the many things Zay made me carry on my person every single day—snapped it, and a huge shield covered both of us.

“Done. But, Zay, Phia… she’s… she’s…”

“I know, baby. I felt your pain when it happened. I’m on my way. Can you… can you check her pulse?”

I looked at her face again, and her one eye, the only one that was left, was blank. I knew it was futile, but… I reached over and felt for her pulse. Nothing. I felt nothing.

“She’s not… there’s not… she’s…”

“Okay. It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Take a deep breath for me.”

I tried to do what he asked, but all I could smell was blood, and I started gagging.

Phia was still on my lap. We were both covered in… her blood, and I was pretty sure there was a piece of her, uh, skull stuck to my shirt. The bile threatened to come out again.

“Hugo!”

Jett’s voice called out from the bar’s back door, and I swung around, yelling, “Stay back! There’s someone with a gun! Get back inside.” I saw Quinn behind Jett, so I yelled, “Get him back inside, Quinn. I’m safe in a shield.”

Jett tried to make a run for me, but Quinn grabbed him around the waist, hauled a kicking, flailing, and yelling Jett back inside, and slammed the door.

I breathed a little easier.

At least until I caught sight of Phia again.

My eyes filled with tears as I stared down at her… at her lifeless body.

“I’m almost there.”

It somehow felt like no time and an eternity had passed when Zay appeared at the alleyway’s entrance. I could see a silvery haze around him, and relief flooded my system. He was inside a shield as well.