Page 308 of The Edge of Darkness

With each strike, he yielded a small step, taking me with him, folding me tighter into his chest.

“Remic, NO!” I shouted. “NO!” I didn’t know if I was yelling for him to stop, or for the enemy to, but neither listened to my plea.

Another arrow found its mark, and he shuddered, but nothing could break the protective grip he had around me. Not even the end of the world.

He began to struggle for breath, and his sword fell from his grip, clattering to the dirt. As he went down onto his knees, I went with him. His body shook as he pulled back and cupped my face with both of his hands.

Arrows whizzed by us. Some struck the earth. Others pierced clean through his wings. And although they twitched and trembled in pain with each hit, he held them as high as he could.

“You’re safe,” he rasped, rubbing his shaky thumbs across my cheeks as tears streamed down them. “Safe,” he repeated, and it seemed he was saying it more for himself this time than for me.

A single cough escaped his lips.

I grasped at his chest, desperately trying to get around him to see what had been done, to see who was responsible for this. But he used what little strength he had left to hold me in front of him.

“No,” he said. “You don’t need to see the damage.”

I searched his face. “W-What can I do?” I knew the damage was irreparable when I saw the glow begin to fade from his markings and eyes.

He opened his mouth and took a labored breath as he sank back onto his heels.

“No, no, no, no, no!” I frantically shook my head as his breathing became wet and heavy. “Tell me what to do!” There had to be some sort of magic—maybe a healer—something!

The once smooth skin around his eyes was now creased in tight lines, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet. “Stay with me for a while.”

My jaw quivered, and I nodded, tucking myself further into his arms and burying my face in his chest once more. A stray arrow flew past, but the sound was far away now. The only thing I cared to hear was Remic’s heartbeat against my ear. Still beating—staggering, but beating.

This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening.

Why did he have to bring me out here, in the open?

Not knowing what else to do, I gripped onto his leathers, and sobbed. Each breath I took wrapped me in his scent—mist and rain and the open sky. Except now it was muddied with dirt and salty sweat and the metallic tang of iron from the gods-awful arrows.

The assault finally ceased.

In the distance, I could hear someone shouting my name, but I didn’t heed their call. I didn’t move, didn’t want to leave his embrace. I would stay in the safety of his arms, one last time.

His cheek rested lovingly on my head as he ran his fingers through my hair and held me close to him with his fading strength. Then, he grunted, and I caught him just as he slumped to the side.

“Auren . . .” he said between ragged breaths.

“I’m here, Rem,” I sobbed, trying to hold his chest up and support his head in my arms. My vision blurred with more tears as I looked at the face I’d come to know and love so much. My protector. My guardian. My brother. My friend.

“You saved me,” I whispered, smiling at him through my tears. “You were my Dionach, after all.”

He managed a smile back, and the sight broke me and healed me all at once. But underneath that smile, I could see the undeniable fringe of fear. The terror of crossing the threshold of death.

He did not want to go. Not yet.

“I don’t . . . want . . . to leave you,” he choked out.

“We’ll stay right here,” I said, bringing my hand up and fitting it against the strong line of his cheek and jaw. “We’ll stay right here, together.”

“No negotiations,” he said, the corner of his mouth lifting again, pushing past the pain and the sadness.

A laughing sob broke free from my lips. “No. No negotiations,” I repeated, hoping the light-heartedness of the comment would wash away all the dread that was burrowing deep in my chest.

His strength gave out, and his arms drifted to his sides. The further his body sank toward the ground, the deeper the arrows dug into his back. Yet still, he held my stare as he toed the line between life and death.