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“No!” I scream, rushing to catch her body before it falls. I ignore the pain in my leg, focused only on my friend. Essos is right behind me, catching Zara and helping me ease her to the ground.
I’ve done her wrong in so many ways, and I’ll never get to make it better. I touch her face, tears flowing freely from my eyes as blood bubbles out of her mouth. She goes still in my arms, but consequently, so does the whole world.
I hold onto her, letting the sobs go.
CHAPTER37
Essos pulls me off Zara, trying to get me to release her body. With tears still flowing freely, I look up at him. His façade cracks when he spies the look on my face. There are so many things I should have done differently, but why she stabbed herself I can’t understand.
“You have to let her go, my love.”
The world still shakes beneath my feet. “But, Cat. Cat didn’t get to say goodbye. She was a much better friend than I ever was.” My voice breaks as I look into his eyes. “Why? Why did she do this?”
Essos’s fingers dig into my shoulders, trying to pull me back and away. I’m so focused on him that I’m surprised when I feel Zara’s body move. My head whips around so fast, I’m afraid I’ve given myself whiplash. My hopes are dashed when I find it’s not Zara, but Galen, pulling her from my arms.
“It’s okay,” he assures me. I glare at him, furious that he’s daring to get this close to me. Galen manages to pull her from my hands, and I realize that I’m covered in a friend’s bloodagain. It threatens to break me.
Tink comes sprinting down the stairs into the throne room, with Callie hot on his heels. I don’t look up at them. I keep my focus on Galen and what he’s doing. Essos is tense behind me, trying to pull me upright.
“What happened?” Tink demands.
“Look away, Daphne,” Galen growls, but I refuse. It’s that same stubbornness that forces me to watch him draw the blade from Zara’s chest. I never thought about the sound the blade makes when leaving the body. It’s sickening, the slurp of the weapon leaving her flesh. I want to vomit, but I reach for Zara instead. With the weapon in Galen’s hands, Essos sweeps me back quickly, placing his body between us.
Lightning crackles in Xavier’s hands, and Galen spins, holding the knife toward him, but then he surprises all of us by holding both hands up in supplication. He flips the blade and holds the handle to Xavier who takes it, sheathing it.
The earth stops shaking, and we all glance around, unsure. I get to my feet, clinging to Essos. Sybil and Estelle appear, looking grim. Their eyes are red-rimmed and their mouths are turned down. They won’t look at anyone but Zara.
“Rise,” they intone together. Their voices are flat and, quite frankly, they’re terrifying.
But what happens after that stills my heart. Zara gasps in a breath and sits up, her hand going to her chest where the stab wound is knitting itself back together.
I never want to watch one of my friends go through that again. With the death of Posey, I shouldn’t have to.
Pushing past Essos, I fall to my knees again and hug her. I don’t care about the show I’m putting on. I’m just thankful, so thankful, that Zara is alive and in my arms. Her arms fold around me, and I can feel her head swiveling as she looks around at everyone gathering.
“Why does everyone look grim as fuck?”
I laugh and cry all at once into her hair until Essos physically removes me from her. She gets up and spies the red running down her top. Her fingers graze the puckered white scar that is stark against her dark skin.
“Well, you died, further traumatizing my wife.”
She twists to look up at Essos before taking his proffered hand. Zara is unsteady on her feet for a moment, swaying. Essos is quick to reach and catch her.
“Well, that sucks,” Zara says unapologetically.
My laugh starts as a snort and then I’m doubled over, laughing at the understatement of the century. Quickly, everyone else follows me into hysterics. Essos clutches his stomach as he soundlessly laughs so hard it’s more of a wheeze.
When our laughter starts to die down, starting with the Fates, I can finally manage to stay upright. I wouldn’t be able to if Essos wasn’t holding me around my back.
“I had a hunch,” Galen says, rubbing at some of the drying blood on his face, “that so long as the knife was in your chest, you wouldn’t come back.”
Zara turns her eyes on him, appraising. “How did you know what I was doing?”
“I’m not as stupid as you like to insinuate, fateling. That blade was meant to collect Posey’s powers. They needed to go somewhere. Her death meant we needed another Fate. I like you, Zara, but you’re not type to make the suicide play.” She frowns at Galen, but he pushes on. “That said, I’m impressed that you didn’t even hesitate to do it. I’ve seen grown men cry when faced with that kind of act.”
“I still think you’re a snake,” Zara tells him without hesitation. She turns to look at her hands, first at her palms and then the backs of them. When she turns her palms to face each other, a web of strings appears.
“That’s new,” Helene scoffs.
