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“No.” Cove replies emphatically. “I…I don’t want to do this.”
Malia smiles at him, full of understanding and pity. Maybe she understands how hard this will be for us. After. That we will have to find a way to live with what we’ve done.
“It’s okay. It’s one small life to save thousands. I’m insignificant, a no-one in the grand scheme of things. You have to do this.”
I don’t know how she can say that. How she can think she’s nothing when she’s literally saving the world. Two worlds. Billions of people. She’s a hero, a goddess, someone to be revered and remembered, worshipped and adored. She’s the opposite of insignificant; she’s everything.
“How do we do this?” she asks. Her voice is so clear, so strong. I’ve never seen anyone look so terrified and sound so brave at the same time. I just want to crush her into my embrace and protect her from this cruel fate.
“Lie back. Try to…get comfortable.”
She laughs, a hysterical sort of bubble that escapes from her throat and then apologises.
“Don’t apologise. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. This situation is unique for all of us.”
She nods at me and lies back on the altar. I hate the grooves around the edge that are designed to catch and save every drop of her life’s blood. Can’t waste a drop, not when it comes to protecting Aerwyna. There can be no possibility of her surviving.
“Ready,” she sighs.I’m not.I have to close my eyes and draw every ounce of strength I have. I pray to gods I don’t believe in, I call on the elders to help me, I beg our lost queen to save me.
No help comes. No one answers my desperate call.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and nod to the others. Silently, as one, we withdraw our daggers and take our places at the four corners of the altar.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, taking Malia’s hand and raising it up above her head and tying the binds in the corner. Reef does the same, the other two take hold of her ankles. Malia’s breathing hitches.
I can’t do this.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Reef reassures her, leaning down to kiss her lips and stroke an errant lock from her forehead.
He pulls back and the other two move in to kiss her too. I know I should. I want to. But I can’t. What kind of monster would that make me, to steal one last sweet kiss before I take her life to appease a prophecy I don’t understand and might not believe in?
“Ready?” I ask, more to myself than anyone.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Will you…will you all…hold me?”
I glance down at Malia, her eyes filled with tears. Fuck.
“Of course. You won’t be alone. Not even for a second.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No,” I lie.
“Liar.”
“We’ll do our best to keep your mind off it. I promise.”
“Will it take long?”
“Once the magic kicks in, no. It will be very quick. I hope you won’t feel anything.”
“It’s okay. I want to feel it.”
“Why?”
