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Theron
Timeseemedtodistort,bending and stretching in a way I’d never experienced. The vast, chaotic battlefield fell away, and all I saw was her—Kael. My heart, my strength, crumpled on the ground with that cursed blade jutting out from her stomach.
Each footstep I took towards her felt simultaneously like an eternity and a heartbeat. I could hear warriors shouting, swords clashing, the grim symphony of war. But they became muffled, insignificant. Nothing mattered but getting to her.
My vision tinted red as I reached Caelia as she struggled from Xadrian’s grip. Before she could react, I swung my arm, letting my raw fury fuel the attack. The flat side of my sword connected with her jaw, knocking her off her feet and rendering her unconscious. She deserved worse, but Kael needed me.
“Herrath!” I barked, nodding toward Caelia. “Bind her, now!”
He rushed forward to comply, but I was already turning back to Kael. Gently, I grasped the hilt of Endbringer and pulled it free from her, grimacing at the wet, sickening sound of its withdrawal. The sword pulsed in my hand, its destructive power creeping through me. This was the blade that killed the gods. How could she survive it?
Her breaths came shallow, her face ashen, eyes flickering weakly. My heart threatened to shatter. I yanked out my healing plate, pressing it against her wound, willing it to mend her, to breathe life back into her.
But the plate remained cold, unresponsive. No soft rush of magic, no burst of healing warmth.
“No,” I whispered, the word a raw plea. “No!”
Her heart’s rhythm grew erratic, faltering. Desperation consumed me. I pressed my forehead to hers, a silent vow passing between us. “Stay with me, Kael,” I urged, voice breaking. “Don’t you dare leave me now.”
As the battle raged on around us, my world shrank to the space between us, the rise and fall of her chest, and the stuttering beat of her heart as I pushed more and more magic into the plate, desperate for her skin to mend for the blood to stop pumping from her.
“Oh gods, Kael.” Xadrian knelt beside me. My grip tightened on Endbringer’s hilt, its deadly point aimed at his throat, eyes burning with fury.
“Stay back.”
Xadrian held up his hands. “Wait! Magic can’t heal a wound from that blade. You’ll need to heal her the old way.”
Roza shoved him aside, her eyes dark with determination and rage. “Out of the way, traitor.” She dropped beside me, her voice softening. “Let me see, Theron. I can help her.”
Numbly, I moved aside, holding the now useless healing plate. As I pulled it away, a fresh gush of blood spilled from Kael’s wound. It was a gruesome sight, but a part of me clung to it. Blood meant life. As long as her heart pumped, there was hope.
I tore at Kael’s armor, baring more of her injured stomach to Roza’s assessing eyes.
“We need a med kit, now!” Roza’s voice was sharp, ringing above the din of retreating soldiers and cries of the wounded.
Zerek sprinted away for a kit, and I placed the healing plate atop Kael’s heart. My focus zeroed in on her, trying to will her heart to keep beating, mentally urging her body to produce more blood to counteract the loss.
Zerek slid to a stop, dropping to his knees next to us, and handed towels to Roza.
“Press them against the wound. I need to see how bad it is.” The crimson-soaked cloth was a stark contrast against Kael’s pale skin.
“I see the bleed,” Roza whispered, her voice filled with a mix of horror and determination. “It missed the bone, thank Cetena, but it hit an artery.”
She produced a knife; the blade reflecting the bright sunlight.
Xadrian stepped forward, taking the blade, and she scowled at him. His brow furrowed in concentration, and moments later, the knife glowed an intense orange.
Roza met Zerek’s gaze, holding it for a long moment. “When I say, clear the wound. Hold it open. I’ll cauterize.”
He nodded, a grim set to his jaw. “Ready.”
Together, they worked, Roza plunging the glowing knife into the open wound. The air was filled with the sharp hiss of searing flesh, and the sickly sweet smell made my stomach churn.
Throughout it all, my eyes remained locked onto Kael, willing her to fight, to stay with me.
“Apply pressure,” Roza demanded. “We need to move her somewhere I can clean it and see if there are any other bleeds.”
My heart beat furiously against my chest as I lifted Kael into my arms, cradling her body close as Zerek pressed a towel onto her stomach. All around me, the battle slowed, our army overwhelming theirs. I took her back to the command tent, sweeping the maps off the table and laying her on it. My hands shook as I tucked a lock of hair away from her face, willing her to open her eyes.
