But I desperately want to trust her.
For Syko’s sake.
My shoulders lower and my hands spread wide as I reveal Syko’s trembling and bloody body to her.
He’ll be a corpse by daybreak.
I swallow hard at that thought and force it to never enter my mind again.
Her pale hands skim against his battered wings. The jutting, broken bones are bent at harsh angles. The feathers are tattered and wrenched away, revealing slick muscle beneath. It’s a nasty sight. But Sasha doesn’t flinch away from any of it. She takes her time soothing each bloody part, and as her hands move, strange debris is left in their wake. It’s dry particles, but she goes right back over her work, and water drips from her fingertips like she’s feeding soil.
And I think she is. She diligently coats his wounds in a thick, mud-like substance. It has the scent of herbs, but I can’t say what kind. It smells like mother nature has kissed his wounds in an intoxicating gift of life.
“There,” Sasha whispers.
Malek’s dark eyebrows rise, and I just stare at her like a fucking idiot.
“Did you—did you heal him?” I ask quietly.
Her long hair shifts back and forth as she shakes her head at me.
“No. I can’t heal him. But I stopped the bleeding. He’s lost a lot of blood, and I can’t take away his pain, but… I think he’ll live.” She backs away slowly, her fingers slipping around the door handle. “I’m going to wait for Heaven now. She’ll need a clean path when she gets back.”
“I’ll come with you.” Malek takes one step, but she lifts her hand to him.
“No, wait here. Izara needs to be watched. You’ll know if she needs you.”
“And until then I just…”
“Wait,” she whispers. “I don’t think she’s ready to face all of you. Not yet. Just… give her time.”
The advice is the shitty equivalent ofgive her space. Fortunately, I can’t even listen to the logical little fairy.
Because she helped Syko. And that’s all I fucking care about in this moment.
My fingers stroke along the hard lines of his arms, and I hold him a little closer.
His beautiful wings will never fly again.
The pain will last for years after this.
But he’ll live.
And that’s all that matters.
Ten
Izara
I take a single, wobbling step forward, and my knees almost buckle. It’s only then that they notice me. Malek, the wolf that he is, perks up and jumps to his feet. He’s running to me and pulling me into his arms before I can blink.
His warmth and his strength wrap all around me.
It’s like he knows just how hard it is for me to remain upright. How can I, with the sight of Syko so still on a rooftop and a puddle of blood beneath him?
I gently place my palms against Malek’s chest and lightly push back from him. I need to see him, no matter how hard, no matter how much my heart is breaking, no matter the guilt racing through every nerve in my body. I caused this. If I hadn’t—
I halt my thoughts as I step toward them and drop to my knees beside Syko. His eyes are closed, the paleness of his lashes curving against an even paler face. I try not to think about how he looks like he has one foot through death’s door, because to think about death brings an even greater possibility of summoning it.
