I SHIFT MY BODY, WIPING the tears and blood from my face, and limp towards Koen.
His arms embrace me, catching me before falling.
“I got you, Spark,” he whispers against my head. His fingers tighten around my body, pulling me up to where I meet the warmth of his chest.
My chin rises to meet his weary eyes. “They’ll never stop until one of us is dead.”
His eyes shut gently, pulling me in tighter, leaving no space between us. “I know.”
The crowd screams at us, their voices screeching through the air as they start throwing steins and trash our way. Theweak, little humans are impatient to watch our deaths.
Cowards.
They have never felt what it feels like to fight in the games. They have never felt what it feels like to watch a friend be ripped apart or scorched to their death.
Just staring out towards them makes my blood boil with rage.
They don’t deserve to watch us die. None of them do.
My shoulders rise, my deadly heart rate steadying as I fiercely rip the dagger from my sheath. “We must save the chosen. They don’t deserve this.”
His fingers gently touch my chin, lifting my view up to meet his. “They don’t. No.” A brown curl of his catches in the breeze, lightly brushing across the healing wound along his forehead.
Will this be the last time I ever see him?
My throat tightens, feeling it burn as I try to speak. “I shall end my life. I was reckless. Careless.” My voice cracks. “You don’t deserve this. I should have left for the sea when Death told us too. I put you in this mess, let me get you out of it. ”
“No,” he growls, resting his chin against my head.
“Let me die for you!” My eyes burn, fear clinging onto my heart knowing this is it. I will die loving a man I will never be able to have. All this time, wasted, fearing I would scorch him to ash.
Only to die moments after we finally reunited.
“I would never allow that.” His voice breaks into a heartbreaking growl.
“I can’t have the chosen die over this.” I glance over towards them, watching Dryden’s head weave side to side. He is fading fast. I know I should hate him for the hell he put me through, but there has to be good deep down inside him.
My lips part before tightening into a trembling line. “I can’t have you die over this.”
“Together.” His breath brushes against my head. “When your heart stops beating, so does mine.”
I pull away, eyes flickering between his emerald eyes that are glazed as a tear escapes. “You can’t.”
“I will have nothing more to live for.” He leans closer. “You are my life.Myheart.Myair.A life without you could never be a life,” Koen exhales. “I’d give you my heart, over and over again, just so you could live. I’d give you my heart in every single life if I could to protect you.”
“Koen,” I exhale.
“I’ll never forgive myself for putting you in danger. My Spark—” He reaches out to me. “Forgive me for failing you.”
I weep, feeling the touch of his fingers glide along my cheek. His hand stops, resting against the bottom of my chin, and gently brushes against my skin.
This is the way I want to die, with his hands on me. I want my heart to stop beating, listening to the sounds of his pulse with life under his chest.
“I’ll never forgive myself for asking the Gods to take away my feelings for you,” I whisper.
“They could never take our love away.” His head shakes, ripping the dagger from his sheath against his chest. I notice the blood-stained knuckles, fresh wounds along his hands as he grips the dagger tighter.
“I don’t want this.” My voice shakes.
