From a distance, I saw them descend upon her. Men twice her size, eager to bring her to her knees. But this little warrior fought back.
Until she didn’t.
And when I saw the fight leave her, when I watched her fire go out only for her to stare up at the sky, something snapped in me. Because why did she stop fighting? Why did she give up? Why was she so willing to allow death to come?
I needed to save her.
I knew I would, but I didn’t know how far I’d go to do it.
Not until it was already done.
I look around. A few of the men whimper from the spot I struck them down. Each one a bloody, broken mess—a sight that should make my insides twist, but it doesn’t.
Because they deserve worse.
These men will still live, still breathe.
I granted them that mercy, one they were going to deny the girl lying motionless at my feet.
My fists tighten, a mix of anger and confusion swirling inside me.
Why did you give up, little warrior? And why do I never want to see you do such a thing again?
A growl sounds from the shadows behind me, vibrating the ground beneath my feet, low and lethal.
I don’t have to ask to know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking the same.
“Easy now, Ajja,” I say, holding up my hand to keep him from advancing, not that I hold much power over him. “I want these men to remember this, and if you kill them now, their suffering will end far sooner than I’d like.”
I want them to feel this pain every time they think ofher.
My ankles flex as I crouch beside the girl with the once soulful eyes. I grind my teeth as I place one arm behind her back and the other under the crook of her knees. Pulling her into my chest, I take her weight from the ground.
She doesn’t stir.
I can’t leave her here, not now, not when I’ve already made the choice to save her.
So, I won’t.
Chapter 7
Serafina
A soft wind kisses my cheek. It’s a breeze I’m not familiar with. The air in Village 28 is hot and stale, heavy with dust and decay, but this air is cooler, crisper, and the sensation immediately calms me.
I lick my lips. They taste salty, and the ground beneath me moves as I move, cradling me, molding to me. Birds caw in the not so far off distance, and a noise I’ve never heard before sounds in a uniform rhythm, similar to thunder but different.
Where am I? What happened? I was sitting under the bridge waiting for Char…and then nothing.
Why can’t I remember?
I open my eyes, but I have to squint. I try to situp, but my head throbs. The more I move, the more it hurts, so I stop moving and close my eyes again, welcoming the dark.
“Serafina,” an unknown voice calls. A voice that’s warm and deep, and I find myself humming at the sound, needing to hear it again. “Serafina.”
I open my eyes once more, only this time, something blocks the blinding sun, so I don’t have to squint.
It’s a man who’s standing in the way of the far too bright morning light. A man with dark brown eyes that have flecks of gold scattered throughout, making it look like sunlight itself is trapped inside.
