“No,” I said louder as my body trembled. “He can’t be.”
Kade’s hands covered mine, gently pulling them away from where I clutched Corbin’s shirt. “I’m so sorry.”
I let out an anguished cry, and though Kade held my hands in his, I leaned forward, lying my head on Corbin’s chest.
“Please,” I begged. “Please, I can’t lose anyone else.”
Kade stroked my hair, and I turned my head toward him. “I didn’t get to say goodbye,” I whispered. “I never get to say goodbye.”
The fighting around us must have ended, because I didn’t hear the sound of clanging blades anymore.
It didn’t matter though. I couldn’t look away from my friend’s face. The friend who consistently lifted me up with respect. The friend who’d built me the garden of my dreams simply because I mentioned wanting to experiment with flowers. A person who believed in me unconditionally, no matter how unworthy I felt.
I brushed some of his sweat-slicked hair back with shaking hands. Leif fell to the floor in front of me, shock on his face as he tilted his head back, looking to the ceiling and crying out.
Ian slumped down next, kneeling as he reached out to touch Corbin’s neck like he needed to feel for himself that he was gone.
“Get Maria,” he shouted, turning like there was a servant around to give orders to. “She’s here, someone get the healer.”
His hand trembled above Corbin’s neck.
“Ian,” I choked out.
Our eyes met for only a second before Ian shook his head like he didn’t believe me. “Someone get a healer!” he screamed, his voice cracking on the word “healer.”
Leif brought a hand to Ian’s shoulder. “He’s gone, Ian.”
Ian looked at me again, devastation draining his face of color. I pulled my hands from Kade, throwing myself on Corbin.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I said under my breath.
Ian moved his hand onto Corbin’s head and closed his eyes, letting his own tears fall.
The silence only lasted a few moments.
“Ian.” Storm’s voice was rough, strained. “I’m sorry, but we’ve got to keep fighting. Andras?—”
Ian trembled, inhaling sharply. His pained eyes met mine briefly again before he turned away. He brushed his face on his shoulder and nodded, rising to his feet. “Storm’s right.” Ian cleared his throat. “We have to find Andras before he tries to escape. This ends now.”
I stared at the two of them, hating that they were right and that we would have to wait to grieve Corbin’s death.
Kade helped me to my feet before addressing everyone. “We finish this. Corbin will not have died in vain.”
“We can’t leave him here,” I said.
"I’ll move his body to a safe location,” Leif choked out through his own pain, settling on the floor beside Corbin and taking his hand. “Go. Go quickly and finish this.”
I nodded, looking over Corbin’s too still form, and silently appealed to my light to take away some of the pain threateningto pull me under. But it remained in a state of recovery. The blast of light killing Casimir had drained the majority of my magical abilities.
I had no idea how long it would take them to come back.
Kade cupped my face in his hands. “I’m with you.”
I inhaled a deep breath, the need for revenge taking over as my body quaked with fury. “We find him. We capture him. His death will not be quick,” I instructed those around me. Their faces said everything.
We were all in agreement.
Andras’s hands may not have taken our friend, but his actions did. For that and every other atrocity he’d brought upon us, his time ended now.
