He lunges.
I leap.
The pair of us fly through the air towards her.The only thing that floats through my mind is regret.
Regret that I didn’t tell her more.Didn’t convince her we should try.Regret that I’ll never get to know whether we could have made it.
He soars above the crowd and plunges down towards her, blade slashing out.
I know before the impact that I’m going to get hit, and it’s not going to be good.But I don’t care.I will not let Penelope come to harm.
I crash into Penelope, knocking her out of the way as I hit the floor.She screams.The shadow slams down on top of me, the blade swiping through my carotid.Blood sprays the crowd.
He leaps off me, turning to Penelope.I don’t have time to deal with my neck: as long as my head is on, I’ll heal.But the blood loss is making me woozy.I lunge up, grabbing at his ankles and tackling him to the ground.
We roll.Spin in a whirl of cloak, knife and blood.
Punches smash into ribs and guts.The impacts reverberate through the crowd.
His fists feel like iron.Each blow is excruciating.
Octavia rushes towards us, fighting through the now panicking and fleeing guests.
I haul myself up, though black spots speckle my vision.My skin is already healing, but I’ve lost a lot of blood.Too much.I slip on a puddle of claret as I scrabble to reach her and land on my arse.
I must black out for a second, because when I come to, he’s standing over Penelope.
I don’t think.My body springs forward.I scream as I fling myself through the air towards him.
Octavia is eight feet away.I’m going to get there first.A flash of silver winks in the dim light.
Penelope pushes herself up, a godsawful red mark on her cheek.That cunt hit her.Her eyes land on mine.She screams my name, horror written in the lines of her face.
But I realise too late.
My fist smashes into his temple, knocking the hood off as he spins.
The glint of sliver.
Too late, I realise I didn’t block.
Too late, Penelope screams, “The blade!”
Too late, I recognise the man beneath the hood.
Silver plunges into my chest.
I rear back, falling, falling, falling.My eyes fall to Penelope.Even with horrors etched into her expression, she’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Everything quiets.A calm serenity washes through me as I gaze at Penelope.All my fingers and toes tingle, and I wonder if this is what desiccation is like.
I black out before I even hit the floor.
And then there’s nothing.
Chapter15
Penelope
