“Z?”
“Yes.”
Quivering, her arms loosen as she reaches down, cautiously touching my hand. Her fingers slide across my palm, exploring their stretched wrinkles. She turns and checks my other hand, caressing it gently.
Slowly, she raises her head and meets my eyes. “It’s you…” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“I’m here.”
“How?” Her eyes scatter around. “Is this a trick?”
“It’s not a trick.” I cup her cheeks. “I’m here. Tell me how I can help you. Please, let me help you.”
She shudders. “I’m scared.”
“I know, sweet girl. I promise this will all be over soon. I will make it so.”
Somebody cries out, another tormented scream. It’s joined by a beating thrum, like a drum. The music of Hell. A macabre that nears.
Summer flinches, covering her ears. I curl around her, wings stiffening, as I hold her tight, blocking out the noise. The droning grows louder, vibrations shaking my bones as the world trembles. The drum beats and beats and beats, coming ever closer. I take the brunt of it, solidifying against its force, shielding her. The ominous vibrations strike me.
When the sounds finally fade, I haul her against my chest.
“It’s over,” I soothe.
“It’ll come back.”
“Then you need to leave before then.”
She raises her head again and runs her hand up my torso, pressing it over my heart. “How?”
“We’ll find the exit.”
She sits away. “There’s an exit?” Her face falls. “There’s no exit from here. Not anymore, not for me.”
“What are you saying?”
“He might have brought you here, but he’s still inside my head, even now. He’ll take control again, forcing you back and… I’m not strong enough. I can’t resist forever—he will take your name. You have to kill me. It’s… it’s the only way.”
“Like hell I am.” I cradle her in my arms as I straighten, picking a direction and walking. “I will not let Adrial have any more of you. There is always an exit.”
“You don’t understand, he already has me. I was an idiot. I thought…”
The refrainmurdererrings through my head, loud and clear. “Hush. You’re not a murderer.”
She leans her head into my chest. “I know.”
I cup her cheeks, relishing the glistening blue of her eyes, hating the redness surrounding them. “If you must, give in. Give him my name.”
“I would rather die.” She leans her face into my hands, into my soft light, her features softening. “I love you.”
I clutch her harder, my chest swelling. My light brightens. “Not here,” I whisper.
“I wish I had told you sooner,” she says anyway. “I love you so much. I’ve loved our time together, no matter how short it has been. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. You made me feel more than I ever have. You gave me purpose when I had none. Thank you… thank you for trying.”
Pain overcomes my joy, hearing the goodbye in her voice, our bond weakening.
“Stop speaking like that.”
