“Helios, follow my wishes,” Tenzen bellowed.
Helios flinched and offered an apologetic “forgive me, Aurelia.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” she answered before they launched at one another, their movements too fast and furious for me to follow. Aurelia said Helios couldn’t hurt her, and I had to take her at her word.
Momma took another step toward me. Franklin and I saw the shadows move at the same time. Fuzzy Britches did too. Leaping from my arms, the scuttlebutt tore across the ground toward Momma. “Fuzzy, no!”
Franklin and I shouted our warnings, one of us too late. Even if it would have worked, there was no time to throw one of Pops’s barrier charms at Momma. Franklin was closer to Momma and reached her before Fuzzy or I could. A tendrilled shadow narrowed, forming a javelin that pierced through Franklin’s chest like a knife slicing through warm butter.
I stumbled as a scream tore through my throat. Scrambling on all fours, I crawled my way to Franklin, catching his body as the shadow spike retreated. Blood poured from the wound, instantly soaking Franklin’s chest and back. Its warmth seeped through my own clothing, cooling and sticking to my skin.
Words caught in my throat, my arms wrapped around Franklin as we sank to our knees, his body leaning heavily on mine as his wheezed gasps blew the hair from my neck.
“B-Boone,” Franklin coughed.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I repeated that phrase, wishing I’d been able to get to him sooner. Wishing I’d been able to slip Franklin’s wedding ring over his finger, protecting him from any and all harm.
Franklin’s weight increased as he leaned further into my body. He listed to the side, taking me with him. Now lying on his back, I was able to see the damage better. A choked sob rattled through me. The amount of blood was staggering. It was… My mind couldn’t accept what I saw, what I knew it meant.
My eyes were glued to that bloody spot as it grew larger and darker. “No.” That singular word started as a whisper and grew until it burned a raw trail up my throat. Ripping off my jacket, I pulled out the ring Pops made before shoving the fabric over his wound. I grabbed his left hand and slid the ring down his finger. “Don’t you fucking die on me. You hear me? I won’t—”
“Boone. Erasmus.” My name on Franklin’s lips sounded scraped across concrete. His hand found mine, our wedding rings finding their way to each other. Something wet traced its way across Franklin’s cheek, and it took me a moment to realize it was my tears.
Franklin’s eyes fluttered. “I’m so tired.” I had to lean down to hear his words beyond the chaos around us. “So very tired.”
My tears fell faster, raining down on Franklin’s skin. “Don’t. Just…”
“L-love you. Always loved you.”
I choked on the river of misery consuming me. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t right. I’d found someone to love. Someone who didn’t just tolerate touching me but craved it. Someone who didn’t think I was an abomination but a gift from Gaia. Someone who didn’t question what I was but was thankful for every breath I took. There was no way I was losing that. No way I was letting Franklin go. If it was a fight the ever after wanted, then I’d bring the war to them. If Death wanted to play, then they’d picked the wrong necromancer to challenge.
I was going to teach Death a very important lesson, one they would never forget.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Erasmus
Echoes of battle sounded around me as I watched Franklin struggle for every precious gasp of air. My eyes remained fixed on our intertwined fingers. I should have agreed to marry Franklin sooner. I’d wanted to wait until this mess with Tenzen Huxley was done and over with. I thought a wedding ceremony would put a target on our backs. But the target had already been there, Tenzen’s plans already in motion. I should have hauled Franklin’s ass to the nearest justice of the peace and sworn to be his for eternity.
But I hadn’t done any of that. I’d asked him to wait. I’d asked him to be patient, and in Franklin’s generous way, he’d done exactly as I’d asked. Staring down at our matching rings, I could only wish that he’d pushed a little harder. But then, Franklin wouldn’t be the man I loved if he had.
Aurelia’s piercing scream pulled me from my macabre vigil. Her eyes were wide and glowed so brightly I could barely look at them. Following her line of sight revealed an unconscious scuttlebutt lying against a far wall. Momma was huddled next to Fuzzy Britches. Momma appeared battered, and she had aline of blood running from her temple, but she was still upright, breathing, and fighting.
Momma and Fuzzy weren’t alone. For every shadowy tendril sent their way, a fox tail battled them back. At some point Hikaru had shown up, and if that were the case, then… I whipped my head around, finding Pops. Blackened fingers dancing through the air, Pops’s lips were in constant motion, spell after woven spell fired at our common enemy. Leon and Phlox were right there beside him. It was three on one, and yet Tenzen was successfully batting away each and every attack.
Aurelia was on the other side of the room, rage pouring from her in waves. Helios was in front of her, their battle momentarily halted by Aurelia’s fury. My eyes rounded, and my mouth slipped open as something built inside Aurelia.
Helios saw it too and stepped back, feet braced wide and arms arching to protect his head. Head thrown back, Aurelia’s wail pierced my ears, the following blast of magic rushed through the room, flattening furniture, tearing down walls, and extinguishing the smoldering fire.
Throwing my body over Franklin, I fought like crazy to protect what was left of his life. The sound of Aurelia’s blast made my ears ring and momentarily blocked out all other sound. Inanimate and having no intentional ill will, the falling structure made it through Pops’s ward. Dust and debris covered my body, and something ached between my shoulders. Shaking my head, the soundless bubble I was in suddenly popped, and a roar of noise crashed into my ears.
Wincing from the auditory pain, I checked Franklin over. There were no new wounds, but the sucking hole in his chest was still there, draining the life from him. Franklin’s skin was clammy and worse than pale. His eyes were closed with no hope of opening again.
Aurelia remained standing, her lips barely parted as she drew in deep lungfuls of air. Helios appeared no worse for wear. Pops had gone down on one knee. He’d evidently had time to throw up a charm that protected him and Phlox. Leon hadn’t been so fortunate, but he was still living his second life.
Tenzen’s claws were embedded in the crumbling brickwork of the fireplace. Fury twisted his features. I would have said Tenzen looked like something from my worst nightmare, but that was before I’d been forced to watch the life drain from Franklin’s face. Nothing—absolutely nothing—could compare to that horror.
