“Wait,” I spun my head around. “Malakai, can’t you help her?” My voice was raw with panic.
His eyes glowed dim, as they watched her, blankly. “No… I can only keep the blood inside, not stitch her lungs back together.”
“Her…” I echoed, slowly losing control over myself, panic taking over.
“Mey hold on, we… we’ll fix this, somehow… Just hold on,” Nate stuttered, brushing her hair away from her face, patting her cheek carefully.
“Nate,” she croaked, her eyes sliding to him. “I’m not feeling well… am I sick again?” she asked confused, her breaths uneven, tainted with blood.
“You aren’t sick, so shut it, help will come… hold on,” Nate snapped, looking around, as mages fought against the Ashen Corps soldiers.
“Just this once…” Mey whispered, a faint smile appearing on her lips as her hand reached, trembling, up to his face, stroking his cheek as a tear slid down. “You’ve always protected me… this time… I was able to protect you.”
His eyes snapped back to her, fear coating them.
“Can you fix her with your fire?” Ashley sobbed, looking at me.
“I… I can only make the bleeding stop, I can’t… fix her insides,” I sniveled, feeling weak, powerless.
Mey’s eyes searched ours, her smile growing. “I’ll be fine.” Her eyes flickered.
“Mey?” Nate pleaded, grabbing her hand and holding it to his lips, praying. “Please don’t… don’tleaveme.”
“Don’t worry… this happens a lot,” she said with ragged breaths, another cough and blood pooled out of her wounds. “I just need some rest.”
“Nate… she’s losing too much blood,” Ashley placed her hands over the wounds in her chest, pressing until they were soaked in red.
Nate trembled, as he nodded against Mey’s hand. “Mey… You’renotsick.”
“I’m gonna… take a quick nap. You’ll… keepwatch, right?”
Another faint smile twitched on her face, as her eyelids won the battle and slowly, she stilled.
“Always,” Nate whispered, placing Mey in his arms, rocking his body back and forth as if soothing her, his whole body trembling, his teeth burrowed into his lower lip.
“Mey…” he sobbed, over and over, as if he was chanting her name.
My arms hung slack along my sides, tears flooding my eyes as I watched them. I had no words for him, no comfort to offer, as our hearts broke.
Ashley slid her hands around Nate’s shoulders from behind, holding him tight, her lips trembling.
“Is… she…?” Eve stammered, losing her grip of her rifle. “I didn’t…“
Our eyes snapped towards her. Nate’s teeth clenched, he put Mey down before flying up to his feet, hands balled into fists as he locked eyes with his target.
I threw myself in front of him, pressing him back. “Don’t Nate, you’re better than this!” I shouted at him, as he tried shoving me away.
Ashley placed a hand on his shoulder and he stilled.
“He is,” she said, her voice ice cold, her eyes slid up towards Eve. “ButI’mnot.”
Then she raised her gun and shot Eve.
I held my breath, watching in horror. The bullet pierced her through her shoulder, blood spilling.
Eve hissed, furrowing her brows as she locked eyes with Ashley, debating whether to run or pick up her own rifle.
“Ashley,” I whispered.
