Finally—finally—the emergency room doctor steps through the door and closes herself in with us.
Her expression is guarded. She sees the blood I’m wearing and speaks directly to me. “I’m told you’re Asher’s only family?"
I stand, and try to swallow past the lump clogging my throat. “Yes.”
Wylder and Orion stand, flanking me.
"His parents passed when he was a kid. It’s just us.” My voice sounds strangely calm despite my soul shattering. "Is he?—"
She reaches forward to touch my shoulder. “I'm so sorry. The injuries he sustained were too extensive. Our team did everything possible, but?—"
The rest of her sentence fades into static.
My hearing goes fuzzy. Muffled. Like I'm underwater.
No.
“Would you like to sit with him a moment to say goodbye?”
Wylder’s deep, resonant tone responds, and then we’re moving. I don't remember moving. I don’t remember how to move, but a moment later, we’re standing in an emergency room cubicle, and my best friend is lying on the table in front of us.
They cleaned him up. It’s strange for that to be my only thought, but it is. They’ve wrapped his neck in gauze and tucked his arms under a clean sheet. There wasn’t much to be done about the side of his face, but as horrific as he looks, I appreciate their effort.
Orion rounds the gurney and folds over Asher’s chest, crying.
“We’re here, Poppy.” Wylder’s voice is deep and thick with concern. I can’t look at him. I can’t look away from the empty shell of what used to be my other half.
What am I going to do? He is my light. Without him, I’ll never be able to fight the darkness.
“Poppy? You’re scaring me.”
Why? What am I doing?
The cubicle is still. Quiet.
Asher lies on the bed, pale and motionless. His onesie is gone, replaced by a hospital gown.
Machines sit silent beside him.
No beeping. No monitors. No need for them.
Wylder moves into my line of vision and pegs me with his concern. “Hallowind? You need to breathe or cry or something. You’re scaring me.”
He wraps his hands around my wrists and unleashes a rush of healing warmth. Maybe it’s the look on his face, or the warmth of his magic, or just the fact that my soul is obliterated, but the dam holding back my emotions breaks.
Heart-broken sobs take me over as my world shatters. The pain is indescribable. It consumes me and expands out of my body to surround and crush me.
Wylder tries to comfort me, but there’s no comfort to be had. I ache to a depth and breadth of my being that I never thought possible.
I scream. It's raw. Guttural.
I climb onto the gurney and lay down beside him, wrapping my arm over his chest, squeezing my eyes shut until stars burst behind my lids.
Please, Goddess Mother, I beg you. Please let this be a nightmare.
Let me wake up.
Let him be okay.
