Sawyer shifted his attention towards Kohen and gulped. “What would be considered aright reason?”
I pondered for all of a second. “This, I suppose, since it’s being used to help someone. Challenging the honesty of others. Neither of those things seem overly wrong in my opinion, but Isuppose that will be up to the gods when it’s time for her soul to venture into the veil.”
“Okay. But?—”
I turned towards him. “I don’t know, Sawyer. I’m not a god. But Venay clearly knows more about this than we do, and she doesn’t seem overly concerned about her afterlife, now does she?”
Our conversation vanished when Kohen’s body jolted back. Venay relinquished her hold on him and he used his palms to brace himself on the stone. She continued to chant, dropping her neck back and lifting her arms towards the veil.
The moonlight attracted to the glinting dagger, the steady glow intensifying with every blink of my eyes. Kohen's blood blended with the cosmic energy, and the two substances curdled together before settling in a clump on top of the blade.
“Definitely dark magic,” Sawyer whispered into my ear.
Kohen shrieked, the nightmarish scream so primally raw that it made my eardrums ache.
Sawyer’s arm shot out in front of Pia as she leapt forward, keeping her back. “Don’t.”
“It’s okay.” My arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her quaking torso still.
“I can’t watch,” she stuttered, turning her neck to the side.
“You don’t have to. Close your eyes.” I took her hands in mine, directing them upwards to block her vision.
Venay’s pale, gaunt hands settled upon Kohen’s head, applying pressure and keeping him down. Her chanting ceased when her head fell to watch him thrash. She was completely frozen while he wailed with each jerk and anomalous whip of his body.
A sheen of sweat dripped down Kohen’s forehead—his brown hair already soaked with it. Tears streamed down his caramelskin while his head convulsed side to side as if he was in pure denial of what he was seeing.
Mother of gods. I felt horrible for him, and though I would have taken his place in a heartbeat, a part of me was grateful that Iwasn’tin his place.
Venay’s hands weren't strong enough to fight his strength, and Kohen thrusted up to a stand. His back arched so far it looked as though his spine could crack. His head tilted back towards the sky and he screamed into the nothingness of the night.
Pia sobbed. My arms tightened around her, praying that she wouldn't try to run to him and screw this up.
“We are almost there,” Venay confidently called out, her tone a plea for Kohen to hold on. “I can almost feel it.”
Kohen growled an animalistic, misery-coated sound. His head ripped back and forth as if he had no control over the motion. His hair almost looked black with his sweat. His eyes were empty.
In an instant he went silent, slamming to his kneecaps. He braced himself on his forearms, dropping his forehead to the cool rock patio.
The glow of the moonlight fled the blade to return to the heavens, leaving only Kohen’s clotted blood.
Venay reached out and granted Kohen a reassuring pat on the shoulder.You did good,I read her lips.
Not waiting a single second, we all rushed forward. Sawyer pulled Kohen upright, bracing his limp body against his chest.
“What did you do to him?” Pia cried, cupping Kohen’s cheeks in her hands. She frantically jolted his head back and forth, though he was hardly conscious.
“He is okay,” Venay answered simply, rubbing dirt from her palms into her robe, “he is in shock. The blade was linked deeper to Sebastian than I had expected it to be. Kohen experiencedeverything Sebastian is currently going through all at once. He just needs to rest. I will give him something so that he doesn’t remember any of it when he wakes up.”
“I’ll take him to the infirmary ward.” Sawyer picked a slumped Kohen up, throwing him over his shoulder as if he was as light as a feather.
Pia’s tears splashed on the stone as she shuffled behind them.
I felt the color fade from my skin, no doubt leaving me with a similar pallor as the moon.
Sebastian had been going through hell. Gods… I had been so horrible to him. I hardly even let him speak to me. Hardly let him explain.
I thought I would be sick.
