“You’re disgusting,” Kinsley gags, walking off with the others.
Elias has a similar mask of horror on his face. “I would rather jump off this cliff than witness that again.”
Soren huffs, sitting down and contemplating. “Without the elders, the site would make no difference. We’ll have to seek out another sanctuary and hope for better luck.”
Ezra makes a strangled sound of frustration. “Someone has to know! Anyone that was mated at one point would! We just need to find a mated flight or some widows and force them to talk. Maybe there’s a way to do it without the elders or the stupid sanctuary!”
She’s let go of my hand now, storming around in agitation and gesticulating wildly. Cai starts walking over to try to settle her down before her clothes burn off, but she’s too far gone.
“Let’s just be happy we made it out of this relatively unscathed,” I state softly, making her pause.
She groans, wiping an agitated hand down her face. “You’re right, I know. I’m just paranoid we’re going to run into the same problem at another sanctuary, but won’t all walk away that time.”
“She means she’s extra bitchy because it’s that time of the month,” Elias teases and she flips him off.
A shot fires and I whirl around on auto pilot, sinking my knife through a man’s throat and coating myself in another onslaught of blood. I twist it as I knock the gun from his hands, making sure he’s dead before spinning around, horrified about what I might find.
I turn just in time to see Eli’s shadowy form falling and Ezra desperately reaching for him before the smoke consumes them both.
Chapter 22
Ezra
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No, no, no, no, no! Not Eli. Please, Fates, take me instead. I can’t do it, I can’t live without him in my life.
My fingers brush his just in time, grabbing his hand before he tumbles over the edge. A sharp gust batters against us and I lose my footing, going over with him.
I refuse to let go. I tighten my hold into a bruising grip, pulling the two of us closer together. There’s no looking at how bad he was hit, no point. All I can do now is hold onto him, soak up a few more precious moments together.
“You’re going to be alright, Eli, it’s okay,” I openly sob, giving up all pretense of strength. “I’ve got you.”
His face is so pale, but his grip is strong in mine, or maybe that’s my hopeful imagination. “Love you, sister-mom.” His voice is a whisper, but it carries on the wind as if he screamed it.
Another sob wrenches out of me, blurring my vision. I hold him against me, refusing to look down. I won’t spend my last few moments terrified of what’s coming. I’m going to spend them holding onto everything dear to me, everything that made my life worth living.
