I pat my pockets, groaning, I have nothing to tempt his loyalties. He holds his sword in one hand and a huge iron shieldin the other, dark red blood oozes from both. Glowering at us, he sneers, raising his sword.
Teagan picks up a rock and throws it towards him, smacking him on the head. He lowers his chin and growls under his breath, stomping towards her.
“Go!”she shouts, pushing me to the side, retreating into the keep.
I sidle out of his way, but not fast enough, his sword swoops down and slices me in my side. The gouge is piercing, burning a hole in my stomach, and I scream in pain. Teagan takes a step towards me. The guard grabs her by the throat, lifting her off the ground, and she gasps for breath. Her eyes locked on mine and gave me a small smile; with a twist of his hand, the guard snaps her neck.
Crying out, I reach my hand towards her as the guard dumps her body on the ground before turning his attention to me. My eyes focus on the guard's face, scarred and covered in blood.
My people’s blood. My family’s blood.
Anger seethes out of all my pores, raising my arm, a blast of silver lightning shoots out, his body spasms, until he falls to the ground dead. I struggle to stand up, rushing as fast as I can out of the gate, into the woods.
The dawn begins to break as we leave Eilia, my legs give in, and I fall to the ground. Slumping against a tree hidden behind the bushes, unable to move, I feel life draining from me, my injury too severe. There was something on his blade, I feel it burning my skin, forbidding it from clotting.
Andrina coos in my arms, unaware of the horror we escaped. I need to get further. I need to find somewhere safe for her. I lose myself in her beautiful brown eyes, her dad’s eyes. They flick side to side, observing the leaves swaying above ourheads, so innocent, unaware of all the horrible things life has to offer.
I pray to Misneach, and all the gods, that she will know love and happiness in her life. Tears fall as I picture the woman she will become, strong like her father and caring like me. Andrina’s lip begins to pout as if she understands we won’t have each other in the future.
“Don’t cry, beautiful girl,” I whisper.
In front of me, the darkness moves in a swift motion, creeping closer towards me until I am faced with Death himself. He stands tall before me, his black hood covering his face, but I feel his eyes watching me.
“Help me,” I beg.
Footsteps along the path scare me, rustling through the bushes closer to us, I try shuffling backwards, but I can’t move. I am caught between Death and this new presence. I know I’m not long for this world; I feel my life slipping away with each breath, my wound is now numb, my top soaked with blood, which continues to seep out of my side.
A man and a woman edge forward, leaning down towards me, “Don’t worry, we can help.”
Death edges closer, so close I can feel his icy breath. “Please help her, she has no one.”
I don’t know what I expect of Death. To spare her, to bless her? If that’s even possible. Death reaches forward, his dark skeletal fingers emerge from his robe. I flinch as he trails his brittle nail down Andrina’s head. A glowing red streak snakes from her forehead down her eye to her cheek, fading away when he lifts his hand as though it was never there. Maybe it wasn’t, and I’m imagining things.
“What unusual eyes. We’ll look after her, we promise,” the woman says beside me. Calmness washes over me, and I no longer feel any pain.
“Andi. Andi, wake up.”
My eyes slowly open to see Ronan leaning over me. “You were having a nightmare.” He leans back on his heels, holding an arm out to help me sit up. Ignoring his arm, I push up on my elbows, reaching for my canteen. Ronan keeps his eyes on me, his eyebrows knitted together, a muscle in his cheek twitching.
“What? You’re staring at me.”
Ronan’s eyes widen, he shuffles about in the tent before sitting at the edge of my bedroll, his hand resting near my own.
“You sounded like you were in pain. I thought something was wrong.”
I think back to the dream, I could feel the terror in my mother’s voice, the agony she felt hearing her family had been killed, the need to get herself and me to safety. I felt her power, similar to my own, the feeling that took over my body was the same.
Death’s finger, trailing a red glow down my face, my finger copies the motion down to my right eye, the odd one, red like the glow. What does this mean? What did Death do to me? Did Death gift me some of his power?
Ronan’s splayed hand stretches out towards mine, grazing my skin. I can’t ignore this intoxicating spark between us, but I just can’t. Not now. Not after everything. Instinctively, I lift my arms, clutching my body.My heart is not ready for this kind of connection, my body still aches for Myles, for the man I thought he was, the man who loved me. The broken shards of my heart are still being glued back together. But even when it’s finally healed, there will forever be a piece missing. A piece Myles took with him. It will never be whole again.
“It was just a dream, I’m fine. You can go back to your post.”
Caelan brought along two tents, one for me and the other for the off-duty men, each taking a turn guarding my tent.
“I can listen, I’m good at listening,” he says with a gentle smile, one I don’t think many folk get from him.
“I don’t need to talk about it,” I say, rubbing the sore muscles of my neck. I had gotten too comfortable in my time in Nu’cov, forgetting the unbearable pain of bedrolls.
