26. Chapter 26
Josiah
Iran as fast as I could around the ship.
I threw anything and everything we might need into it.
I made sure that there was plenty of food, energy and supplies that we might need for this journey.
We would likely be on the run for a long time.
Possibly forever. It wasn't the life I wanted for her, but being alive was better than being dead.
I knew her and my brother would grow to accept that.
The Gilarian didn't know the galaxy in its entirety.
We could find somewhere to start over. We could just let someone else deal with this problem.
With everything ready and the ship prepped, I rifted back to the park where I had left Camille.
I found that I had rifted right behind Athia and watched as Kyril came launching like a bullet straight into Camille's body.
She never had a chance. She never even saw him coming.
My eyes could barely follow the speed of his movements, but when he hit her, she went soaring through the air, tumbling and flipping, legs and arms whipping and twirling every which way.
Just as quickly as Kyril had hit her, he was gone again.
Just giving Athia enough of a window to hopefully keep her alive.
Jerrod had obviously been holding his own, though I hadn't seen him yet.
My stomach dropped as she hit the dirt below.
The sickening crack everytime she rebounded from the ground made my stomach churn with rage and sadness and loss.
When she stopped rolling and sliding, she didn't get up. She stayed terrifyingly still.
My eyes immediately burned, chest tightened, throat constricted.
My body began shaking uncontrollably as the rage built past a point that I could possibly contain anymore.
I looked up at Athia, face blank, goosebumps spreading across my skin like a ripple in the water.
As her eyes met mine, I saw what could only be explained as true fear.
"You took everything from me," I said numbly, in a soft and terrifying voice. The quiet words carried and she started to slowly back away from me, looking like she might run. My eyes met hers and the panic became evident on her face. "It's far too late for that."
She looked at me confused as she went to take another step away, but I was already moving.
The muscles in my legs screamed as I launched forward moving faster than I had ever moved before—toward her, toward the worm that took everything from me.
I slammed into her with such a force that she flipped backward and her head hit the ground with a sickening crack.
I found myself on top of her body, punching her as hard as my arms allowed, repeatedly and without any restraint.
She sputtered and coughed as the blood began filling her mouth and lungs.
I had never understood the concept of 'seeing red' until that moment.
The rage filled me to the point of complete and utter loss of control.
When I realized where I was—realized what I was doing—there was nothing left of her face.
Nothing but a bloody crater where it used to be.
My fists ached and throbbed. I got up from the bloody mess underneath me and numbly began to move toward Camille's body.
I moved as quickly as I could, just trying to get to her.
Trying to hold her one last time before I met the gods.
As I got closer, I saw it. The tiniest spark of hope.
A glint of possibility. I found myself running.
"Camille!" I yelled wildly.
I ran.
I could still save us.
I could still get us out of here.
We didn't have to die today.
We didn't have to fight this battle that never should have been ours to begin with!
She moved again and she groaned as she started trying to pick herself up. Her eyes met mine and I took in a deep breath of relief.
"Camille! I'm going to save us!" I yelled.
I was so close.
So close to her.
I smiled. But she didn't smile back. Her eyes were suddenly widened, horrified. The change was immediate.
"JOSIAH! NOOOO!" she wailed.
I had stopped so close to her. The pain in my chest didn't make sense.
I looked down. And there in front of me, was a hand, holding a bloody mass.
I looked back up to Camille's eyes and even though I knew this was it.
I didn't regret it. I didn't regret that I tried to save us. I didn't regret anything at all.
"I… lo—love," I choked out in a rasp. "Y—you. Al—always."
And as things went dark, I dropped to the ground and drew my last breath.