Chapter 49
T
he space around them constricted, bearing down on her senses.
This can’t be happening, she thought, a surreal tableau that seemed ripped from the fabric of a nightmare.
The arrow lodged in her chest tightened its grip, a tangible reminder of the harrowing reality.
His gaze, laden with a venomous blend of hatred and fear, pierced through her, inflicting a deeper wound than the physical pain she was feeling.
Her face contorted in anguish, a portrait of suffering, but he remained indifferent.
Preparing another arrow, his intent was clear.
With a cold detachment, he unleashed the projectile, his eyes never leaving hers.
She raised her hand, intercepting the lethal trajectory just as it grazed her forehead.
The arrow’s tip traced a crimson line down her nose, staining her parted lips with the bitter taste of her own blood.
“Kaed,” her voice barely a whisper, trembled with a mixture of confusion and pain, “Why...”
He cast his bow aside, a metallic thud echoing in the charged silence.
From his hip, he drew a sword with a golden hilt that gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
The radiant glow momentarily blinded her as he charged forward with an intensity that matched the escalating tension in the air.
She shook her head, an indescribable pain tearing through her heart like never before.
Her legs betrayed her, and she crumpled, helpless, watching him approach step by step.
The once beautiful face, the one that had brightened entire rooms with his smile and chastised her for her recklessness, now contorted with pure rage.
The symbol of bravery that had been her anchor was now nothing but a vessel for fear, all directed at her.
As his blade descended, her hands instinctively clamped over it, halting its deadly trajectory just inches from her chest. Her fingers bore the sting of the blade’s edge, its tip menacingly close to piercing her.
He aimed directly for her heart—the very heart that had beaten for him, the one that had killed thousands for him, the heart he had sworn to protect and love for eternity.
“Why,” she asked once more, desperation lacing her words.
“You did this to me!” His voice felt distant, a far cry from the gentle, caring Elf she had come to love. It resonated with a bitterness that echoed through the space between them. “You took my life from me!”
“I don’t—” Heat welled behind her eyes, and though she was on the brink of tears, he showed no remorse for his words or the actions he took against her. “—understand.”
“My life! You took my life! You filthy witch. You destroyed it.” The accusation hung heavy in the air, each word a searing indictment that shattered the fragile connection they once shared.
She released the blade gripped in her hands, the pressure he was applying allowed for him to cut right through. He flinched, visibly taken aback by her unexpected compliance as the steel pierced her. With hands bloodied and trembling, she reached for his cheeks before he could withdraw.
“I’m so sorry—” Tears streamed down her cheeks, her words choked with emotion as the blade cleaved through her heart, causing her to cough. “I never meant to hurt you… I only ever wanted to protect you.”
“You are a monster,” he spat out, turning the blade in his hands.
“Please… don’t do this… I love you—” she looked down at his hands, which were stark white, attempting to carve her heart from her body.
“You deserve to die for what you did!”
Shaking her head, her entire body vibrating with a mix of fear and regret, she whispered, “You were always afraid of me…”
As Kaed prepared to use all his might to silence her, she uttered a faint, desperate plea, “Jayce…”
The air reverberated as Kaed vanished from her sight, replaced by Jayce who swiftly enveloped her in a protective embrace. His wing cocooned around her, his face etched with pain. Blood was scattered across him, but it didn’t look like his, thank the skies.
As approaching footsteps echoed, Jayce shifted his gaze from her to Kaed, who was regaining composure and heading back their way.
“Kaed, come on, we need to go—” Jayce’s urgent call hung in the charged air. However, as Kaed stooped to retrieve his bow and cock an arrow, Jayce’s expression morphed from concern to bewilderment. “What...”
When the arrow was released toward them, Jayce deftly swatted it away with his wing, narrowing his eyes at Kaed.
Jayce… We need to go, she slipped through his window.
“Kaed—”
Leave him.
As she said the words, Goddrick appeared beside Kaed.
They were both rearing to attack again. Side by side, they stood, an unsettling image of an unexpected alliance that cut deeper than any physical wound.
The sword lodged in her heart was not the only source of pain; seeing her tormentor and rapist standing beside the man she loved, as though they were allies, that inflicted wounds on her soul.
“Kaed, please. Come with us,” Jayce pleaded one last time.
She coughed, blood filling her mouth. The blade, still wedged in her chest, preventing her body from healing through it. With a feeble hand raised toward Kaed, Jayce mirrored the gesture.
Goddrick extended his arm, as if shielding Kaed. A smirk played at the corners of the god’s lips, signaling her defeat once again.
“Jayce, please—” her words were muffled by the blood welling in her throat, and in that moment, they vanished. The wether opened and closed in a heartbeat, and she was greeted by the scent of saltwater and the rush of fresh air.