Page 89 of A Broken Promise

He grabbed my hand tight, a sudden moment of gained clarity, and shoved a few papers in it.

“I need you to take these to the Rebels.Promise meto deliver these to them. Our future depends on it.” He commanded me in the tone of the commander of the Royal guard. I stumbled in thoughts, in feeling, in words.

“I am not a Rebel.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know how to get to them. I… I won’t even make it out of here,” I protested.

I knew this was a Deadman’s promise. A promise I couldn’t keep.

I had given so many broken promises it made me sick to think of one more.

I couldn’t.

“You might not be a Rebel, but you are a fighter. I need you to deliver them,please.Please, promise me.”

“I don’t even know where to find Rebels. I am a runaway slave, Kaius. I am no soldier,” I said, wincing at the truth spoken out loud.

A runaway slave.

A slave.

I never said it out loud, not like that. Not admitting something that constantly nagged in my mind.

I was no Magic Wielder, no soldier, or a fighter. I was a runaway, useless slave. Chains might have been gone, but I still felt like a prisoner.

He shoved the papers back into my hand, our eyes locking in. His bright blue eyes flickered with the silver streaks.

“Arunawayslave. You’veescapedslavery, not many people do that. You’ve survived this far, and you’ve killed a Kahor, and… you’ve saved my life. Don’t let fears diminish your true capacity.” He clasped my hand in his.

“I don’t even know where or how to find them?” I countered in desperation. “I spent months looking for them without a single trace.” Now tears were a stream running on my cheeks, I wiped them quick.

“Go as far north as you can, and you’ll find them. Go past the Cursed Forest. Find Gideon. He will know what to do with these.Promiseme.”

I hated myself for saying it as my mouth slurred the words.

“Ipromise.”

“Thank you.” He smiled in relief as if he was finally able to rest.

“Take this ring.” Kaius pulled the large family crest ring off his finger and handed it off to me. “When you find the Rebels, give it to my wife and my son. Tell them… tell them that I loved them more than I loved anything else in the world. Tell them that I am sorry. So …so sorry.” His voice broke then, small shrugs now interrupting his body convulsions. “I am so sorry…. Tell my Ophelia to never let her light go dull. Tell her that I will see her again. That Gera and I are reunited now, that we will watch over them and we shall see her again one day, on the other side of the veil.”

He clenched his jaw, shaking uncontrollably. I held him tighter. A second later he turned completely still, his body now so heavy and limp against mine.

I sobbed then.

The tears poured out of me like a spring river overflowing its banks.

I sobbed until there were no tears left, until my eyes hurt, and my lips cracked.

I wasn’t sure why I cried so much, but it broke me.

I hadn’t cried like this in years. I hadn’t cried like this since I was in the charcoaled forest, covered in ash. I hadn’t cried like this since the day I lost everything.

It was all too much. So much to cry about. So much to pour out.

But the tears began to stop, the shaky breaths slowed, and I sat in the cold cave, feeling so drained and numb. There was nothing inside of me of substance, just pure emptiness now. I still clung to Kaius’s body, not willing to let go of him yet. I rested the back of my head against the cold wall. My arms ached from hugging him, and my legs had long fallen asleep.

As if some cruel joke, my mind ran to an ironic phrase that was so commonly spoken today.

“Happy Death Day, Finn,” I said to myself and then added, “Happy birthday, Daughter of the Dead.” I bit my bottom lip again; afraid I’d spiral down into the abyss.

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