Page 157 of Powerless

What gruesome symmetry.

I’m suddenly beside her, kneeling in a pool of blood.Herblood.

She doesn’t see me, doesn’t speak, doesn’t do anything but scream.

Anguish. I’ve never seen such anguish.

“Paedyn! Pae look at me!”

Nothing. No reaction.

More sobs. More blood.

I grab hold of the slick handle belonging to the dagger she is slowly pressing into her heart.

It’s covered in blood.

Blood so sticky it’s clinging to my hands, crawling up my arms, coating me in the one thing I will never be able to wash off.

I never wanted her blood on my hands. Never her blood.

Her head turns, ever so slowly, her tear-streaked face now angled towards mine.

“Make it stop.”

She’s whimpering.

Paedyn doesn’t whimper.

“It hurts so much. Just please make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop!”

Sobs are wracking her body, and I’m holding the knife still while she desperately tries to sink it into her beautiful heart.

“My hearthurts.”

More sobs. More cries to let her die.

This is wrong. This is so very wrong.

Paedyn is too strong, too stubborn, toospecial.

She can’t die. I won’t allow it. Not by her hand or anyone else's.

Her screams are splitting my soul, my head, my heart.

I can’t take it. I can’t take it. I can’t take it anymore.

I feel tears stinging my eyes, streaming down my face.

NowI’mbegging.

I’m begging her to stay. To live. For me.

I might even be screaming too, sobbing too, shaking too.

“Kai?”

My head whips around, and through my haze of hysteria, I make out a lanky figure looming over me.

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