Page 57 of Powerful

‘Well, in that case…’ I catch his arm, twisting it out with a jerk that forces a gasp from his lips.

He staggers back, eyes wide with hatred. ‘Why you—’ He stops suddenly, and I fear the worst when his eyes narrow. ‘On second thought, I think you’d be hurting far more if you simply watched her die.’

My chest heaves at his words, and before I can do something drastic, he spins on his heel and strides away. I’m left staring after him, breath shaky and palms sweaty.

I turn back slowly towards the arena, fearing what it is I’ll find there. When my eyes land on her, I can just make out the rope binding her wrists behind her back.

But it’s her fingers I focus on. They look wrong, oddly different to what I memorized from the many hours of watching her sew.

I squint, shading my eyes from the blinding sun.

And then I’m once again grasping the rail for support.

Her fingers are bent, swollen, broken behind her back.

Her sewing fingers. They have broken her sewing fingers.

Emotion clogs my throat, making it hard to swallow.

Those beautiful hands of hers. Those beautiful hands that have cupped my face, created countless pieces of clothing, clapped joyfully at the smallest of things.

And now they never will again.

I shake my head, fighting the tears that beg to fall.

No, this isn’t happening. Why would this be happening to her?

A blur from the edge of the circle emerges from the foliage. Blinking away unshed tears, I lean over the railing, catching a glimpse of a vaguely familiar figure.

Paedyn.

Dangerously, I let hope grab ahold of my heart, forcing it to sputter back to life.

If what I know about her is true, then the Silver Savior would never hurt her other half. With that as my only hope, I watch her tear through the sand towards a stumbling Adena.

I pray to whatever will listen. Beg with every ounce of earnestness. Offer my life for hers.

And yet, it appears that nothing was listening. Nothing even cared enough to hear me out, consider my pleas.

Because a branch plunges into her back.

I scream.

The sound rips my throat raw, managing to turn hundreds of heads in my direction.

I can’t look away, can’t see anything but the blood blooming across her back. The branch pierces straight through her to protrude from her chest and the beautiful heart beating there.

When her knees hit the sand, mine meet the concrete.

Tears slide over my skin as I watch Paedyn fall to the ground beside her. Watch her cradle that head of curls, cling to her broken body.

It hurts to not be holding her. My heart aches and my vision blurs. The box in my pocket grows heavy against my chest, right above the mangled heart beating beneath.

The needle will never have the pleasure of being held by her.

And neither will I. Not ever again.

I can barely hear Paedyn’s desperate shouts through the persistent ringing in my ears, but I keep my eyestrained on her, not daring to look away until she’s truly left me forever.

---