Page 136 of Echoes of War

Covert’s forces crumbled, their screams fading into the stifling mist. Those who remained untouched surveyed the courtyard in horror, fleeing back out through the gate yelling for retreat. I fell over Alexiares’ still body, his eyes flickered one last time beforeclosing. Nothing. There was nothing left, no string of his power left to tug in my soul.

“No! I didn’t get to tell you … Come back,” I whimpered, crawling over to start compressions, then backing off in remembrance of the healers warning. “Please come back, Alexiares. You have to know that I think … I think—fuck. I can’t say I love you, Alexiares. I can’t damn you that way. You and I, we were inevitable, and you are my infinity.”

I brushed my trembling fingers over the raised letters of my name over his heart. “It took us far too long to find each other, please, live.”

Hands gripped my shoulders, and I whirled in response, grabbing the gun from Alexiares’ holster, pointing it at the perpetrator. I sighed in relief, putting the safety back on as I took in who it was.

He kept his word.

I fell back, allowing the medics to huddle over him. They got to work. I fell back, gripping my knees to my chest rocking back and forth. “You have to fix him. Make him better. I’ll give anything to make him better,” I heard myself mumble, pleading with them to do a job they were already doing.

The one in the middle shook his head at the others, pulling back slightly.No. I rushed over, throwing my ear to his chest. No heartbeat where there should be. I kissed the side of his lips, tears streaming down the side of my face as I offered pleading eyes to the healers. They placed their hands back on his body, losing their balance as they used some of the final kernels of their magic to heal him.

Alexiares coughed, sitting up with a gasp, clutching at his chest, then his body. He cried out in pain, hell in every part of his eyes. I jumped back, colliding into the medic who’d kept his word.

“He must lie back down. He’s notstable,” he said.

I pressed my hand through his hair, pulling him into my chest for comfort then brought us both to the ground. I had no intention of letting him go, not ever again.

Reina

I’m going to murder him. My head throbbed, pounding incessantly as I tried to will myself to stand up, clutching the blade Alexiares had given me. I froze. Ahead of a plethora of footsteps, different levels of panic knocked me back to the ground.They were leaving?Surely this had to be some play. We were vastly outnumbered; I didn’t think anyone out here expected to see the inside of The Compound again.

Staying absolutely still was my only option as I listened to their forces pass over me. I kept my eyes closed, avoiding any direct contact that had the possibility of being made. Minutes passed and their steady trail of soldiers slowed. When it appeared only the stragglers and injured were making their way through, I slithered my way back against the tree.

Once I was confident enough to stand on my own, I pushed myself up. My back scraped against the tree. Holes and snags from battle withered my shirt, letting the skin underneath splinter from the bark.

I brushed the dirt from my arms and face, picking leaves out of my hair.What the heck did I miss?The woods had gone quiet, and I stilled. A twig snapped, every inch of my body going on high alert.

Rough hands snatched me back, pulling me tight against their hard body, bloody hands over my mouth. Terror overtook me, my arms wailing about dropping the blade. I looked around, desperate for an opportunity of freedom as I forgot all the time that I spent training with Amaia and Jax.

“Shhh,” my brother cooed in my ear. “It’s me. It’s okay, calm down.”

It being Seth left no extra ounce of comfort in my heart. Actually, the fact that it was my brother made me want to fight harder. He’d drugged me, or tried to kill me and failed, whatever the frick he’d done had left me susceptible for a far worse death than he’d offer me … I think.

I brought my hands behind his neck, sweeping my foot behind his and pulled down. He fell back but brought me with him. Seth pulled his left hand from my mouth, only needing one to keep me quiet. The cusp of his now free arm slid over my neck, cutting the air out from my throat.

“Reina, stop fucking fighting,” Seth urged. “I don’t want to put you to sleep to do this, please don’t make me.”

Desperate from some relief, some God-forsaken air, I nodded my head, making myself go limp in good faith. His grip on my airway loosened, and I gasped for air.

“One, don’t put your hands over my mouth again; you know how I am about germs. Your hands aren’t clean, I can see the blood.” I grimaced, body shuddering at all the guts and bacteriathat had violated my oral bio-dome thanks to him. “Two, what the heck are you talking about? Do what?”

Seth sighed, shoving me away from him to create space between us. LikeIwas the one with cooties; I was clean compared to him. He was a mess, his red hair darkened from blood. His boots had a hole in them at the toe and dirt covered him all over. There was a black eye, shattered nose and swollen jaw that hadn’t been there before he poisoned me too. Blood seeped through the fabric of his pants near his hip, another forming a handprint on his light colored shirt. Serves him right.

“Bringing you home to your family, doing what’s right. Keeping you safe, try to be more grateful.” Seth said the wordfamilylike it meant something to him.

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. “Amaia said no?”

It wasn’t a surprise. I knew she would; he did too whether he wanted to admit it or not. Our father probably knew it too, but wanted to at least pretend to give diplomacy a shot. Being a people person had never been his forte.

Seth nodded in confirmation. Those haunting blue eyes that made me hate what I saw in the mirror stared back at me with sadness simmering.Sad? What the heck does he have to be sad about? This is all his fault.

“That place isn’t my home, Seth, and despite us sharing blood, we aren’t family,” I ground out, pointing my finger in his face. “Family doesn’t hurt each other,familydoesn’t try to get each other killed. Something both you and Father have now attempted several times in my lifetime. That’s kinda a lot. All I wanted to do was protect you, but instead of seeing the best in me, the good in me, you set out to destroy me instead. The funny thing is, you didn’t destroy me, Seth, all you did was help me grow into who I was meant to be.”

His jaw ticked. “Maybe I didn’t need your protection,little sister.” Seth paused, trying to harness his anger. “None of thismatters. I’m making up for it now. You can hate me all you want, never talk to me again if that warms your heart. But you need to come with me; that is theonlyoption that keeps you safe.”

Seth took hold of my arm, yanking me toward him. I pulled free, scoffing at his audacity to tell me what’s best after his crappy decision-making skills.

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