Page 104 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
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“Oh, Raith,” the Seer said, her silver eyes brimming with tears, the tiny crystalline droplets containing oceans of sadness and…compassion? But why would she feel compassion for the monster about to take her life?
He couldn’t think through the haze. All he knew was the compulsion to fulfill his given word. He had already reneged on two vows—not to hesitate before killing her, and not to fight his vows—and was already battling the insanity-inducing agony as a result.
Why was he delaying? Even now, through the fiery torture, he still couldn’t bring himself to act. Though his mind was numb, consumed with his objective, he still had the vague thought somewhere that killing her would be a terrible mistake.
It didn’t matter. He couldn’t fight it any longer. His broken vows were clawing into him, pushing him to act, blurring all coherent thought into one straight track—get the job done and be free from the compulsion.
He looked into those luminous silver eyes and studied those delicate features as if some part of him was memorizing them for the last time. Tears poured freely down her face, and she made no effort to stem them. The sadness and compassion were still there, but there was something else now…
Acceptance.
She had accepted her fate, yet she still felt compassion? He couldn’t comprehend it—couldn’t fight the pain long enough to try. He would think about it later when he was free again.
The wraith spread his wings wide and climbed to his feet.
One touch. One touch was all it would take to end her as he’d ended countless others before her.
“Whatever happens,” the Seer whispered, looking up at him with those fathomless eyes as she climbed proudly to her feet, “I’ll always love you.”
The wraith tilted his head, certain this was important. But he couldn’t think, couldn’t decipher why. Later, he would reflect. Now, he had to act.
Without a whisper of sound, he struck.
…
Raith lunged. Harrow screamed. She couldn’t help it—whether she loved him or not, he was here to kill her, and she was scared.
She didn’t want to die. She wanted to help Raith find his freedom. She wanted to go with Malaikah back to Kambu one day and help her retake her homeland. She wanted to learn more about her Seer roots and practice her craft. She wanted tolive.
They collided, falling to the ground, Harrow landing hard on her back. Raith’s enormous wings curved forward around his body, just the taloned tips solidifying. With lightning speed, he stabbed them deep into her shoulders to pin her to the ground. Another scream was torn from her lips as her blood began to flow.
She felt the razor-sharp tips of his claws at her throat. A flex of his fingers, and she would be dead.
But the wraith froze suddenly, head cocked in that feral way again.
He’s hesitating!Harrow tried to think through the haze of pain. Maybe she could reach him. Deep down, he didn’t want to hurt her. He was compelled by his vows, but her Raith was still in there somewhere.
“R-Raith.” Her shoulders were soaked with the hot stickiness of her spilling blood. Where his talons pierced her skin, a pain like fire scalded her. “Fight it. I know you c-can.”
Her teeth were chattering. From shock? Blood loss? Did it matter?
Still, he hesitated, and feeble hope began to rise in her chest. He was so shadowy, it was impossible to read his expression, but she swore she saw a tortured look in those fiery irises.
“Raith, fight this!”
His eyes narrowed. He was fighting. He was—
He shook his head roughly, face clearing. Blank again.
His claws flexed, but instead of tearing out her throat, he wrapped his hand around it. Squeezing tightly, though not enough to asphyxiate her. What—?
She started to burn.
This was the wraith’s killing touch she’d heard about. The agony was unbearable. Through his grip on her throat, somehow, she found air enough to throw her head back and scream to the sky. Was this what her mother had felt before she died? Was this what all the Seers had suffered?
In a way, it was strangely comforting that Harrow would die in the same manner as her family. Perhaps she was never meant to have survived that tragic day at all. Perhaps this was why the Water had led her here—she’d dodged her fate then, and now it was just correcting the oversight. And now, she would die with only love in her heart for the creature delivering her death.
