Page 109 of Shadow & Stars
He’d lost all reason.
“Well? What do you have to say?” He slipped, cracking his knees on a jagged piece of rock. “Xavier!”
A faded part of me called out to go and help him.
I stomped it out of existence.
Ismael got back up, black blood blooming in the material around his injured knee.
“You never loved me, Xavier.” He continued, stumbling closer. I watched him struggle, braced for a fight.
“Where was the support? Where was the love? What happened to my consort?”
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Ismael pulled a curved blade from his coat. “You forgot our days of pleasure and romance. You forgot about me.”
He was mere feet away now, the blade glinting as he raised it above his head.
“As far as I’m concerned,” he practically whispered, “you are dead.”
Ismael leaped through the air, releasing a bloodthirsty scream. I dove to the side before his weapon skewered my head, performing a forward roll across debris. Jutting corners cut my hands and sliced into my arms. I ignored the warm sensation of flowing blood, spinning to face my ex.
His eyes were wild with rage, lips curled into a snarl. He charged at me again, lashing out with the blade.
“Just die!” he screamed, shocking my ears.
He took advantage of my surprise, landing a stab into my left shoulder and twisted the blade, laughing as he tore my flesh.
I growled, smacking him in the face with a right hook. He staggered backwards, taking the blade with him. His arms pinwheeled and he lost his balance, falling hard on his backside.
He screamed out his wrath, jumping back onto his feet. I delivered a kick into his chest. He went back down, landing awkwardly on his right arm. I heard it break, his wail sickening.
“No!” he bellowed. “No! No! No!”
He scrambled across the debris, searching for his blade. I couldn’t see it myself.
“You will not have me!” He picked up a rock and threw it. I ducked just in time.
This was it. My enemy on the floor. The man I used to love. I had to kill him here if I wanted to get to Roman. Because he would never stop.
Old feelings resurrected the part of myself I’d just stomped on.
“I don’t want to kill you,” I said.
Even after this, I couldn’t see myself taking his life. It was bad enough hurting him.
He spat blood. “Nonsense. You hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Liar!” he screamed. “Do it! Kill me! Let me see the monster you truly are.”
I was the monster?
