Page 31 of Shadow & Stars
Roman!
The wave diminished, the pressure on my body easing. When it finally gave way completely, I slid down the slope, coughing violently. My broken arm dragged behind me, my eyes on fire from the sand. I came to a stop on wet sand, most of the rainwater smothered by the grains.
Roman…
Suppressing the pain, I angled my face to the relentless rain and the endless dust. Let the water wash me clean, opened my mouth to flush out the sand as best I could.
“Roman…” I pushed my hair from my eyes, blinking through the downpour.
Butterfly staggered across the sand, collapsing to his knees. “My goodness…” He was caked in sand. “Where… Where are the humans?”
I searched the changed landscape, running around newly formed dunes. No sign of Roman, Darcy, Margarite, or Roman’s demon servant.
“If he is dead, we have no hope,” Butterfly said unhelpfully.
I grunted, distress poking at me. “He’s not dead.”
“It is a possibility. Death comes to us all.”
I snarled at the wanker. “Except for you.”
He lowered his gaze, saying nothing.
“Start looking,” I ordered, holding my broken arm to my chest.
A maelstrom of fear and dread raged inside me. The worst outcome was too close to a real possibility.
No. Roman and Darcy had to be alive. There was no alternative.
I walked the drenched sand again, unsteady on my feet, checking the sky for any signs of another falling piece.
“We have to leave this place.” Butterfly offered another unhelpful suggestion.
Yes, I’d already come to that conclusion. I didn’t need the pompous demon to reiterate it.
I climbed a dune, scurrying down the slope into a quickly flooding basin. Butterfly followed, grunting with effort. The scents of the human realm tainted the air. Pollution and different air to this realm flooding the desert as much as the rain.
Turning the next corner, my breath caught in my throat. A glittering bubble sat on the sand.
“What is it?” Butterfly asked.
As if in response, the bubble popped, revealing Roman, Darcy, and the lizard demon.
Safe.
Alive.
Where was Margarite?
Roman spotted me. He jumped up and ran across the sand. I launched into my own run, hearts on fire, relief projecting me closer to him.
He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive.
“Oh my God!” he cried, taking a stumble. He corrected himself, picking up speed.
We collided in a hug, crushing each other in a powerful embrace. Roman, being shorter than me, sobbed into my chest. I stroked the back of his head with my good hand, kissing his crown.
My bad arm dangled painfully to my side, but each sharp stab of agony was worth it if I got to hold my human.
