Page 78 of Shadow & Stars
The scream exploding from my chest surprised me. Guttural, the kind to curdle blood and shatter glass. I surged forward, diving into the path of the bullets.
Useless. I had no physical form to stop them as Ismael emptied the weapon into Xavier. His limbs flailed, the force of the impact sending him into a crazy dance, turning his body into lace.
I grabbed for him, screaming, as powerless as I’d been since Butterfly stuck me with the dagger.
The final bullet was the magic one, hitting Xavier between the eyes. His white orbs seemed to fracture like marbles smashed into concrete, black blood oozing down his face.
“Xavier!” My arms moved through him as I pleaded with every god to grant me the power to do something.
He fell backwards. Everything around me stopped, Xavier under a spotlight of horror. Nothing else existed apart from his second death. I tried to breathe, to summon my inner fires to stop this.
They fizzled to nothing, the swords of grief stabbing at me in every direction.
“I didn’t get to tell you…” My voice barely made a sound, my throat closing over my words.
This can’t be happening again…
Before Xavier’s body hit the floor, Butterfly’s dust swarmed him, clinging to him like iron filings on a magnet. It shimmered across his skin, wrapping every inch of him in golden light.
A surge of hope stole my breath. The dust would save him. Here came a new twist to this tale—a good one where I got to crash into Xavier’s arms and finally confess those three words to him.
He exploded, the force sending me flying across the street. I shot through a wall, pulling off a backflip in the empty ice cream shop.
Immediately, I hurried back outside. High on adrenaline, fresh waves of grief held at bay for the time being. They didn’t get to drown me just yet because this wasn’t over. This wasn’t real. This was all just another bead of horror on a string of bullshit.
Everything will be okay.
Xavier was gone. In his place sat a doorway cut into the air. Jagged around the edges, its center an iridescent gold. The dust around it parted like a curtain, falling at a slanted angle as if to avoid it.
Weird.
Xavier…
“What is this?” Ismael said.
“Be careful, Your Majesty,” Butterfly warned.
The king ignored him, moving closer to the door at the same time as me. We walked almost in sync, both of us confused.
“Where did he go?” Ismael asked me.
“No idea.”
Tanith hurried over. “With all due respect, My King, I would advise you not to?—”
“Be quiet!” he snapped at her.
She bowed, stepping back.
The doorway gave none of its secrets away. I saw zilch on the other side, just lots of pretty gold sparkles.
“Xavier?” I said at the same time as Ismael.
We looked at each other, the two loves of the spider demon acting like perfectly timed puppets on the same strings.
His love. I was Xavier’s love…
And you are mine…
