Page 140 of A Reign of Roses
Body arched over them. A human shield in wedding attire—no weapon, no powers, no armor—
Unmoving.
And my heart seized in my throat—
But he was…breathing. He was breathing. And I exhaled a bigger sigh than I thought possible to hold within my lungs and raced to them anew.
Ryder righted himself and brushed soot and debris from both girls’ hair, his body still blocking them as he scanned the space, looking around…
Where had Octavia gone? How had they made it out unscathed—
Rounding the last row of pews, my eyes found her. Octavia stumbled backward, choking as she staggered, a mighty engraved sword—a pommel with vines like Shadowhold’s gnarled forest—lodged perfectly in her heart. A direct hit.
Not Leigh’s, nor Ryder’s.
The older witch screamed, eyes down on her bloodied hands. And it was horror—genuine, bone-chillinghorror—that fueled that noise. That beautiful song of fear.
Her expression became one of agony for just a brief moment as she fought to dislodge the mighty blade from her chest—until she spasmed once and fell to the floor, eyes dull and unfocused.
I drew nearer, my limbs carried by both awe and confusion.
Until I tripped over something—
A body. At my feet.
No.
Stones above, no—
Face slack, body twitching, blood pooling around the gaping, magic-tinged wound in his gut—
Dagan.
“No,” I cried, dropping to my knees. “No, no—”
A high-pitched ringing sounded in my ears. My hands shook as violence quieted all around me, the mercenaries fleeing with the death of Lazarus’s witch.
And blood. So much blood—
Ryder spoke behind me. “He…he saved us. He—”
Lighte flowed through my hands and pressed to Dagan’s stomach. “Don’t let them see,” I sobbed. “Get them out of here!”
“Arwen!” Leigh cried behind me.
But then I heard three sets of footfalls take off.
“Dagan,” I said, swallowing blood and sweat. “Stay with me. You’re going to be fine.”
The flesh resealed under my palms. The blood dried.
“Dagan,” I said to him again, the temple becoming a quieting coffin of moans and wails. “I’ve healed you, see? You’re all right. You’re fine.”
I allowed myself to peer at his face.
Still. Eyes open but unfocused. Mouth slack.
My stomach heaved.
