Page 39 of Heart Shaped Wreckage
“I have no idea. It looked like he was killing you, and the next thing I knew, the stones were glowing, and that happened. We have to get out of here.” He looked terrified.
“Agreed. I…” I stood up and wobbled.
“What happened are you…” The look on his face told me everything I needed to know.
I placed my hand on my side, and as I pulled it away, golden ichor covered my hand.
“Fuck. That bastard must have grazed me.”
“Can you walk?”
“I can, but I’m not sure how far.” I managed to step out of the river and onto the bank. “If he comes back, it’s over.”
Kevin held the stones aloft and concentrated.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m doing what the stones want. I can feel it like they're guiding me. Why we came here is done. They want us to go to the next place. The last, I think.”
A golden swirl appeared in the air, and a doorway opened. I didn’t usually trust magical doorways, but I trusted Kevin. He had saved my life.
He wrapped his arm around me to help steady my steps, and together we walked through.
17
LANDON
We stepped out into a meadow covered with wildflowers. A small pond sat on the side with the largest cattails I had ever seen. It would have been beautiful if I weren’t so scared; I was about to pee my pants as I stared at my love in pain.
Heath fell to the ground. He was bleeding, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I mean, he had golden blood – what the fuck was golden blood? I took the clothes that I had stuffed in my bag and started ripping strips. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it was doing something unnatural to him. I wished I understood what it was or what to do to help him.
I wish I understood anything.
I tied the strips of torn fabric around his muscular torso and pressed them tightly against his wound. It was all I could do. I had never been a very good potion maker, and I…
I had never been a very good potion maker…
I knew that. How did I know that?
Something had triggered a change within me, revealing a glimpse of who I was. How and why? I didn’t have time to worry about it right now.
“I’ll be back.” I ran to the pond and grabbed a large lily leaf and cupped it so it could hold some water. I carefully brought it back and held it to Heath’s mouth. “Drink.”
He did, and then he lay down on the ground.
“Do you know what’s happening? Are you ok?”
“I’m… weak. I’ve never felt so weak. He must have grazed me with the blade. Its power is… It destroys that which is unnatural to it.”
“Meaning you?”
“Possibly.” He sighed. “Yes. After I lost my wings, we became an anathema to them. God turned us into the complete opposite of his angelic horde – his children – and we became shadows of them. A yin and yang, if you will.”
“What can I do?” I sniffled.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know if anyone knows. They have left us alone for so long that… I’m not the demon that he made me out to be, you know? I have tried to just… live my life as well as I can. The years were cruel, and then with time, I learned how to live… with humanity. All I’ve ever wanted is… to live.”
“He said you wore the human. What did he mean?” I soothed his brow.
