Kingdom in The Sand

Gunfire (19)

"NO!" Marie-Fey screamed, horror making her sick as new fear flooded her at the sight of them.

Why had they come back?!

Why were they down here?!

"GO BACK!" she howled.

"No, come join us!" Zahir said, his voice thundering over Marie-Fey's as he lifted a hand, closed his fist like he was holding a rope and Maanah knocked Gharam aside right before Zahir pulled.

Maanah was wrenched through the air, her entire body hauled over the edge of the cliff and she careered downwards.

"Maanah!" Gharam screamed as Marie-Fey run for her but she slammed to the ground before Marie-Fey could reach her.

"STOP!"

The word rang such command, it didn't need power. Marie-Fey and Gharam froze in place, eyes spinning to Zahir as he looked down at Marie-Fey from the top of the stairs to where she stood halfway down.

"Let's. Stop. Running," he said, his voice a delicate, low hiss as he looked at her, eyes dark and cold. "You have used up every ghost I took such pains to collect, Marie-Fey. How many women gave up their final existence to keep you alive? And for what? You to be backed into a corner."

Marie-Fey gaped at him.

All used up?

So... so many women had been trapped in this chamber... and every one of them was... gone? She hadn't even seen most of them.

They'd faded away and she hadn't even realised!

"I suggest you stop running, because those still breathing are going next, Zahir growled, his eyes flashing to Maanah somewhere on the ground behind her and Gharam still on the ledge above.

Zahir didn't waste any further time as he flung his arm out towards Marie-Fey and something grabbed Marie-Fey's skirts from behind, hauling her downwards and off balance, hers and Maanah's cries blurring together as they both crashed down the stairs, the stone grinding to them, Marie-Fey landing hard on Maanah before bouncing off and they both collided with the floor at the bottom in a heap.

Marie-Fey struggled to draw in breath as the very air had been knocked out of her, rolling onto her knees painfully, before her eyes snapped to Zahir.

But his attention was on Maanah who lay motionless beside Marie-Fey.

She looked down quickly as a heart-shattered cry choked out of her as Maanah's lifeless eyes met hers, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Maanah!" she wailed, grabbing her friend into her arms as tears of shock burned her eyes, staring at her as she pushed her hair back, crying out as Maanah's head twisted in a way it shouldn't.

Trembling, her eyes flicked up to Gharam, who'd skin had turned white as she sank to her knees, staring at Maanah.

"Ohhhh my," Zahir muttered, his tone light and amused. "Marie-Fey what have you done?"

"I... but I..." Marie-Fey choked, hugging Maanah tight against her, tears flooding her eyes as she heard Gharam begin to scream, calling for Maanah to wake up.

"Oh my dear, you poor thing," Zahir sighed, walking down the stairs, eyes flashing with delighted amusement. "And this could have so easily be avoided."

Marie-Fey looked up at him, her eyes huge as her mind stalled, trying to overcome the shock and emotions she couldn't even name.

"I told you, if you'd just let things be. Just left things alone. Marie-Fey, look at what could have been avoided," Zahir said, his voice laced with toxic sympathy.

"This is your fault!" she cried and Zahir laughed.

"I wasn't the one who couldn't leave well enough alone," he said simply.

"It wasn't well enough!"

"Maybe so, for you. But nothing changes the fact that Maanah is dead, and it wasn't because of me. it's because of you."

He crouched down in front of her, resting his cheek on his knuckles and smiled.

"And now you've left Gharam all alone," he said softly and a new wave of guilt riding her tears flooded down her face. He smiled. "I think we should bring this little game of cat and mouse to an end. You've caused quite enough damage."

He reached out to her and Marie-Fey just stared at his hand, her muscles frozen, clamped tight around Maanah even as her mind screamed for her run.

A gunshot resounded through the chamber and Marie-Fey stared at the cracked round hole that appeared in the centre of Zahir's forehead, his eyes stunned and empty, hand inches from her face, before his body tumbled back, as lifeless as Maanah.

"Marie-Fey!"

She slowly looked over her shoulder eyes still wide and unfocused as she looked to see Constantine and Zaydan high above beside Gharam, Constantine's firing arm still raised, the barrel of the gun smoking.