Morons and Monarchs

Chapter Thirty-Six: Ahmya💞

I watch as Thanatos tumbles from the sky, his hair going in every direction and his life slipping from his fingers. I watch, frozen with horror, my heart thundering.

I jump, and run and I don't know what I do but I know I can't stop.

"NO!" I think I scream, and I am running, my feet hitting the gravel with a scary procession. "STOP!" I try again, begging mother earth to help me. To do anything but fail. I think I am still screaming, I think my knees hit the ground. I think that pain sears across my legs... I don't care.

He is still falling, and all I can see is his pale face becoming dust as it slides along the gravel beneath my feet, as a flower erupts from his dark, unforgiving heart.
I can't imagine him dying. I can't. I can't imagine his body falling, I scream. The sound is endless as it explodes through my gaping lips.

My hands reach up to my cheeks, trying to make sure they don't fall like the rest of my body has. And I cuddle into them. The palms of my hands pressing into my eyes as liquid leaks from them. I whimper again, my scream too loud yet too soft.

I lower my palms and grasp my hands into fists, letting my fingernails dig into my skin.

He will not die!

I stand up on shaky legs.

He will not die!

I spread my feet apart and let my fingernails dig harder into my palm.

He will not die! '

I repeat the profit over and over again. Until it is a promise and not a wish.

Until it becomes reality.

He will not die!
He falls quicker, his eyes are still closed but the wind whooshes around.

HE WILL NOT DIE! '

Pain surges through me as my fingernails tear through flesh. Blood splatters the ground and I raise my head, yelling at the gods and at whoever advised this to happen.

"HE WILL NOT DIE!" I scream one last time before a weight overtakes my back. Until I stumble backwards and my flesh parts. My magic flowing through me as bright white wings spread around my form. I wince from the sudden pressure.

I shift, rolling my shoulders. Trying to adjust to the new weight. But I don't have time before darkness overtakes my vision and I am in the air. My feet off the ground. I scream again as I see the two fae-anoid shadows holding my shoulders. I push off of them, my wings backing me up and they really start to work.

I shift again, my legs dangling awkwardly as I beat my wings and try to use the air to move me to Thanatos's direction. It works. And I use my hips to help guide my movements.

His eyes finally open, and they are glassy. His arms reach out toward me before crumpling back to him.

"Ahmya..." He stares at me in shock or admiration, I don't know.

"Thanatos!" My voice cracks.

The same shadows that held onto my arms swirl around him, and he laughs. A sound too bitter to be joyful.

"Hello, my darlings." He murmurs. And I reach out, lightly, to touch him as we both fall and I let my wings fold. Realising that the shadows only want to save him.

He will not die...

He will not die!

He actually will not die!

A sob escapes me and he looks back at me as I grasp his sleeve. Both of us fell to the ground at the same pace. I look down at the gravel so close to us and realise that the shadows are piled there. I let go.

My wings uncurl and the wind glides me back down to the ground. My feet found purchase at the last moment that Thanatos catapulted on top of the shadows. Sorry... his darlings.

The shadows slip out from beneath him and he lays flat on the ground.

"I hate you!" I scream at him in anguish.

"Who?" He grins cheekily. My mouth, I think, is agape. "Tell me you hate me."

"I hate you," I repete.

He tuts. "With my name."

I glare. "I hate you Th-th-th..." My throat turns to molten lava and I glare as the fire surges up my neck.

His grin broadens. "Knew it." My glare intensifies. I can't lie. Viviendel is lucky.

"I am mildly mad at you, Thanatos." I say instead.

He shrugs. "You will get over it. Now, come." He lifts his arm up and I snuggle beneath them.

"Look at that star, it was looking after me." I look back up at the sky. The star my son pointed out earlier. The same one that all of us Grand Revolts point out.
Araceli, we named the star after a conspiracy theory. Once in a good while, when one of us is in peril, we see the new star enter the sky. We think it is Araceli, watching over us from the heavens. Nobody knows, and nobody has dared ask.

I lay my head against his chest. Eager, already, to return home and forget this ever happened.

"What were you thinking?" I ask him, my brow wrinkled.

"I wasn't."

I scoff. "CLearly. What about me, what about Garbhan?" His eyes flash. "He loves you, Thanatos! He relies on you." I hit him on the shoulder. Hard.

"I fell asleep. How is that little guy anyhow?" He changes the subject and I have the sudden urge to hit him again.

"He is good."

We lay there is peace for a moment until I get up and leave shaking my head. I was just going to come meet him and ask if we could go over the heist plans, but Thanatos seems to just want to be hit harder as the seconds tick by.