Beyond Her Final Breath (Book 1- Shadowland Duology) | Wattys2015

.Chapter Thirty.

Sage sat next to Nate's bed, head resting on the mattress as she waited for him to wake up. He'd been stuck in a dream-like state for almost two days, and she was getting worried. She had told her Grandma that he was sick, and she seemed content with the excuse.

For now.

Soft evening light cast a warm glow on Nate's face. He seemed younger, peaceful, in his sleep. The worry that seemed to permanently etch itself on his face lately had smoothed out. It seemed impossible that he was a suspect for Evelyn's murder.

But when he woke up, they would finally know.

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, he stirred. His fingers twitched at his sides. He groaned and opened a bleary eye.

"What happened?" He propped himself up on his elbows, and he frowned when he saw he was still wearing jeans. "Why..."

A darkness crossed his face. He was remembering.

Sage watched, fear in her throat. What would she do if he murdered Evie? Could she turn her brother in? Could she kill him? She swallowed hard.

Nate's eyes suddenly widened. He tried to bolt out of bed, but between his weak arms and Sage pushing him down, he was stuck. Fury was written all over his face.

"I am going to murder him!"

Relief washed over Sage like a rainstorm when she was dying of dehydration. He was pissed, no livid, at someone. Hate and anger practically oozed out of him. Nate couldn't be the murderer. But as quickly as relief had rained down, it dissipated. Worry replaced it.

"Nathan." Her voice was soft and barely above a whisper. "Who was it?"

A strong emotion spun in her like a tornado. Her stomach rolled; her heart raced.

Pain creased Nathan's face. She could see the turmoil in him. His eyes, so blue and no longer innocent and instead was tormented, met her's.

"Blake. It was Blake." He swallowed. "Blake killed Evelyn."

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Nate needed out. The walls, Sage's eyes on him, and the knowledge of Evie's death were pressing down on him. Suffocating. They were closing in around him like a shrinking concrete box. He couldn't breathe. He needed out.

"I'm going to go on a run."

Sage frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Nate made a weird, strangled noise in his throat. "I need out, Sage. I need to clear my head. I need to wrap my mind around the fact that we're going to need to-"

Sage pressed her lips in a thin line. "Kill him," she finished.

A heavy sort of silence thing between them. The knowledge of everything pressed down on them both, flooding into their lungs and drowning them. They would have to kill him for the greater good. Evie needed to pass on and soon, or Reapers would start to kill and bring death upon the town.

Even with the new hatred for Blake rushing through them, they both felt a pang of losing a childhood friend.

"Don't do anything stupid," Sage said.

What she meant was, Don't go looking for Blake and killing him.

He gave a brief, humorless smile and got out of bed, knees popping from his time stuck in bed. He left Sage in his room and went downstairs.

Nate swung open the door and almost dropped the bread he had grabbed on the way out.

Blake was standing on his front porch. One hand was raised to where the door had been like he was about to knock; the other hand was shoved deep in his pockets. He raised an eyebrow at the bread in Nate's hand and the edgy look on Nate's face.

"I thought you were sick."

I'm sorry. Nate closed his eyes at Evie's last words. Emotional pain racked his body, and hatred burned. Icy fear clashed with his hate, making a tingling burning freeze him to the spot.

"Oh, I, um, am feeling better."

In his mind he was screaming for Sage, begging her to somehow fix the situation. Even despite her crazy mood swings and lack of judgement, she was the voice of reason for him now. Before Evelyn's death, he had been the reasonable one, favoring logic over emotion. Math or creativity. But Evie's death jarred him hard and knocked his emotion and logic balance off.

Blake's eyes narrowed like he could sense Nathan's internal struggle.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Nathan spluttered. "No. Of course not. Why would you think such a thing? I felt bad this morning and now I am feeling better."

Blake's eyes traveled to Nate's fidgeting fingers and his face hardened. "You're lying to me."

Blood rushed up Nate's neck. "I'm not." He tried to make his voice strong and confident, but instead it came out as a hoarse whisper.

"You know, don't you?" Blake's eyes chilled, and he gave a thin-lipped smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Dread coiled in his stomach. Blake's voice sent chills of fear throughout Nate. HIs mind was on overload. He knows we found out!

Blake turned on his heel and left a frozen Nathan still standing in the doorway. He snapped to his senses and slammed the door shut. He ran back up the stairs to his sister.

Out of breath, he said, "Sage. He knows."

I know this is a really short chapter and that you guys are just dying to know what happened between Evie and Blake. You will learn in due time. Just keep showing me some love (mainly by the vote button), and I might update early.

-Sophia ^_^