Zone Zero: Redemption (Book 2 of 3)

Chapter 13

"What is Alex's punishment?" I speak my words slowly and clearly and keep a stern eye locked on Cail. He still looks the other way but he soon turns to me with upturned lips.

Something about the way his gaze meets mine sends an uneasy shiver down my spine. Something is not right.

A glimmer of light catches my eye at the same time that Cail's smile widens. I follow the glimmer down to Cail's hand, unsure of what it could be. My own eyes widen in terror as I recognize the same silver blade of the dagger that I wielded only moments ago in my fight against Declyn.

"I'm so glad you asked that Evette." Cail adds cockily before plunging the knife into my chest, puncturing my left lung on impact.

Alex screams out from behind me as he realises just what has happened. Cail, in turn, hooks his arm under mine and drags me the several feet to Alex's cell and throws me to the floor.

I try frantically to inhale a gulp of air but it feels all in vain. I am gasping for air hysterically but I can barely feel my chest rise. Each struggled breath I take causing more and more anxiety to set in as I realise that the knife is still lodged into my chest cavity.

Alex reaches for me through the bars and utters a few words in another language that I don't understand. Old Gaelic maybe?

"Welcome to your punishment brother!" Cail beams with excitement at his own words as the penny drops for me.

"What the fuck are you doing Cail?" Alex screams at him while clutching tightly onto my hand.

I try to will my mouth to form words but each wound on my body is throbbing with the undeniable feeling of agony. I look to Alex, hoping that he will be looking at me but his attention is split between me and the madman otherwise known as his brother Cail.

"This is your punishment, Alex. You get to watch the one person in this entire fucked up world that you care about, die a slow and painful death."

With his words, Cail stands above me and tears the blade from my chest and brings it down again in another devastating blow. This time the blade punctures my abdomen, just an inch up from the wound that Declyn gave me.

I let out a half scream as I choke for air, unable to move from my place on the cold stone floor. The same place that my life will end.

A tear spills from my eye and meets the ground as I begin to accept what will happen next.

"Cail! Stop! Please, brother. Don't do this." Alex's cries are beginning to fade into the background as the pain of another blow sets in from my stomach.

I grip Alex's hand tighter and will the pain to be leave. I wish for it all to be over just as another searing jab presses into my flesh. Cail rips the blade from my flesh once more and the sound of metal hitting stone sounds as he throws it away behind him.

My eyes are glued to Alex's face but I can still make out what Cail's next move is. He makes his way to my feet and starts to drag me away from Alex. I try to hang on to Alex's hand but as Cail drags me further and further I struggle to reach. Alex in turn, flails aimlessly for my hand as well, all the while screaming at his brother to stop and for me to hang on.

As soon as our hands separate an emotional scream of agony sounds from Alex. I am only just out of arms reach now as Cail stops dragging me and instead makes his way to my head.

My long hair is tangled and filled with a mixture of blood and dirt and I feel it matt further as Cail twists his fingers through it to pull me up to kneeling. I feel so woozy and light headed that the room has already begun to spin wildly. Not long now.

"Do you see, brother? Do you see what happens when you cross me?" Cail spits his words at Alex and I can feel his disgust for his brother's actions.

"It was you and I, brother. We started this war and it was supposed to be you and I to finish it. Have you forgotten all that we have been through? You really want to throw it all away for some human?"

"Cail, please don't do this. She won her freedom fair and square. Let her go." Alex pleads for my life but I feel all hope is lost.

"You're right brother, she did win her freedom. She will die a free woman and you will live the rest of your life knowing that you can never have her. Enjoy your punishment, Aodhan." With Cail's final words he grips my hair tighter and tugs it to one side to expose the right side of my neck. With a force I have never felt, he tears his teeth into my flesh creating an opening for him to devour my blood as the world around me begins to grow dark.

For the last time I open my mind up to Alex and press through the instant headache that it gives me. I channel my thoughts toward Alex so that he can feel just how much he means to me. I want my last thought and action to revolve solely around him.

With my last ounce of energy I send Alex my final goodbye.

I love you Alex.

A/N - sorry for another cliffhanger but i couldn't help myself. Xoxox