Chapter 56
Lyv and Roshan raced back toward the camp, not stopping once to even take a break or slow even for a moment. Her dragon knew something was wrong, too, and didn't even need her to urge him to fly as fast as he possibly could.
Lyv was screaming for Jai, grasping at the tatters of the bond between them, trying to find his end in the darkness.
She found absolutely nothing but that peaceful silence and the echoes of his I love you all around her.
"Fly, Roshan. Fly!"
The land below them rocketed past so quickly, Lyv couldn't make sense of where they were or how long it would be until they reached the camp. The sun was setting behind the dense clouds, what little light they still had quickly fading away. Without even thinking, Lyv held out one hand then threw the orb of blue light ahead of them to light the way. It zoomed ahead of them, guiding them, showing them where they needed to go.
Right toward the break in the clouds where the moon and stars shown brightly.
Lyv screamed in her head again for Jai.
Silence.
Gods, the silence was absolute torture.
Was this how it was for him when she'd gone fully dark? Is that what happened to him? Did he lose her just as he'd lost her?
If she did...there was absolutely nothing that would be able to stop her path of rage until she got him back.
But even then, the bond between them had been pulled taunt, though blocked by the dark magic that put up a ward between them.
No. No. She absolutely refused to think of what the frayed end meant.
Seeing the break in the clouds just as she did, Roshan flew even more swift, letting out a roar of warning at their approach. There was nothing but the darkened, burned out forest, but then small specks of light appeared. The fires that blazed throughout the camp.
This time, Lyv screamed Jai's name aloud, her voice cracking as soon as she did.
Two answering roars sounded from Erly and Chesnan as Roshan circled around once, twice before landing in the clearing where they were.
Clear on the other side of camp where their tent still stood.
"Jai!" Lyv screamed, jumping down from the saddle.
Right into the ash and blood that absolutely covered the ground beneath her boots.
This time, her scream was in pure desperation.
"Jai!"
She ran as fast as she could through the camp, passing by the dozens of bodies of the fallen, seeing the gashes from blades along their bodies, the gray veined patterns along their skin.
Mother above, the dark creatures' weapons had been coated with minette spider venom.
"Jai!"
The woeful hum of the Lament, the song for the dead, echoed throughout.
Every guardsman she passed paused as soon as they laid eyes on her, those eyes bloodshot and streaming tears as they mournfully bowed their heads.
No.
No.
"Jai! Where are you, you bastard?! Answer me!"
The closer and closer she got to their tent, the more faces she knew. All blood splattered and streaked with tears.
Until Lyv came to a halt just two dozen feet in front of it.
Camilla and Soren were first, gripping each other in a fierce hug.
Next was Mik sitting on the edge of a wooden crate, his head in his hands, with Allel leaning her head on his shoulder.
Kalla was raging in front of them, cursing every god and goddess she could think of. But when she saw Lyv, she halted...then let out a choking sob as she dropped to her knees.
Her father and Emmeric were speaking in low voices. Emmeric's...his was shaking as he reached up with trembling hands to wipe his face and run his fingers through his hair.
"How do I do this? How do I bury another son? My boy...he's..."
And then Thia, who was crying quiet tears as she gripped a sobbing Elys in her arms.
Every one of them realized then Lyv was there, their eyes locking on her as her hands began to violently shake.
"Where is he?" she begged in a whisper.
Her eyes were wild and streaming tears as she looked around at them all.
They couldn't answer her. They didn't say a word as Bridget appeared, walking slowly out from inside the tent. Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
No.
"Where is he?" Lyv shrieked, and then surged forward.
Pushing past Mik who had jumped up.
Past her father, who was trying to calm her.
And then past Bridget, who tried to hold her, tried to tell her everything was going to be all right, she was going to be all right.
And then Gideon stepped out from inside.
The look on his face when he saw Lyv...it told her everything.
Absolutely everything.
She was shaking her head, her whole body trembling then. "No."
She could count the number of times she'd ever seen Gideon cry on one hand. And right now, he was holding back his sobs as he made his way toward her.
"Gideon, no."
He held up his hands for her.
That was when she saw all the blood on them.
"No, no, no!"
She was running then, shoving past him even as he tried to catch her around the waist, yelling her name. Her mother was yelling for her, too, as both she and Gideon went after her.
Lyv burst through the tent's entrance, still screaming.
But then Jai's name immediately died on her lips when she saw him.
The maps and candles were gone from the table in the center of the room. A white sheet had been folded in half and laid across it. And laid out on top, head cushioned on a pillow...
They hadn't had time to clean his body up. It looked as if they'd just moved him there just minutes before she arrived. His boots and leather pants were covered with dirt and ash and blood. His white tunic was shredded, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and covered in blood.
His blood.
From the three-inch dagger wound right over his heart.
One step forward. That was all she could take.
Because she recognized those gray lines that covered every inch of his skin.
One more step...and her shadows pulled her forward beside him.
He was cold. So, so cold when Lyv reached up to brush back his hair from his forehead.
"Jai?" she whispered, leaning over him as she took his face in her hands. "Jai, please. Please."
He didn't move, didn't answer. And if she didn't see the veinlike pattern on his skin or the hole in his chest...gods, he could have been sleeping.
Whispers sounded from the tent entrance, but then only one person came in with her.
Gideon said her name behind her. "Lyv."
She was still staring at Jai's face. "I shouldn't have gone. Why did I go?"
"Lyv..."
"I didn't tell him, Gideon. I should have told him."
His hand touched her arm. "It's all right..."
Lyv reached forward and took Jai's stiff fingers in hers, kissing his knuckles as she whimpered. "He's going to be a daddy."
Gideon silence told her enough. "Oh, gods, Lyv..."
"I didn't get to tell him our sweet little girl is on her way. And now she's...she's never going to get to meet him. That dream...that fucking nightmare, it's going to come true, Gideon. Oh, gods, it's going to come true. Because I didn't stay behind, dammit."
And then she was breaking.
Every dream she'd had of their future was going up in a plume of smoke.
Every smile and laugh they'd shared.
Every kiss and touch.
Every single promise they'd made one another.
Shattered. Completely and utterly shattered.
She couldn't breathe. Tried to gasp and pull air into her lungs, but she only felt like she was drowning. Drowning in her tears and heartbreak.
Gideon's arms were around her as soon as she began slipping to the floor, her screams and sobs breaking from her chest as she fought against his hold, throwing punches in his direction, and scratching him with her nails. He took it all.
But finally, she let him hold her, gripped onto him.
And he stayed with her, held her close. Stayed as the hours passed, ever the faithful brother, best friend, oath-sworn guardsman he was. Stayed as the night settled in around them and the bodies of the fallen guardsmen were burned with full honors, though they could only hear it, hear the prayers and the crackling of the fires. Stayed until her cries quieted and the numbness took over.
Lyv pressed her tearstained face into the crook of his shoulder, his hand smoothing over her messy braid.
Gideon rocked her gently and kissed her forehead. "I'll be here for you forever, princess. Just as I promised you before," he whispered to her, voice cracking. "Wherever you go, I go. And now...I'll make that same promise to this little girl. She's never going to be alone, Lyv. And she will know him. She'll know everything about her father from us. I promise."
***Guys, I totally cried even more writing this chapter and I probably will with the next, too, with more Lyv and Gideon one on one time.
Then...well, then we'll be heading into the final battle.
And I'm so ready for it!
What did you guys think? Comment and vote!
Happy reading!
- Ansley***