I swallow as I fight to keep my voice steady. “Liam—”
“—we’ll succeed. Magic will return...to our tribe. We’ll root out...the evil. The Bloodstone...will be strong again.”
The gods help me!
I never expected to lose someone like Liam. Never expected this rebellion to rip a chasm across my chest.
“I swear it,” I say, my tone heavy with grief. “Your sacrifice won’t be in vain.”
Liam’s eyes lock onto mine, a fierce light burning in them despite his fading strength. “You’ll see it through. You always do.”
Sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it. The deaths. The pain of losing warriors you grow close to. But our tribe deserves my dedication. It deservesallour dedication. We have a purpose, and we will not stop until we see it through.
I remain near Liam’s side until the light fades from his eyes and his hand drops limply by his side.
A curse rips from my throat as I rise, my legs stiff from kneeling so long. The tent feels suffocating, the air thick with the stench of blood and death.
I need to get out. Now!
Pushing past Gabriel, I stride from the tent. I walk away from the camp. Away from the tents filled with the wounded and dying. Away from Liam’s lifeless body.
My feet carry me to the edge of a nearby cliff. The wind whips around me, tugging at my cloak. Below, the valley stretches out, dotted with the fires of our makeshift camp. Beyond that, darkness.
I stand there, staring out into the void. My jaw clenches sotight it aches. My fingernails dig into my palms, but I barely feel the pain.
Liam. Gone.
The man who fought by my side since we were boys. The one person who could always make me laugh, even in the darkest moments. My closest friend. My brother in all but blood.
A roar builds in my chest, clawing its way up my throat. I want to scream, to rage at the gods, to curse this rebellion that’s taken so much from us.
Instead, I grab a nearby rock and hurl it into the darkness with all my strength. It disappears into the night.
I pick up another. And another. Each one I throw harder than the last, my muscles straining with the effort.
It’s not enough. It will never be enough.
I drop to my knees, my chest heaving. My eyes burn, but I refuse to let the tears fall. Leaders don’t cry. Warriors don’t show weakness.
But damn, does it hurt.
I slam my fist into the ground, welcoming the sharp pain that shoots up my arm. It’s something to focus on besides the gaping hole in my chest.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper into the wind. “I’m so damn sorry, Liam.”
Chapter
Sixty-Six
EVERLY
I climbinto bed next to Cenric and try to process everything that happened today, but the images keep flashing through my mind—the battle, the wounded, the dead.
The bed creaks as I shift enough to see Cenric. He lies on his back, eyes fixed on the tent’s ceiling. The torchlight casts shadows across his face, highlighting the tightness in his jaw and the deep groove on his brow.
My heart aches for him. I want to reach out, to comfort him, but I’m not sure how. Not when he seems so far away.
I bite my lip, fighting back tears. I’ve never seen him like this before, so withdrawn, so...broken.
