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My eyes took in his handsome face. Something like pain flickered across his features, and he stumbled forward.

“Thea,” he whispered.

“Cassius!” I was running to him instantly. I tried to release my fire mist to cushion his fall, but the barbs prevented it. Luckily, Haden caught him. The crowd had stopped talking, their murmurs dying down as I slid on my knees to cradle his head in my lap. His normally bright gold eyes were dim in color. His father and mother cried out loudly when I ripped the clothing from his chest and saw the arrow wound.

“My love,” he choked out.

“No, I’m not losing you,” I sobbed. My hands frantically tried to rip the barbs from my wrists, but they wouldn’t come off. Why wouldn’t they come off? Blood poured from my wrists as I ripped my flesh to get them off. “Please, Cassius. I’ll heal you once these come off.”

“What did you do?” Haden’s anger made me look up. He was yelling at Kace. Kace’s face paled at Haden’s confrontation.

“It’s been you! You’ve been feeding Cerithia information about Crimson. You’re the spy we’ve been searching for. You disappeared last night to warn them, and then you disappeared before they attacked today.”

“You don’t understand…” Kace started to speak, but Haden was too enraged to listen.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his dagger and impaled Kace. I didn’t have time to process Kace’s betrayal. I looked down at Cassius when his hand gripped my hands, stopping me from tearing at my skin.

“It’s alright, Thea.” His eyes focused on me as tears poured out of me. I shook my head violently because I didn’t want to accept this fate. How sick and cruel were the gods? He wouldn’t comeback, and I would never know about my life with him. I would die too. My heart could not live without him. His eyes shifted over my shoulder, and I glanced to see Wisp floating close by, her color a dark gray.

“She’s here to take me, little viper.”

Shock ricocheted through me. Tears fell down my face as I shook my head violently.

“No!” I yelled at her so loudly that the ground shook. Her color turned white at my anger and pain. “You can’t have him.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t have more time,” he whispered as his hand rubbed my face, his pretty eyes tracing over every part of me. “Maybe the next life will be kinder for us.”

“I can’t live without you,” I stuttered frantically as I felt death creeping closer to him.

He frowned before saying, “You’re a lot stronger than you think, my love.”

“I don’t want to be strong. I want you not to die. Stay with me,” I begged.

“Maybe not having memories will make living without me easier.”

I pulled his chest into my face as sobs fell from me. Nothing would make this easier. Everyone watched us as Cassius tried comforting me, and I fell completely apart. My eyes flickered over everyone sobbing, and my mind raced as I tried to rip the magic barbs from my wrists again.

“Thea, my love, it’s alright.”

I leaned forward and kissed him. The smell of rain and forest surrounded me. I would not let this happen. It was my stupid plan that got him hurt and killed. My mind raced with anything I could do to save him.

Then it hit me. I pulled away from him and met his eyes with my own.

“Forgive me,” I whispered.

“W-what…”

I turned to Wisp, her flames still burning with white-hot sadness. Cassius grabbed my hand as if to stop me.

“Della!” I called into the sky in anguish. As if sensing my panic, Della appeared within a moment. Her star-colored eyes looked at Cassius dying on my lap and frowned.

“Take me instead. Take me and spare him,” I pleaded. Wisp’s color turned an odd shade of purple before turning back to white. Then there were more wisps surrounding us, all smaller than the one that followed me constantly, my soul.

“Thea,” Cassius pleaded. “Don’t.”

“I will bear his wounds and die for him; just do not take him from me!” I could feel the darkness swarming frantically inside of me, trying to break free. “I will burn the whole realm down if you take him from me. Even the gods will not be safe from my wrath,” I warned her. “I will destroy everything if you take him.”

A sense of pride filled the space between us. No one else could see her as I argued with her. I’m sure they all thought I had lost my damn mind. Maybe I had, but if it saved him, then it was worth it. My breath held as I waited.