Page 98 of Alora: The Maladorn Scroll (Alora 3)

No one spoke a word.

Still Kaevin

and Alora remained, frozen in a kiss. And still, everyone waited.... and waited... until it was all too clear... Kaevin and Alora no longer lived.

“Ahhh...” Jireo exclaimed before the knife slipped from his fingers and he collapsed on the floor.

~23~

Why are people arguing in my room? I just want peace and quiet so I can sleep.

“Yes, but would you really have done it?” asked Kaevin.

“Of course... What did your defender bond tell you?” Jireo declared, as if insulted his best friend would question his integrity.

“But that’s insane. A man who would take his own life is insane.”

“I agree. A man who would take his own life, or refuse to save it, is insane indeed. But I never intended to die.”

“But you must’ve intended to die, to stir my defender bond so.”

“I only had to be willing to die—to start the action of dying—but I didn’t believe I would have to carry through.”

“But you would’ve done so?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then, as I said, you’re insane.”

“As are you.”

“Arrrrggghhh!!!” Alora grabbed the pillow and put it over her face. “Be quiet. Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep?”

The pillow lifted, and Kaevin’s face appeared, complete with twinkling eyes and a dimple-graced grin. “Hello, beautiful!”

“Don’t make fun of me. I know I look horrible.”

“As a matter of fact, I’ve seen you look a lot better. But that lifeless look is much worse.” Jireo laughed at his own joke, and Alora tried to stay mad at him.

“That’s not very nice.” She threw her pillow, immediately regretting it when she couldn’t find another on the bed.

“Hey!” It was Beth’s voice. “Back in the land of the living, huh?”

“What’s everyone talking about? I didn’t die. At least, I don’t remember dying.” Alora searched her short-term memory, finding it rather empty.

“Oh, you died, all right,” said Beth. “Both of you. And for once, it was Doc who brought you back. Now there’s no living with him. He already thought he knew everything. Now he’s sure of it.”

“I really died?”

“I believe it’s called flat-lined. But the AED zapped you right back to life. And when you came back, so did Kaevin.”

Jireo interrupted. “But only after I forced Kaevin to call you back from whatever dark place you went while rescuing Bardamen.” He lifted his hand to offer a high-five to Alora. “Well done on that, by the by. Except for the part where you died, of course.”

“Doc says he could’ve brought her back without Kaevin’s help.” Beth picked up the pillow from the floor, fluffed it, and tucked it under Alora’s head.

“No,” Jireo insisted. “Kaevin had already saved her life. I felt the defender bond release me before I passed out.”

“Perhaps your bond released you because I was dead,” Kaevin reasoned.