Page 2 of His Retribution

Unblinking. Foggy. Dead.

She is dead.

My hope, my life. My light, my love.

Dead.

Murdered at my enemies’ hand.

Her delicate throat torn out, the alabaster skin now gray—save for the blood and dirt staining it. The red runs like the river, mingling with the water and reaching for me, begging me to follow.

I must follow.

Follow my light into the darkness, joining her in The After to feel her warmth once again.

"Brother." A solid hand lands on my shoulder; firm, hard, grounding. "Brother, we must go. It is time. Let her go."

My gaze lingers on her eyes, traces her aquiline nose, and the fullness of her lips. I burn the memory of her velvet porcelain skin, her silk raven hair; ingrain her beauty into my mind's eye so as to never forget one minor detail of my light.

One final look at her serene and beautiful face.

One final look at her fragile, petite body.

One final look at her throat open and bleeding until her veins run dry.

I watch as my light bobs a little, her skirt clearly caught on something in the river, and as her arm stretches, reaches toward me for the last time, I catch a glimmer of gold in her fist.

"Havok, my brother, they are coming for us. Daylight is near. We must go."

Pulling from my last bit of strength, I lurch forward and grip her hand. I bring it to my lips, press a kiss to her knuckles—a familiar gesture completed for the last time—then pry open her fingers. The pocket watch—my pocket watch—slips free, and the moment it's back in my possession, the branch snaps and my light floats like an angel on the water; floats toward the mouth of the river, away from me.

"You will see her again, brother,” Andrej whispers, his hand gripping my shoulder hard as he drags me back to the river bank. "She is with you always. You will see her again."

Instinct kicks in the second I'm on dry land and I begin to run. My legs work robotically, boots stomping over rocks and dirt, until finally grass and brush as we race toward the cave.

Sunrise is near.

So close I can see the first signs of its rays peering over the tree line; feel the heat break through my bone deep cold.

Momentarily I consider stopping, consider allowing the biggest star in the sky to warm me until I catch fire, burst into flames and join her, my light, in The After, but I keep going. She would not want that, would forbid it. She would hate me for the thought alone.

So I keep running; following Andrej to his family's cave.

I race toward shelter, toward the darkness that will once again consume my every waking minute until I can be in her light once again.

Not until I'm alone does that thought sink in and when it does, I fall apart.

I scream, cry, mourn.

Ache at a life without my light.

Our plans ruined; future destroyed.

The dreams I never should have entertained crumble and wash away in my tears of blood, my chest hollow and empty, dead heart shattered and replaced by blind rage and hate.

Then I make a vow.

Make a promise to her, a promise to myself that I will never again utter her name until it is in the face of her killer as I tear out his throat just as he did to her. I will never again say the sweetest four letters until I am calling to her, when she is in my arms, when I have her back for all of time.