Page 197 of The Silent War

“I’m okay, baby,” I lied, my voice low. My thumb brushed her cheek, catching tears I hated seeing on her. “Don’t cry. Not for me.”

“You’re bleeding everywhere.” Her hands pressed down on my chest. “I can’t stop it. I can’t?—”

“Shhh.” My breath hitched, but I kept my gaze on hers. “Look at me. It’s gonna be okay.”

She shook her head violently. “Don’t you say that. Don’t you dare say it like you’re leaving me. You’re not—you’re not allowed to?—”

Her words collapsed into sobs. She bent over me, forehead pressed against mine, her voice shaking. “I love you. Do you hear me? I love you Bastion. So you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to leave me.”

Her tears dropped hot against my face. My chest seized, not just from the pain, but from the way she was holding me like I was already gone.

I wanted to promise her more. Wanted to tell her I’d neverleave, that I’d fight my way back just to see her smile again. But the weight was dragging me under, heavy, merciless.

I clung to her face, forced my eyes to stay on hers as the edges of my vision blurred. “I’m not going anywhere, angel.”

Her sob hitched into a broken laugh, desperate. “Then fight. Please. Stay with me. I can’t—” Her voice broke off, too much pain.

I tried to hold on, tried to keep my hand on her cheek, but my strength slipped. My arm fell, useless. She caught it, pressed it to her chest, refusing to let go.

She shook her head, “No. We have a life planned remember? So you have to stay. You’re staying.”

Her cry ripped through me.

I fought to speak, to tell her it was okay. Her forehead against mine, her tears running down my face.

“I love you,” she whispered again, over and over, as if the words could chain me here. “I love you. We have a life planned remember? So you have to stay.Please.”

I just registered the cars, doors opening. Men boots.

Emilia didn’t see them. She was bent over me, hands shaking against my chest, eyes locked on mine.

I saw them.

Coming up behind her.

“Run.”My throat ripped raw.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Run!” I forced, but my voice broken, body too weak to push her away.

She shook her head hard, tears falling, her hands fisting in my shirt. “No! I won’t?—”

She didn’t see them closing in.

I did.

My arm twitched, useless, trying to lift, to warn, to shield. Nothing. My body wouldn’t answer.

The first hand grabbed her shoulder. She gasped, shocked, but before she could react, another arm grabbed around her waist.

“No!” she screamed, clutching me tighter, her nails scratching my chest. She tried to anchor herself against me, holding me, sobbing, “I’m not leaving you?—”

They tore her off me.

I felt her grip rip through my shirt, her fingers clawing back toward me as they lifted her off me. I tried to reach, tried to pull her, back but my body was useless.

“Emilia—” Her name weak, too low to be heard over her screaming my name.