Chapter 58

We sat in Uruk’s room, and Aki cried and begged us to let her come with us, but it was Chaya’s quiet words that sent a shiver down my spine.

“I need to come with you”, she whispered, staring at the ground.

Karim glanced at me, but I shook my head.

“No...”

“I can protect you from It.”

She lifted her gaze, and I froze under it. She was right, but…

“They can stay with Karim and Manelia behind the lines. It will be safer there”, Uruk suggested.

“No…”

I got up.

“I.. I need to clear my head…”

I saw Selene getting up, wanting to follow me, but Uruk put a hand on her shoulder, and she sat down with a sigh.

I stumbled down the hallway. She was right, I needed her… I couldn’t defend the people against the darkness without her. But I couldn’t risk her life for it… I could feel the curious glances of the passersby following me, and I had to force myself not to break into a run. How could I risk her life like that? But if I didn’t take her, many more might die… It wasn’t fair... And if I took her with us, Aki would come with us, whether we allowed it or not.

I almost stumbled into the wall and came to a halt. The stairs leading up to the outer wall rose before me, and I leaned my head against the cold stone wall. What would Goddess have done? But I wasn’t her… I sighed. I wasn’t her… I climbed the stairs, stepping out onto the wall, and watched the land below me. The camp stretched out as far as I could see. I saw long columns of soldiers already marching north for our last stop at Akka, and the river was bustling with ships sailing in the same direction. What should I do? I couldn’t risk one life over the other… But I couldn’t do it without her, I wasn't…

I shook my head. No… I had to believe… They had come to answer my call. I’d made my choice. I sighed and closed my eyes.

“Do you regret it?”

A quiet voice broke my thoughts, and I opened my eyes. It was Chaya, standing next to me. I tried to smile and shook my head.

“No, I don’t”

She leaned over the parapet and looked out over the fields.

“Trust yourself. You know what to do”, she said, still watching the plain.

I frowned.

“What do you mean…?”

She sighed.

“Sometimes logic isn’t the best path. My people once followed the voice of reason, and we regret it to this day.”

She pushed herself from the parapet and turned to me.

“And you will not tell me what your people did…?”, I said.

I tried to smile and ruffled her hair.

“No…”

“You are weird, you know”, I chuckled.

She smiled.

“I will look after Aki when you’re gone, I promise”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what you need to do, don’t you?”

She looked at me, and I nodded.