Chapter 41

No longer feeling the need to hide, I step out of the tent.

“Another secret,” I ask. “I wonder how many of those you have left?”

Sai spins around. The black faceless mask is still on so I can't see his expression, but I can envision what he looks like right now. He's happy, and sad, and confused.

“Hey Sai. I missed you.”

His shoulders are rising and falling in rapid succession. He's probably trying to decide what he wants to say since words were never really his strong suit during times like these.

“Did you come all this way to see me?” My tone is nonchalant, And I wonder why I'm not more surprised about this entire situation than I am.

“I came to get you.” He rasps out. “There's a place I can take you and hide you so that the brand doesn't affect you. But we have to go now.”

Sai reaches out to grab my hand, but I pull away. He's confused for a moment until he sees my new brand. The mark of the Divinity of Darkness shimmers in front of him destroying every plan that Sai had.

“I'm sorry. It’s too late for plans.”

Sai grips my hand and desperately tries to rub off the brand.

“My baby.” My voice cracks as I reach up and pull the mask off his face. His eyes are red, and there's a heartbroken look in his eyes that tells me I thoroughly messed up. I cup his cheek in my hand forcing him to look at me, not the brand. “Despite knowing who and what I was, I still wanted normal and ended up getting too greedy. I should have just focused on keeping you safe. If I did, I would have kept you away from all of this.” I gesture to his clothes, the mask, the sword at his waist. All of it.

“Where’s Rumi? You need to find him so that he can help you.”

“Blue, he's helping them. The people that bought you here, he's helping them.”

“I now. But I also know that there is no one in this entire world that I would trust you with besides Rumi.”

“No! He's a liar and a coward.” Sai spits out.

I can hear people screaming in the distance as the fire around us grows. The trees around us are beginning to catch hold of the flames fuels them. There are even embers in the grass now.

“Forget it. I'll think of something else so for now—”

“If I go with you, you’ll die. She could order me to kill you right now, and I wouldn’t be able to say no. The safest place for me to be for all of us is right here.

“Blue—”

The sound of somebody behind us stops Sai from saying whatever he was about to. I spin around and search the shadowy places for anyone I recognize. If it’s Kennedy or Nocturne, we’re going to have some problems.

An ember from the flame finally reaches the tent. As orange and yellow flames light up the night, a shivering form that’s crouched low next to tent is revealed.

“S…sorry. I was j…just going to look for my lady.” Anna stammers out as her eyes switch between me and Sai.

Sai reaches for his swords, but I stop him. He’s already killed once for me. I won’t give my brother more sin to carry with him into the abyss.

“Actually, that’s perfect Anna. Can you get Kennedy for me?”

At my request Anna perks up, “Oh yes I'll be right back!”

” Thanks.”

As Anna runs past me, I rotate the knife in my hand and aim for the spot in her neck that Kennedy showed me.

After we got out of the forest Kenned was mad that I didn’t know how to land a killing blow. She spent all day teaching me. Shame I had to utilize that skill so soon.

Since I'm behind her, I don't see what expression Anna makes as she dies. I don't want to.

“I had to be sure, Kennedy's always hiding somewhere. And I need to make sure that I thoroughly can clean up my mess,” I say to no one in particular.

As I remove the knife and wipe it off in the mud along with the blood on my hands, my skin crawls. This is the third person. Unlike the other two, my mind's working overtime to reason her death away. My conclusion, it was either her or Sai. And I chose Sai.

“Blue? Are you all right?”

“Huh?” I act like I don’t know what Sai’s referring to as I pick up Anna’s body and drag it away from the burning tent.

“What do you want me to do?” Sai asks as he walks up next to me.

“I want you to leave.” Sai grips his fist hard enough to make himself bleed, but I don’t take back what I said. “It’s too dangerous for you to be here Sai. You have to go.”

Sai grabs Anna’s body from me and drops it on the ground making me wince. I had no reaction when I killed her, but for some reason, I’m bothered by watching her body hit the ground.

“I’m not leaving you to die alone in this place!”

“Sai—”

Another person dressed in all black with the same faceless mask runs up Sai. They glance my way before huffing out, “We have to go. They’re calling the Master of Sanctions.”

Now, everything is on fire around. Literally and figuratively. From the corner of my eye, I see Anna’s dress catch an ember and I almost move to put it out. I intended to move her somewhere safe so that her body could at least be sent back home, but that’s too risky.

Stepping away from her so that I can’t see, I face Sai. “You have to go now.”

Sai’s eyes dance in the light of the flame enraged that I’m refusing to leave this place with him. Gripping his face between my hands I yell over the flames.

“I’ll find you. I swear I will. I won’t die until I make it back to you, no matter what I have to do. So go!”

“You’re lying.” Sai’s voice cracks as he grips my hands against his face in a bruising hold that promises he isn’t going to let me go.

“I’m not.”

I hear people approaching us. Both myself and the guy that came to warn Sai are worried, but Sai isn’t budging.

“They’re sending mythics,” his friend warns.

“Then go. I’m not leaving.”

I shake my head at Sai wondering how he got to be this stubborn. Taking a deep breath, I make another promise, another deal that I’ll have to carry with me. But this one, I plan to keep no matter what.

“I swear that I’ll make it back to you. Iminity.” Light explodes around us as I make the vow to Sai.

As I push, Sai’s friend pulls. His eyes linger on mine, but this time, he does move. They disappear into whatever shadows remain as the flames eat everything around me that lives.

The eyes that have been digging into my back finally force me to turn around. Her body has burned to the point where she’s no longer recognizable. But it’s not the body I’m focused on.

It’s the figure kneeling beside her. That tear-stained face is unmistakable Anna glaring at me.

My steps towards the rat hole in the ground are heavy. My heart is pulling me back to Anna, but my mind that’s full of the need to honor my vow roars. It overtakes every instinct I have.

“I’m so sorry. I know you wanted to go home too.”

My voice cracks as my eyes connect with Anna’s. Her ghost lunges forward trying to stop the knife as I drop it down the hole, but she can’t.

That’s where I leave Anna ghost. Staring down the hole and mourning the loss of the only evidence that could have given her some justice. But I couldn’t afford to give even her that.

‘Are you going to be able to face yourself tomorrow?’

No. No I will not.