He's gone.

~ As if the memories have a heart that only beats at night ~ Mahmoud Darwish

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Delaney felt her mind go blank and her body became numb. The words kept ringing in her ears, turning louder by the second and she felt darkness clouding her mind, before a cold hand touched her face and she snapped back to her senses.

Her eyes stared at the hand on her cheek, following it to the eyes of the owner. Keir retracted his hand and pocketed it instead.

"B–but, he has only been gone for a few days." she said. Her voice turning heavy, as well as her heart.

"He's dead!" Keir declared firmly. Delaney felt air leave her lungs and she clutched her chest tightly. "I told you to help me find him but you refused. This could have been prevented. Now they didn't even leave a corpse for you to burry. The dragons burnt him to ashes."

He wanted to crash her entirely. He didn't bother to leave out any detail. His purpose was to make her share his animosity towards the dragon clan. He could take her away and force her to do whatever he wanted but it would be easier if she was willing.

Delaney crouched down, unable to bear the stabbing pain in her chest. Tears stung her eyes and her knees turned weak. Malcolm is dead? How could Malcolm be dead?

"Delaney." A familiar voice called from the distance, pulling Delaney back from her suffocation, just a little bit. Holding back her tears, she turned to look at Collins, who was rushing to them. Keir stood unfazed by the news he just delivered and by the intruder.

"Delaney," Collins voice was filled with concern as she watched her saddened state. His eyes only lingered on Keir for a few moments before turning back to Delaney, who stared at him eagerly.

"Is it true?" she asked, her voice coming out hoarse. "Th–they... Malcolm..."

"It's true." Collins affirmed, and she felt her world crashing down. "There's no corpse, Delaney." He wanted to hug her, and rub her back reassuring her that he would be there for her even if Malcolm was gone, but he couldn't. He wasn't even sure if he could keep that promise anymore.

He clenched his jaw and his hands balled into fists, as he tried pulling himself together. Delaney grabbed onto the doorframe for support, tears blurring her vision.

"Miss Delaney," Keir called, but Delaney didn't look up. She was still trying to process how Malcolm could be dead. How can he be dead? Maybe they were mistaken. Yes, that had to be it.. There was no corpse for recognition so how could they be sure that it was Malcolm?

"Miss Delaney," Keir felt a sharp gaze directed at him before he could finish his words, and he turned to meet Collins' eyes glaring at him with hostility.

"Who are you?" he asked, taking a step closer. Keir was much taller than him, with a stronger physique and aura, but he wasn't the least intimidated. As the only son of the village head, he had started training at a very early age, to secure his title in the future so he was very confident when facing the stranger before him.

Keir pursed his lips to a thin line, resisting the urge to snap Collins's neck or tear his tongue out of his mouth. Without taking his eyes off the man foolishly trying to intimidate him, he said to Delaney, "I will come back another day miss Delaney. See you then."

Delaney didn't wait for him to take another step before closing the door in their faces. She stood rooted to the ground in a daze, before her legs finally gave in and she collapsed on the floor. Her mind was trying to work around Malcolm being dead and she couldn't bring herself to accept it.

"Delaney!" she heard Collins's voice from the other side of the door, but it sounded very faint. "Delaney, open the door." he called, trying to knock on the door, but Delaney didn't move.

Her organs felt numb, and apart from her brain that was close to shutting down, only her heart beat loudly in her ears. Tears strimmed down her face and she pulled her knees to her chest. She wanted to go and grab her hip flask but she was unable to move. She remembered Malcolm constantly warning her about her drinking habits and she didn't dare reach out for it.

Malcolm was gone. She couldn't even give him the proper burial he deserved. Now who was she left with? She buried her face in her hands and cried her heart out, but she barely made any sound.

She only got up when she no longer had tears to shed and her head hurt badly from all the crying. She rinsed her face with cold water then buried herself under the comfort of her covers. She didn't bother to take her clothes off or take a bath, she just wanted to lay down.

Unlike other times when she was sad or very emotional, she didn't rush for a drink. She lay there quietly, and stared into nothing. Her whole body felt cold and she curled up under the covers.

She remembered the last conversation she had with Malcolm and how he kept on giving her warning signals, saying he had no time. So he knew he was about to die? She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes and she put her hand over her mouth, to muffle the sounds erupting from her throat. He knew he was going to die and he still left? Why would a whole dragon kill a mere human?

Her thoughts drifted back to Merikh and she wondered why he hadn't killed Malcolm over the years. If he wanted, he could have burnt him to ashes, just like his killers did, with a single thought. Or was it because Malcolm took care if him? She remembered him telling her how Merikh was the only one to save her and she wondered what she needed saving from.

She had many questions swirling in her mind but they were unanswerable and unsolvable. Now she would be living in a dead man's house all alone. A man who had raised her, and saved her life countless times.

Even when he didn't return home for several days, she was comfortable with the thought that he was fine. She was used to being alone so as long as she could see him and make sure he was doing alright was enough for her. She didn't even get the chance to thank him for all he had done for her. Her tears fell uncontrollably and she didn't know at what point she fell asleep.

When she woke up, the following day, her head was buzzing and it took some minutes to recounter the events of the previous day. Her hands dropped to her sides and her shoulders drooped. Malcolm was dead!

She felt a headache coming and she grabbed her head. It was not everyday that Delaney cried despite her misfortunes, but when she did, it would be for all the kept feelings.

She sat in the same spot, wondering what to do next? What was she supposed to do now that death snatched another important person in her life? She felt strength seep out of her, even before the day started, and she fell back on the bed with a sigh. She stared at the white ceiling and wondered how people lived past death. How do you wake up one day and just go and die?!

Even after twenty years, she was certain that she could never live past the death of Malcolm. It had already been twenty three years since her mother died, a woman she had never met and she still grieved her death. She was supposed to be a very important person in her daughter's life but she died even before she could see her.

She wasn't sure what would happen to her now that her shield was gone. Even if Delaney was a strong woman who could protect herself properly, she still needed to be cautious but that was not her concern for the moment. She needed to know why the dragons killed Malcolm. She woke up with a new determination of finding Malcolm's killer and she had to start with the one she had close to her.

She flung her legs down and she felt her body sway a little. Holding onto the wall for support, she walked to the bathroom and had a cold shower, before preparing to go visit the dragon.

For the first time in a long time, Delaney had no appetite. She hadn't eaten since the previous day but she doubted she could stomach anything. She combed her hair and braided it, then took her daggers.

When she opened the door, she didn't expect Keir to be the person she would see first thing in the morning.. "Miss Delaney." he greeted with a subtle smile. He could see the dark circles under her eyes and he could tell she barely got any sleep. But that was not his problem. If he didn't take advantage of this 'grieving' time, he was certain he couldn't trap her again.

"What do you want?" she asked, her face hardening and her eyes sharper than ever.

"I want to help. Remember I could have helped the first time if you weren't so hostile." his voice was laced with sarcasm annoying Delaney.

"Leave me alone." she said, locking the door behind her, then walking away into the forest. Keir followed behind with long strides.

"Merikh is gone." he suddenly said, bringing her steps to a halt.

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"He's gone. Didn't you break the spell?"