Sixteen

Zahra comes tearing into the village alone, tears streaming down her face and eyes frantic before catching sight of me. Last I saw, she was with Aspen. Last I saw, he had taken her on a walk. Now, I don't see my friend anywhere, and my sister is terrified.

I catch her as she runs into me, holding her tight. I had been trying to keep away from her today to talk to Raven and Sorrel about killing Lucas, and I knew she didn't like it, but I didn't want a trigger being switched. Now, though, I wave them away to give my sister my full attention.

"Zahra, what's wrong? Where's Aspen?"

"He came!" she cried. "He came and...and Aspen...he told me to run! Roan! He's facing him! He's facing that man!"

"Zahra, calm down. Who is Aspen facing?"

She looks at me with red eyes. "I think he said his name was Lucas." She curls her hands in my shirt. "Roan!"

Finx must have heard because I saw June and Sorrel running out of the village. Cat came over and asked, "Do you want me to take her?"

"No. Help them find Aspen. You just don't let those wings be sliced!" I growl.

She nods and takes off into the sky.

I pick Zahra up and run to my shelter, then set her on the bed. I make her look up at me. "Stay here. I am coming back. I just need to grab something, okay?"

She nods absently, and I wait to see if she'll beg me to stay, but she doesn't. When I look back at her from the door, she's curled up in a ball. Sighing, I run to a different shelter and barge in. "Raven, I need you to keep watch. Finx is keeping his ears open, but there's a search party out for Aspen."

"Where is he?"

"Fighting his father. He gave Zahra enough time to run back. But he hasn't returned yet."

"Yeah, I'll watch for him."

I run over and grab food, then return to my shelter. Zahra is in the same position I left her in. I put the food down and kneel before her. "Zahra?"

Her eyes focus on me and her lips start to tremble. "He's coming, Roan. He's coming for me."

I shake my head. "No. He won't. I'm here, okay? You won't be taken away."

"He said he's much stronger now. He said that Aspen is dead. Roan..." Her fingers claw at her legs and I see blood start to pour out from where her fingernails have dug too deep.

I grab her hands and hold them in mine. "Zahra, look at me. Can you hear me?" She nods. "I'm not going to let anyone take you. I'm not going to let anyone harm you. Don't let him convince you on anything. Don't let him control you."

Her hands squeeze. "Aspen is dead, Roan!" she cries.

I shake my head. "No. He may be wounded, but he's not dead. Aspen is too strong to die."

There's a sound outside that catches my ears and I glance out to see a bunch of people huddled together. Not wanting to leave Zahra on her own, I pick her up and carry her with me. I push through the throng and see June and Sorrel with a bloody Aspen between them. June looks up at me and nods. He's alive...but badly wounded.

They take him to a nearby shelter made for wounded and set him on a bed, then wash away the blood. He coughs, splattering more blood, but I see his eyes open and lock on me and Zahra. "She's safe..." he breathed.

Kneeling on one side of him, I set my sister down and say, "Aspen is going to be fine, see?"

She looks over and puts a hand to her mouth in horror. Aspen reaches up and takes her free hand, shaking his head. "I'll be fine. It was my fault."

My sister's cries begins anew as she rests her head on his shoulder. The medics finish washing the blood, then tend to his wounds. I see gashes and stabs, but I don't see anything that could be vital. "What happened?"I asked him.

"He wanted her...I couldn't stop from doing it." He coughed again before continuing. "He put the knife in my hand and made me do it."

"You did this?"

He nods.

"Is he coming here?"

"I don't know."

"We need more space," Willow says, one of the elder medics in the village. I nod.

"Zahra, come on. Aspen needs to rest now."

She sits up and stares at Aspen for a moment, then turns into my arms. I hold her and get up. Right before I leave, Aspen says, "She's in danger whether he comes or not."

I swallow and nod, then go to my shelter and lay Zahra on the bed. She has gone silent and still, but she watches me as I grab the food and set it before her. It takes a full minute, in which I didn't think she'd do anything, then she sits up and eats.

When she finishes, I put the bowl down and climb on the bed and hold her. She rests against me, arms around my middle, and face on my chest. It's the quietest I've ever seen her since before I introduced myself.