Page 96 of House of Ashes
I knelt next to her, knowing that not even Kirana could help now. This woman already belonged to Aurae.
“I’m here,” I said, throat tight, trying to find one place to touch, to bring her comfort, and finding nothing. “I’m with you.”
She coughed again, and the ruins of her mouth tried to make a word. I leaned in close, listening, then scooped up the cool water and gently trickled it into her mouth. The hiss of water meeting ember-hot skin made me wince, but the woman’s coughs quieted.
I couldn’t touch her, but I could give her water. I would sit here, unmoving, until the very last. Her coughing came back, harsher than ever, and I gave her more water.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard Rhylan shouting. I heard Kirana crying my name.
I paid them no mind. Not for these last few minutes; they would find me soon enough, and I wouldn’t interrupt what peace this woman had to scream back.
When the end came, it was mercifully quick.
She convulsed once, flinging a burned hand out. I took it without thinking, feeling the heat still emanating from it, the fragility of her ruined fingers. I held her hand like a baby bird, listening as she rasped in a breath, rasped out, in, out, in…out…out…
Several seconds passed before I realized it was over. There would never be another breath.
I looked at her face, the few strands of auburn hair that had survived dragonfire, and gently laid her hand back on her chest.
“May Aurae take you gently, may Nakasha guide you safely, may Sunya weigh you lightly.”
Footsteps, crushing burned grass underfoot. I didn’t give a damn for the tears pouring down my cheeks, the taste of blood in my mouth.
I said nothing as Rhylan crouched beside me, slipping an arm around my shoulders and guiding me upright.
There was nothing to say. I pressed my face against his chest, my tears smearing against him. Rhylan stroked me, from the crown of my head to the small of my back, letting me cry.
Gods only knew how long I stayed there, hiding in the circle of his arms. But I eventually looked up. “Please, tell me…at least one…”
Rhylan hesitated, but shook his head. There was fresh pain written on his features. He had promised these people his protection…and he had failed them.
Because of my blood-kin.
I had no more tears left in me. I drew in a ragged breath, my throat sore, eyes gritty, and released it.
“We’ll burn them tonight,” he said, his voice low. “Send them to Nakasha with respect.”
Aurae would have already collected their souls; Nakasha would want to see things done right. They had died by dragonfire, and they deserved proper pyres.
I started as Rhylan delicately touched my upper lip, wiping away the drying blood from my nose. His brow clenched in concern, but I took his hand, pulling it away.
“No, Rhylan. It’s nothing.” I looked at the woman, then towards the village, feeling dazed by the sheer scale of death. “It’s…not worth it now.”
From the look on his face, I knew he disagreed.
But it was only a little blood. Compared to all this…
It was nothing at all.
Chapter
Twenty-One
“Bring her over,” Alriss said gruffly.
I carried the corpse of the woman from the water, holding her in my arms like she was spun glass, fragile enough to shatter, although it didn’t matter now.
There was a sense of obligation. We hadn’t saved her life; we hadn’t come in time to save a single life in this tiny village, not so much as one soul. All we could do was build up the pyre, and send a prayer to Sunya on their behalf.