Page 3 of Lich's Mate

“What?” I whisper.

I feel like I must have misheard him. It’s true that they can be cruel for no reason, but usually not when there’s nothing for them to collect. And tax season is weeks out.

“Kai, this isn’t a game. You can’t joke with me like that.”

“I’m not joking, I swear! You have to come help!”

In my frenzy, I drop the basket of grains and fruits that I had picked for my family. I’m still not sure I believe him, but I go with him because I haven’t seen him this upset.

As the grass crunches under my feet, I realize that I hear screams.

They’re incoherent. They’re heart-rending.

I run.

I feel like I should be running away from this, not towards it.

But I can’t desert them, even if it means my death.

My brother’s running fast for being so short. I find myself winded, trying to keep up.

A group of xaphans burst down Camille’s home.

One of them goes in and drags out a screaming Camille by the hair as she tries to fight back.

Her husband, Manuel, lunges at the xaphan grabbing her, but a different xaphan’s sword strikes him across the face.

I want to cover Kai’s eyes.

There’s no struggle left in him.

He’s just dead.

My trembling hands find my brother’s shoulders.

I’m not thinking coherently. But as I look at Kai, I see hope for our village’s future.

I see a boy who’s lost a lot, who deserves to live.

And I’m not going to survive this. That much suddenly becomes clear to me.

“You need to run. Now. Get away from here.”

He fights as I push him away, gripping onto me and wailing. They’ve started setting fire to one of the houses. It blows out nearby windows.

I can only hope whoever lived there escaped.

“But I… I don’t want to leave you,” he wails, snot dripping on my arm as he squirms, desperately trying to cling to me. “Please! Let’s get Mom and Dad, and we’ll?—”

“No,” I reply, huddling into him.

The world is blowing up around me. I’m seeing people I cared about succumb to their wounds. They’re running out of flaming buildings, reduced to charred husks with little life left in them.

They almost don’t resemble themselves anymore as they fall to the ground.

“Listen, I’m not meant to survive this,” I whisper. “I need to stay behind and help.”

He sobs harder, and I lean in to comfort him, bringing his hair against mine.

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