Page 149 of Heiress of Fire

The creature ripped the couch into bits in a few seconds. The four-headed dog jumped high. Davina raised her dark violet sword and plunged it into its chest. Holding it mid-air, its violent snarls turned to soft whimpers once it fell limp.

Davina pulled her sword out of the demon’s body. It thumped on the ruined wooden floor. Davina sighed in relief. She had just one moment of peace when a groan of pain echoed into her ears.

Her whole world froze when she saw Ron drop to the floor with his sword lodged in his chest.

FORTY-TWO

Her lips gaped as Raven pulled out the blade from his chest, instantly falling onto the floorboards.

Davina dropped her sword. It clattered loudly over the wooden floor, near the dead demon dog. Raven faded into nothing as her entire vision was consumed by the image in front of her.

“No, no, no, no. Please, no,” she cried. Davina fell to her knees beside Ron, quickly removing his helmet before her hands covered the stab wound in his chest and wrapped her forearm under his head, he wheezed.

The pain in her chest was so powerful that her fire erupted, creating a large circle around them. The purple fire crackled wildly as she held onto him.

His wound was fatal. His flesh was replaced by a large hole surrounded with dark ink while scarlet red blood dripped from his lips.

“No, you can’t die on me. Not today. Not today. I need you,” she begged desperately, the same thing he pleaded her when she was heading to Obsidian Canyon. His hand wrapped around her wrist, his blood staining her beige skin.

“Somebody help! Help!” she screeched, wishing for Snow to burst through the door so she could help heal the wound with her ice abilities.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he cooed while rubbing her arm. He was the one dying and he was comforting her.

He must be in pain.

Ron’s black hair stuck to his forehead; she moved the strands away from his eyes, her hand tracing his sharp cheekbone. “This can’t be happening. Not to you.”

“It’s okay,” he whispered before wrapping his shaky fingers into her own.

Davina recalled all those moments when he fought her so she could stay away from battle. All for the fear of Davina losing her life, but now, as he lay beaten on the floor, he had been the one who was losing the color on his face.

What was he doing fighting Raven like that? She was the one who was supposed to fight Raven, not him. Yet, she couldn’t help but recall the way he would say that he would give his life for her in the war if need be.

He did it on purpose.

“No, it’s not. It was supposed to be me. Why did you do it?” she cried.

“You promised, at the lake, that I wouldn’t lose you. I wouldn’t be able to bear a life without you. And you… you deserve a happier life than the one you’ve had. I already had so much. I ha-ad you and Beacon, Bane, and Va-al.” A small tear escaped his eye. The salt that dropped from his brown eyes fell to the floor with splinters and glass.

This couldn’t be the last time that she would stare into his gray-flecked eyes.

Davina sobbed as her tears fell onto his cheek, a small smile finding his lips. Davina questioned how he could flash a grin at a moment like this.

“Promise me that you’ll find love again,” he whispered.

He risked his life for her. He was giving her another chance to live, but it would be a life without him. She didn’t think she could handle living the rest of her life without Ron. She preferred death.

“No.” She shook her head. “No.”

“Yes, love, you have to.” Ron smiled.

“I tried, Ron. You know I did. I can’t. You know that I can’t.” Davina shook her head as her tears showered his unhealthy pale skin. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.

“Please, do it for me,” he croaked.

Davina remained silent, her tears blurring her vision.

“Can I at least have a goodbye kiss?” He tried to smirk again but instead flinched at the effort. Her heart ripped open even more to see his pain, and there was nothing she could do about it.

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