Page 115 of Of Mercury and Mist

“Oh my God,” Della said beside me, pushing past.

I searched and searched but didn’t see any familiar faces until suddenly, a whir of motion caught my eye. On the far end of the lawn, I spotted Josiah sparring with another being, though I couldn’t tell what it was. They kept slamming into each other and both were covered with blood.

Frantically, I looked for Micha as I climbed down the front stairs. Wraiths blew past me, their ripped cloaks brushing against me as they fought other creatures just like them, leaving a faint orange mist in their wake. Whoever had attacked Josiah and Micha had brought wraiths loyal to them for back up, I guessed.

I darted behind a shrub and squatted down on the grass, glancing at the knife in my hand. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I couldn’t sit back enjoying a luxury safe room while the people I cared about were in danger.

Peeking around the edge of the bush, I watched as Della slunk behind the trunk of a tree just in time to avoid the wraith that screamed through the air, straight toward her.

Josiah was still fighting off his assailant, but he was getting the upper hand, pushing the man closer and closer to the ground.

Micha was nowhere to be seen, and I crept out from behind the cover, determined to find him.

I kept low to the ground, my weapon in hand as I crawled through the grass and dirt. Mutilated wraiths lay groaning, and their bodies flickered as if they were projections or a hologram. As I continued on, winding my way around bodies, the ground grew wet. When I lifted my palm in the dusk light, it was stained red.

Picking up my pace, my fingers squished through the tainted mud and my knees grew damp. A body lay on its side, and I tugged it over before I remembered Micha hadn’t had a shirt on.

It was too late, and a face I didn’t know but recognized regardless from the Second Realm, stared up at me. “You,” the man rasped.

He winced as he lifted an arm and before I knew what happened, his hand was wrapped around my neck. I fell to my side as he shoved at me, his blood-soaked hand gaining leverage. Gasping for air and my eyes watering, I grappled with him, fighting for an advantage.

He rolled me under him, body fluids dripping onto my cheek as I felt around for the knife I’d dropped when he grabbed my throat. Finally, I grasped it and swung as hard as I could.

The blade nicked his shoulder, and he roared, releasing his hold. His eyes glowed orange as he slapped me, before he grabbed my neck with sticky fingers. This time, I let him, and my fingers dug in the grass while the edges of my vision started filling with a black fog.

My hand pushed the knife several inches before I was able to get a hold of it again and blindly aim above my head. Blood filled my mouth as the demon collapsed onto my chest, knocking the wind out of me.

I kicked at the body, dragging my leg up as hard as I could with dead weight pushing me into the ground. Once I finally untangled myself, I wiped the liquid out of my eyes and crouched, blade still in hand. The only reason I’d been able to fight him was because he’d been badly wounded, I knew. I’d gotten lucky.

Della was moving closer and closer to Josiah while he was fending off a brand new attacker, but I still didn’t see who I was looking for.

I headed for the bushes lining the front of the property, thinking I would have a better view. A branch engulfed in flames cracked and fell, the fire pluming up into the sky upon impact with the ground, sparks flying everywhere. It briefly provided much needed extra illumination. That was when I spotted Micha.

I ran, jumping over the bodies, and skidding on my knees when I reached him. “Micha,” I called to him, turning him onto his back. He was unconscious and bleeding from a massive wound on his chest. When I leaned in, he didn’t seem to be breathing.

In a panic, I glanced at Josiah but even if he’d seen me, there was nothing he could do, trapped in his own situation. My hand was over Micha’s heart, right where I’d stabbed him, but it wasn’t beating. His skin was freezing cold, colder than it should’ve been even in the cool evening air, and soon my tears were mingling with his blood.

There was only one thing I could do, since my begging and pleading weren’t having any effect. I lifted the blade still clasped in my hand to the underside of my wrist and slashed. The sting of the knife set my nerves on fire, and I gasped as I held my arm over his lips. His mouth was shut, and I tried to pry open his stiff, waxy flesh.

“Drink, Micha,” I whispered, watching my blood drip against his teeth. “Drink.”

The flow was minuscule; I hadn’t cut deep enough to feed him much. Shoving my wrist against his lips, I prayed something would happen, that he would stir.

“Come back to me. I’m sorry I stabbed you. Well, not really. You had it coming.” I huffed, the sound hollow.

With my other hand, I wiped at my face again, when Josiah appeared beside me. “Move,” he ordered me.

Reluctantly, I dragged my bleeding arm away. “Can you save him? Please?”

He ignored my question, placing his palm on Micha’s chest, fear etched into his features.

“Is he truly gone?” I asked quietly, before I backed away. My voice was soft, but the air was newly still, the sounds of fighting and struggling for life having disappeared. The crunch of grass had me twisting my head. Della.

She lowered herself beside her man and I stood up, my thoughts racing. This couldn’t be real. None of this could be real. A knife straight through the heart couldn’t kill him so how was a regular chest wound going to do it?

I rushed back over, shoving Della, and ripping Josiah’s hands from Micha’s chest.

“Get up you stupid asshole, get up,” I nearly yelled, pounding my fists on his chest. “You can’t go.”

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