Page 14 of Of the Stars and Sea

Palming my daggers, I lift my right hand and let the weighted metal fly. A whisper of its path cuts through the air. It flies fast but Blythe sees it coming before it has a chance to dig into the meat of his shoulder that I aimed for. He moves forward, just far enough to avoid the strike, pressing Raven further against the wall with his body. Just missing the sweep of my dagger. It lands a few yards away with a clattering thud against the cobblestones.

Blythe lets out a wicked hiss as his shrewd eyes land back on me.

I’m almost there. Almost close enough to stick my other dagger in him. With only one weapon left, I can’t chance missing him again and being defenseless. Not when Raven’s life is on the line.

He raises her small body further into the air, her feet kicking against the brick wall as she wails her fists at him.

Fire sears my lungs with every step I take. Closer now, I can see the tears that spill down Raven’s face. Her eyes flutter as she gasps what little air she can from the pressure of his hand around her throat.

“Rowenya!” I hear from somewhere distant behind me.

Amara.

She and Wells must have found us from their watch on the roofs.

There’s no time to look to see how close they are. Only one more building separates Raven and me. Only a few more paces and I can?—

NO!

Blythe’s other hand disappears inside his cloak, revealing his own dagger. Shimmering crimson shines in the moonlight from the blood-colored ruby nestled on the end of the hilt as he raises it to Raven’s throat.

Everything goes silent. Not even the sound of my feet against the stones beneath me make it to my ears as I watch in horror.

Faster! I need to run faster!

Pain jolts through my shoulder like a rod of lightning, reminding me that this moment is real. Blythe has Raven cornered with his dagger to her throat and I . . .

I am too far away . . .

Too far away to stop him as he slices his blade across her delicate skin.

My scream shatters the stars, cleaving the world in two just like Blythe’s blade has done to my heart. I slide forward onto my knees, just in time to catch her crumpling body before it hits the stones. Blythe stands somewhere behind me, his shadow looming over the both of us as Raven’s blood spills onto my arms from where I cradle her head.

“No,” I whisper, blinking against the tears that cloud my vision of her.

She moves her mouth to speak, but instead of words, crimson blood spills from her lips.

“Shhh,” I tell her. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” The lie comes easily as I pray to the heavens for it to come true.

Blythe laughs viciously behind me, but I ignore him.

Please don’t leave me. Please . . . please.

Her dark-as-night eyes scan my face. So young and yet an eternity has been etched into those ebony irises. Raven’s life has been hard. Harder than most. Still, she fought for the life she envisioned for herself. The one she tried to live out every day since I bought her freedom from the madame who had enslaved her.

Careful not to mar her beautiful face with the stain of her blood, I run my fingertips along the edge of her hair.

“Look up,” I tell her. “Look at the heavens, Raven.”

Her gaze trails beyond my face to the landscape of lights above us. “You’re going to be free. Free of this world. Free of the pain. You’re going to dance amongst the most beautiful lights you’ve ever seen, my friend. You’re going to befree.”

She looks at the stars for another moment before she grips my forearm hard. I look down at where her hand wraps tightly over my skin. A glimmer of gold shines through the opening of her coat.

“You did it.” I gaze at her in awe and she gives me a small nod as more blood rushes down her neck. More tears fill my eyes, making them burn as I lower my face to hers, holding her close to my chest. “I’ll make him pay,” I promise. “I’ll make them all pay.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I take in the smell of the rose oil in her hair. She always spends too much money on fine soaps and oils. My mind reels back to a time when I asked her why she chose to spend her coin on such frivolous things. I remember the smile she gave me, soft and serene as she told me that there was a time when she wished she could have bathed in such sweet things to mask the smell of the men and women who used her for their pleasure. When she joined my crew there was no need for her to mask the scent of others on her skin, but she wanted to buy them for the young girl she had been—as a reminder that she got out.

As I lean back, Raven’s eyes are no longer lit from within. Still as stone, her final gaze is of the starry night. The image of her lifeless face burns a hole into my soul that I know will never heal over.

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