Page 157 of An Unexpected Ascension
She pulls on my arm, begging for me to look at her, but I just can’t. Not until her soft palm is cradling the side of my face, forcing my eyes to hers. It’s then I break. My chest caves at the way my soul aches and bleeds.
There doesn’t seem to be any words that fit this moment. Instead, she leaps into me, her arms wrapping snuggly around my neck and her feet dangling just above the ground. Her chest molds to mine and it’s as if her heartbeat is strong enough for the two of us.
For a second, I’m too stunned to move, but slowly, I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her to me. She stifles a sob when I nuzzle my face into her neck and breathe her in, my Angel.
A long silence passes between us, unbothered by the scarce busybodies traipsing about. They take their quick, nosy peeks, then scurry, afraid that our presence will darken them from the inside out.
After the subtle quivering in Briar’s body has subsided, I lower her back down to her feet and cup her face.
“I’ll make it.”
“Promise?” she urges, her eyes still glittering with tears.
“I’ll do my best.”
She nods, knowing it’s all I can give her right now. I brush my lips against hers, tasting the salt from her sorrow.
Pulling away, a deafening silence surrounds us. The soft patter of hurried footsteps evaporates, the quiet humming of whispers between angels at our presence halts, even the birds have stopped their happy morning tunes.
Briar stiffens, noticing the same moment I do that something is not right. It feels too close to the death that hung heavy in the air around the Tree of Death. The only thing missing is the endless ash raining from the skies.
“Something’s wrong,” she whispers as if her voice is too loud for Heaven now.
“Come on.” I grab her hand and begin to jog.
My mind whirls with all the possibilities of what is happening, but I do know one thing for certain: the peak of this war has just begun. And by the sight of the vacant market, I've been affirmed.
“It’s empty!” Briar’s cries frantically.
She drops my hand, running through the center, checking every single stand there, hoping the others may just be hiding.
Except, I already know what’s been done, what can never be undone.
Recklessly, she tears apart each stand; fabrics and food and jewelry tossed every which way. But not a single soul steps forward.
She spins on her heels to face me. Her eyes so wide it looks painful.
Without a word, she sprints in the opposite direction, passing me by.
“Briar!” I call after her, but it falls on deaf ears.
I chase her, making it in the nick of time to catch her as she slips on her feet as she reaches the top step of a very large church. With a hefty tug, she swings the door wide open and aims for a set of stairs.
“Briar, wait!” I urge her.
Only, it’s no use.
She storms down the empty hallway, her brows furrowing with every passing door, and stops at the last one.
She just stands there, hands hanging by her sides.
I don’t know what to do as I watch her heart break all over again, if there’s anything left at all to break. There’s been nothing except tragedy in her afterlife and it doesn’t seem to ever get better.
As I reach out to grab her shoulder, she drops. Her knees land heavily to the stone floor of the church. I wait for a wail, a howl, an earsplitting cry of despair, but nothing comes. She kneels there, shoulders slumped, mouth hung open in pure shock.
“They’re all gone.”
Crouching, I gather her in my arms.
