Page 268 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
Skibs stuck his hand in afterward, his fingers splayed between the swords of soul and shadow, saying something Kase couldn’t hear. It struck him with déjà vu. It had been only a few months since he’d done the same thing to the Gate in Myrrai. He’d traded Saldr’s brother for a sword. This time, it was Navara.
“Ka…Kase?”
Kase’s heart stilled. Soft tufts of breath tickled the tiny hairs on his neck. Too soft. Too weak. But he felt them.
He shifted Hallie in his arms and tore his eyes away from the Gate. Slivers of golden brown peeked out at him from beneath heavy lids. Her skin still felt like ice against his. Or maybe he was cold, and he was just holding her too tightly to tell where he ended and she began.
Her lips, chapped and pale, tinted blue, barely moved. But theymoved. “Kase.”
He began to weep like a child. And he didn’t even care.
“I’m here, oh stars, I’m here.”Thank you, thank you, thank you.“Can you hear me?”
“I’m so…tired.” Her voice was raspy and raw.
More tears slipped down his nose. He scrubbed them away with his sleeve. “Navara said it’s your soul. It’s bleeding out. Like Anderson’s and Niels’. She said you’re not going to…” He rubbed his wet cheek on the shoulder of his jacket. He wouldn’t say it. He wouldn’t believe it. “I’m sorry, I…I didn’t know…I would never ever do anything to hurt…”
But he couldn’t get the rest of it out. His jaw wobbled too much. It was a lie, anyway—his blasted fingerprints were bruised into her neck. How could he say he would never do anything to hurt her when he already had?
She blinked, sluggish, sleepy. He held his breath until her eyes opened again. “I know.”
“But I…I can’t…Hals, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He was breathing too shallowly. Each inhale sounded like a hiccup, and he couldn’t stop it.
Another blink, and a tear slipped down her pale cheek. “Y-yes.”
“What?”
“Should’ve said…yes.” Her chest shuddered, fighting for every breath. “Marry…you.”
His heart didn’t crack this time—both sides wrenched apart, sundering completely from one another. Maybe his soul was bleeding, too. He shook his head. “No, you were right. You’re always right.”
She smiled, and her breathy laugh made him want to sob again. “Wh-who are you, and what did you—”
Her lungs seized up with a cough, wracking her frail body. He smoothed her hair with a shaking hand. “Shh. I’m going to get you home.”
“No…”
“If I can get you to Saldr, maybe…maybe he can do something. Anything. Just let me take you home,” Kase pleaded. “I did this, and I’m going to fix it. I promise I will.”
Out of the corner of Kase’s eye, Ben pulled a sword from the Gate. It was long and sturdy, the blade blindingly bright, the purest Zuprium Kase had ever seen. He held it out, the Gate’s light setting his hair ablaze like a crown. The other two swords fell to the cathedral floor with a clatter.
“Kase…”
He turned his attention back to Hallie, rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone. Why was everything so cold? Were they both dying? He couldn’t, not until he got her home, not until he saved her. He shivered, hard, holding her to him.
She struggled to swallow, but after a moment, she finally got the words out, though it was as if her throat wasn’t working properly.
He’d done that. He tightened his hold on her waist. “What is it?”
“Already…home.”
“No, you’re not staying here, you’re not dying—"
“Kase.” A tear snake down her face. He kissed it away and pressed his forehead to hers. Her lips barely moved as she said, “You…are my…home.”
His tears fell onto her face, mixing with her own.
“This is…good.” Her lips tugged, almost smiling in spite of her tears. “Just…be here. Stay here. Please?”
