Page 109 of Ghostly Touches

I catch her as she gasps and stumbles forward. Grabbing her arms to hold them behind her, I watch Theodon closely. There is a fire in his eyes as we stare at one another. His face is a bit paler than usual, but I know that expression. It’s the very one he gave me when we realized Kwil would be forever changed after the Tangleling bit him. The same one when he took me aside and confided in me that he thought that my vision was failing, but he would stand with me and keep me out of the superiors’ sight. When Theodon sets his mind to something, this expression appears.

And it looks like Theodon has set his mind to executing Willow.

Willow struggles harder in my arms. She tries to kick my legs and headbutt me, but her fighting is futile.

“Please, please, please don’t do this!” she screams.

My grip tightens as my heart races. Theodon doesn’t look at Willow as he approaches her, his dagger ready in his hand. His eyes are locked on mine. Is he asking for forgiveness? Approval? For the first time since we first started working together, I don’t know what Theodon wants. I feel helpless as his gaze moves to Kwil where it lingers only momentarily before finally dropping to Willow’s.

“Theodon, please don’t do this. Please.”

The fear in her voice sickens me. My throat tightens as everything in me screams for me to stop this. I’m not ready to die, and Willow doesn’t deserve to go out in this manner. We don’t kill people. We kill monsters, and I can’t be sure Willow is one. Yes, she’s different but… a monster? One that makes meals for us? Does our laundry? Help souls find peace? Does any of that make her a monster? A small voice in my head answers at once:

No.

Theodon’s hand clenches tighter around the handle of his blade. My head shakes, just once, but Theodon sees it. His eyes flicker to my face only for only a second before he returns his attention to Willow. Bile rises up to my throat. But as much as I hate this, I’ll stand by Theodon’s decision. My hands shift so that I’m holding Willow’s arms with one hand as the other comes up to her neck. The least I can do is make her death painless. Time slows as I watch the blade descend towards the woman in my arms. Maybe that’s what Theodon wants me to do. To help her…

As the dagger slams into her stomach, Willow stiffens with a cry of surprise.

Before she can feel any more pain, my fingers dig against her pressure points behind her neck. Willow’s body goes slack as Theodon’s hand falls away from the dagger still lodged in her stomach. His eyes are glued to the hilt sticking out, but mine are glued to his face. There’s no missing the green in his cheeks, or the horror in his eyes.

We just killed an innocent woman.

My hands tremble as I lower Willow’s limp body into the ground. My body feels cold. Is it from my own horror, or is it because now that Willow is dead, I am dying? How long will it take for us to feel the effects? A few days? A few weeks? Please, let it be quick. Maybe not painless. I don’t think we deserve a painless death. Not after this. I stare down into her face, hating every fiber of my being. I work to keep my breathing even as I try not to react in front of the others.

“See? Was that so hard?” Rowan asks with a sigh. “Now that that’s over, grab your shit and get back to the Third Realm. We won’t say anything about you being here, as promised. As long as you keep your mouth shut about what you found inside.”

Before any of us can respond, Kwil moves. He’s so fast none of us see his attack coming before it’s too late. His gloves have yet to hit the ground before the claws on his left hand sink deep into Theodon’s stomach. Theodon’s eyes widen in shock as Kwil steps up so that they’re nose to nose.

“How foolish we’ve been. Willow wasn’t the monster among us. It wasyou.” The voice that comes out of his hood is terrifying and unfamiliar.

“Kwil…” My gasp trails off as I try to process all the things happening at once.

“What the hell?” Peeta cries out.

Kwil yanks his hand out of Theodon’s stomach. Theodon goes down on one knee hard, grabbing at his abdomen, his mouth hanging open. Kwil turns to face us. As he does, his bloody hand reaches up and pulls down the hood of his cloak. The sight of his face causes the three Ghosts to take a step back in revulsion.

I don’t know what to do. Do I stop Kwil or help Theodon?

“What. Have. You. Done?”

The sound of Jonah’s voice surprises me, as it does everyone else. We all turn to find the man standing there, his face twisted in horror. He reaches up and yanks the collar off of his neck. His transformation into a Shadebroode is swift. The Ghosts cry out again, as they realize another creature is in their mists, right under their noses. My stomach sinks even further. Could things get any worse? Jonah moves. His tail slams into the new Ghosts, knocking Peeta down and hitting Gangory across the face. He rams into me with his horns, throwing me a few feet away.

Jonah drops down to one knee, his hand reaching for the dagger. Kwil lunges for Rowan who pulls his sword out to kill Jonah.

Just then, Theodon wheezes out, “No, don’t pull it out of her!”

Jonah does it anyway. When the blade is yanked from Willow’s body, blood begins to bubble up and pool from her torso. Jonah throws the blade to the side and scoops up Willow’s body. To my relief, I can hear her let out a weak groan. She’s not dead. Yet.

Kwil snarls and takes a step towards Jonah.

“Give her to me.”

Jonah bares his teeth in warning, to which Kwil lets out a terrifying snarl before sliding down into a crouch. Without needing any type of running start, Jonah leaps clear over everyone with Willow in his arms and lands over fifty yards away. Without looking back, he takes off into the night. Kwil moves to go after them, letting out a shriek eerily similar to that of the Tangleling that lured him to his dreadful fate.

“Kill them all!” Rowan yells.

Kwil and I turn as the Ghosts pull their swords out again, ready to end us here and now. I pull my own out quickly and step in front of Theodon, who struggles to get to his feet.

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