The storm settles. Someone shouts, “Move back!” The crowd of guardians obeys, moving out of the way to reveal Chase kneeling in front of the monument, restrained by several guardians and their glittering ropes. And I realize suddenly that this will never end. No matter how much good he does, they’ll never forget the devastation of the past. Even if he escapes them now, they’ll never stop hunting him, and this will go on and on until eventually, one day, they catch up to him.
Unless I do something.
I remove the lid of the bottle and tip the contents down my throat. I’m aware of familiar voices calling my name, but my every sense is focused on the herbal-sweet burn rushing down my throat. As energy shoots through my body, shocking me back to life, I know there’s only one way for me to end
