KAEL
I ran with her in my back until the town became a distant smear behind us, until the pavement gave way to dirt and the air thickened with pine and damp earth. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn’t stop until we were deep in the woods, far from any road, far from any eyes.
The small cabin I’d claimed last night was still undisturbed. I eased her down onto the bedroll, the rough wool now stained darker with her blood. The metallic scent clung to both of us, thick and accusing.
She was lighter than I expected. Too light. I knelt beside her, hands hovering, afraid to touch now that I knew the truth beneath the bindings. The linen around her chest was soaked through, but when I carefully peeled back the edge of her ruined shirt, the gash that had been gaping and lethal was alr
