The road did not forgive weakness.
By nightfall, Elion could no longer hide the pain. His steps slowed. His breathing grew uneven. Blood soaked through the cloth she had wrapped around his side.
She blamed herself with every step.
If she had never come near him
If she had never loved him
If she had never existed
He collapsed just as the moon climbed into the sky.
She caught him, falling to her knees in the dirt, pulling his head into her lap. His skin was burning. His lashes fluttered.
"Elion," she whispered. "Stay with me. Please."
He smiled faintly. "You always sound like you are apologizing."
Her throat closed. Tears dropped onto his face. "I am scared."
"So am I," he said. "But I would rather be afraid with you than safe without you."
Those words shattered what little control she had left.
She pressed her forehead to his chest and sobbed silently, shaking as memories clawed their way back. Screams. Fire. Bodies. Love turning into ruin.
She stayed awake all night, guarding him from nightmares and hunters alike.
When he woke at dawn, she looked different.
Quieter. Harder. As if something inside her had decided to lock itself away.