No one should have died.

He couldn’t stop thinking about what Benjamin had said about Jackson as he ran, snow crunching underfoot and lungs burning with the cold that was gulped into his lungs. Evander knew he had to be getting close to where Elizabeth had mentioned earlier, silently hoping they would be there once he arrived, but the forests felt much too big in the absence of any light.

The trees were less dense ahead, granting him a better area to run but more room to be seen by the others he knew were still out there. A clearing, she’d said, and the more he thought about it, the more the openness of the area scared him. He felt like he’d been running forever when he finally stopped, leaning against a tree with chest heaving and legs shaking beneath him.

A twig snapped.

“Aurora!”

He whipped around, throwing the advancing figure back against the tree with the barrel of his pistol driven firmly into their throat. Daniel yelped, scrambling against him and falling away the moment Evander let go.

“Daniel, what are you doing here?”

“I…Elizabeth and I…separated.”

“Where is she?” Evander demanded, hauling him back to his feet again. “Did you lose her? They’re going to find her, Daniel.”

“I don’t…know. I don’t-“

“You are supposed to protect her. That was the plan!” he snapped.

His tone dropped suddenly and he let go, swallowing harshly.

“I shot one of them.”

“Who?” Daniel asked, still breathing heavily.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him. He was going to kill me if I didn’t act and I-“

“Did you kill him?”

He shook his head.

“If it comes to it, you might have to shoot another one. We aren’t going to get through this unless we…fight back.”

Evander chewed at his lip, the words confirming a fear that had been nagging at the back of his mind. He knew it was true but the thought of pulling the trigger, especially a second time, was a bit too horrifying for him to handle.

But before he could think about that, they had to find Elizabeth.

“We need to go. She’s still out there,” he declared.

Daniel nodded in agreement.

Evander took off with Daniel right behind him, tearing into the trees again and trying to locate any sign, any sound or sight, which would indicate where she had gone. The forests continued to thin, trees parting and bowing away until finally they reached clear ground. It was desolate, empty and unmarred by foot trails, Dravara or otherwise.

“Elizabeth!” he called into the trees. “Where are you?”

“They’re going to hear us-“

“We need to find her,” Evander snapped.

He shivered, coughing when he tried taking a deep breath again and leaning over to put his hands on his knees. There wasn’t a sound, not a whisper of the wind or even the creaking of the trees surrounding them. Evander stood slowly, considering moving on or even going back towards the inn, thinking that, by some misfortune, she would have gone back for Jackson.

“If she’s not here,” Daniel hissed, speaking aloud what Evander was thinking. “Where is she?”

The first sound was a snap, then a laugh followed by a whimper from Daniel. Evander whirled around, pistol in hand and arm raised towards the trees around them, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering.

“Get out here!” he barked, shuffling sideways to allow Daniel to step behind him.

“What sort of an idiot do you think I am? Step out so you can shoot us like you did to that poor boy.”

The laughter was joined by at least two others, the sound making his blood freeze when he realized there was more than one. Daniel put a hand on his shoulder, cowering behind him and staring fearfully behind the two of them. He recalled what Daniel had said about having to fight back and for a brief moment was almost amused by the other runaway shrinking behind him. Unless we fight back, Evander thought, though he hadn’t ever expected Daniel to be the one to defend them anyway.

His finger curled around the trigger.

“Rory!”

“Fire!”

In a flash, he whipped around, firing towards the sound of the voice as soon as Daniel’s shout reached his ears. His teeth clenched, jaw setting firmly as he came to face the figure standing there. But as soon as their eyes locked, the familiar blue of hers meeting his, all the strength faded from his limbs.

The pistol dropped from his hand, hitting the ground with a dull, hollow crunch on the ground. It was, for what felt like forever, the only sound he heard. Everything faded, rushing up to meet the rushing of blood in his ears. It was as if the world had lost its voice, falling into a horrifying silence that lasted until it all returned with a whimper.

“Elizabeth…”

Evander felt like he was going to collapse but instead he was rushing forward next thing he knew, catching her before she hit the ground and folding his legs beneath him. Her body was held close against his chest, hand fumbling to press against the stain that rushed outward from her middle, crimson bleeding out from beneath his hands.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry. Everything will be alright.”

They moved in from the trees, descending down like ravens.

Daniel didn’t fight, not from what Evander saw out of the corner of his eye. They bound his wrists, tying them behind his back while he stood, just as shocked as Evander was, mouth open and eyes staring blankly.

“Ror,” she gasped, face twisting in anguish. “Ror, am I-“

“No, it’s a-alright.”

“I don’t want to….I don’t want to-“

“You’re not-“

“Ror,” she said, glancing down and letting out a sound that was halfway between a forced laugh and a cough. “Oh…there’s a lot, Ror. I don’t want to die.”

The words hurt more than any of the cold in the air, any knife, or any bullet ever could. Evander heard her breath come in a wheeze as he looked up helplessly, watching as one moved in, only to stop when one of the Dravara spoke the most damning words he’d ever heard.

“She’s done for,” he paused, looking towards the two crumpled in the snow, “leave him alone.”

“Help me!” Evander cried, his words coming out in a strangled plea.

Elizabeth’s hand was on his cheek then, perhaps to wipe away tears or even just know, for the both of them, he was there. Her expression had faded from the pain from before and though her eyes were wide, she smiled faintly.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing,” he sobbed, “h-he didn’t say anything. It’s going to be just fine.”

“Did they tell you to run?”

“No, and I-I won’t run. I’m not going anywhere.”

She blinked, smiling. “You’re wearing it still…didn’t think you would. Don’t lose that hat.”

“I-I won’t,” Evander quaked.

Elizabeth swallowed, reaching with a shaking hand for his. “You look like when I first met you.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“You need to stop…getting bloody, Ror.”

Evander pulled her close against his chest, choking back sobs and pressing his hand down against the warmth spreading through his fingertips. He didn’t understand why the others weren’t helping, why they stood back as useless and stony as they could be. He didn’t understand that even when he pleaded through cried out sobs, why they didn’t help. She couldn’t be dying, he thought, it wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

He didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

He never did.

“I won’t leave,” he repeated, swallowing and cracking a smile. “I l-left someone once and I’ll never do it again. I’m so sorry.”

The grin on her face broke his heart, the same smile he’d seen for two years that had broken down the walls he’d built around himself. Friends, he thought briefly, there was a reason why he’d denied Daniel’s offer. He didn’t want to be alone. He just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

No one was supposed to die.

“Why are you sorry?”

“I-It’s alright-“

“Am I dying, Ror?”

He choked, watching the grin drain from her lips.

“No, you’re not dying. E-Everything is going to be alright.”

It didn’t work when he tried to smile, the expression melting away almost immediately as her hand slipped from his cheek. He hated how her smile disappeared and hated even more that he was the reason.

“It’s going to be fine. It has to be,” he croaked.

“I know,” she said, voice finally breaking, “I trust you.”

Her eyes were fluttering, body shaking and mouth drifting down away from whatever shred of a smile remained. She didn’t say anything else, nor would she, and Evander felt as if at any moment, the world would come crashing down. Still, so dreadfully still in his arms until finally, he was dragged away.

It has to be.

For the first time that night, he never wanted so badly to be right. Aurora couldn’t hear the sound of his own voice as he fought against them, furious and screaming for them to let him go. He was too furious, too enraged and too heartbroken to even hear if they said anything, be it scolding or condolences. But most of all, he was furious at himself.

His eyes went to Daniel, tears obscuring his vision as he fought against the two holding him back. Daniel was crying just as hard as he was but the sight of it, the thought that Daniel was there, watching everything and not doing a thing, was infuriating.

“Why did you tell me to shoot?” he shrieked.

“I-I’m sorry…I d-didn’t know-“

“You knew it was her!”

“Aurora,” Daniel cried, “I didn’t. I didn’t, I s-swear.”

Evander felt his legs drop out from beneath him at the sight of the girl, her nightdress splattered like a crimson covered dove in a field of snow. He felt sick, more so than he ever had but when his eyes rose again, just as fury filled as before, he struggled against the Dravara holding him.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Please, I’m sorry-“

“This is your fault!” Evander raged. “You told me to shoot the vexing gun!”

“You can’t blame me for that! You shot her!” he yelled back, seeming surprised at the raising of his own voice.

Evander broke free, driving an elbow into the ribs of one of his captors and charging forward across the clearing the moment he wasn’t restrained. His fist connected with Daniel’s jaw, a glancing blow compared to what it could have been if his eyes weren’t too blurred to see. It was enough to send the other runaway reeling, stumbling against the two at his back while Evander was torn away from him. He was screaming but couldn’t hear the sound of his voice, choking on sobs but unable to feel the tears on his face.

But his desperate strength faded then, slipping away finally and he sunk to his knees again, head falling forward and the hat, as ridiculously out of place it felt, fell down over his eyes.

They didn’t touch him.

“You there!”

He didn’t look up, recognizing Benjamin’s voice as the two, the two he’d left behind, came limping from the treeline. They approached, the sound of their boots crunching over the snow ringing in his head as he stared over at her. Sleeping, that’s all, he tried telling himself. That’s the way she looked, resting in a place that was so horribly wrong.

His wrists were bound, one of the Dravara crouching down behind him but leaving him where he’d fallen. Evander swallowed harshly, unable to tear his eyes away for the longest time until he looked down at his own hands. They were stained, covered up to his sleeves in a color that he’d never thought could be so bad.

“What happened here?”

One of the Dravara, the one that held the horses Evander had neglected to notice earlier, cleared his throat uncomfortably. None of them spoke, none daring to explain the scene they’d witnessed.

“Goddesses, he didn’t-“

“I was right.”

Evander’s head snapped upward at Aldwyn’s voice and he was on his feet before he could stop himself. They were there then, holding him back as he tried rushing forward towards the two hobbling closer slowly. He kicked, writhed and fought against the Dravara holding him until one struck out harshly at the back of his knee

“Killer,” Aldwyn said, pausing unsurely, “like I said.”

Finally, his body gave out beneath him. He didn’t have the energy to fight back anymore, staying where he was and feeling as if truly was about to collapse. Evander didn’t even care he’d been captured and in fact, the thought didn’t even register in his mind. The only thought that did, the single thought that remained after the swarm died away, was that of two names. He’d never thought they meant anything about who he was until then. But it occurred to him for the first time that they couldn’t possibly be more different.

Just why they came to him when so many things should have but everything else hid behind the names that screamed in his head. There was one thing he knew for certain and that was, without a doubt, that bullet had taken two lives. Evander didn’t exist anymore, he thought, not after what happened.

He was Aurora.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12