Wingless

Chapter 24 [Lues's POV]

Celeste walks towards me, Tanith and Cadi. "We can't stay here, we need to go," she says frantically. "We're going to-" She stops midsentence, her face suddenly going white as she stumbles back.

An arrow is sticking out of her chest.

"Celeste!" I gasp, then groan as I go down too. Tanith and Cadi start to run but the arrows are too quick. They fall down on top of me and Celeste. I grab her slim waist and pull her close to me. 

"I guess this is the end," she sighs, burying her golden head in my chest. I smile. 

"At least it's with you." With effort I sit up to see who shot the arrow.

Celeste's father.

"Son of a female dog," I mutter. "Who kills their own daughter?" 

"Stop saying that," Tanith says sharply. "We have enough time - and enough products - to heal one of us. Perhaps two."

"Which two, though?" Celeste asks faintly. She is paling drastically and her words are hitched.

"Celeste," me and Cadi say at the same time.

"But-" Celeste protests.

I give her a gentle, soft kiss. "You deserve it," I whisper.

"I don't," Tanith says frankly. "I've done many things in my life that I shouldn't have and anyway, I'm an old woman. You three have your whole lives ahead of you. I'll be one of those who die."

This is the moment where I notice everyone is watching. I let out a groan. "But who else? If there's two ..."

"You," Cadi says quietly.

"No!" I try to shout, but I can't.

"You're my little brother, I have to take care of you," she says sweetly. "And what's the point of Celeste living if you don't?" Tanith lets out a little gasp as she creaked herself up.

"That's decided then." She gets out a healing kit and patches Celeste up. Being supernaturals, it's harder for weapons to hurt us, so Celeste will be fine. By the time she starts on me I'm sweating and groaning, already in a bad state. She works faster, hurriedly, evidently worried, but I'm done. I'll live. Then Cadi starts hyperventilating.

Quickly, Tanith runs to her and begins work, but it's obvious even to me that it isn't working. Cadi's breath is rattling and she's so weak it is effort to stay alive. We cluster around her, holding her hand, telling her it's going to be okay.

"You'll be alright, Cadi. You'll be alright."

"No I won't be, Lues." Her voice is hitched. "I'm dying. I know." Her sarcastic, articulate, smooth voice is gone. It is now a sore rasp. 

"Don't leave us, Cadi," pleads Celeste. Cadi looks up at her.

"You know I have to, Celeste. May your Honour never leave you. Always have my Memory in your hearts. And always ... have ... Hope." And those are the last words Cadi is ever going to speak. She lets out one final gasp, and she is gone. Merely seconds later, Tanith topples over, dead too. Celeste starts crying.

"We shouldn't have let them. We could have saved Cadi. This is my fault ..."

"No, Celeste. It's nobody's fault."

The sun sets. Tears thread our eyelashes, rolling down our faces. Then we go down to Earth. To start a new life. Entirely alone.