Lost Soul

Chapter Seventeen: Ollie

The pain in my shoulders ease.

"Raven," Daniel begs. "You can reach me now. Grab my hand."

"She let go," I breathe, staring into where she disappeared.

"Dammit, Raven! Grab my hand!"

I turn my head to stare up at him. "She let go," I tell him, my voice hollow and distant.

"Raven!" He roars, stretching to grab me.

I release the dagger and close my eyes.

"Raven!"

Something slams into me and wings beat around me.

We hit a wall, then collapse onto a stone floor.

Charlie rolls away from me.

My vision goes red when I see him. "You could've saved her." I lunge for him and grab his shirt. I slam him into the floor. "You could've saved her!" I scream.

"I still can!" He shouts, blocking any blows with his hands in front of his face.

I freeze, staring down at him. "What?"

He turns his head to where her body lays. "But only if she's still breathing."

I scramble for her. I want to lunge and check for a pulse, but when I get near her, my heart stops.

Nothing looks wrong except for a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

I pet her hair back. "Rae?" I whisper. Something warm and wet coats my fingers. I don't have to look to know it's blood.

Charlie eases beside me and searches for a pulse. "Her heart's still beating," he whispers.

My heart isn't. I sob and bow my head over hers. "Rae, please. Please, open your eyes. Ple-please! I can't do this without you!" Sobs wrack my body. I scream at her to wake up. I beg. I beg with everything I have left.

Charlie pushes me away without a word.

"What are you doing!?" I scream. "Don't take her from me!"

His wing snaps out and holds me back, even as I punch and dig my nails in. "I need to do this quickly, before her heart stops." He puts his hands over her heart and closes his eyes.

"What are you doing?" I repeat. I stop fighting him. For now.

Rae's body glows.

"Are you healing her?" I rasp.

Charlie flinches. "I'm sorry... I don't know how. I'm not a healer."

"Then what are you doing!?"

"I'm stopping her body from dying. It'll keep her alive until-." He doesn't continue.

"Until!?" I shout.

"Until I can figure out how to fix her."

I can't even argue. I can't move. I can't speak. I can't do anything to help her. After all she's done to keep me alive all these years... I can't even do anything.

I'm completely helpless. My best friend is dying and I can't do anything but sob.

Charlie moves to Erick and my body finally moves.

I shove him back. "Don't," I snarl.

Charlie blinks. "He's a person, Raven."

"She's dead because of him," I hiss.

"She's not dead! I can fix this!"

"Fix this!? How are you going to fix anything!? Her bones are probably shattered! Her skull is split open!"