The Seventh Crow

Part 43

I fall to the floor, clutching my side. Pain all throughout my body. My breathing is becoming thick. I try to listen to the murmurs of my brother's voice, but nothing is coherent.

Hold on.

Someone moves to my side. Their hands pressing into the gunshot wound. They try to say something, but my mind is everywhere besides here.

"Nox," Matthias sounds far away. "Hold on."

Everything comes crashing down. I've been shot by a young Drüskelle. There is a literal bullet in my stomach. Blood pours from the wound faster than we can stop it.

"We need to stop the bleeding," I say through gasps of pain.

Matthias takes his jacket off, ripping part of the sleeve. He helps lift me into a sitting position, taking the ripped sleeve to help apply pressure.

To stop myself from crying out in pain, I look around the area. The Drüskelle is nowhere to be found. Either he ran when the shot went off or Matthias did something.

"Come on," he says, lifting me off the ground before I could brace myself. Pain echoes through my nerves. I bite my tongue. I can get over the pain.

We hobble our way through the street. My body slowly becomes colder with each step we take. I'm going to die in Ketterdam...

"Matthias," I choked out. "You need to do something for me."

"No," he states. "You'll do it yourself. You shouldn't have come back. None of this would've happened."

"If it wasn't me it would've been you. Matthias, I don't have my Nina..." I do. I always did. "Nina needs you. No one needs me."

"Stop talking like you're dying."

"I am dying. Matthias, you need to find Alev Fitz. Please tell him that-"

"You'll tell him yourself."

It was worthless talking to Matthias. I knew I was slipping. Trying to hold on is starting to become difficult.

I always thought death was going to be painless. Not be in pain with every step that I take. Where are we even going? By the time we get to a doctor or Grisha or whoever, it would be too late.

It's like I'm falling in a black cloud but there is a string that keeps forcefully pulling me away from the ground.

"Matthias..." I try to speak.

"Matthias!" Nina's voice rings out.

I couldn't stay standing anymore. Every nerve in my body gave out. Not caring about the strong arm holding my body weight.

"She was shot," Matthias says.

"Jesper!" Nina screams out. My eyes want to close, but I keep them open.

Keep going.

"What happened?" Jesper asks, panic in his voice.

"Do you feel the bullet?" Nina asks. "Jesper, do you feel the bullet? Oh Saints- she's slipping."

Everything after that was a blur. Every voice was a ringing. My eyes forced themselves to close as a wave of peace washed over me.

Keep fighting.

No. I don't want to keep fighting. I want to give up. This was my goal for a year and a half. End the pain and suffering.

What about Alev?

What about Alev? He is fine. We both knew we were destined to be apart. He knew my destiny, we both accepted it. Besides, Matthias knows his name. He won't let me down.

But a Fjerdan shot you. You'll die at his hand.

My time for fighting is over. Even if my mind is awake and fighting. My body is weak. I've lost a lot of blood. My body has been bruised to a crisp before I was shot. I want to sleep.

My time for fighting is over.

Everything became peaceful.