Blood & Cinders- Choose your Own Adventure Story

Chapter 30

"No, no, no!" Isabelle wailed, wiping the blood and dirt from his face.

"Please do something you have to save him!" Her head pounded, hands shaking as she tried to hold together the blood that was seeping from his skull.

Black human hair flopped in his face concealing his eyes. She couldn't remember, what was the color of his eyes again? All she could see was red. So much red, painting his skin-his hair. Clear drops diluted the blood, dripping down his face in a steady steam. Her tears washed away the wretched hue.

Isabelle moved the hair from his face. His beautiful honey hazel eyes were open.

They held a glossy sheen as they stared vacantly into the sky. The rays of sunlight like fingers pulling back the veil of darkness only further illuminated how empty they looked.

She shut his eyes. 

When they placed him under the tree, one of the men had shrugged off his cloak, draping it over Adam's torso, where a piece of rib stuck out of the side, garish and out of place. His back was worse, she garnered from the murmuring of the men, but she didn't dare look. Covered by the cloak now, he simply looked asleep. Peaceful...If it weren't for the blood.

She stroked his hair in her lap. Brushing the dark strands of bloody matted locks back from his tan face.

"Please God." She begged through the tears, her head rocking back to the heavens. She had already lost so much. So many faces that flashed through her mind, her heart cracked and worn from all that she had been through, all she had seen.

"Please," she sobbed. He was one one of her dearest friends. A person she had shared a part of her body- her soul with. To go like this- so sudden- it wasn't fair. "Please. I love him. Please."

Isabelle didn't even register John who was at her side, till she jumped, feeling his large hand squeeze her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Several other faces joined around the tree just as the dawn broke in a brilliant flash of gold cresting over the hills.

The light grew brighter and Isabelle had to shield her eyes from its sting. She blinked into a world of rich greens, deep blues, golden yellows and pumpkin oranges from the trees and all shades in between erupted in a symphony of color.

Cries of joy thundered over the crackling flames of the destroyed castle.

"I'm sorry Isabelle." John's voice was hoarse, she couldn't tell if it was from the smoke or some emotion lodged in there. Silent tears continued to drip down her cheeks.

"Leave me. Please. I want to be alone."

John paused like he was going to say something, to stay but she felt his hand slip from her shoulder as footsteps faded and the world was quiet again as she blocked out the boisterous celebration that continued to rise with the sun.

The guards had left after saying their own silent goodbyes to their captain and prince. One of the faces strangely reminded her of the lizard Marcelle but she was too busy wiping away the blood from Adam's handsome face to notice their presence or even their absence.

She traced the curve of his jaw, brushed a thumb over his cheek, his brows, committing his features to memory. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when a voice startled her from her trance, but it was long enough that she could see the castle towers fall slowly one by one with a thundering crack.

"Isabelle." A blurry figure approached. She blinked the mist away in her eyes looking up.

The woman had the same accent as Anna's voice, the same, thin lips now folded into a somber frown. But her face was smooth.