Remember Me

Chapter XVI

I drop to my knees, incapable of believing what I just witnessed. I think Lisa was stabbed; given a fatal wound... But that can't be right, can it? She was supposed to be perfectly safe, kept away from the battlefield.

Unless, of course, an idiot put her close to a dangerous place such as the one I am standing in right now- the room Scarletstar hid in for the last seven or eight months.

Although, it's my fault too. I was so concerned with protecting those close to the battles, so sure she'd be safe, that I let my guard down. Now she's probably dead...

The bright red digits of the clock on the wall pull me out of my stupor. I only have five minutes. Lisa was torn from me in a mere three minutes...

No. There's no time to zone out. I have a responsibility, protecting those that are still alive.

I try as hard as I can to push all thoughts of Lisa to the back of my mind, replacing them with strategies. How am I going to finish off Scarletstar?

"In the end... You'll be the one to kill her?"

Yes. Yes I will be. Or I'll die trying.

"Shadow!" Sparrowheart's voice catches my attention and I turn to see his determined face. His expression softens when his gaze falls on me.

"What happened?" He asks quietly. "Why are you crying?"

I hurriedly bring my hands to my face and wipe away tears I hadn't noticed falling. "It-it's nothing." How convincing.

His eyes narrow. "You don't stutter, Skye. What really happened? And where's Lisa?"

That's it. I can't take it.

"She's dead! That's what happened!" I scream, then bring my knees to my chest, hiding my face in them as I cry. I don't look up or stop crying when Sparrowheart hugs me. He doesn't speak.

Again, I take the next minute to try and tear my thoughts away and towards the matter at hand. The school. The hundreds of students to protect.

Still leaning against my battle partner, I ask him about the situation. "Are the allies here?"

"Yes. They're surrounding the school and blocking off other hallways. We're limiting the battle to the cafeteria and the front of Riverview."

"Are Nicholas and Delia safe with the students?"

"It took convincing, but we managed to get them to sit this one out."

"Is the main force waiting in the cafeteria?"

"Everyone except us."

"Okay."

I glance at the clock again, blinking away tears that blur my vision. We have about three minutes. Maybe I'll let myself have one more minute...

I relax in Sparrowheart's arms and close my eyes, dwelling on the swift turn my life made in the last month. It's funny, how before a couple of weeks ago Sparrowheart and I simply talked whenever we saw each other, and now he's comforting me. It's funny how a month ago Nicholas had no war to worry about but now he has an injured arm. Was it only a month ago that Dawnflame barged into my room to tell me about Scarletstar? How would things be different if someone else had told me, or if Dawnflame and Blueflight had never come along?

"I hate to break up the moment," a voice says at the door, "but we've got two minutes till BurningClan gets here."

"Dammit Pearlstar," Sparrowheart mutters, pulling away from me. "It takes fifteen seconds to get to the cafeteria. And Skye deserves a moment of quiet, if you ask me."