Painful Reminders

Chapter Nineteen: The Truth of the Past

"Why weren't we made aware of the fact that there was a Remedium in our midst?" Victoria demanded as soon as the door shut behind Amya, grabbing my arm before I could go after her.

"The Remedium who just saved your ass?" Andrew shot back, moving to stand behind me.

"Regardless, we had a right to know who we were sharing a roof with," Nathaniel said, attempting to level me with a look.

I wrenched my arm away, moving toward the door. She'd been struggling to stand when she'd followed Stefan out, her shirt dark with fresh blood. She'd die if she didn't get help. "Anyone not already out here needs to be found. We leave within the hour. Andrea, get the medical room prepped and tell them to prepare for a transfusion."

"Cassian, you can't be serious." Before I could reach the door, Nathaniel was blocking my way. "We're grateful for her sacrifice, but we don't have the time for—"

"Then leave," I snapped, pushing him violently out of the way.

"Cass—"

Shoving the door open, I heard the surprised cry escape her lips as Amya stumbled forward into Stefan. "Careful," he warned, catching her in his arms as she struggled to see who had come through the door, her face pale and her lids fluttering.

I moved into the sun's rays without hesitation, intent only on getting her away from him. "Don't!" she called, reaching out her arms as if intending to push me back into the shadows. Ignoring the excruciating pain as the light hit my skin, I reached for her.

He didn't stop me when I pulled her away, placing my hand on her neck to slow the bleeding. It took me a full minute to notice my own pain had subsided, looking away from her briefly to my exposed skin, no longer smoking in the sunlight. Amya's brows furrowed, noticing it too. "How?"

"That doesn't matter." And it didn't. Not when she was fighting to remain conscious.

"She's the only reason you're not a pile of dust beneath my boot right now. She bought you twenty-four hours to crawl off into the night. Hand her over and she'll receive the medical attention she needs."

Amya paid no attention to either of us, her eyes struggling to focus and her strength completely gone. I didn't bother to look up as I scooped her up and turned back toward the door. "She stays."

"We don't kill humans, but this won't happen again," he warned. "This is the first and only mercy I'm willing to show your kind."

Completely ignoring him, I moved inside, intent on keeping her alive.

***

An arrow hit Lucius's shoulder and he pulled away from Floriana with an agonizing cry. Floriana stumbled back a step, pressing a hand to her wound as her gaze sought out her savior. Despite the clear danger she was in from the monster she'd created, Floriana's eyes gleamed with malice and satisfaction for a breadth of a second before her entire face contorted into a mask of fear and hysteria. "Marcellus!"

The man, Marcellus, notched another arrow, his focus breaking briefly to look at Floriana. "Where is my sister?"

Lucius stood frozen again, his breathing heavy, blood dripping from his mouth and his eyes locked on the other man. I felt sick as I watched it all unfold, wishing I could do anything to stop it. Floriana raced around the fire, sobs wracking her entire body as she threw herself at Marcellus. "He's killed her! He's gone mad! He would've killed me too if you hadn't found us."

Marcellus's focus broke completely. Following the direction of Floriana's outstretched arm, he found Aurelia's lifeless form. I watched as the bow in his hand quivered; felt the familiar feeling of panic and loss as the memory of their past melded with my own. Grandpa's body replaced hers, still wide-eyed and oblivious to the broken world he'd left behind. My chest ached unbearably and I had to shake away the memories.