Cairo

Chapter 40: The Dead Hold Secrets

Red outlined the world, engulfing Cairo's vision like poison from the sides until his whole body was visibly shaking. He slammed his fist against the ground, ignoring the bites of pain that lingered in his body still. But his ragged breathing was starting to catch up to him, and he bit his lip, wiping the sweat from his forehead as let out sling of curses.

Yun stepped up, placing a hand behind Cairo's back. He kept one hand on his shoulder, the other pressed firmly against his spine. Instructions were given in a clear and concise voice that left no room for protest. Cairo followed the directions, swallowing his pride as he tried to ease his nerves.

When Yun was finished, Cairo let out a bitter laugh as he grabbed hold of a dead body near him and pulled it closer. He took of the shirt, ripping off long pieces of material. Blood was everywhere on him, and Cairo was glad the overbearing smell left behind gave him an excuse to concentrate on minimal breathing. The pieces of material were tied together in a small knot that Cairo used to wrap around the wound on his leg.

"I thought I wouldn't feel this guilty when I died," Cairo said, his eyes distant as he focused on wrapping the bandage. "But now that I'm here—" He sighed, pulling the last of the bandage tightly. "—it's more scary than I could have thought. Even though I keep telling myself to stop worrying, my hands are shaking, and the little part of hope that I have is eating away at me. There's no one left anymore, and yet... I keep clinging to nothing."

The Kleptos didn't say anything as he looked at his Pyrroh, who slapped the part above the bandage he'd just finished wrapping, sending Yun a smile. "Well, that's done. What's left it to get Aerie back."

"Is it that simple?" Yun asked.

Cairo shook his head. "Nothing's simple, but it's better than waiting here to die. At least I'll get to look cool—saving a damsel in distress, that is."

Yun mumbled a response as his eyes stayed watching Cairo's leg. He was limping; though it was obvious his leg was wounded, it didn't seem to bother Cairo in the slightest as he hastily walked around the perimeter of the building without much of a problem on his part.

.

He didn't stop. Not when he saw people dying around him or calling out to him for help as they used their last dying breath or were brutally cut down. Everyone and everything that didn't have to do with what he wanted, he ignored.

Eventually, though, Cairo stopped, leaning an arm against the wall next to him. Sweat was still dripping, and by this point, he was his face was flushed over the pale undertone the complexion of his face was starting to take.

From the corner of his eye, Cairo caught the image of a small, square building that looked, from the angle he stood at, like it hadn't been touched. He stayed quiet as he observed it until Yun asked him what was wrong.

"I don't remember that building." Cairo pointed to the square, black building a little ways in the distance. "I've come here how many times, and I swear on my life there was no such place."

Yun tilted his head, jumping up as a cloud formed under him. He sat cross-legged, leaning forward as he planted his hands on his calf. "Then do you want to go see? We don't know where Aerie is; she could be there for all we know."

Cairo nodded as he pushed himself off the wall. Sparks popped near his hand, fire starting to twist and twirl around his arm to prepare, in the worst case, for an ambush.

There wasn't a single soul to be found when Cairo rounded the corner, though. He breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging as he walked to the next side. That's when he saw it.

.

His blood ran cold. Like a bath in ice, Cairo's body was paralyzed. He couldn't move, couldn't think as he stared at Coaltrice's body. She was lying on the ground with her shoulders and head resting against the wall. Her eyes were closed, a hand laid on top of her stomach that was covered in blood. A cough surged up in her lungs, and she bent over. Blood splattered out of her mouth onto the floor. When she stopped coughing and was able to sit back up, she wiped the blood off of her chin.