Lost in Worlds

The Final Song

The Pack had been counting the dead and tending to the wounded by the time Avery's magic had finally sunken back into its shadows.

Standing in the village square, she searched for the group, nowhere to be found. She hadn't seen them since killing the Queen and had decided to wait impatiently in case any of them were called out on the deceased list or rounded up by Pack nurses, injured. She had been stressed to hear Will, Sam and Clyde were in the intensive care unit but relieve to hear it weren't without a little help from her mate.

She nibbled her fingers, jiggling her left knee up and down. Thirty minutes later and her 'patience' had reached its end. Not bothering to hang around any longer she headed towards the Pack infirmary in search for her friends.

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Considering her mate had murdered a potential fellow ally, and even though it had turned out to be Caleb, it felt incredible to stroll into the infirmary, head held high as she flipped off Connor, glaring at him. "Where's Mila?" she demanded, desperate for the truth. He flinched at the question, and looked to the ground, sheepish. As if guilty of something.

"Av...do you remember killing the Queen?"

Avery tapped her foot, eyebrows raised. He continued. "Do you remember her extending a hand right before she died?" Avery nodded, waiting. He shuffled his feet awkwardly. "The blast of power she released from that...it struck Mila. She didn't make it through the end of the battle."

Avery's lip wobbled, her features going stoic.

"Her heart took a nasty hit of it. We've already prepared her grave."

Avery licked the salty tears that now ran down her face.

"Head to the lake. You'll find it there."

Her knees trembled by this point as she blocked out every other noise in the room, clumsily moving towards the infirmary door. Upon reaching it, her mate spoke. "Your eyes looks beautiful when you cry."

She left without a word, grateful for the upholding truth in his eyes as he had told her but disappointed he hadn't come found her first.

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Finding Mila's grave had been one thing. Finding out the Pack couldn't afford a proper burial or funeral for every individual in the Pack, had been another. All focus remained on battle retribution. She had taken matters into her own hands and ordered the grave and basic coffin to be given to another fallen warrior.

That afternoon, as the light behind the trees sparkled, and nature gave a breath of fresh air, she placed Mila on the make-shift raft formed from large logs woven with twigs. She covered it in rose petals and dandelions and placed her lost friend's already fading body on the raft's surface.

Mila had loved to sing, no matter the tune. So, as her friend rode out on the flat water's surface, Avery sang the song that had meant to the most to Mila. She didn't know the title, the artist or whether Mila had written an original. Regardless, as Avery sang like a whale, not beautifully at all, and recalled all the wonderful memories they had shared, she made a vow.

To perfect the song. To learn how to pronounce each vowel, consonant and syllable, equally well. So that she could sing it as her friend once had.

To spread the love her friend had once shown.