the shadows ballad ° kaz brekker

chapter 18

CHAPTER 18:
Five more minutes.
Kaz

I couldn't breath.

The air was caught in my throat as I witnessed him twist the knife further into her before mercilessly ripping it out, and she crumbled to the floor.

"Nyx!"

My voice was hoarse as I screamed out her name, my heart beating wildly as I hoped she was able to stop her wound from bleeding out as her father aimed for Jesper and I. Jesper lay unconscious, leaving me to watch as she suffered.

No.

No, no, no, no.

Please, not you.

Anyone but you.

For the first time in my life since. . .since Jordie, I felt actual tears collecting in my eyes. Tears that I might actually lose the woman I love more than anything else in this world, and tears of hatred for the man who's going to take her away from me.

"Please, don't let her die," I let out a shaky breath.

"Anybody listening, please. . .she doesn't deserve it. Saints, please, she's all I have left."

Suddenly, I was forced back into the darkness of the Fold. I could hear the volcra screeching, and wondered if this was fate.

To die together.

"Go to her."

I heard the smallest whisper in the air, the voice of a woman, and I didn't hesitate.

I picked myself up and ran out of the darkness, ignoring the pain searing in my leg as I tried to get to Nyx.

But the most unbearable pain entered my heart and I fell, only a foot away from her body.

"Kaz Brekker. No wonder she had so much hope coming. Only, you couldn't save her," His heartrender rendered me useless as her father taunted me, and I looked at her.

And her chest wasn't rising.

She was limp.

"What kind of father are you?!" I growled, before another gasp escaped me as the heartrender kept applying more pressure.

"Actually Ivan, let him go. He can't do anything now," He leant down to me.

"She's dead."

I felt all of the pressure leave me at once and crawled my way to her. Her raven hair was spread out, and her eyes were closed with dried blood at her lips and nose. I didn't care about myself at that point and grabbed the back of her neck, trying to pick her up.

But the skin brushed against my wrist and I gasped.

She was ice cold.

"No, please," I pleaded, holding her lifeless body close to mine.

"You can't die. You're supposed to grow old with me, you-you're supposed to help me work through this. I-I can't do it without you," I choked on a sob.

This cannot be the end.

My head lay on her chest, trying to hear anything at this point but ignoring all the signs that she was no longer in this world with me only made things worse.

I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings until the Sun Summoner grabbed a dagger and cut out the piece of the Stag in his hand, and I watched it tumble to the floor as she absorbed the rest of it.

Is it possible. . .?

I grabbed it, ignoring his blood on it and laid it upon her chest where the flesh showed.

"Please work," I whispered through my blurry vision.

Only then did I believe that the Saints were real.

It started to sink into her skin, small shadows surrounding it until it was fully submerged but there was no flutter of her eyes nor breathing.

"Sir."

His heartrender spoke up, looking directly at us.

"What?!"

"She has a heartbeat."

I quickly looked back at her, and I could feel the coldness of her skin blossom with warmth and the pink in her cheeks and lips return. With a small gasp, her eyes opened and she immediately looked at me.

"K-Kaz?"

"I love you. More than anything. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it, but I do," I told her, my heart filled with joy knowing that she was alive and for once, the Saints listened.

"How is that possible?" She looked back and I glanced to see her father angrily staring at us, but before he could take one step closer, Malyen Oretsev grabbed him and they both flung out of the boat.

She started to get up.

"Nyx, you're too weak. You just escaped death-"

"But I also have a part of the Stag with me," She groaned as she pushed herself up.

"The part that was my father's. Now he stands no chance. I'm killing him, and it'll be by his own creatures."

"How?"

She smirked, "I didn't tell you? I control the volcra now."

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Nyx lives!! Next chapter will be on what they're gonna do next, and the boat scene, so most likely it'll be the last chapter but hey, who knows?