𝓑𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓼 (𝓓𝓻𝓪𝓯𝓽 𝓞𝓷𝓮)

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂-𝓢𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷

Nevan

Kailani pushed Nazifa out of the way and stomped up to Kai, grabbing him by the collar and glaring at him. "You bastard, you're trying to sell us out! Aren't you?!" "Kailani!" "Quiet, Nazifa!"

Kai cried out in pain when she slammed him up against a tree. "Kailani!" I shouted. "Answer me, Kai!"

Slowly, a large grin spread across his face. "I'm not trying to sell you guys out. Just you, Ms. Flair." That seemed to startle Kailani slightly, and her grip on him loosened for only a second. But a second was all the time Kai needed.

He snatched Kailani's dagger and tackled her to the ground, then began stabbing her in the chest repeatedly. "NO!" "STOP IT!" "KAI!"

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and flung him across the forest floor. His back hit a tree with a loud crack. I pulled off my top layer and tied it around Kailani's chest. "Nazifa, you and....Zion get her out of here."

She looked at me with wide eyes. "But—" With a groan, Kai rolled onto his hands and knees. "I said go!"

I pulled out my own dagger as Kai stumbled to his feet, chuckling. "You know, Nevan. You act as if you're innocent in all this. I bet you've never told her."

I tightened my grip on my blade's handle, jaw clenched. He grinned. "You haven't." He said, and we began circling each other. "It's your fault. It's all your fault."

I realized that I was shaking. "Shut up." He tilted his head to one side, frowning. "Aw, you feel bad? You should." He stopped circling and began walking closer to me. "Kailani will never forgive you. She'll hate you. Nazifa will hate you. They'll abandon you."

He leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "Just like your parents lift you with Orrin." I gasped and he took a few steps back. "H-how did—" "Oh, I know everything." His smile made me feel sick. It was psychotic.

"What's your problem?" I demanded, stepping closer to him. "What did Kailani—or I—ever do to you!" He grinned. "Nothing." He said sweetly. "I just want the money." His smile faded and his facial expression turned serious. "And I enjoy listening to people's screams of agony."

"You sick bastard." I muttered through gritted teeth. "While this has been very entertaining. I am on a time crunch." He acquired a fighting stance. "So, let's get this over with."

He struck first. Or at least tried to. He was kinda slow.

I chuckled in amusement as he tripped over a root and fell flat on his face. "Gosh," I said, grinning while leaning up against a tree. "This is so embarrassing for you."

He didn't like that.

With a shout he scrambled to his feet and charged at me. He pushed me up against a tree and tried to stab me. I used my dagger like a sword to block him. "Face it, Nevan. No one loves you. Kailani's just using you to find her brother. And Nazifa is just using you as a human shield because she's too weak to do anything."

I felt my blood boil. I shoved him off me and tackled him, knocking his dagger across the ground. "You bastard. Nazifa is stronger than you'll ever be." He scoffed. "Please, all older brothers like to say things like that about their sisters. She's not that smart."

I clenched my jaw and pressed the tip of the blade into his neck. He just chuckled. "You can't kill me. You won't." "Give me one good reason not to."

"Nazifa's mind-reading powers. I used a bit of magic to....alter them, now we're connected. If you kill me, you kill her."

I froze. "You're bluffing." "You wanna test it?" No, I didn't want to risk it. I couldn't. I climbed off Kai and dragged him to his feet. "You're coming with me, and you will tell me how to save Nazifa."

*********************************************************

Nazifa looked up from the ground as we approached.

"Naven! Why did you just kill him?!" I sighed. "Naz, I can't. He—" "But he tried to kill Kailani!" "If I kill him, you die!"

Nazifa froze. "W-what?" I ran my free hand through my hair and tightened my grip on Kai's arm. "He connected you to him, somehow. If he dies, you die."

Nazifa's jaw clenched. "Do I feel the same pain he does? Or is it just death?" I tightened my grip on Kai's arm, he winced but Naz didn't even flinch. "It appears not." I handed Naz my dagger and released Kai. "Watch them." I said to Zion, who saluted.

Weirdo.

Kailani groaned, slowly opening her eyes. "N-nevan?" She whispered. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly in mine. "Hey." She blinked and looked around for a second before her eyes settled on me again.

"Y'know," she slurred. "I've actually never been stabbed before. I've never really been caught off guard before. Until I met you guys." She chuckled, but that happy sound quickly turned into a gut wrenching coughing.

Blood splattered onto the wagon floor. "Woah, hey." I pulled Kailani onto my lap and she reached up to run her fingers through my hair. "You're very strong. You know that, Nevan?" I swallowed. "Kailani....."

She smiled sadly. "You can do it." I shook my head, tears rolling down my face. "No, I can't. I need you." She brushed her fingers against my cheek, whipping away my tears. "Find him for me. Find Koa." I shook my head. "No. We'll find Koa."

Kailani just shook her head, still smiling though it was clearly painful. "I love you.....Nevan." Her hand fell away from my face and onto her stomach. She exhaled and her eyes closed for the last time. "No. No!"

I started shaking her. "Don't do this to me, Kailani! Wake up!" I could barely see through the tears in my eyes. I let out a choked sob and pulled her toward my chest.

"KAILANI!"

A/N: That uh, I cried writing that..... Please don't kill me. It'll make sense at chapter 30! I promise!