Her Hidden Half (War Songs of the Courts #1)

Epilogue

Demetri

I felt it the moment she died.

Her heart fell into a soft pattern, growing weaker with every beat. Each second that passed felt longer than any year I had ever lived. Using every ounce of self control, I contained the urge to go to her, making my my muscles coil and my fists clench at my sides as I watched the scene unfold from afar. The dreaded moment to come.

Alexander let out a broken sob and Lincoln held him up, his own expression somber. Kieran had recovered from the surprise of the young shifter's attack and stood between Ecasia's unmoving body and her grieving Kindred. The air twisted around Lincoln and Alexander with purpose, fluttering the leaves gathered at their feet, and they were gone.

I warned Alexander to stay away. I knew this would be too much for him to handle, but he didn't listen to me. Their friendship was something nothing could compare to, and their bond too strong for him to let her die. The shifter's control wasn't as practiced as mine so he did what I had been longing to do.

With a vicious strength he had yet to learn to wield properly in the heat of the moment, he came down on Kieran. The older shifter was a powerful warrior with experience that made him deadly, but he couldn't have expected Alexander. Even I had to admit the boy was stealthy, a master of surprise.

Lincoln intervened on the pretense of protecting the young man from himself. She was dying. Everyone knew it. Fighting Kieran wouldn't change that.

I waited, edging closer to her subconsciously. I still felt her presence in my chest, the beat of her heart mirroring mine faintly, and every moment of distance wore on me.

Then her eyes fell closed, her stilted breathing coming to a stop as her heartbeat went silent.

The part she occupied in me went quiet, fading away to let an uncomfortable cold take her place, spreading through me until I felt uneasy and empty. I stood still as her death stole my ability to move. It was only when Kieran moved to touch her that I was stirred into action. I moved to her with a speed that would be unnatural to any other species, stopping in front of him before he even noticed my presence. I shot forward, reaching out to slash at him, a snarl of anger and anguish leaving me.

He dodged my lazy efforts by a breath and growled as he slid backwards, his feet bracing to defend himself against an attack before his eyes connected to mine. He stopped as his chest puffed out in triumph, pleased with himself, and huffed. I gave him a toothy grin that guaranteed a violent death as I knelt closely over Ecasia. Moving to circle me, he eyed me, knowing better than to test me.

I carefully gathered her in my arms, keeping an eye on the man underneath the fur, vengeance a promised future. For now I would have to settle with the thought. I held her limp body close to mine, pain seizing my chest at the lack of life, and stood. Putting all my wrath into it, I shot Kieran one last searing look, leaving with a renewed determination. Trees flew past me in a blur that would leave anyone who would've thought to follow me in the distance.

This will never happen again. I swear it. I felt the promise in my bones, repeating the words in my mind until I felt I reached a safe distance.

Slowing to a stop, I pushed the hair from her face. The blood smearing across her cheek matched her lips so well I questioned if it was lipstick, blood, or both. The unnatural pale of her skin conflicted with the bright color of the blood and I wished for the natural soft glow she usually wore to return. Her face was so relaxed I could almost imagine she was sleeping, but her disheveled appearance refused to let me have that small comfort.

The image hit me hard in the chest and I had a hard time keeping my legs from giving out. 

I pressed my forehead to hers and hugged her lifeless body to mine. "Oh, Ecasia. I'm so sorry, my love," I whispered softly, slipping back into my native tongue.

I felt his presence then and almost growled, anger and pain making me want to lash out.

"She will be okay, Demetri," Lincoln assured me, coming to a stop from just behind me.

"She'll never forgive me," I said in a hushed voice, never taking my eyes off her soft expression.

I very rarely ever saw anything soft from her. There were moments that the hard exterior she put up would waver, where I would get a glimpse of the vulnerable side she hid fiercely. Those were the moments I cherished, because I knew they were the part of her not many got to see.

I feared I would no longer be able to be present for those precious moments, so I took it in with a pained understanding that she may never trust me with them ever again.

"You do not know that," he said, skepticism in his voice even as he spoke.

"Trust me, old friend. This is not something she will get past." My voice hardened with the knowledge. "But I can live with her hatred as long as she is alive to hate me."

He let that sit between us, knowing I was right.

"We have to leave. Alexander was wrought with worry when I left him and you know how Zaria can be," he said as his hand came down on my shoulder.

I nodded and prepared for the shift under my feet that always left me unbalanced no matter how many times I experienced it. In a flash we were standing in the empty living room of our home, the feeling abrupt despite knowing it was coming. My head was light from the action so I held still, waiting for it to pass before I silently continued down the hallway.

I marched into her room, unsurprised that to find the door open and even less surprised to find Alexander and Zaria sitting at the foot of her bed. They both straightened at my entrance, an array of emotions displayed on their faces as they caught sight of Ecasia. 

"Out," I ordered. 

I started towards her bed and laid her across the soft sheets, uncaring of the sheets that would stain. It didn't matter; I would buy her new ones. The two still still present behind me, standing but not moving to leave.

"Out," I repeated with less patience. "Now."

Zaria jumped at my tone and scurried out of the room. Alexander stood unmoving, staring at his Kindred's body with a pale face.

I sighed. "She will be okay," I said, softening my voice as I repeated Lincolns words back to someone who needed them.

It didn't look like they brought any more comfort to him than they did me. 

"How do we know it'll work?" He asked shakily, bringing his eyes to mine.

A long silence passed with uncertainty. I had similarly questioned the decision many times and I had always ended up with the same answer. 

"Because it must."