Every Broken Feather

Sorry

Guys, I'm just going to say I'm sorry.  I'm so, so, so, so sorry.  Like, so disappointed and sorry that I'm telling you not to read this.  Just make up your ending.  Please don't hate me.  I'm really sorry.  Really, really sorry.

Kaz sat on the roof, taking black and white pictures of the garden and the street below.

"I didn't take you for an artist," a voice said.  Kaz looked over his shoulder.  Inej was walking over to him.

"I'm not."

"You're a photographer."

"These are shit."  Inej smiled, taking the camera gently from him and plopping down at his side, feet dangling over the edge.

"These are amazing!"  Kaz snatched the camera back, scowling.

"I don't like it when people lie."

"Wow."  Kaz looked out of the corner of his eye at her profile.  She sat looking serenely at the garden below.  Her dark hair waved in the wind and Kaz quickly snapped a picture of her.

"Hey!" she laughed, trying to grab the camera.  Kaz held it over the edge.

"Give it to me!"  Kaz shook his head, setting it on his other side.

"You pervert."

"What?!"

"Snapping pictures of me."  She shook her head jokingly. "I bet you're going to sleep with that picture and kiss it every morning."  Kaz smiled slightly, just a quirk of his lips.

"Of course.  I will cherish it forever.  Even when you're dead and gone."  Inej's face fell.

"But I am dead and gone."

"What?" he breathed.  Suddenly everything around him wilted and the house groaned.  Inej stood.

"You couldn't save me."

"No–Inej."  He jumped up, and saw that her skin was deathly pale.

"You left me.  To–to rot."

"No, Inej.  I would never."  He took a step back from her, the stench of rotting flesh coating his mouth.

"You hate me, you always have.  You left me because you have never cared.  You left me for W, you let me leave, you were going to let me marry that dumb-ass Kuwei!"  Kaz turned away from her face, as her skin had started to peel off.

"What?  Am I not beautiful enough for you?  What could I do to make it better?"  Kaz looked back over his shoulder at her and gagged as one of her bony hands ripped off her skin.

"Is this enough for you?  Can you see me for what I am Kaz?  A rotting corpse."

"And. You. Won't. Even. Try. To. Help. Me!" she screamed, throwing the flabby skin at him.  Kaz dropped to his knees before her, bowing his head.

"Inej–please."  He felt tears forming in his eyes.

"Look at me!  Look at what you have done to me.  You killed Matthias, and me.  You've hurt Nina and gotten Jesper and Wylan's kids killed.  Everything is your fault.  No one loves you Kaz.  Soon enough karma will come back and grab you by the throat.  Karma will squeeze, and squeeze..."  Her rotten hands slipped around his neck and Kaz didn't even resist.  He could only kneel there, begging for forgiveness, crying.  Something he had not done in many, many years.

"When you die I hope you burn in the deepest, hottest vat of Hell."  Kaz looked up into her eyes, choking out,

"Please" before her nails dug into his throat and his throat was torn open.

Kaz jerked up from bed, sweating and panting.  His bare chest heaved and he had to remind himself to breath.  His hands slid to his throat, feeling it.  His room was dark and cold.  Reaching a hand over to the other side of the bed Kaz felt no one there.  Panicking, he threw back the covers, half running out of the room.  Throwing open the door violently he walk-jumped down the stairs.

"'Nej?" he called out.  No answer.  His heart started to sink.  Suddenly a tired but happy face popped out from behind a door.  It was Inej.  She slowly closed the door and walked over to him, tying the strings to her delicate purple robe.  Kaz walked over to her and with a shuddering sob collapsed into her arms.  She let out an 'oof', stumbling back a bit.  He buried his head into her neck, and she rubbed his back.

"I'm here, and I'm not leaving any time soon," she whispered, kissing the side of his head.  After a few minutes Kaz lifted his head, looking at her. 

"I dreamed you were gone again."  Inej put a hand on the side of his face, smiling sadly.

"I'm here.  The doctors saved me Kaz.  We solved Wylan's problem, Jan is in jail.  We did it.  You did it."

"I dreamed all of it.  Every single detail that happened those six years."  Inej sighed.

"Kaz.  Please, don't do this to yourself.  Everything's fine.  It's been twelve years–"

"You weren't in bed.  I woke up and I thought you were dead."

"Lena was hungry and crying.  I didn't want her to wake you."  She ran her fingers through his hair, fixing the soft black locks.

"Kaz, I'm always going to be here for you."  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.  Kaz put his hand over hers on his face, feeling her wedding ring.  She broke the kissing and whispered,

"I'm here, I'm real.  Lena is real, Jack and Lorcan are real.  Come on, let's go check on them."  Leaving their sleeping baby daughter behind, the couple went to check on their twins, and then Inej led him to the kitchen of their house to make him a cup of coffee.

"Maybe you should go see the doctor tomorrow about the nightmares," Inej suggested, handing him his cup of coffee.  He took a sip.

"Maybe," he mused.  Inej walked around the island and plopped into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you."  Kaz smiled at her.  Inej leaned her head against his shoulder and Kaz took another gulp of coffee, ignoring how bitter she had made it.  The couple sat in silence, looking out the kitchen window at the rising sun.

OH. MY. CHUCK.  (Anyone get that reference? No? Okay...) I just–I just can't.  I don't even know what to say.  I tried writing a last fight scene where Kaz defeats Heleen and stuff, but it wasn't flowing.  This was awful.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry for those of you who read this.  Pretend this book never happened.  It was awful.  I–I'm so sorry about this cliché shit of writing.  Please forgive any grammatical errors and have a nice day/night!

–MOJ

P.S.  Thank you to those of you who voted, read, commented, and endured this.

P.P.S. JuneinWinter and Night_Shadowcat, thank you for everything.  I appreciate you so much and all your feedback.comments and just you reading.  Go check out their stuff guys!  They're both amazing writers and people!