“Nymphs,” I repeated dumbly. “Aren’t they…” The word extinct came to mind, but I didn’t think that was the right word to describe the annihilation of their race. Like soul seers, the nymphs had been destroyed by demons, too.
Sadness flickered in Katarina’s eyes. “Yes.”
We were quiet again until Katarina asked, “Why are you accompanying me?”
Rather than answering her straight, I said, “What you asked me in the past, I know what my answer is now.”
Katarina’s head swung to me sharply.
“I won’t give you my Master now.” I managed a smile. “I’ll give him to you after, once I’ve made sure you’re not going to die.” My next words made it hard for me to look her in the eye, but I forced them out all the same. “When I’m sure…I won’t end up killing you.”
From somewhere, a demon screamed in agony.
I thought I was imagining it for a moment, but then I saw the alarm flashing in Katarina’s eyes, and I knew we both heard it.
She grabbed my hand. “Run.”
I didn’t bother questioning her. We ran, and I tried to keep up with her, my heart in my throat as the demon kept howling in rage inside my mind. It was furious that I had spoken the truth to Katarina, thus weakening its hold on my soul. So damn furious it wanted to kill both of us.
Suddenly, I felt it, the talons that sank into my soul, trying to rip it out of my body.
I fell to my knees, screaming.
Kill.
I shook my head. Never.
Katarina tried pulling me up. “Lady Zari, we have to go—-”
The talons dug deeper into my soul, trying to tear it into shreds, and I screamed again.
Kill.
I shook my head. Never. I would rather die, and I hope I took it with me.
My Master’s voice intruded in my mind, fierce and urgent. Zari, I can feel your pain.
D-don’t mind me. His voice came to me faintly, and I knew it was the demon working against me. It’s nearby. Find it. End this.
Katarina was still trying to pull me to my feet. “Lady Zari, it’s not safe here—-” She stopped when I tightened my hand around hers.
I wanted to tell her that there was no point in running. The demon was inside me. “Lady Katarina…” The urge to kill her now, here, the urge to fill the forest with her cries of pain smashed into me, and I wanted to yank her down—-
But I didn’t.
And so the demon kept clawing against my soul instead.
“I’m sorry.” I forced the words out.
Inside my mind, the demon roared, the words burning wounds into its skin.
I forced myself to look at Katarina, my body shaking with the effort not to wrap my fingers around her throat and squeeze the breath out of her. “I’m sorry I want to kill you.”
“Lady Zari, this isn’t the time—-”
Cutting her off, I gasped out, “I’m sorry I think you’re too tall for Alexandru!”
The demon howled and took revenge as more talons pierced my soul.
Ignoring the pain, I went on, “I’m sorry I think you’ve got abs like a guy. I’m sorry I think you’re a heartless bitch for pushing him away but stringing him along for hundreds of years—-” I choked back a sob as the demon, weakened but furious, extended its attack to my physical body.
It clawed my arms from the inside, and I started to bleed.
“Lady Zari!” Katarina dropped to her knees. I could hear the healer in her taking over as she ran her hands over my wounds, whispering words I didn’t understand. But with every wound she healed, two more appeared, and I knew that if she continued this, I might just end up bleeding to death.
“Stop.” I coughed out blood. The demon was working on my throat, too, preventing me from speaking.
Katarina released me, realizing that she was hurting me more.
Silence hummed and inside of me, the demon had also ceased its attack. I knew it was resting to regain some strength. Around us, the air had turned still, and the dead trees were nothing but a circle of indifferent witnesses.
“It must be near to cause this much pain,” Katarina muttered. “I should look for it—-”
“No!” I coughed out more blood. “I don’t know…how it got into me…we can’t afford for it to get into you too…” My fingernails pierced her skin, and I realized too late what I had done when I saw her wince.
I released her right away. “Sorry.” Tears streaked down my face as I fought the urge to kill her.
Katarina’s gaze narrowed. A moment later, she said tightly, “I’m sorry.”
I only stared at her, too tired and in too much pain to ask what the apology was for.
Another moment, and she answered my question.
“I’m sorry because there are times I want to kill you just as badly.” She tightened her grip on my hand. “I want to kill you because I can see that you love him, more than I have ever loved Alexandru.”