you wouldn't be the first renegade to need somebody
They each had far too many tricks up their sleeves for it to end this way, but even so, Flora couldn't help but release the sob that had her in a chokehold as she watched the man she loved dying. "Don't die then," she countered, the quip sending fresh tears streaking down her cheeks as new fingers of pain wrapped themselves around her throat and heart.
Thinking that Pierce was going to leave, the queen nodded fervently, willing to agree to just about anything he asked of her in that moment. Gazing at him over one of Jack's shoulders, Flora hiccuped out a note of agreement before her eyes grew wide as he made one final pass; the blade struck true (and really, how could it not), and Flora's world shattered in that instant. Jack's body went limp, the light fading from his eyes, and she felt the weight of him in her arms, heavier than anything she'd ever carried; her breath caught, a strangled sound tearing from her throat, her fingers clutching at Jack as if she could somehow keep him here, keep him with her.
"No," she whispered, her voice breaking, barely audible. "No, please... Jack, no." Her hands moved frantically, pressing against his chest, his face, her thumbs brushing over his cheeks as if she could wipe away the finality of it all. The tears came faster now, hot and blinding, her vision swimming as she shook her head before pressing her forehead against his; sobs wracked her body, her fingers tangling in his hair. "I love you," she whispered, her voice breaking, the words falling from her lips like a prayer, desperate but not entirely hollow. She knew, deep down, that this wasn't the end. She had a way—there was still hope. The compass, Torchline, Ronin... all of it lay just beyond the haze of grief, waiting for her to grasp it. But in this moment, all she could feel was the weight of what she stood to lose.
But there was no response, no smirk, no biting remark—just silence. The weight of it crushed her, and she felt herself breaking apart, piece by piece, her heart shattering in her chest. She lifted her head, her gaze flicking up to Pierce, her eyes filled with a hatred so fierce it burned through the tears. "You got what you wanted," she spat, her voice trembling, raw with grief and anger. Now all she needed was for him to believe that he had, and go.
Thinking that Pierce was going to leave, the queen nodded fervently, willing to agree to just about anything he asked of her in that moment. Gazing at him over one of Jack's shoulders, Flora hiccuped out a note of agreement before her eyes grew wide as he made one final pass; the blade struck true (and really, how could it not), and Flora's world shattered in that instant. Jack's body went limp, the light fading from his eyes, and she felt the weight of him in her arms, heavier than anything she'd ever carried; her breath caught, a strangled sound tearing from her throat, her fingers clutching at Jack as if she could somehow keep him here, keep him with her.
"No," she whispered, her voice breaking, barely audible. "No, please... Jack, no." Her hands moved frantically, pressing against his chest, his face, her thumbs brushing over his cheeks as if she could wipe away the finality of it all. The tears came faster now, hot and blinding, her vision swimming as she shook her head before pressing her forehead against his; sobs wracked her body, her fingers tangling in his hair. "I love you," she whispered, her voice breaking, the words falling from her lips like a prayer, desperate but not entirely hollow. She knew, deep down, that this wasn't the end. She had a way—there was still hope. The compass, Torchline, Ronin... all of it lay just beyond the haze of grief, waiting for her to grasp it. But in this moment, all she could feel was the weight of what she stood to lose.
But there was no response, no smirk, no biting remark—just silence. The weight of it crushed her, and she felt herself breaking apart, piece by piece, her heart shattering in her chest. She lifted her head, her gaze flicking up to Pierce, her eyes filled with a hatred so fierce it burned through the tears. "You got what you wanted," she spat, her voice trembling, raw with grief and anger. Now all she needed was for him to believe that he had, and go.
