the wounds are open and bleeding out
There was hardly any time before there would be another child’s blood on his hands, and Ronin didn’t realise he’d been biting the inside of his mouth until he tasted iron. The light pooled around them and made absolutely no difference; the boy still choked and Amalia gazed at him with enough heartbreak in her eyes to shatter him completely.
”Go.” He nodded to her gently, as if to tell her it was okay - as if to demand that she heeded his words, because he was not shouting or panicking, because he was calm and determined. ”Go to the Temple. Save the boy. I’ll see you out there,” he said.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, eyes closing, the light from his antlers growing brighter and more steady. ”Let them go,” he said to the monstrous voice of his daughter. ”And I’ll stay. But I won’t put my light out. That’s the deal.”
”Go.” He nodded to her gently, as if to tell her it was okay - as if to demand that she heeded his words, because he was not shouting or panicking, because he was calm and determined. ”Go to the Temple. Save the boy. I’ll see you out there,” he said.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, eyes closing, the light from his antlers growing brighter and more steady. ”Let them go,” he said to the monstrous voice of his daughter. ”And I’ll stay. But I won’t put my light out. That’s the deal.”
THE
DARK STAR
