the wounds are open and bleeding out
The mostly headless body beneath him ceased to move, to choke, to gasp for air, and Ronin felt at peace for the first time, he thought, since learning that the blight was in him. Is this what it was that soothed the rage and turmoil pumping through his veins? Was it this he needed? Thoughts for another time.
For now there was Remi, there was Aoife, and there was a lot of cleaning up to do. Wiping as much blood from his face as he could with one of his sleeves, there was little he could do for his clothes, but he was at least on his feet by the time wings parted to reveal his little girl and his husband.
"It's alright now," he said, his smile warm and almost sleepy as Aoife held out her hands for him. Treading blood across the floor, he moved to lean down by the parted cocoon of feathers, reaching in to scoop her up and into his arms. Like a balm against the storm within him, Ronin cuddled her close, ensuring that she was turned away from the body in the room, tucked securely against him. Slumping to sit on the floor, he glanced up at Remi with an expression close to adoration on his face; for being there, for getting her out of harm's way, for sparing her from seeing what he'd had to do.
For now there was Remi, there was Aoife, and there was a lot of cleaning up to do. Wiping as much blood from his face as he could with one of his sleeves, there was little he could do for his clothes, but he was at least on his feet by the time wings parted to reveal his little girl and his husband.
"It's alright now," he said, his smile warm and almost sleepy as Aoife held out her hands for him. Treading blood across the floor, he moved to lean down by the parted cocoon of feathers, reaching in to scoop her up and into his arms. Like a balm against the storm within him, Ronin cuddled her close, ensuring that she was turned away from the body in the room, tucked securely against him. Slumping to sit on the floor, he glanced up at Remi with an expression close to adoration on his face; for being there, for getting her out of harm's way, for sparing her from seeing what he'd had to do.
THE
FALLEN STAR
