Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“He can’t have her! I won’t give her to him!” she screams. “He can’t have her!” The whole house shakes from the force of her cries.
John is sitting next her, holding her tight, trying to provide comfort, though he’s hurting just as badly.
“Give her to me,” I say again.
When she doesn’t answer, I reach down to take the baby. My sister lets her go and collapses back into John’s arms.
I look down at her tiny form and feel Grim getting closer. I step back, holding her close, and without thinking, I lean down and kiss her forehead. Then I whisper to her, “Just a small part of me.” And I let my breath go.
“Little fighter, no.”
But it’s too late.
I did it.
And a small cry leaves the baby in my arms.
My sister stands and reaches for the baby, taking her from my hold as I fall to the floor.
“You don’t know what you just did,” Grim says while looking down at me. “You aren’t allowed to meddle with death. I was being nice and not taking her because of you, little fighter. And this is what I get.”
“She’s alive!” I scream, now on my hands and knees.
Death drops down, so we are nose to nose.
“And when you die, she will as well.” Then he is gone.
The room falls silent.
Did he just…
“What did he just say?” my sister says, no longer screaming. “Did he…” She shakes her head.
“That can’t be right,” John says as the door opens. I’m too tired to check who it is. But then my body is lifted, and I’m scooped into familiar arms.
“I’m removing you.”
“Stop. She just—” John places his hand on Max’s arm.
“You will remove your hand from me, and you will not stop me from taking her. She sacrificed herself for your daughter. The babe should have died, yet here she is. Let Talia go.”
“Talia.” I turn my head from Max’s chest to look at my sister. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” I offer her a small smile before Max strides out of the house.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Max scolds.
“How do you know what I did?”
“Death.” I lay my head on his bicep. “I almost ripped his head off, but then he said what you did. And when he told me, I knew he hated doing that. I didn’t even wait for him to finish before I found you.”
“It’s a baby,” I argue.
“And now that baby is joined to you.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Do you plan to take her with us?” I hear Levy ask.
Max stops, and I don’t even bother turning to face her. “If Talia wants to go with me, I’ll take her anywhere.” I smile at his voice before my eyes become heavy, but I hear what she says.
“If she goes, I won’t.” And I can just imagine her crossing her arms over her chest as she says it. “You can have me. We don’t need her.”
Max walks away without replying.
When I wake, my body is warm, and I feel better. Not so drained. Stretching my legs, I move, only to feel the reason I’m warm is because I have someone next to me. Our legs are entwined, and a soft snore leaves him.
Scanning the area around me, I see we are in his tent. He’s the only one who doesn’t share with anyone else, but he’s still close to his people. When I go to move, he reaches out and pulls me straight back to him. His arms circle me, and I lay my head on his chest.
“Did you dream of me?” he asks, not opening his eyes.
“I dreamt of nothing,” I tell him. “It was quiet.”
“I dreamed of you,” he says as he opens his eyes. “I’m leaving today, and I want you to come with me.”
I stay still, not really sure how to reply to those words. I’ve been away from my family before, and I didn’t enjoy it, but I will admit it feels different this time. Both my sisters have created families of their own while I’m still stuck in this limbo. I always imagined that it would be just us three sisters, though sometimes I added Grim to the image. But then when I got older and realized that just isn’t the way this world works, and what was a short time away for me was a long time for them. We are still the same, but we are now somewhat different.
Tatiana has two children of her own and a man who will never leave her side. And Tanya only seems to see Melvon, which is okay because it works for them.
“You shouldn’t stay where the child is. You know it’s risky. Your sister will try to stop you from doing anything that could harm the baby.”
I bite my lip as I listen to him breathe.