The wolves were trying to get to us, the Judgements. One beast had caught Gabby’s arm, but quickly lost his hand with a swipe from Grey. Grey, the liar, fought beautifully, his moves a testament to his strength and precision. The wolves around him fell rapidly, a few seemingly helped by an invisible hand. Sam fought much the same as Grey, taking on three or four wolves at a time. Winifred was gone. A white wolf now guarded Charlene, Michelle, and Gabby. The Elders weren’t letting any Urbat near the three.
Ethan and Carlos fought together behind me.
Seeing everyone protected, I turned again, hitting a wolf hard enough that he staggered toward Bethi. He noticed her and started to change, growing human arms to try to grab her. Before I could move forward to intercede, another animal lunged for me. It met my fists. From the corner of my eye, I saw Luke turn and attack the wolf going for Bethi. The distraction cost Luke, though, and another wolf’s claws raked bloody gashes into Luke’s chest.
Bethi started yelling obscenities, and her anger flooded the area. It gave me the power I needed to push back the beast I fought and gain enough room to bring both hands up and shove a thumb in its eye. The creature yowled and screeched as it fell away from me.
Something crashed into my back. The weight nearly brought me down but immediately disappeared. I almost turned but caught myself in time. There were too many circling us for even a moment’s distraction.
“Back to back,” I yelled. I shifted positions and felt Ethan move closer. We’d sparred together so many times, we now moved in a fluid harmony that seemed surreal in the violent chaos around us. I knocked an Urbat to the side, and Ethan lashed out with his knife, silencing the snarl.
“More coming!” Gabby yelled.
More? We couldn’t handle more.
Behind me, I heard Carlos growl. The sound gave me shivers.
A wolf in the wake of the one I currently fought, crouched low, its hind legs bunching. It sprang in the air, sailing over its fellow monsters, right toward me. Carlos jumped and intercepted it with a thud. Midair, as they fell, Carlos wrapped his massive hands around the wolf’s head and twisted, successfully executing the move I’d tried earlier. The body fell to the ground.
My arms were growing tired. Even while sparring with the werewolves, I’d never moved so quickly, hitting and blocking seemingly within the same second. I needed more juice.
“Walls!” I yelled, only giving them a moment before I pulled hard.
I used the new power to push away yet another attack. But my narrowed focus enabled another wolf to lurch closer.
Carlos reached out and grabbed the creature by the throat, stopping its forward advance. In the second before he yanked the beast away, it lashed out with its claws, raking my side. I grunted at the pain but didn’t stop moving.
Behind me, Ethan’s anger slipped. He’d been holding his guard well, trying to shield me from his emotions as much as to shield himself from my pull. Now, he fought furiously, irate that someone had actually hurt me. I also felt his exhaustion and pain. He favored his right shoulder. I’d done that to him.
Turning, I caught one of the attackers by the throat and threw him away before he could touch Ethan. Ethan swiped out with his knife and caught another man’s forearm.
The rumble of more feet vibrated the ground, and I felt a flicker of fear. My own. There were too many. Sweat coated Ethan’s face and wet the back of his shirt. Even the infallible Carlos strained against five partially shifted men.
I fought harder. We needed to reduce their numbers before more came. I stepped forward, slamming my fist down on a muzzle. The crack I heard should have worried me—my bones or his?—but I was already turning to face the next creature.
Then, the world stilled.
Pain ripped through me, sudden and sharp. I struggled to breathe and clutched at my middle. My gaze fell to my hands. But there was nothing there. No blood. My eyes widened as I realized the pain wasn’t my own.
Lifting my head, I saw the unthinkable. A half-formed wolf stood toe to toe with Ethan. Ethan’s mouth was open in a silent cry of pain, his knife paused in the air, mid-swing. I saw why. The thing’s furry arm had vanished into Ethan’s stomach, piercing him. As I watched, the creature pulled his bloody hand out. A drop of red fell to the ground in slow motion.
No, this wasn’t right. It wasn’t real. I blinked and made a sound of denial when the image remained. The thing before Ethan cackled and turned toward me.
Like a marionette cut from its strings, Ethan crumpled to his knees. The knife fell from his loose fingers. His arm pressed against his bloody stomach, and he fell to his side.
I barely noticed Carlos jump between the creature that had hurt Ethan and me.
The thing cried out in pain while I dropped to the ground beside Ethan. Someone shouted something at me but I couldn’t hear.
Ethan’s gaze found mine, and his lips twisted in a sad smile as the chaos around us seemed a world away. His ragged breathing filled my ears, and I felt everything.
His hopelessness and pain.
His love.
His acceptance of his death.
The acceptance cut me deep. I clutched at his hand and petted his cheek.
“No, Ethan,” I said. “Stay with me. Come on.”
Memories flashed through my mind. Us walking to school together. Me defending him when kids would pick on him for his crappy clothes. Him convincing me to go to my first high school dance.
His hand rose and touched the loose ends of my hair.
“I love you.”
The pain in my gut intensified, and tears tracked down my cheeks at his words. He wasn’t just saying he loved me. He was saying goodbye. I wanted to scream. He wasn’t supposed to die. It was E-Z all the way. We’d made that promise so long ago. Together, always. I held his hand tighter.
“I love you, too.” I bent forward and kissed him. My lips trembled against his. His fingers touched my cheek. I tasted blood, and my tears fell faster. I couldn’t let him go like this.
Slowly, I inhaled, pulling in emotions from everyone around me. Bethi’s anger and fear. Luke’s devotion to Bethi. Clay’s determination to keep Gabby safe. Gabby’s despair and resignation. Sam’s outrage when someone clawed Gabby. Grey’s deep sorrow.
I couldn’t feel Ethan’s pain.
I breathed again, pulling harder, tasting Emmitt’s steely resolve that no one touch Michelle. Jim’s boiling anger that one of the monsters had tried for his mother. Charlene’s absolute love for her boys and Thomas.
Something dripped from my nose. A bit of blood. I wiped it away along with the tears still flowing freely.
“Stop, Z. Don’t take my pain.” He pulled in a shallow breath. “It’ll keep me here just a little longer.”
My breath hitched on a sob. I hadn’t taken any of his pain. It was already gone. I knew what that meant.
“I can’t do this without you,” I choked out. “Please. You just have to wait.” For what, I didn’t know. There were no sirens rushing toward us, no doctors running to stanch the blood flowing from the hole in his stomach.
Ethan’s gaze shifted away from me, finally drawing my attention to Carlos. The man moved around us in a blur of speed as he kept away those who Bethi and Luke couldn’t.
“When I’m gone,” Ethan said, his raspy voice barely above a whisper, “fight her. Don’t let her keep the pain in; it’ll kill her. Keep her safe for me. Promise.”
Carlos and I spoke at the same time.
“I swear.”
“No. You fight me. Stay, Ethan.”
Ethan kept his attention on Carlos.
“She’ll need you and hate you for it.”
His fingers lightly tugged my hair, and he met my gaze again.
“I’ll love you even after I’m gone. Remember, without you, I would have died years ago. Thank you for saving me.”
He coughed, and I waited for him to breathe again but he didn’t.
“No.” My denial echoed over the growls and Bethi’s cursing.