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I felt the reflection leave me, weak and thin though it was and—
Annas pressed her boot to my forearm, breaking the connection between me and my newly-formed reflection. It died before it was even fully formed.
I was too weak to fight back. Too much of my strength had been drained already. I was turning into a husk of the Miragian I once was.
I peered out the window at the shuttlecraft and thought of Harper and the baby. I let myself believe they would fly from this place and never return, that they would find somewhere safe, far from their place, and live out their lives in happiness and peace.
“Grgh!”
Krial’s Reaving stopped abruptly.
Was he done with me?
Had he had enough?
Was I empty?
My joints were swollen and ached with what I suspected was acute arthritis. My joints crunched and struggled to move under their own power. My muscles were no longer strong and fully formed. They were thin and weak and barely managed to operate under their own steam.
I could barely lift my head, so I arched my eyeballs up to peer at the creature on the other side of the room, the shimmering golden blade of my reflection now buried deep in Krial’s throat.
It faded away like dust as an invisible wind swept the reflection out of existence, along with the blade, disappearing in the feminine but strong hand of its wielder.
Harper.
She saved me. But I doubted the moment would last long.
“No!” Annas said.
She sprinted across the room to Krial and held his body in her arms.
Harper edged toward me, keeping a close eye on Rarr and Tus, who rounded the room on the other side toward our fallen master.
“Get up,” Harper said.
I tried but was too weak to move under my own strength.
She slid under my arm and lifted me like I weighed nothing at all.
She carried me across the room, my feet making one footstep for every three of Harper’s.
We got halfway to the door before Annas lowered Krial’s lifeless body and let out a blood-curdling scream. She ran at us.
With Harper’s arms full of me and no weapon to hand, we were goners.
But Annas never reached us.
Tus stood between us and blocked our sister.
“It’s over, Annas,” he said.
Tears streamed from Annas’ eyes and she could barely bring herself to look at us.
“It’s over,” Tus repeated, placing a hand on her shoulder.
He kept himself turned to one side, I noticed, in case he had to defend himself against her attack.
“He will torment us no longer,” Tus said. “Especially you.”
