Page 46 of Cherry Moon

I needed G off that tree and out of that hourglass before I heard any more of this.

“Yet we rise to meet it,” the voice added. “With the Cherry Blade.”

We. The tenshi. I’d been communicating with my creators.

Whatever.

I lumbered forward, pushing through the pain and the voice, giving no shits about anything other than G.

With a rush of wind, I returned to the spot before the katana.

“No!” I roared, trying to move again.

“You must let Gabriel go.”

For a moment, I thought Bony Hag spouted it. But to my absolute horror, I realized the tenshi voice did.

My breath caught in my throat.

Impossible. A tenshi would never say that.

Right?

Right?!

This is the price.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

GABRIEL

Iwatched Aki try to reach me with everything he had, dragged away every time.

Poor Aki.

My poor, beautiful Aki.

Colorful dots tainted my vision with brighter smears, frustrating me beyond measure. I should be out there with him, fighting that monster. Protecting him. Not trapped in here, dying.

It won’t be long now.

I couldn’t hold on much longer. My finger made no difference. If the wire didn’t choke me to death, the sand would.

“Help Akira find the path.”

What did that even mean? And what was happening out there to keep Aki from getting to me?

Please.

Please.

Please.

I don’t want to leave him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AKIRA