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“To know it’s real. To make it count.”
“It counts. Even if you weren’t conscious for it, it will always count. You’re everything.”
“Thank you.”
“No. Thank you. I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did—”
“I don’t need that. I just want you to remember me. The four of you.”
“We could never forget you, Malia. Ever. I’m—we’re so proud of you.”
“Good. I’m ready.”
She closes her eyes and I can’t help myself, I lean down and kiss her.I love you.
I know it’s real, because if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t hurt this much.
Her eyes open in amazement and when she sees it’s me, she deepens the kiss. I want her to wrap her arms around me, but she can’t. I long to tear her from the altar and run away with her, but I can’t.
“Thank you,” she whispers when I pull away. “I love you too.”
The music reaches its crescendo and it guts me. It may as well be me bleeding out on that altar.
I nod to the others, and our blades light up. I place the tip at her wrist, right at the point where her pulse beats. She’s breathing so hard I can see the vein pulsing, the magic of the portal already calling to her blood.
“Ready?” Terse nods. “Now.”
Faster than light, we make our cuts, Malia crying out in pain. My heart clenches. She gasps. Her eyes flutter open.
“Is that it?”
“Almost, Mai-Tai,” Cove tells her. He’s stroking her skin, his eyes glued to her face and not on the blood that’s dripping from the wound he just made on her ankle. I tear my gaze away from the crimson elixir that’s starting to trickle into the stone channel.
“It-it doesn’t feel so bad. I can’t feel anything really.”
Reef shudders next to me and I see the sweat glistening on his brow. He’s doing this. He’s taking away her pain by stealing her memories of this moment as soon as they form. She can’t feel pain becausehe’s taking it, even though it’s draining him to do something so complicated, so instant.
We wait. We watch and we wait as her blood drains, and Ifeelthe words of the song in my soul.
When the first drop enters the holding chamber below the altar, we sense the shift. Malia gasps again and her wounds begin to flow freely. The magic of the portal has had a taste of her blood and is demanding more, tugging and pulling greedily now to speed up the process.
It’s killing me to watch, but I keep my promise. She will not be alone. I won’t let go of her hand. But I have to finish this. My free hand grips my dagger so tight my knuckles turn white.
It’s almost time.
The portal activates in a rush of wind and whispers.
I raise the dagger and my hand trembles. I tighten my hold; on the weapon and my emotions.
A blinding light bursts forth from Malia’s body and I stagger back, almost losing my grip on her hand. The cries of the others tell me they’re as surprised as me.
I blink like crazy, trying to clear the starbursts from my eyes but it’s futile. I can’t see a thing. I can just about make out the silhouette of Malia’s body between flashes of light and darkness, still upon the altar.
It takes a minute but eventually my vision returns to normal and I’m able to see that she’s not moving and a thick, sticky, tar-like substance is flowing freely from her wounds. Her life’s blood. Her magic. Her essence. Literally running down the drain.
The ultimate sacrifice.
It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
