Lord of the Night

Chapter 53: Run

Gravel flung askew beneath my boots, and trees and houses whipped by in my peripheral. A ruckus came on my left—goats were throwing themselves into the fence, bleating out screams, as farmers attempted to corral them. One of the Sitaklasa Guardians was there too, yelling something to them and gesticulating wildly at the nearest shelter.

Then the rain came harder, obstructing my vision. My footsteps pounded the ground, and my breaths came in strangled rasps. I veered toward the jailhouse and shoved open the door.

The human working the front desk sprang to her feet, mouth flapping open.

"Get underground, and stay there!" I yelled to her.

I careened toward the stairs. The single Guardian outside the cell brandished his mace, then lowered it halfway.

"Brother, what are you—"

"Everyone's in danger, and we need the Demon."

Without waiting for him to process, I snatched the key ring from his belt loop. He sputtered a protest but did not stop me. I slotted the key into the door and barged into the cell.

Isalio slouched in the corner, knees tucked up to his chest, hands digging into his hair, shaking uncontrollably. But it was the sight of his shirt that twisted my gut. The monochrome masterpiece I had kissed was now covered in red and brown from dried and fresh blood.

When his eyes met mine, his shaking slowed. "Remgar."

My whispered name on his lips sounded like a prayer—or maybe worship—and my heart throbbed in response. "I'm here, Isalio."

But a fresh wave of fear pinched his face. "I can't control it, Remgar. I'm trying, but the cuffs are—I can't. I'm sorry." His words jumbled together, fast and uneven, and his shaking intensified. "I told Kardki to do it, but she wanted to get you instead, and I didn't—I didn't want it to be you."

"Didn't want what to be me? What are you talking about?"

"You have to kill me."

My blood ran cold. "Why would I kill you?"

"I don't know what will happen when I die, but if I live, it's only a matter of time before—this could be your only chance to stop the Morgabeast. You have to kill me before—"

"Isalio, stop!" I clamped one hand over a shuddering shoulder and cradled his neck with the other. My thumb gently pushed his jaw, encouraging him to meet my eyes. "Pull yourself together. Whatever you're talking about is not going to happen. I have the key, ok? I'm going to unlock your cuffs, and you're going to send the beast away."

A flicker of confusion breached his expression, but then he shook his head. "I don't know if I can, and even if I do, it will just delay the inevitable." He swallowed. "Please, Rem, just end this now."

"Kardki wouldn't kill you, and you think I would? You clearly don't understand..." How I feel about you, I wanted to say, but that still felt like dangerous territory, and not something we had time to discuss now. Instead, I said, "How much we need you."

"No, you don't understand. Danif is right—I'm getting weaker."

"Don't you dare tell me Danif is right. Danif doesn't deserve to be a voice in your head."

His shoulder beneath my hand stopped shaking, but his breaths still came in shallow rasps. "It's not just Danif, though. I don't know if I can do what you need me to do. "

"It doesn't matter if you know, because I know. And I have the key."

I snatched his hand from behind his back and, ignoring his futile tug, worked the key into the lock. When the first cuff unlatched, Isalio hissed a protest and pushed back against the wall, but I quickly wrestled his second arm out from behind him.