The Night Children

Chapter 59

I slid to Isaac, dropping to touch his cold body. His body was crumpled in upon itself, drenched in his own blood so he looked like a bloodied angel, trapped within the unforgivable clutches of death. The snow was coated with crimson, caking against my skin as I rolled him over gently, desperately trying to search for any sign of life.

But nothing gave me the hope I needed.

His lips were charred blue, drying with blood. One of the corners was still bleeding, and fresh blood continued to seep out of his slightly parted lips. His face was a bloodied mess, carved with the imperfections of swelling bruises, light scratches and patterns of blood. His eyes were closed, the veins in his eyelids still coated with silver. His eyelashes dusted the rim of his eyes, making him look almost in peace.

His hair was ruffled with snowflakes, some still falling into his curls to tangle amongst them. Dried blood was also matted in it, creating a perfect juxtaposition of the softness of the snow and the harshness of death. His face was almost as white as the snow, the only change of colour being in the veins that crawled from his chest, up his neck to lay under his jawline. They looked like a spider's web, webbing a design of lost hope over his body so all I was left to stare at was the illusion of silver trapped in the voids of his skin.

I struggled to take in a breath, ripping my gaze away to take in the rest of his body. His shirt was ripped in several places, however it was entirely missing from where the Parazonium had driven into his heart, tearing away at not only the material, but his lungs, his flesh, his organs. His life.

I stifled a sob and scanned my eyes across the rest of his body, taking in his twisted limbs, torn skin and bruising legs. Teeth marks lined his arms and legs, deep enough to crack the bone. I forced myself to look back towards his face. He looked so young, his eyes shut, his lips parted, his face slackened. A part of my brain hoped he was only asleep, and that he would wake up and shower me with his tricoloured gaze like he always did. But I knew nothing survived the Parazonium. Not even someone as strong as Isaac.

"All this time you loved me," I breathed raggedly, reaching out with a careful hand to stroke his cheek. "But I was too oblivious to notice it." His cheek was cold against the back of my knuckles, sending a wave of remorse to rush through me. "And when I did notice it, you grew afraid of that love, and lied in hopes of keeping me out of danger." I felt the individual lumps of the veins that stood out against his thinning skin. The bumps like crevices in a beautiful masterpiece, ruining the overall design so it had turned ugly. "You warned me from the very beginning about Aaron, and yet I was too stubborn to admit the truth that was right in front of me." I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the hot tears dust my eyelashes. "If only I saw the truth sooner." I gripped his torn shirt, moving to slide my legs under him and lift his head gently into my lap. His body was limp against mine. Non responsive. Non-moving. Non-living.

"I'm so sorry Isaac," I sobbed, cradling his body against mine. His scent didn't wash over me like it had, now I only smelt blood and death mixed together in the essence of silver. "I did this to you. You told me to stay out of danger but I only threw myself into it." I took a strangled breath, feeling my tears roll down my cheeks. "My recklessness was the cause of your death. And you were the only one who was undeserving of it."

I gently touched his hair with shaky fingers, running them through his curls to dislodge the snowflakes. I had dreamt of running my hands through his hair, to feel his curls against my palm. But I had never thought it would be when his heart no longer was beating, and as he lay against my chest as frozen as a statue.

"You were the only one who cared about me, even my own mother abandoned me." I pressed my fingers into his scalp, feeling soft knots form in his hair. "But I only abused your protection, and used it until your dying day." I leant down to bury my face into his neck, the coolness of his skin against mine causing goosebumps to rise against my arms. "I'm so sorry. I dragged you into this. Without me you would be alive and well, defending your pack, living your life as a Night Child." I swallowed the rising bile that arose to the back of my throat. "Living your life with your family."