Burning Blood

But the fire kept rising, rising—pushing me toward that fatal edge.

Rook wrapped herself around me, her body pressing tight despite the inferno I’d become.

“It’s fine,” she murmured. “Everything is fine. You’ll see. The moment you stop burning, everything will be okay.”

I love you. I’m so sorry.

She kissed me hard. On lips that were nothing more than smoke. “Damn you, Luxin.” She said my name how it was supposed to be pronounced. Furnace Heart. Exactly what I’d become.

“Oh well...it doesn’t matter.” She pulled back and smiled with heartbreak. “I didn’t want to tell you this. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore than you already are, but...if you burn up tonight? If you die...I’m going to die with you.”

“What?” A croak escaped my cinder-filled throat. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I came to find you because the moment you left, you broke the only thing keeping us from doing exactly what you’re doing now.” She shrugged, sniffing back her tears. “Without you close—without your fire to warm me—I’m going to freeze to death the moment you burn out.”

“But. Y-You can’t.” My eyes filled with heat, even as they threatened to go blind. “I won’t let you die. Remember?”

“It looks like you don’t get to make that choice anymore.” Cupping my cheek, she sniffed sadly. “I love you and I forgive you. But I hate that you’re leaving me. I hate that we had such a short time together. I hate everything about this but...I’ve lived long enough without you. So I’m grateful that I won’t have to do that again. I’m glad that I won’t have to be in pain anymore.”

“But you can’t.” I coughed up a mouthful of ash as my body collapsed in on itself. “You have to stay.”

“Even if I had that ability...I wouldn’t want to. Not without you.” She gave me the softest smile. “When you take your last breath...I’ll let the cold take me. Wherever you end up. No matter where you go...I’ll come find you, okay? I’ll never stop chasing after you.”

Images of her feeling this level of deletion.

Suffering this level of loss.

It cut through the fire’s hold.

ENOUGH!

The thermals guttered.

We fell.

I coughed as my heart faltered.

I gagged as my lungs ruptured.

The earth and all its dying creatures sang to me as we plummeted.

The rivers whispered goodbye.

The heavens said good riddance.

And I did the only thing I could.

Wrapping both arms around her, I protected her one last time.

A wet tearing along my back.

Black blood gushed from my mouth.

The smoky wings tore like burning parchment.

We landed like a blazing comet.

I curled around Rook, wrapping my arms and legs around her as we bounced off rocks and smashed into trees. We were that asteroid she’d accused me of being, ploughing from the heavens, coming to a stop by the river.

The very same river where all of this started.

The river that almost stole her from me only to give me my soulmate.

Rolling onto my back, my fissured arms slid off her as she lay on my chest. Her icy breath hit my burning throat, and my heart gave one last brutal squeeze.

I wanted to make this right.

I clung to life so she wouldn’t have to die.

I wanted to tell her I loved her again.

I wanted to beg her to keep living.

But the words never reached her.

My heart beat its last and the spirit-bridge between us crumbled.

Our bond shattered as every bone in my body broke in a blaze of agony—

The fire snuffed out...

And took me with it.