chapter 66(2)

Ezra I woke up coughing on dust. The crushing weight lifts, and I shake my head, trying to remember what happened. Mateo groans, clutching his chest, yet my eyes are on the oval as everyone sits up. Their loved ones stare in shock. “What happened?” Mateo asks while Maddox stirs within me frantically. Ares growls within Mateo, making my eyes dart to him before a guttural scream tears from him. I think he is hurt, until I recognize his screams of anguish and what they mean. Only now do I notice what he is staring at behind me on the grass. She is covered in dust. Maddox howls in agony. My own scream at the reality of her death matches the agony of Maddox’s howl as I reach for her, jerking her to me. Mateo wails inconsolably as he clutches his hair, rocking back and forth. “Kitty,” Maddox sobs in my head. I sink my teeth into her neck, hoping I could take it from her, somehow take it all back, but nothing. The light in her gold eyes is dimmed, a smile on her lips even in her death. Her ey