Chapter 20

A few days later, Kyle and I were celebrating a grand wedding in the heart of the Sanctuary. In a rundown cabin at the edge of the grounds, Cyril and Cedric huddled in the corner on a pile of straw. Their bodies had long since rotted from the poison, the stench thick and unbearable. "Cyril..." Cedric's voice was weak. "I'm so cold." Cyril said nothing. His eyes were blind now, the poison having claimed his sight. He trembled, reaching into his chest and pulling out something small. It was a pair of filthy knee pads, the only things they had brought from the pack that still belonged to me. "Put these on..." Cyril fumbled as he slid one worn knee pad onto Cedric's ruined knee, and the other onto his own leg. The pads were old and offered no real warmth. Yet somehow, it felt like they were holding onto something comforting. A faint, satisfied smile appeared on each of their faces. "It's warm..." Cedric murmured. "Is she... warming our legs?" "Yes," Cyril whispered. He hugged his