Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,113

I hadn’t noticed it until now.”

“Daisy!” Xavier is running toward us. There’s a gash on his forehead that bled and dried. His clothes are torn in some spots, but other than that, he’s in one piece.

He pushes the boys aside and engulfs me in a bear hug. “You’re okay. God. I thought I had lost you too.”

I hang on to his last word. Too. Rosie. It wasn’t a nightmare. She’s gone.

I suppress a gasp, burying my face in his chest. But I can’t fight the tears that are burning my eyes and drenching my face. I broke my promise. I didn’t keep her safe.

Guilt and shame take me over. I pull away from Xavier’s arms, avoiding eye contact with him. Slowly, I head toward the edge of the jungle, to the exact spot where I last saw my sister. My heart is heavy and bleeding again. My throat constricts, making it hard to breathe.

I’m almost at the end of my trek when the jungle parts, revealing the peaceful village I saw before. Children run freely near the small lake the village surrounds, laughing and splashing water around. I see a familiar blonde head in the middle of the fun.

“Rosie!” I take a step forward, ready to break into a run, but Eris appears, blocking my way. Her hair is as black as ever, but today she’s wearing white clothes, and her face isn’t so pale.

“You can’t follow your sister, honey.”

“Why not?”

“She’s gone beyond the veil. She’s at peace now.”

Eris steps to the side and allows me to see Rosie running toward our parents. They look exactly as they did seven years ago; the only difference is that they’re happy, worry-free. They hug Rosie fiercely. The vision pulls at the strings of my heart. Jealousy mingles with yearning. I miss them so much.

The village disappears, shimmering out of sight. I wonder if I truly saw that or if it was all a figment of my imagination.

“Where did they go?” I wipe my wet cheeks with my fingers.

“Mortals aren’t meant to see Starlight Island until they’re ready to become part of it. I let you see, hoping it would ease the pain in your heart.”

“The pain will never go away.”

Eris eyes shine with empathy. “I know.”

“How could you possibly? You’re a god. Immortal.”

“But not without feelings. It broke my heart when Magia chose a mortal life.”

I turn away, unable to withstand her stare. Magia was her daughter, and I’m her descendant. So I’m related to Eris, but I can’t summon an ounce of emotion toward her, and that makes me feel guilty.

“You’d better return to your boyfriends. Bryce is about to do something foolish.”

I whirl around. Bryce is kneeling next to Renata, who somehow hasn’t passed away yet.

“We’ve defeated Chaos. He can try to heal her now.”

“Oh, Daisy. Can’t you see? Every time Bryce heals someone, he’s shaving off years of his life. If he keeps it up, he won’t live past thirty.”

“No,” I breathe.

“You can stop it, you know. You could take away his ability to heal.”

“Do you mean I could unmake him?”

“No. Just that part of his gift.”

I shake my head. “I can’t do that to him. It’s wrong. Besides, we’re the same level. He can block me.”

“There’s always a way around that.” She shrugs. “If you change your mind, I can help you.”

I watch her through narrowed eyes. Now that her archnemesis is gone, she has no reason to spare us her mischievous ways. She’s Strife, after all.

“I’ll pass. Thanks,” I snap.

She rolls her eyes before vanishing. I glance back where the magical village was, feeling the sharp pang in my chest.

“Daisy?” Toby calls out.

He’s walking over, and seeing his devastated expression is akin to a steely knife piercing my chest. He loved Rosie so much, and he didn’t even get to see her at peace like I did.

“Are you okay?” I meet him halfway.

His eyes are filled with tears. He shakes his head, trembling from head to toe. I pull him into my arms, and then he breaks down. His cries are desperate and heartfelt. It amplifies my own sadness. I don’t hold back. I let it all out, knowing this is the first step of the long recovery process, even if deep down I know this wound will never heal completely.

MORPHEUS

“Should we go after her?” Phoenix asks.

“No. Daisy and Toby need time to process their feelings,” I say.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Xavier staring at the ocean with a fisted hand covering his mouth.