Kael's hold around me tightened. I was still fighting, but the fatigue was starting to take over.
"You should've died," I spat, voice trembling. "You should've died a long time ago. Not her. Not mom. You."
Kael pulled me closer, turning me away from him, tucking my head into his chest as I finally cracked wide open, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
And even then, I didn't stop trembling.
Kael didn't say a word as he carried me out of the church.
The voices behind us were muted by the storm beginning outside, thick dark clouds gathering, the kind that seemed to know how heavy everything was. The kind that blurred the windows and made the world slow down just enough for grief to seep in.
He opened the car door, tucked me inside the backseat, and then joined me, closing us off from the rest of it.
The silence sat heavy between us.
