Golden Read Free Page B

mind.
    I was mistaken. I was deceived.
    Wes tried to open his eyes and see her for what she was, but he still could not move.
    It does not matter. It is too late,
Wes said to the lady. He thought the words so fiercely he was surprised he could not speak them.
    She did not answer.
    He tried again.
I am dying. It is too late.
    Again, she remained silent.
    Wes felt like shouting now.
Too late for me. Too late for me and Nat. Too late,
he thought, his bitterness and disappointment as sharp as the happiness that had preceded it.
Leave me alone,
he told the lady in white.
Leave me to die in peace.
    The lady still did not reply.
    Instead, another voice called to him from a great distance, a whisper that filled the cold darkness with unexpected heat, nourishing him like a warm broth, preventing him from falling deeper into the dark.
    â€œDon’t leave me!”
    Was it just his imagination, or could he really sense a heart beating against his, soft hair falling on his face?
    Nat.
He wasn’t dreaming this time. He was still alive, and Nat was cradling him in her arms.
    Lovely Natasha Kestal.
That’s how he thought of her, even now. Even in this state.
My Nat.
Her warmth held back the darkness, keeping him on the edge of the light, the only thing that kept him upright.
    I’m coming.
He struggled to regain control of his senses, to follow her back toward the light. But the dark was so heavy, and he realized that Nat herself was struggling under the weight of it—and that if she continued trying, it would crush her. She couldn’t keep his death away much longer, not without risking her own life. It was a miracle, and a testament to her strength, that she had held it off this long.
    No, Nat. Stop.
Wes wouldn’t let her chance it. He couldn’t let her. He wanted to tell her it was all right. She could let go.
    Let go, Nat.
He could die in her arms fulfilled.
    She would live and that was all that mattered. She would grieve, but she would survive. Nat would keep living, and the thought gave him peace. Wes had died once before and he was not afraid. He was tired. He wanted to rest, to remain in the darkness and fade.
    â€œStay,” said Nat again.
    I can’t.
    Her warmth was fading and her strength would not keep the cold and dark out much longer without hurting her.
    â€œDon’t leave me.” There were tears in her voice now, and it killed him.
    But I have to.
    She would only hurt herself trying to save him. It was better this way.
    And so he did what she could not; he let go of her and fell—plunging deep into the darkness. He felt himself sinking away, deeper and deeper into shadow and cold. Nat’s voice grew distant, her sobs quiet. A great nothingness on all sides, from all directions, enveloped him.
    He felt his mind grow still, until he himself was like the silence . . .
    But as he fell back through the darkness, he heard the sudden sound of a tank rumbling loudly, as if coming from the bottom of the ocean. The louder it grew, the more noise it seemed to bring with it—his friends screaming, Shakes yelling, Liannan giving orders.
    Now he could almost feel Nat’s arms tense around him.
    One last attempt. The world would not give up on him so easily.
    So he did what he had to—he struggled to force them all away. Every friend, every memory, every desire. Every thread was a threat. Every connection that bound them together was a wick to another stick of dynamite. He would not drag his friends down into the shadow worlds with him. Would not let them drown, when they had to fight.
    It’s not safe. Not even now. You have to let go—all of you.
    He pushed them away until they were fading, fading, and the darkness welcomed him once again into its infinite embrace—greedy and voracious—as if to make up for lost time. He fell faster and deeper this time, and he scrambled for footing, but there was nothing but air. He felt his heart slow.
    There.
    Once