And then I see the spot on the ground. The spot where Kai was face down on the ground bleeding out.
No Kai.
She’s gone.
I fall to my knees on the spot. My hands slam against the ground. There is so much soot and burned grass. The fire spread here. If her body was still here, she burned to ash too.
Tears fall. Hard, fast. Slow and unyielding.
My body shakes.
Trembles.
And then collapses.
Kai is gone.
My son—gone.
And I will be gone soon, too. I have nothing left to live for. Felix took it all. My own men killed the love of my life.
My hands dig into the ground, trying to hold onto what is left of her. I grasp the dirty ash, the remains of Kai, and then I feel it. The damn scrunchie with the little wooden heart I carved for her attached.
It’s covered in her blood.
It’s all I have left of her.
I failed.
Again.
But I won’t fail in avenging her death.
26
KAI
I PICK UP THE PAYPHONE, and I dial Enzo’s number. It’s been two days. The battle is surely over.
It rings.
And rings.
And rings.
And then clicks over to his voicemail. I stay on the phone, waiting for the beep. But I don’t speak. I just breathe into the phone, letting Enzo know I’m alive if he is. But I can’t give him any other information. If he’s dead and Felix is still alive, I don’t want to give him any clues about where I am. Felix can’t find me.
Slowly, I hang up the phone with tears in my eyes. Enzo can’t be dead. He can’t be gone.
I’m sure he was just busy cleaning up after the battle. He just didn’t have his cell phone on him. That’s it.
But I know it doesn’t make any sense.
Enzo would have his phone on him every second waiting for my call.
But I can’t face reality. He can’t be dead.
I have to hold onto hope.