She took a shuddering breath and seemed to stop breathing.
“Sabrina, breathe,” he commanded.
“It…hurts…too…much,” she managed to whisper. “Is she dead?”
“W-What should I do? Can I move you? Bring you to the hospital?”
“No…too late. Don’t move me. Please, is she dead?”
It seemed important to her to hear the words, to know he was safe. With blurred vision, he nodded and lied. “Yes, she’s dead. Sabrina,” he whispered. Tears rolled down his cheeks unheeded, and he tightened his grip on her shoulders. “I can’t…I can’t just let you die. I love you.”
Her lips moved as she tried to smile.
“I…love you, too. Just…stay with me.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Running footsteps approached behind them, and Isaac spun, presumably ready to defend Sabrina at all costs. When he saw it was Elijah and not Louisa, he turned back to his love. His brother knelt by their side and checked for a pulse as Isaac stared at Sabrina like a man lost.
“She’s alive, but barely,” Elijah murmured. “Louisa’s dead. I watched her die.”
Isaac gave a quick nod and focused on his brother for a moment. “She can’t live. She’s been through too much. She wants me to let her—let her die.”
Elijah hesitated. “We should carry her to a hospital. We can at least try.”
Isaac nodded and wiped the tears off his face. He pulled her into his arms, but stopped when she cried out in pain.
“No…it…hurts.”
Isaac put her back down, looking at Elijah with panic on his face. They stared at each other wordlessly. Isaac turned to Sabrina. “I’m s-s-so sorry, love,” he whispered brokenly. Returning his gaze to Elijah’s, he spoke in hushed tones. “We can’t move her. I don’t know what to do.”
“You’ve got to let her go. She’s not going to make it, Is
aac.” Pain was evident in Elijah’s voice, but his eyes did not waver from Isaac’s even as he blinked back the tears. He couldn’t break down when his brother needed him most. He’d been a horrible brother over the years, but now he’d be strong.
No matter how much it hurt.
Isaac yelled with raw anger and thunder boomed around them. Even Elijah cringed at the sheer volume of the bang.
“I have to do something,” he swore.
As he spoke, Elijah saw his face light up. He instantly tensed. He knew the look in Isaac’s eyes. As children, he’d always seen it appear right before Isaac told him a plan sure to get their small butts paddled.
“Isaac, what?”
“I’ll bite her, Elijah. It’ll change her, and we can run away.”
“No, absolutely not,” he objected. “She wouldn’t want you to risk yourself to save her. She wouldn’t allow it.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not in the condition to allow anything.” Isaac gestured angrily to her motionless body.
Elijah glared and shook his head. “No,” he repeated. Isaac growled at him, and Elijah smiled bitterly. “I won’t allow you to do this.”
“I’d like to see you try to stop me, brother.”
Isaac knelt by Sabrina’s side. He looked over his shoulder to ensure Elijah hadn’t stepped closer. Elijah remained still, studying Isaac from under hooded eyes. He could continue to gawk all he bloody wanted, as long as he didn’t interfere.
Once he was confident Elijah meant no harm to him, or Sabrina, he stroked Sabrina’s face. Her eyes opened, and she stared at him vacantly. She was barely even here—he needed to move fast. Or he’d lose her.