Karla drifted.
She was alone in the wide emptiness, floating on air, eyes closed. It was so dark that there was no difference, though, and her eyes were so tired that she kept them closed. There was pain somewhere far away, but she pushed away from it, swimming aimlessly in the currentless, cool darkness that blanketed her, feeling safe, secure, at home.
Somewhere far away, Karla's body was curled under an Ebony shield, trying to fight the poison she had so willingly taken into her body. She was alone, terribly, completely, alone. The awareness that Morton was not here hurt, terribly – always, she had had him. Always, at least, she had had him, everywhere, even when Jaenelle had been gone for such a terribly long time…
She sluggishly gathered herself, trying to fight, but part of her didn't want to. Not without Morton there, not by herself to prop up a Territory that despised her, mistrusted her, didn't want a Queen.
Don't you dare.
Hardly a whisper from the Darkness, pushing her back, but she felt that psychic scent, recognized that smell, and her eyes tried to open. Morton?
There were no more words, but he was there, he was there, he was there…
Someone touched the shield and passed through, she tried to open her eyes again as someone laid his hand on her chest. "Get your hand – off my tit," she said in a strangled voice. Someone said something back, but the voice was all that mattered. Daemon. He'd take her to Jaenelle, and Jaenelle would make sure she lived and then Jaenelle could take care of Morton, and she would bring him back, she would bring him back to life.
Morton? She tried again, but this time she was no answer, and she was alone again, psychic scents washing over and around her until her head spun and she fell away into darkness.
Karla drifted.
She floated weakly through the darkness, spotted with bits of light, barely aware but not unconscious. But she could see him, not so far away, and she swam over and wrapped her arms around him with a joyous cry, but a soft whisper of No he slipped away, as elusive as a beam of moonlight. She cried out and tried to chase, but something held her back, and he was gone where she could not follow, and then he vanished, and she was alone, well and truly and completely alone. Somewhere distant where her body was, she could feel the tears coursing down her face, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was alone, and Morton was well and truly gone…gone…gone.