Wake up!

Lilah kicked out her legs, thumping them against solid, unyielding, muscle.

Damn it, wake up!

Her vision grew darker with each passing second. The fingers around her neck tightened until she thought her neck would snap in half.

Why can't I wake up?!

Her hands fell limp to her sides. Her body wouldn't respond no matter how much she tried to struggle...still, the nightmare wouldn't end. By now, she'd usually be shocked awake— darting upright in bed with her heart beating out of her chest and drenched in cold sweat. So why was tonight different?

Her body hit the floor with all the force of a bullet. Her head cracked against the wood and her shoulder and hip exploded with searing pain from the impact. She gasped for breath, lungs filling with air only to be mercilessly coughed out as she tried to remember how to breathe properly. Her body acted before her brain had a moment to catch up, clawing her way forward as horror finally settled into her. The pain in her throat was real. The blood dripping down the side of her face was real.

This was all real.

"Where do you think you're going?" A dark voice laughed over her. The hand that had been closing around her throat now gripped her ankle and yanked her back. She dug her nails into the floor as though she could hold her position but they splintered without offering any resistance and left a trail of crimson in their wake.

"Let me go!" Her scream was hoarse and ripped at her throat. She was flipped effortlessly onto her back despite how she clawed and kicked through the pain. The room around her wavered as though she were looking at it underwater but she saw her assailant as clear as day— dressed in a navy blue four button coat, a golden shield emblazoned over his heart with the logo of the ZMPD engraved on its face. Someone wearing such a uniform should have been a symbol of safety...but all Lilah could feel was dread.

A twisted grin split an otherwise undeniably handsome face, those green eyes that had once held all the promises of the universe glittered only with malice as he glowered down at her. He held her in place easily with one hand pinning her hands above her head and settling his knees on her thighs, not a strand of his dark hair out of place.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart? Aren't you happy to see me?" Emery asked, all honey and sugar in his tone.

Lilah spat at his face, her saliva slapping just beneath his eye. Emery only sighed and lazily wiped it away. He looked curiously at the wet smear on his fingers, then the back of his hand cracked across her face. Her cheek lit with fiery pain as her head snapped to the side. She choked back the shout that threatened to erupt from her abused throat. She wouldn't give him anymore satisfaction than he already had— she couldn't.

"That wasn't very nice. Is that how you're going to treat me after all this time? Huh?" Emery grasped her chin and forced her head straight, demanding her to focus only on him. "Shouldn't you be showing me how much you've missed me?"

It was all she could do not to scream when his lips crashed against hers. She screwed her eyes shut, jagged remains of her nails sliced into her palms as she tensed. For a moment, she didn't feel like herself. She could see her body pinned by his as though she were an outsider witnessing the entire affair. He crushed her body beneath his, pressing something solid into her hip that had her mind shouting through the fog. It was something she was forgetting, something vital. Realization struck her just as Emery's hand hovered menacingly over her throat once again.

Sebastian's dagger.

She gasped, her eyes shooting open as she came back to herself. Emery hadn't noticed the weapon yet, though there was no telling when he would. She would have to bide her time, find the perfect moment to fight back...but she had a chance. Relief flooded through her tense muscles, relaxing her just enough that Emery's grip did not tighten. He pulled away, lips curling into a mocking sneer and arching an eyebrow at her, but his eyes sparkled as though she'd just turned to solid gold in front of him.

"What? You want me to choke you?" He laughed. "You really are a little slut, aren't you? I knew you'd come crawling back the second you saw me."

His hand flexed menacingly around her throat. He dipped his head and sank his teeth into the side of her neck, choking off her scream with a tightening of his grip. When he pulled away, his grin was stained crimson. His eyes glittered with malice as his tongue flicked across his lower lip.

"Tell me that you missed me." Emery stroked his thumb along the ridge of her windpipe. "Tell me you're sorry. Say 'I'm sorry, Emery. I love you.' It's not that hard."

Her throat ached and tears blurred her eyes. She tried to speak, tried to give him what he wanted, but her mouth gaped uselessly. Emery clicked his tongue in disapproval and tilted his head to the side, edging his ear closer to hear her gasping whispers.

Lilah lunged forward, snatching his ear in her teeth and shaking her head like a feral animal. The metallic taste of copper exploded into her mouth, his blood tasted bitter on her tongue but his agonized scream was music to her ears. He pressed a hand against his torn ear and slammed his fist into her cheek. It didn't matter. She squirmed beneath him, clawing at his arm and spitting his own blood into his face as she reached for the dagger.

A metallic sound rang from her hip and his hand closed over her wrist. They wrestled for the dagger, rolling across the floor while she kicked and bit at him. He managed to pin her onto back and slammed his forehead into hers.

Pain split through her skull and everything around her started to spin. She felt him yank the weapon from her grip and blindly clawed at him through her swimming vision. The steel of the dagger flashed menacingly in front of her, her dazed eyes reflecting back at her from the surface. He pressed the sharp of the blade against her cheek, chest heaving with exertion and rage. The edge bit into her skin, slicing through easily and a hot stream of blood poured down her face.

"Is this what you wanted?" He scowled. "Answer me!"

Lilah tried to pry his hand away from her neck. He was going to kill her. He was absolutely going to kill her and the last thing she would see would be him towering over her. She wondered if he'd leave her body there for someone else to discover or if he'd take her with him. Maybe he'd dump her off of a cliff or into the ocean where she wouldn't be found for weeks.

"I'm going to carve up this pretty face of yours." He laughed breathlessly and put all his weight against her, smoothing his ruffled hair back. "We'll see if anyone else wants you after that. Maybe I should bring that punk kid here to watch."

Her stomach rose to her throat and she froze. He couldn't know about Sebastian, could he? She didn't think he would actually be able to hurt Bas, but the look in his eyes was off. He looked even more enraged than usual, like he didn't care what he needed to do in order to ruin her. Maybe he really would kill them both.

"I-I don't know what— "

Emery stabbed the knife next to her head.

"Don't lie to me!" Spittle flew from his mouth, splattering onto her face. He snarled and grabbed her jaw, forcing her mouth open. He shoved the dagger against her mouth, the edge pressing against her tongue and digging into the sides of her lips. Lilah stiffened and tried to keep as still as possible. "If you lie to me, I'll cut your fucking tongue out. I'll cut it out and put it in that fucking stew they're cooking down at the beach, do you hear me? I'll make that little shit eat it."

Tears fell freely from her eyes, mixing with the blood on her cheek. Why did she have to run? Why did she have to bring another person into this mess? Emery wouldn't be able to get away with killing both of them but that wouldn't matter when they were already dead. Whatever he did to Bas would be completely her fault.

Emery moved to remove the dagger from her mouth. She had barely any reprieve before a light jingling sound played through the cabin. It was familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Emery seemed to know it immediately and cursed, shoving the blade back into her mouth.

"Don't you so much as whine," he warned. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone. The screen was illuminated with an incoming call and he scowled, swiping his thumb across the bottom of the screen and pressing the phone to his uninjured ear. When he spoke, his voice was chillingly conversational— a sharp contrast to the anger burning in his eyes. "What do you need?" A pause as the other party spoke, words muffled and inaudible to where she lay on the floor. If she screamed, would they hear her? Would it do any good? She swallowed thickly around the blade pressed into her mouth and felt it prick the top of her tongue. "Yeah, I'll grab it from the car. I'm on my way."

Emery disconnected the line and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He stared down at her in consideration before he took the knife from her mouth and grabbed her by the hair. Lilah shrieked as he climbed off of her, dragging her across the floor over to the bed. He shoved her back against the bedpost and retrieved some zip-ties from his belt. She kicked at him, tried to push herself to her feet but he slammed her back against the wooden frame again and wrapped a zip-tie around her neck, securing her to the post.

"If you struggle too much, you'll suffocate," he warned.

"Why are you dragging this out?" Lilah cried. "If you're going to kill me, then kill me."

Emery laughed, pushing her hands behind her and zip-tying them behind the bed post as well.

"I don't want to kill you, Sweetheart. I love you." He kissed her with enough force to bang the back of her head against the bed. He tugged the sheath off of her belt and slipped the dagger inside, fastening it out of the way on his own belt. "I don't blame you for trying to hurt me, Kitten. I know you're just confused. We'll fix you, don't worry." He stroked her hair as though she were a prized pet. "But I have to go to work now. I don't have anymore time to play with you. If you're a good girl, I'll bring your friend over so you can at least say goodbye before we go home. You can be the last thing he ever sees. Would you like that?"

Lilah felt her blood run cold.

"Let's just go now," she begged as he started to tie her ankles. "I'll be good. Just please take me home right now."

"I would if I could but I didn't come just to pick you up. The Governor is here and my partner and I are here as his escort. You remember Eddie, don't you?"

Eddie Ramirez. They were partners but he and Emery were nothing alike. He was a man with kind eyes and a kinder voice— the few times that Lilah had been allowed to meet him at agency functions, she had liked him. Trusted him. He wouldn't stand for any sort of injustice, it didn't matter who committed the crime. She wondered if he'd believe her if she could talk to him, convince him to take Emery far away and never come after her again...but it was only a pipedream. Emery would never let her be alone with him long enough.

"I'll be back soon, Kitten."

Emery stood and smoothed out his uniform. He took one of her dish towels and ran it under the tap, gingerly dabbing at his bleeding ear until all the blood was wiped clean. He tossed the towel aside with a sigh and retrieved a hat from the dining table. He snapped it onto his head and stepped out the front door, closing it firmly behind him without giving her another glance.

Lilah stared at the door long after he left, unable to even hang her head without the plastic cutting off her air. Her body shook against her restraints, muscles rebelling against their confinement. Her heart thundered in her chest, breath becoming quick and shallow. It wasn't long until the screaming started— panicked, helpless, so shrill it shredded her throat apart. She screamed and screamed until she realized she wasn't screaming anymore.

She was laughing. Loud, hysterical, even manic. She laughed herself to tears, sobbing and shrieking, straining against her tied hands and feet.

"Fuck," she giggled, tears streaming down her face. "Fuck you. Fuck you , Lilah. You did this to yourself." She thumped her bound feet against the floor, banged the back of her head against the bedpost, tugged at her wrists. " Fuck! "

She couldn't go back. If he wasn't going to kill her, she may as well struggle until the tie around her neck tightened. She closed her eyes, swallowing against the pressure around her throat and the ringing in her ears. It'd be less painful than living in that prison of an apartment again. He'd never let her see the sunlight after all of this. She laughed again, bitterly.

She wondered if Sebastian would think she stood him up when she didn't show up at the luau. Would he come looking for her or would he think she had changed her mind about him and leave her as she was? Would he come to talk to her days from now to get an answer only to be greeted by an empty farm? Either way, she would never see him again.

It felt like a fate worse than death.

She was late. Sebastian checked the time on his phone with a grimace, an untouched drink sitting on the table in front of him. Sam was rambling about something across from him, sand all over his bare torso and swim trunks still dripping onto the sand underneath his chair, but the words mingled with the din of music and crashing waves. Nothing but white noise. Sebastian sighed and locked his screen, placing his phone faceup on the table. Maybe he should go check on her...but was that too clingy? He didn't want her to feel like he was going to be an overbearing boyfriend— that was the absolute last thing she needed.

He startled at a hand placed on his shoulder but smiled.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," he said. He looked over his shoulder, countenance immediately falling when faced with Abigail.

"Lilah still isn't here?" She asked, concern wrinkling her brows.

"I'm sure she just got held up," Sam said. "Maybe she fell behind on work and can't come until she's finished."

"She finished everything this morning before stopping by. She said she just needed to shower and get dressed and she'd be here." Sebastian tried not to sound disappointed, like some kind of petulant child, but Sam picked up on it immediately.

"Hey, she's probably just putting on makeup or something so she looks pretty for you." He teased.

"She doesn't need makeup for that." Sebastian flushed as Sam howled with laughter. Even Abigail grinned at him, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Shit," Sam wiped his eyes, still laughing. "You've got it bad. How is it that you're the first one of us to land a girlfriend?"

Usually, Sebastian would correct him that he and Lilah weren't together. That had all changed this afternoon but he didn't want to tell their friends without her with him. Still, the way Sam said it boosted his ego a bit.

"Because I actually talked to her." Sebastian smirked and picked up his watered-down drink, tossing it into the sand. "Speaking of, there's Penny."

Sam dashed beneath the table, poking his head out from beneath the tablecloth. His eyes darted warily from face to face of the party-goers as Abigail shrieked with laughter.

"Why are you so scared of her?" She asked.

"It's not her ," Sam hissed. "She's beautiful. It's her mom that I'm scared of. She'd rip me apart if I asked Penny out."

"Wuss." Abigail snorted and sipped her drink, "If you don't ask her out, I will."

Sebastian took his glass back to the buffet table, leaving his friends behind to bicker. It was a conversation that'd have Lilah giggling. Then, her and Abigail would huddle together and conspire to get Sam and Penny alone somehow while Sam pleaded with him for help. He knew he had seen her just that afternoon, but the entire party felt so lonely without her.

He hoped she turned up soon.

He ladled more punch into his glass, eyes scanning the guests. There were all the locals but also some unfamiliar faces from surrounding towns. It left the hair on the back of his neck on end, so many strangers crowded together in one place. He wondered how he had ever thought he would be able to survive in the city once upon a time. He lingered at the table for a while, looking for the face he'd been waiting for, until a nearby shout caught his attention.

A man in uniform at the end of the table raised his foot in pain, Old Man George rolled past him in his wheelchair.

"Watch where you're going!" He barked over his shoulder, no regard for the badge shining in the evening sun on the stranger's chest. The cop watched George roll away with an incredulous expression before he scowled and rested his abused foot on a bench.

He looked young, still older than Sebastian but youthful in a way that he didn't picture when police were mentioned. His sharp nose wrinkled as he reached for his duty belt. He'd never seen an officer up close before, though it seemed like such an odd thing to realize now. He was a legitimate cop, Sebastian noticed, with a gun, pepper spray, taser, and handcuffs all neatly lined up on his belt...but something else. Something odd caught his attention, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The officer pulled out a cloth from a pouch secured to the back of his belt, shining the scuff George's chair had left on his shoe. One ear was covered by a gauze pad and medical tape, a deep rust color seeped through the white of the bandage. When he replaced the cloth behind him, his arm brushed against the hilt of a knife— a dagger, Sebastian realized. A cold wave of horror crashed through him as he recognized that hilt and sheath. It was the very blade he had given Lilah earlier that afternoon.

He was frozen, even as the cop straightened and shoved the cloth into his back pocket. It was possible that it was just a similar dagger, but they didn't come standard issue to law enforcement did they?

The man turned his way, the sunlight glinting off the gold of his badge. Sweat trickled down the back of Sebastian's neck. The name E. Rowe was engraved just beneath the shield. The same name on Lilah's Missing Persons flyer. The same name that sent Lilah spiralling into a panic, that she had cried over as she described acts that Sebastian could barely comprehend was possible for a human being to commit. Fire and ice raged inside of him, fear for Lilah and sheer rage warring against each other.

He wanted to pounce on the man, pummel his fists into his face, smash his glass against his skull. He wouldn't be able to explain his actions but it'd be worth it. The dagger was the only thing that gave him pause. There was only one way that bastard could have come into possession of it and the thought left him nauseous.

What had happened to Lilah?

Sebastian turned his back quickly and started back for the table. Emery had no idea who he was, so that gave him an advantage. He mixed himself in with the crowd to be safe until he made it back to Sam and Abigail— still bickering but no longer about Penny.

"I'll be right back, guys. Can you cover for me?" He asked, setting his second drink down to be ignored yet again so he could grab his phone.

"Sure." Sam nodded. "We talking 'off to take a leak' or what?"

"I don't know how long I'll be. Play it safe."

"Explosive diarrhea. Works every time." Sam frowned. "But...are you good?"

"I don't know yet." Sebastian turned to Abigail. "If Lilah shows up, have her wait here for me, okay?"

"Yeah, no problem." Abigail tilted her head. "Do you need any help?"

"I'll call if I do." Sebastian slipped his phone into his pocket and returned to the crowd. He tried to keep himself calm as he made his way to the bridge connecting the beach island to the mainland. He kept his steps measured, forcing himself to walk until he reached the other side of the bridge and could no longer hear the music from the party. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. Tension coiled up his spine like he was being watched but there was no one behind him.

His legs naturally picked up speed once the cobblestone beneath his feet morphed into the paved road of the town square. He broke out into a run, racing towards Haven farm like the devil was at his heels. His heart pounded against his chest, terrified of what he might find at the cabin. If anything had happened to her...no, he couldn't even imagine. She would be fine, she had to be. He could warn her about the cop on the beach and they could jump on his bike. They could just run for it and never look back. As Haven came into view, his anxiety increased tenfold. He leapt up the stairs and gripped the door handle, shoving his shoulder against the wood with perhaps more force than he needed to.

The door was unlocked…

...and all his nightmares came true.

At first, he wasn't sure what exactly he was seeing. All his breath left him at the sight of Lilah sitting on the floor near her bed, the back of her head resting against the bedpost. Her eyes were closed, face and neck filthy with dark streaks of blood. Her throat was bared to him from the way her head lolled back, the flesh of her neck was deep red, a white zip-tie stark against the unnatural pigment secured her neck to the wooden post. He stumbled once in his rush to her side, cradling her face in his hands. The dried blood cracked and flaked away beneath his fingers.

"Lilah!" He hadn't known his voice could sound so shrill, so desperate. His eyes burned and he tapped her cheeks, trying to rouse her. "Lilah, open your eyes! Fuck...Fuck, wake up!"

Gingerly, he checked for a pulse, trying his best to avoid the wound right on her pulse point. It was strong and steady. Her chest rose and fell with even breaths...so at least she was alive. Sebastian ran his hands through his hair, trying to keep his cool. Panicking wouldn't help. He considered running back to the beach, dragging Harvey away from the party to help...but what if Emery got back before he did? He shook his head. Lilah needed to be safe before he could even think of leaving her side again.

He took a breath, retrieved his phone and quickly texted Sam.

Get Harvey to my house. Now.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, ignoring as it vibrated with a reply, and ran to Lilah's kitchen. He yanked open drawers and cabinets until he found a pair of scissors, hopefully sharp enough to rip through the plastic of her restraints. When he returned to her side, Lilah's eyes had opened— distant and glazed over, she looked at him as though she saw right through him.

"...Bas?" She could barely speak, nothing but a hoarse whisper broke the air between them.

"It's me," he assured her. He carefully slipped the scissors between her skin and the zip-tie. "It's going to be okay. Just hold on."

"Are we dead?" Her voice hitched and tears trailed filthy streams through the blood on her face. It took three tries but the blades of the scissors finally cut through the plastic securing her throat. She fell forward into his shoulder immediately, wailing into his shirt. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, this is all my fault!"

"Lilah, it's okay! You're going to be okay." He allowed himself to hold her briefly, but he still had to cut through her hands and ankles. "Listen to me, you're alive. We're both alive. I'm going to get you help."

"We're alive," She whispered. She let him settle her back to sit up straight so he could cut through the ties around her hands. The skin of her palms were deep purple, the plastic digging into the flesh of her wrists much too tightly. It took effort to slide the scissors in without cutting her but the tie wouldn't sever.

He tried again as Lilah began to shake her head, slowly at first and then much more frantically.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, you have to leave," she cried. "Please, Bas, you have to go."

"We're going together," he swore. He adjusted the scissors once more, finally cutting halfway through the plastic before she started to struggle. "Lilah, shit, stop! I don't want to cut you!"

"No, you need to hurry and go. If he comes back and sees you, he'll...he's going to kill you. He told me he would!" She swung her legs at him and Sebastian barely grabbed them before they collided with his ribs.

"Nothing is going to happen to either of us!" Sebastian forced her legs back down and grabbed her shoulders. "Lilah, look at me! You're freaking out and I need you to stay with me. I'm going to get you out of here, I'm going to get you to Harvey, but I need your help too. Please!"

Lilah still shook her head but she stopped struggling. Sebastian cut through the ties around her hands and her arms fell limply to her sides. Her wrists were rubbed raw and bloody but it didn't look as bad as it could've been. He hurried to her ankles, took care of them with now-practiced snaps of the scissors and tossed them aside.

He gathered her into his arms, held her as tightly as he dared with her present condition. The collar of his shirt grew damp from her tears, her still-purple fingers clung weakly to his chest and for the first time, he thought he knew what it felt like to have his heart completely shattered. He pressed his lips to her hair and swallowed his own tears back. He kept reminding himself to keep it together for her sake but all he wanted to do was kiss her and apologize. Apologize for not walking her home, apologize for not keeping his promise that she'd never need to feel afraid again. His failure was trembling in his lap, trying to press herself into him until there was no telling where they each ended and began.

Eventually, she raised her face and pressed her lips just beneath his jaw. He'd never felt so unworthy of it. Still, he kissed her softly, lifting her into his arms and pushing himself to his feet. It would be a bit more difficult than when he'd carried her to Harvey's clinic back when they first met, the trek up the mountain would be much more arduous with human cargo than the light jaunt to the doctor's office, but he knew he could keep her much more safe at his house than leaving her alone at the clinic.

The sound of footsteps reached his ears just as he turned for the door. Emery stood between them and the outside, firearm drawn and trained at the both of them.

"I'd put her down if I were you," he warned, finger hovering over the trigger.

Sebastian grit his teeth. He held Lilah tighter to his chest as she stiffened but made no move to release her.

"She needs a doctor," Sebastian said. He eyed the gun warily. If he put Lilah down, attacked at an angle, would he be able to rush him in time to at least knock the weapon away? Emery raised his aim— for the head? He gulped but still didn't let her go.

"The only one she needs is me," Emery spat. "All you'd do is ruin her. You don't know the first thing about how to handle her. She's crazy, aren't you, baby? You need to come home with me so you can get better."

"There's only one crazy person here and it's not her." Sebastian scowled. Lilah trembled in his arms and bit her lip.

"Put me down, Bas." Her voice was so soft, he almost missed it.

"No way in Hell," he told her. The smile she gave him broke him inside all over again. It was so small, so defeated. She shifted in his arms in a way that he had to settle her on her feet for fear of dropping her, but he kept his arm around her and pulled her protectively behind him with a glare. "Go ahead and shoot me. It's the only way I'll let her go with you."

"Bas, no!" Lilah tried to push forward but Sebastian held her behind him, his face grim. Emery only laughed and shrugged his shoulders as though he knew none of it could be helped.

"If you insist."

"Emery!" A voice called from the doorway.

Emery whipped his head around to look outside, shock replaced by sheer loathing as another man ran into the cabin. He was dressed in the same uniform, thick black hair curling wildly around his head. Sweat left streaks across his deep cedar skin as he looked between Emery and Sebastian. His dark eyes landed on Lilah and his jaw dropped.

"Holy mother of…" He traced a 'Y' over his heart and pulled out his taser, aiming straight for Sebastian. "Show me your hands and step away from the girl!"

Sebastian scowled but raised his hands. He didn't move.

"He's the one that must have taken her," Emery told the man. "Look what he did to her!"

"You did this to her!" Sebastian shouted.

"He said he'd kill her before he let her go. Eddie, go lethal!"

Eddie looked between Emery and Sebastian again. He didn't lower his taser.

"He's unarmed," Eddie reasoned. "Let's just all calm down and try and talk this out." He kept his eyes trained on Sebastian but softened his voice. "Lilah, honey, come over here."

Lilah clung to Sebastian's back for stability but didn't otherwise move.

"Bas is telling the truth— he didn't do anything to me! Please..."

"You don't know what you're saying. You're confused." Emery scowled. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face and his hands shook. Sebastian grit his teeth. If he rushed him, maybe he could knock the gun away.

Lilah ducked under Sebastian's arms and stood in front of him, the laser sight of the taser illuminating her chest snapped him out of his thoughts and he paled.

"Lilah, get back!" He lowered his hands and tried to pull her back to safety, but she seemed to fight through her shaking knees and held her ground. Eddie immediately moved his aim off of her but shouted for Sebastian to raise his arms again.

"Eddie, please! Bas didn't do anything wrong, he's trying to help." Lilah looked between Eddie and Emery, seeming to struggle with her next words. Cold sweat drenched his skin. He wanted to yank her back behind him but wasn't sure what would happen if he made any sudden movements.

"Lilah, please get behind me," he begged. She shook her head, her decision made. She locked eyes with Eddie, voice still hoarse but solid with conviction.

"He didn't kidnap me. I came here because I wanted to. Emery is the one who—"

A crack of thunder boomed through the cabin, reverberated off the walls with so much force it shook the window panes...and time stood still. When he saw Emery's hand twitch, his body had moved on its own. All Sebastian knew was that his ears were ringing and a bitter smell filled the air but dissipated almost as quickly as it hit his nose. Lilah was in his arms, his entire body curled around her. She was screaming. He knew she must have been shocked but there was no reason to be upset.

The shot had missed.

"It's okay," he said. At least, he tried to. When he opened his mouth to speak he coughed wetly into his arm, crimson splattering across his skin. He squinted at it, not quite comprehending why he couldn't manage the words that were on the tip of his tongue. The more he tried to speak, the more he felt like he was drowning. His legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground as more shouting erupted around him. Lilah cradled him against her, bracing him against her body as she fell to the floor with him.

For a moment he thought they were back inside the mines, holding each other in the cold that seemed to have settled through his entire body. He wanted to pull her close, promise her anything and everything just so she would stop looking down at him with such a miserable expression.

As darkness began to overtake him, he regretted that all he'd managed to do lately was make her cry.

The sound of the gunshot was penetrating. She felt it in her bones, felt it in the pain in her eardrums and shuddering of her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut against the noise, expecting to feel pain scorch through her body at any moment...but none came. Warmth enveloped her, covering her body completely and blocking out everything except a scent that was heart-wrenchingly familiar. She didn't dare to look, fear already rooting itself deep in her chest. Deep down, she already knew what had happened.

It didn't stop her heart from sinking when she finally opened her eyes to see Sebastian curled around her. It didn't stop her from screaming when she put her hands to his back, only for them to come back coated in his blood. He'd managed to smile at her, tried to speak but blood painted the inside of his mouth and he lost his balance. It was all she could do to hold him and make sure he didn't crash against the floor.

"Bas!" She pushed hair away from his face, watched him grow more pale with each passing second. His eyes were closed and a sick hissing sound came out of him as he breathed. "Bas, please! Please stay with me!"

"Why did you fire?!" Eddie shouted, turning to Emery. "He was unarmed. It didn't have to go this way!" He holstered his taser and hurried toward Lilah, hand going to his radio.

"Don't move, Eddie." Emery pointed the gun at his partner, stopping him in his tracks. Eddie's eyes widened, raising his hands to the sides of his head.

"What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't have followed me." Emery shook his head. "You always had to act like a hero, huh?"

"Are you going to shoot me? Me?!" Eddie's eyes were wide, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

Lilah helped Sebastian lay flat on the floor, an emptiness settling in her chest that she didn't recognize. His blood coated her arms and torso, shaking her deep into her core. She looked at Eddie, the way his eyes darted from Emery's gun to her, his Adam's apple bobbing with anxiety.

"My career is already over with this. Might as well tie up loose ends so no one can come after us." Emery's finger moved to the trigger.

Enough…

Lilah pushed herself up and ran. She threw herself into Emery's side, knocking him just enough to disrupt his aim. His weapon discharged into the window, shattering the glass and littering the floor with shards. Emery swung his arm, striking her in the gut and knocking her into the table. Her head smacked against the edge, sending the room spinning, but she forced herself back onto her feet and got ready to charge him again.

Three more shots exploded through the cabin before she got the chance. The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever.

Emery looked over his shoulder, face contorting in disbelief before he fell. Eddie had his firearm drawn, breathing heavily with a pained expression as Emery's head knocked against the floor. He seemed to come back to himself quickly, rushing over and kicking Emery's weapon away before checking for a pulse as he keyed up on his radio.

"Shots fired. Officer down at 3 Mountain Rd, Pelican Town, EMS times two, Code 3." His voice only shook slightly as he relayed his message to whoever was listening. He left Emery behind and hurried to Sebastian. He checked for a pulse and ripped Sebastian's shirt off his body, flipping him onto his stomach so he could reach the wound in his back. Lilah watched him helplessly. Everything was happening so fast. When Eddie shouted to her, she didn't even realize he'd been speaking.

"What...what should I do?" She asked.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Eddie barked, taking command. "I need clean cloth or bandages."

"Clean…" She shook her head harshly. The first aid kit. She ran to her cabinets, throwing everything inside to the floor until she found the square box and rushed it to Eddie.

"You need to apply a firm pressure." Eddie instructed. He asked her for supplies and she pressed them into his waiting hands. He packed gauze over the bleeding wound and grabbed her hand, pressing it firmly against Sebastian's back. "If it bleeds through, add more on top of it. Use his shirt if you have to but do not take it off. Do you understand?"

Lilah nodded, pressing both hands against the packing. When he finished, he ordered her to monitor his breathing and moved to Emery's side with the first aid kit, pressing gauze against his wounds and muttering prayers under his breath.

Lilah felt bitterness in the back of her throat. She wanted to tell Eddie to just let him die. He could bleed out on the floor for everything he'd done. As the thought sunk its claws into her mind, she saw Emery's gun just a few feet away, abandoned near the bedpost she had just been bound to. She could grab it without Eddie noticing, unload it into Emery's back until nothing could possibly save him.

She kept one hand pressed against Bas's back and reached for it. Consequences be damned, it was the least he deserved. She bit her lip, sliding the gun closer until she could grasp it properly. She had never fired a gun before. It looked so easy on tv, like a point and shoot game. She raised it up, lining up the orange dots on the sight with Emery's collapsed form. All she needed to do was pull the trigger.

Bas's hand twitched near her thigh, fingers curling to brush against her skin. She knew it wasn't possible but his fingers moved again as though seeking her out. Her breath hitched, the anger draining out of her and leaving her weak in an instant. She dropped the gun, tossing it under the bed where it would be out of reach. She couldn't afford to think about anything else except helping Bas survive long enough to get help. She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles. The coldness of his skin twisted her stomach into knots but she didn't pull her lips away.

It felt like hours before she finally heard the sirens blaring from the main road.