Chapter Fifteen

A lump forms in my throat as the full extent of what Khara has done falls on me, destroying the walls that once surrounded my locked emotions. Tears roll down my cheeks as she lies almost motionless on the floor, helpless. Feelings from anger to sadness to finally, love, flood my mind as I try to move closer to Khara. The chain is taut at it's full length and all I can do is watch as her blood seeps onto the floor.
"Khara, Khara, Khara," I whisper over and over again. My heart breaks as I watch her eyes slowly open and close, her mind deciding whether to drift out of consciousness. I can't lose her again. I can't let it. I'm so close.
I look up to see the Templar called Will in a rage as he stumbles forward, shouting.
"This was never part of the plan!"
He pushes James towards the ground, causing both of them to fall to the floor in a heap. Will sends a seemingly endless amount of punches to his own leader with no remorse. His eyebrows are furrowed in anger, revealing his determination, a murderous determination, but not only that. There's evidence of his love that flows down his cheeks in the form of bitter and heartbroken tears. I don't know what to think of him, I don't know how well he knows Khara. I don't know whether he loves her like I do. But I can recognise one thing that makes us the same. We both want her.
I look away and back at Khara but in the corner of my eye I can see Will as he sends a sword plunging into James's neck. Blood seeps into the floor, flowing into Khara's spreading crimson puddle. Will lies on the floor, panting for a while, as James's glazed eyes look past him, now seeing nothing.
Khara's eyes start to flutter shut as the metal bound around my wrists indents painfully into my skin with each tug. My pulse quickens when her eyes don't open again.
"Khara," I whisper before shouting to make sure that she can hear me. "Hold on!"
Khara's eyes gradually open as she turns her head slowly towards me.
"Altaïr?"
Will seems to have gone out of his rage and is now crawling towards Khara, his armour blood splattered. He leaves a trail of James's blood and I spot a key sitting in the middle of the red liquid, it's chain still halfway inside James's pocket.
"Hang on, Khara," I say softly. I direct my attention to Will.
"Get me that key," I try to say confidently, but my voice cracks. Will keeps crawling, and doesn't seem to hear me. He's muttering incomprehensible words until he reaches Khara, which is when he starts to shout, each yell sharp and short in a staccato rhythm.
"Khara! Khara! Khara!"
I cut his cries off, now angry and annoyed. "Get me that key!"
Will stops abruptly, and looks towards me as if he has only just started to realise that I'm here.
"This is all your fault," he snarls.
And maybe it is. Maybe I should let go. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe my reasoning isn't enough. Maybe it's Will, even if he is a Templar, who is destined to be with Khara. I don't know. All I know is that I love Khara too much to back away.
My thoughts are cut off as he knocks me to the floor and sends a multitude of punches to my stomach. Winded, I can't do anything except try to catch my breath again.
"Stop!" It's Khara shouting this time, her voice laced with pain but still strong. "Stop, Will! Please, stop!"
Will's attacks cease and my head spins as I gasp in air. "This is all Altaïr's fault, Khara." he declares almost proudly. "You don't understand."
I've regained enough to retort back at him. "No, you don't understand!"
Will looks back at me, his eyes blazing. "I understand perfectly well. I understand that you're a murderer and that you should be killed. James may have strayed away from the original plan but he isn't an assassin."
Will makes his way towards me again and this time Khara is too drained to shout for him to stop. I quickly formulate my words before I end up like James.
"You don't know what you're fighting for," I respond. "You don't understand how many innocent people have been killed by the blade of Templars. You're just adding another to the list - Khara!"
At this, Will tenses, his expression revealing fierce hatred directed towards me.
"Please, stop," Khara whispers. "Both of you. Will, get the key.
Will looks insulted but sits by Khara's side and tries to reason with her.
"Khara. Please, you don't understand. I love you."
Khara coughs, and her chest heaves with he effort. "Don't say that," she manages to whisper.
Will looks back at her, his expression confused. "Say what?"
"That you love me." Khara's eyes water as she continues. "If you loved me, you wouldn't be trying to kill the person who you think is the reason why I'm like this. You'd be getting me help. So get that key. Free Altaïr. Don't say that you love me." Khara takes a deep breath, tears now beginning to stream out of her eyes. "And don't tell me that I don't understand!"
Will steps back, shaken, but then makes his way towards the blood trail that he left behind. He picks up the key easily and makes his way towards me. I hear a satisfying click as the lock releases and the chain slackens.
I immediately stumble towards Khara and rip fabric off my white robe, pressing it onto her wound. She's lost a huge amount of blood but I can only hope. Hope that she isn't meant to die. And hope especially that she won't die for me. I've cheated death for so long that it should be my time soon, not hers. Should it? Khara deserves to live. I need her to. Six months wasn't enough to let go before. It will never be. My remaining lifetime won't be enough, even if I find someone else. Some people create a place in your heart that will always be there.
Will watches me silently, the determined murderous personality gone, as I lift Khara into my arms.
"Khara. Please don't leave."
I use my foot to fling the door open and make my way into the hallway. Khara looks up dreamily at the ceiling. Before the door closes behind us, she speaks once more.
"I was never here to you. I never came so I can't leave," she whispers to Will, but so softly that it's probably for no benefit but for herself. "You never knew the real me. The old Khara might need you. But she didn't love you, even then."
I sprint down the corridor as Khara's eyes begin to close.