All of the fighting around us ends as the remaining of his army falls to the ground. It’s quiet. Many lay on the ground as we’ve lost about a third of our allies in this War.
Quickly, everyone’s attention turns to Lexi lying motionless on the ground.
Tears fill my eyes as I fear she has already died.
I run toward her as fast as my legs can carry me. Garcia, Thatch, Thomas and Donavon all get to her side a moment before I do. We surround her as she gasps for air. Blood seeps from her mouth as she coughs, the dagger sticking out from her chest.
Everyone calls to her, trying to get her to move. She is leaving us, I can feel it.
Zach lays his head on her shoulder and lets his tears flow as he whimpers.
Lexi takes her last breath as her body goes limp and her eyes close.
Thatch quickly pulls the dagger from her heart, and plunges the dagger he carries into her chest. It’s the same one he used in the ceremony to save Zach when we needed to find Lexi.
Everyone freezes in their movements, and watch Lexi closely for any movement.
Nothing happens, her body lays as still as it ever has.
Garcia cries turning toward Thatch who clings to her tightly, with tears in his eyes.
I stare horrified as my best friend, my sister, has died. She died to save us all. I collapse to my knees in sobs. The dagger didn’t save her, she was too far gone.
Zach stands and lets out the most pain filled howl I have ever heard. He breaks off in sobs as he collapses to the ground.
Everyone who fought with us, stands around in a circle, watching as we all grieve our loved one. I look up to see the faces around us. Many have regret, while others hold sadness and tears in their eyes. Many have come to like, even love Lexi. She was pure and one of a kind in this world. She not only saved us, she saved the whole Supernatural World.
She may be lost to us, but I’m sure her memory will live on forever.
Zach catches my attention when he yelps. He stares off into space, concentrating on something. Then he collapses to the ground… unconscious…
Loss
“Zach!?... Zach!?” Garcia yells grabbing his face. “Thatch, check him for wounds!” she demands quickly as she starts rubbing her hand through his fur, looking for anything that may be the reason.
Zach lays quietly, barely breathing, taking shallow gasps. He opens his mouth with each gasp. I know what’s happening as I’ve seen it with one of my guinea pigs who passed away from old age. Zach is dying… taking his last breaths in this world. There is nothing anyone can do to stop it.
“No, no, no, no, no! Zach!! Please NO!” Garcia screams in panic. “Don’t you dare die on me Zachary!” she yells through her tears.
I look on horrified as Zach is close to death. My thoughts all scatter and I go into a state of shock. I have no one thought as I kneel next to Lexi’s lifeless body, looking down at her face.
I turn to look at Zach’s now lifeless body. He’s stopped breathing as his mom wraps her arms around his neck, crying harder than I have ever seen. Thatch stands in shock himself, looking at his son and wife. A complete blank stare overtakes his features. He is nothing but a shell of a man at this moment.
My sweet little brother, Thomas… he stands frozen, looking toward the sky. I know he will never be the same after this. He will never be my sweet baby brother again. I will never see him smile the way he used to, without a care in the world. Those days are gone for him now…
Not sure what to do, I look out toward the crowd of Supernatural beings that still surround us. They have come in closer and formed a tight circle around us. Kasey is the first I lay my eyes on. He is in front of everyone as he stares down at Lexi. He formed a unique friendship with her, one only he and Lexi truly understood. He is a strong man, but at this moment, he looks like a small child who has lost the only person in the world that mattered to him.
He takes a step forward and drops down on one knee, placing his fist on the ground in front of him. He bows his head and I see a tear fall from his face into the ground.
Everyone around us follows Kasey’s lead. They all kneel, giving our fallen friends, our family, the respect and love they deserve.
It’s as if time has stopped at this moment. No one moves. The only sounds are coming from Garcia as she begs and pleads for them to come back. My heart shatters and there is nothing I can do to sew it back together. We have come so far, grown so much to defeat Malvent. And yet, this is how it ends. This isn’t the way it was meant to be!
I don’t realize I’m lying on the ground beside Lexi’s body crying, until Donavon picks me up and cradles me in his arms.
I look into his eyes for a moment and see something I have never seen… A tear streams down his face. He is in pain, not physical, but emotional. He refuses to look at me, and I know why. I wrap my arms around his neck and nuzzle my face into his chest and continue to cry. A large piece of my heart disappears and I know it will never return…
A short time passes before I can calm myself enough to lift my head. Those who once surrounded us have now dissipated. Those who also lost their loved ones, take the bodies with them. Very few remain and it’s mostly Kasey and a few of his friends he had while they were prisoners with Lexi. The first ones outside our group to meet her, accept her, and willing to fight by her side. They are the reason we had so much help, they are the reason we had a fighting chance.
I wiggle out of Donavon’s arms. I see his eyes are lightly pink and I know more tears had fallen quietly, going unnoticed by those around him.
I hug him tightly around the waist before I walk over to Kasey, who has yet to move from his bowed position on the ground.
He doesn’t realize I’m there until I bend down and grab his fist from the ground, pulling him upward.
He looks at me with such sadness and anger in his eyes. I know the anger is not toward me, but the death of our friend.
“Kasey,” I start talking, but my voice cracks. I shake it off and continue. “I want to thank you for everything you have done for us. For bringing so many to help, for letting everyone know of Lexi and what she has done here. Her spirit will live on in everyone involved today. Because of you she will be remembered and spoken about for eternity. Because of you, we had the help we could have never imagined, without you, we would have all died today. So thank you for not only helping, but for being a great friend to Lexi.”
He can’t speak. He looks at me with tears streaming down his face and nods his head. Then he grabs me into a tight hug as his tears soak my shirt.
“Thank you,” he choked. “I only wish I could have saved her.”
“I know. We all do.”
“Kasey?” His friend comes over and places a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, but we should get going.”
He nods his head. “Go on ahead. I’ll catch up later. I want to give her the proper sendoff she deserves,” he said looking toward Lexi.
She nods. “Okay, Kasey. I understand.” She then turns toward me. “I am very sorry for your loss. But just remember, her death was not in vein.” She gives me a small hug and then heads for the trees, disappearing with the rest of the Supernatural beings that lingered.
Donavon, Garcia, Thatch, Kasey, Thomas and I are the only ones left in the clearing.
Everyone is in a state of shock and anger. No one speaks, but we all know what we have to do now. We have to prepare to let them go… all too soon. Send them off the best way we can. There are no words for how we all feel. Broken, lost and dead inside. Garcia and Thatch lost the only son they had, and the daughter they adopted. Thomas lost his second sister, big brother and his new friend Luke. Kasey lost one of the only people who understood him. Donavon lost more than I ever imagined. They were his family. They were my family too…
Life will never be the same….
I start to break out into sobs again, but a noise from behind us has me frozen in place….
It can’t be….
Life
As I walk farther into the beautiful wheat field, running my hand along the tops, I feel I am not alone. I not afraid of who is there, I’m excited.
“Lexi?” a voice came from behind me.
I spin around and smile. “Zach!” I run to him and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him passionately on his lips. He squeezes me back and presses our lips tighter.
I become breathless as I absorb every moment.
We break from our kiss as we stare into each other’s eyes. This is my heaven, and I can’t be happier.
“I thought I had lost you my lovely Lexi.” He crushes me to his chest. “I thought I would never see you again.” he kisses my cheek.
I grin. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere this time. So you’re stuck with me.”
“I wish that were true,” his voice saddened.
“What do you mean?” I ask confused.
“Don’t you want to go back? To be with your friends and family?”
I shake my head sadly. “I can’t Zach. I’m dead. Malvent killed me.”
“But, don’t you have a choice?” he questioned.
I shake my head. “It doesn’t seem like it.”
He sighs. “When I died that day, I was given a choice, to return home or stay where I was. I chose to go home, to find you. So you have that choice, to return home, to return to our family.”
“If you had the choice, then why are you here?” I asked.
He looks me in the eye, “I was the part taken away, my human form. My soul returned, but my human body stayed. I can’t go back, but you can.”
I shake my head. “I won’t go back without you Zach.” Tears swell in my eyes.
Zach jerks his head toward the field behind me. I turn to look.
My eyes widen at the sight. Harmony walks toward us.
“Sweet Lexi,” she smiles.
“Mom?” I can’t believe I’m seeing her. I thought I would never see her again after she was killed.
“Thank you Lexi, for everything. You set them all free.” She smiled as she hugged me. “But you need to return home, to have your life back before all of this happened. That’s where you belong.”
“I can’t. How can I possibly go back? The wounds I suffered… And I can’t leave Zach here. I refuse to leave him and watch him suffer the way he has been because of me. It’s not fair and I won’t return without him.” I’m determined.
“I won’t lie to you Lexi. It will be a fight to heal if you return, and you’re right. You may not make it. You won’t have this second chance then. But if I promise you, that I can return Zach to the way he was, will you go back?”
“But, how can that possibly be done!?”
“You let me worry about that. Now will you go back if I return Zach the way he was?” she asked again.
Zach stands silently in surprise.
“If you can make him the way he was, then I will return. But what about you?” I ask quietly.
“Sweetie, my time is over, I can’t go back now. I did what I was meant to do. But your life is far from over.” She smiled.
I nod sadly.
“Are you ready Zach?” Harmony asks him.
He looks toward me and I nod with a smile.
He squares himself toward Harmony and nods his head. “I’m ready.”
Zach grabs my hand and squeezes. I squeeze his back. “How do we go back?” I asked.
She laughs lightly. “Just go back the way you came and I will take care of the rest.” She points toward the white door behind us.
I walk over and hug my mom. “Thank you for everything. I love you.” I kiss her on the cheek. “And I forgive you.” I smile.
“You don’t know what that means to me.” She hugs tighter then lets me go. “Now get going before time runs out.” She hurries Zach and I toward the door.
Zach and I stand hand in hand as we face the unknown. With one more glance toward Harmony I say, “Good bye, I love you mom.”
“I love you too sweetheart. Take care of her Zach.” She waves good bye.
“I will.” Zach nods determined.
“Oh, wait… how did Kendall heal you from the poison?” I ask looking back toward her.
I see pain cross her face, then she hides it behind her voice. “Your friend will know soon enough. Now go on, before it’s too late.” She smiles as she shoos us with her hands.
I grin. Before I turn around, I see Kendall walk up beside her and grab her hand. They are together again.
“I love you both! Be happy!” I yell out as Zach and I walk through the door not knowing what comes next.
Return
A gasp has us all frozen in place.
Looking back toward Zach and Lexi laying on the ground, there’s movement.
Zach gasps.
We all run over to be sure we are seeing things right. Garcia is grabbing his face in her hands as he miraculously changes into his human form for the first time in a very long time.
We watch wide eyed as he lays in full human form, in what is left of his clothes. They are torn and in shreds hanging off his body.
He gasps again and starts coughing as he pushes himself practically off the ground using his hands. He keeps sucking in air and coughing for only a moment until he speaks the first word any of us have heard in months…
“Lexi?” he said breathless.
His mom grabs his face with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Zach… I thought…” She heaves a sob, hugging her son. “You’re back!”
He hugs his mom. Then lets her go to soon. She lets him go, watching him. His mind is a million miles away right now.
“Lexi?” He crawls over to her body and places a hand on her cheek. “Lexi, Lexi wake up come on,” he coaxes in a horse voice.
We don’t have the heart to tell him she’s gone.
“Lovely Lexi, please come on. I know your there. Lexi please,” he begs.
He watches for a moment, and nothing happens.
“Lexi, Lex, come on you better not do this to me. Lexi, come on please?” I can see tears streaming down his face. “Baby, come on.”
“Zachary… I’m sorry…” Garcia starts to say, but Zach holds his hand up to silence her.
Zach pats Lexi’s face. “Lex, wake up. I know you can do this, just wake up. Please? I can’t live without you. I won’t live without you, now wake up!” he’s becoming desperate.
He stares for a few minutes and still, nothing.
I kneel next to him taking his hand from her face. “Zach… She’s not going to wake up. She’s gone…”
“NO!” he yells pulling his hand away from me. “She’s not! She came back with me! She’s supposed to be here! Lexi wake up, please!” he began crying. “Please!”
I break out in tears as my heart breaks for him.
“Zach… I’m sorry,” I cry.
Donavon wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly keeping my body from falling to pieces.
Zach’s voice quiets. “Lexi, please? I love you. Please come back to me.”
A few minutes pas as Zach sits silently by Lexi’s side, stroking her face.
Thatch steps forward with Garcia wrapped in his arms. “We need to get her home. We need to do a proper send off for her.”
I can see the tears threatening to spill over, but he manages to keep them contained.
“I, I can’t…” Zach says looking toward his father. “I can’t live without her.”
His eyes look dead inside.
Thatch lets go of Garcia and kneels next to Zach, putting his hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Let’s take this one step at a time son.”
Zach nods looking back to Lexi.
The solar eclipse is starting to allow the sun to reappear. The sun’s rays once again start to spread over the grass and trees.
Thatch is about to pick Lexi up off the ground when Zach tells him to stop. His face is focused on Lexi’s.
Zach places his hands on either side of her face staring, concentrating.
&nbs
p; We all know he is going to have the worst time with this. He died for her once, and there is no doubt in my mind he will do it again.
The sun spreads across Lexi’s body as we all watch as Zach stays frozen. The eclipse is over.
A gasp rises in Lexi’s chest.
My eyes widen and hope explodes in my heart.
“Lexi? Come on open your eyes!” Zach coached.
I kneel on the opposite side of Lexi. Looking at her I can see the small rising of her chest. She is breathing!
“Lexi!?” I can’t believe my eyes.
Another large gasp fills her chest and she starts coughing heavily. We roll her on her side quickly as she starts choking on the blood that fills her lungs. A large amount of blood covers the ground once again.
“Lexi, come on you can pull through this! You’re strong!” Zach told her.
Her lungs finally seem to clear out as her coughing stops, but she takes in short quick breaths. She opens her eyes slowly and immediately focuses on Zach. A small smile grows on her lips.
“You’re… you… again…” She took breaths in between each word. “I… love… you…”
“I love you more.” He kisses her on the forehead. “Let’s get you home so you can heal.”
She nods slightly. “It… hurts…”
“I know baby, I know. Just rest.” Zach starts to pick her up from the ground. Once he’s fully standing, his legs seem shaky. He growls at himself.
“I can take her until you get your bearings,” Kasey said gently.
Zach looks down at her face. Her eyes are closed and she seems to be resting. He nods and hands Lexi to Kasey as he cradles her in his arms like a frail child.
No one seems to know what to say. They both came back from the dead. Garcia and Thatch hug Zach tightly and Kasey seems like he’s hugging onto Lexi tighter than he needs to. I don’t realize until now that Thomas is next to me. He hasn’t said a word.
“Thomas?” I look down at him.
Sapphyre: Rise of an Angel (Sapphyre Saga Book 3) Page 18
