Manlius stepped forward and caught his arm, stopping him. “Brett won’t be able to bring him back, Boaz. He’s gone. He offered his life for my powers. I was able to close the veil because of him. He’s not coming back.”
“What? No.” Boaz shook his head, suddenly feeling lightheaded. He stumbled slightly.
“Hey,” Hansel said, catching his arm. “Maybe you should sit down and let someone look at your wound.”
Boaz looked down at himself. Blood was soaking through his side, but he could barely feel it.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the monastery,” Hansel said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
They were about to turn when someone who looked exactly like Alexander walked toward them.
Boaz froze for a second, confusion flashing across his face before he caught the differences. Where Alexander had been soft and classically handsome, this man was sharper, rougher, almost dangerous to look at. His eyes were a stormy grey that made him seem almost hostile.
“I’ll take him home,” he said, bending down to lift Alexander.
He straightened carefully, holding Alexander gently in his arms.
Boaz bit the inside of his cheek hard, trying to hold himself together.
Fuck.
He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t look at Alexander like that, so still, so gone.
He had known there was a chance they might not survive the war, but he had never thought it would end like this. That Alexander would give up his life before it had even begun.
He saved them. He saved all of them.
“Take me home, please,” Boaz begged, his emotions rising and threatening to overwhelm him.
Hansel guided him across the field and through the courtyard to the van. He helped him inside, then moved around to the driver’s seat.
Boaz leaned his head against the window as Hansel started driving. He stared out blankly, his eyes unfocused.
The world outside looked the same, but it didn’t feel the same. Everything felt distant, unfamiliar, like he was no longer in the place he had known all his life.
Everything had changed. Everything.
How was he supposed to live in a world he no longer recognized?
By the time they arrived home, Boaz still didn’t have an answer. He felt lost, completely lost.
Hansel parked in the building where they kept their trucks, and even that familiar place felt strange now. Boaz stepped out and moved through it like he didn’t quite belong there anymore, heading toward his cabin.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Hansel asked, following close behind. “You need to get that wound treated.”
“No. I’ll be fine, Hansel. I don’t need you to babysit me,” Boaz said, his voice flat.
“Okay,” Hansel replied gently. “Just tell me if you need anything.”
“I will,” Boaz called over his shoulder as he followed the path to his cabin on autopilot.
He went inside and closed the door behind him. In the bathroom, he stepped into the shower and turned on the taps, letting the water run over him as he washed away the dirt and dried blood. When he was done, he stepped out, grabbed a towel from the hook, and dried himself off before dropping it into the laundry basket.
He stood in front of the mirror and opened the cabinet, taking out the first aid kit. Slowly, he cleaned and treated his wound even though he knew his body would heal on its own soon enough.
After that, he went to the closet, pulled out a shirt and sweatpants, and dressed. Then he made his way to the bed.
He lay down on his side, clutching the pillow beneath him, staring into nothing as tears slid down his face. He cried himself to sleep.