so this is how it ends, issa thinks. no fanfare, no glory, no choir of angels. no slow-motion as the body hits the ground. just something and then nothing. one moment helena is standing tall and the next she is in a pile on the floor. no dignity. no warning.
she drops to her knees. howls. no, no, no, not you, not you, please, helena, not you. it is too late.
what happens after that is a blur. a flash of light. more light. issa is lifted from the ground – no, issa lifts herself from the ground. heat in her veins. her whole body burns. her finger moves. then nothing, then a hospital bed, and sun streaming warm through an open window.
…





