Masters of the Sky

Chapter 22 Scars

"Celia! Are you alright?"

She heard the question, but her mind was too sluggish to process it. It was a close call, far too close to her liking. Gabriel kneeled next to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Celia! Talk to me. Are you injured?" His beautiful blue eyes scanned her face and then her body with concern, his brows slightly knitted. He gently moved his hand to her bloodied arm. "We need to get you to the medic."

Celia closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to get rid of the annoying fog obscuring her mind. It was not the time to give in to shock and faint. There was something she needed to do first.

"Zed," she whispered through her parched lips and tried to stand. "They stabbed him. He needs help more than I do."

Gabriel nodded. "Let me check on him." He quickly moved to the big man lying lifelessly on the floor not far from her. Celia watched Gabriel's frown deepen and his mouth drawn in a thin line. "It's not looking good. He's losing too much blood."

Celia crawled to her friend. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow. His rich dark skin looked almost ashen now. "Fetch the medic, quickly," she said and took off her long gloves, torn already after the fighting, pressing the expensive fabric to the bloodied wound in his side. "I'll stay with him."

"I'll be right back." Gabriel got up and ran into the smoke, which had already started to dissipate, revealing a trashed chamber with the floor littered with broken glass and bleeding bodies.

"Don't you dare die on me now, Zed," Celia said, blinking away the tears as her voice trembled. "I forbid you, do you hear me?" The fabric she was pressing to his wound was already soaked in blood. Celia used her other hand to slash at her skirt with a dagger and tore off a substantial part of the fabric to replace the gloves.

Zed grunted, and his eyelids fluttered open, but his dark eyes were hazy. "Do... you think... I paid... my debt... Boss?"

"Not a chance," she hissed. "I still need you to protect me. You can't just leave me here. I..." She stopped stifling a sob. "I'll get you out of here, as I promised. I'll get you over the mountains even if I drag your lifeless body with me!"

Zed's lips quirked in a lopsided smile.

"You're a tough... mistress... Boss. I'm sorry... I couldn't... protect you... better..."

"Stop it right now, Zed! I'm alive only thanks to you. And I'm not letting you die, either. You're not off the hook yet, my friend."

"Thank you... for all you did... for Mahala," he whispered, his voice barely audible. His eyes slowly closed.

"Stay with me, Zed!" Celia cried desperately, the tears marring her face. "Please... Please don't leave me."

The thud of boots hitting the floor drew near, and soon Gabriel appeared, slightly out of breath.

"He's here."

A man and a woman, still elegantly dressed, with white gloves covering their hands, rushed to Zed.

"Thank you for your assistance, madam," said the man with a monocle and moustache that could compete with Abner's and opened his leather bag, revealing an abundance of medical supplies. "But we'll take it from here."

"Come, Celia. Give them space." Gabriel gently took her elbow and helped her to her feet. "You need medical attention too. Let us get to─"

"No," Celia protested, shrugging his hands off. "I'm not leaving him."