Page 160 of Unholy Masks

Please, Lord. Please.

I prayed to a God I wasn’t even sure I believed in anymore. I hadn’t prayed in a long time, but I prayed now, with all my heart.

“It’s over, Trish. Patricia. Whatever you call yourself,” Enzo said, stepping between us as Patricia moved toward me, her hands stretched forward like an offering.

He raised the gun, pointing it at her head.

She smiled.

“Is it?” she asked, looking very content to just stand there and stare.

“Do not move,” I heard Enzo saying faintly in the background.

I pushed it all out; I pushed everyone out as I sat next to Irene.

“Re-Re? Irene? Baby?” I shook her, but she didn’t move. She wouldn’t move. “Come on. This… it can’t end like this. You know it. You—” I rubbed her face, her fingers between my palm. “Ryden? Ryden, she is not responding? What should I do?” The world was burning all around me, and Irene burned in the middle with it.

“Check her pulse,” Ryden said.

Her pulse. Of course.

Why didn’t I think of that?

My trembling fingers pressed against the side of her throat. I held my breath, waiting, waiting.

Oh.

There it was. A beat so faint I almost missed it.

“She’s alive.” The words came out as a broken whisper. I pressed my fingers harder against her throat, terrified the pulse would disappear if I moved. “She’s alive,” I said again, louder this time.

Ryden let out a shuddering breath from behind me. Enzo let out a curse.

“Water. I need water,” I said, looking around frantically.

“Behind you,” Ryden called.

I lowered Irene’s head gently onto the cold floor and crawled toward the bottled water.

I grabbed it, tore off the cap, and splashed the water over her face.

I waited.

I counted to ten, and then twenty.

“Hospital,” he said. “Yara, she needs to go to hospital. Now.”

I gathered Irene into my arms, cradling her against my chest. Her skin was cold, so very cold. I hated it.

“Irene?” I whispered, brushing the damp hair away from her face. “Baby, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes for me?”

Her eyelids fluttered. My heart broke.

She blinked those beautiful eyes open.

“Yara…”

A sob tore from my throat as Irene threw herself into my arms, clinging to me with every ounce of strength she had left.