My hands are covered in Sarah’s blood. I’m doing my best to stop the bleeding, but the wound is huge. I don’t even know what hit her exactly, there were so many objects flying through the air. Something jagged and large. It tore right through her side, above the hip and out. Took a big part of her midsection with it. I took some bad shots during that exchange with Setrákus Ra, but I’m going to make it.

Without Marina, Sarah doesn’t have long.

She dragged me away from the landing strip when I was still stunned. I don’t know how she did it, bleeding so much. Adrenaline? Her strength faltered when we hit the jungle. I had to carry her the rest of the way to Lexa’s ship.

The floor is covered in her blood. So are my clothes. It’s all over my hands, in more ways than one.

This happened because of me. Because she wouldn’t leave me to face Setrákus Ra alone.

Stupid girl. She probably saved my life.

“Please, John, don’t talk, just listen . . . ,” Sarah says. “You have to know, from the moment I saw you outside Paradise High, I knew. I knew we were going to fall in love. And I’ve never regretted even a second of it. Not even now. I love you with all my heart, John. I always will. It was . . . it was all worth it.”

The ship banks hard to the left. If I killed Setrákus Ra back there, it hasn’t stopped the Anubis from trying to chase us down. How am I going to explain this to John? How am I going to live with it?

It should’ve been me.

“I wish . . . I wish I could’ve seen you one more time,” Sarah says quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. “Maybe I still will. I’ll be waiting for you, John, wherever is next. Maybe it’ll be . . . it’ll be like Lorien. Or like Paradise.”

Bernie Kosar lies down next to Sarah. He whines and licks her cheek. She actually laughs a little.

“BK is here,” she tells John, sounding increasingly distant, out of it. “He says hi.”

Sarah gasps. Coughs. Blood leaks from the corners of her mouth, coming from inside her. I see her try to fight it. She’s trying so hard to stay.

“Promise me, John . . . promise me you’ll keep fighting. Promise you’ll win. Don’t let it all be for nothing, my love. Please, just remember, I love you, John. I always . . .”

Sarah stops talking. Her mouth keeps moving for another second, no sound coming out, and then it stops. I keep one hand braced against her stomach and press the other to her neck, even though I already know.

She’s gone.

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