Chapter 78

Ember’s POV

Josh and Rae watched quietly from the background, their eyes filled with empathy. They knew that no words could ease my pain in this moment, so they allowed me the solace of my grief. But as the minutes ticked by, the need to move to a safer location became urgent and they realized that they needed to intervene, to ensure Nate’s body was returned to his home safely so that we could begin to arrange the funeral.

Approaching me cautiously, Rae bent and retrieved the dagger from beside me as Josh placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Ember, we need to move you both somewhere safe,” he murmured, his voice filled with compassion.

In that moment, an irrational anger surged within me. I was grief stricken and they wanted to take him from me. No, Nate’s body was not going anywhere, he was staying here with me.

“No,” I hissed, my voice laced with pain and fury. “We’re not going anywhere. Not yet! Let me have just a few more moments with him…”