Violet woke groggily, hurting like hell. The last thing she remembered was the explosion and the fiery flames engulfed them whole. She jerked upright, only to feel a crushing weight pinning her down.
"Ugh…" she groaned, pain tearing through every part of her body. It hurt to move even a finger, not to mention dust clogged her throat and eyes, making it hard to see.
Violet coughed until her lungs burned, wiping grit from her lashes. The morning should have been bright, yet smoke turned everything a choking twilight.
Then she saw what held her down. It wasn't a thing, but a person.
Griffin Hale.
He had thrown himself over her, shielding her from the blast. But he wasn't lucky because Iron beams from a shattered pillar jutted through his chest. His eyes were closed, his face slack.
"No, no, no…" Violet's voice broke as she tried to shove him off, but he was too heavy.
"Somebody help!" she screamed. There was no answer, just fire, rubble, and silence. Not one atom of life.
