Monsters of War

Rain dripped from the trees around me. The cobblestones that were left from the tower that used to stand there were cold under my bare feet. I shivered. 

He emerged from the darkness ahead of me, his cloak clutched tight around his side. Without even seeing the wound, I knew what I would find. I also knew what had given him the wound that caused him to stumble, the same wound that made him fall to his knees, blood dripping from his hands, mixing with the water pooled underfoot.

It was all so surreal. After a few more heartbeats, I ran forward, kneeling next to my friend. "James," I whispered, pulling at his cloak.

"Don't." He pushed my hands away. "It's too deep, Ilana. There's nothing you can do."

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. "No. There's always something. Always."

"Not this time. I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, blood mixing with the water. Leaving the last bit of himself he ever would.

I fought back the tears. The person who'd done this to my brother would pay.

*****

"Ilana, what are you doing here?" Nicholas turned to me, the sword that killed James in his hand.

"How could you?" I whispered, hiding in the shadows.

"What? Ilana, why are you dressed like that?"

"I think you know."

"Wait, was it you? Were you the one who's been hunting my team?"

"Don't move, Nick. This ends here." I pressed my knife to his side.

"What do you mean? What ends?"

"I asked them, every single one of them."

"When, before you cut them open and left them to die?"

"Like you did to my brother?"

"Who?"

I twisted the knife, just a little. "You know who. Walk."

He walked forward, slowly. "Please, Ilana. You don't need to do this."

"Keep your hands where I can see them. We're going for a little walk. See if we can dredge up some memories."

"Ilana."

"You killed my brother, Nick. He went to make peace, and you killed him."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He died in front of me. Bled out in the rain. Maybe it's time you learned how it feels."

"And killing my team doesn't cover that?"

"Keep moving."

"When did you become a monster?"

"Oh, I became the monster, Nick?"

"You did kill six of your former friends."

"James was your best friend. And he went to make peace, and you murdered him. Cut him open."

Nick turned to gape at me. "That's what this is about?"

"What did you think?"

"Ilana, please. James came to kill me. He wanted to take me and trade my life for the lives of a group of children that were kidnapped."

"No. That's not true. James would never hurt a fly."

"That's what I thought about you, Ilana. But now look at you. What happened?" He stepped closer to me, bringing back memories of a happier time. A better time.

"You killed my brother." 

He moved closer again. "Ilana, don't throw your life away. Let me help you."

"No, it's too late. Turn around, keep walking."

"Ilana. I thought we had something. I thought we could've been more than just friends."

"It would never have worked, Nick. Especially since you killed my brother. Keep moving." I dug the knife into his side again, 

"I can't do that, Ilana. You know that. You killed six people."

He gripped my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back. A blow made me drop the knife, and then I was on my knees. "Besides," he whispered, "I know you would never have been able to kill me. We both do."

Tears began to stream down my cheeks as Nick pressed the knife to my exposed neck. "We're at war, Ilana. We don't have time for sentiment."