Title Here (Rune)

Taylor Lilian Brooks
Daughter of Khione

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Taylor ducked, narrowly missing the guy's hand that was just about to grab her hood. Her demigod instincts took over and she aimed a kick at his legs. His knees buckled as he roared in pain, earning a small smirk from the daughter of Khione. But that was when she felt someone grab her from behind, his thick arm pressed against her neck as he roughly pulled her up. Seething, she tried to bite him instead, but his grip was strong enough to prevent her from moving her head any closer to his weak spots. She began to gasp for breath, seeing as his arm was also stopping her from breathing normally.

"Long time no see, Zachy boy," the one who had her in a headlock said as the boy Zach punched stepped away and swore, clutching his broken nose. Taylor shuddered involuntarily at the feel of his breath close to her face. How long had it been since he last brushed his teeth? Eww. Taylor tried to move her arms to no avail with his other hand holding her wrists together.

Taylor Lilian Brooks
Daughter of Khione

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Taylor's eyes widened when she saw something glint in her captor's hand. Couple that with Zach's words, all her mind can do is scream 'no', the headlock blocking her throat from actually screaming the word. Some small part in her mind couldn't help but realize the fact that the boy's knife was nothing compared to her sword, if it wasn't made of celestial bronze. Who made the celestial-bronze-only rule in demigod weapons anyway? Didn't they know that mortals can just as easily be deadly as monsters?

"Let--go," was all Taylor could seethe, even if she knew that it was pointless. She was so going to kick the guy's butt when she broke free.

He had a strange gleam in his eyes though as he leered at Zach. "Always had a soft spot in you somewhere dincha?" he said in a scratchy voice. "The offer's tempting, but I'm afraid that beating ya up is not gonna give me enough satisfaction."

And that was all Taylor heard before she felt a sharp stab to her side.

Taylor Lilian Brooks
Daughter of Khione

---

Taylor sank to the ground, clenching her teeth to stop herself from screaming in pain. She clutched at her side but it was useless, the sticky liquid coating her hands faster than she could blink. The kid must have really hit something deep. She fell into Zach's arms instead of the hard floor. Her breaths became ragged and uneven as she tried to focus. It didn't help that her vision was becoming hazy as well.

"Lying doesn't suit you," she breathed, unsure if Zach can even hear her. She could vaguely feel Zach trying to fix her wound. Her heart dropped in her chest. Crap, this was really it. Taylor knew it the moment the knife touched her skin. She was going to die.

She drew in an uneven breath, trying not to show that it hurt. That alone took a whole lot of the remaining energy she had left. Through the cloudiness of it all she still managed to look at Zach, see the color of his eyes. "Stay with me... please?" she said softly. She was being selfish, trying to keep him there when he could be anywhere else but watching her fall apart. But Taylor needed him. If she was going to die, she wanted to at least die in his arms, knowing that he wouldn't leave her even at the last moment.

Taylor Lilian Brooks
Daughter of Khione

---

This was nice. Zach singing. Zach holding her close. Taylor could only wish that she had more time in the world. More time to hear him sing. More time to show him how much he meant to her. But the fates were cruel. They proved once again how life can be so easily whisked away at the most surprising times. One moment you're breathing, but you can't be sure how long you were going to stay that way. What Taylor was sure of, however, that the time left was short.

Taylor almost never cried. The last time she did was when she thought Zach would leave her for good. A tear squeezed out of her closed eyes. Was it only fitting that she started to cry now, when she was leaving him for good?

I love you too. Those words were stuck in her throat. She couldn't say them even if she tried. A small smile graced her lips.

And by the time the tear cascaded down her cheek, landing on the fabric of his shirt, Taylor was gone.