Jake gasped. Every breath he took reminded him of the boot that had pinned him to the cold stone. He stared at Aaron's corpse, struggling to reconcile the terrifying man he had been moments ago with the lifeless heap now bleeding out on the ground.
The world tilted; gray stone and smoke spun in a nauseating blur until a hand gripped his arm.
"Jake."
Lena pulled him up, forcing his legs to take his weight when they only wanted to buckle. He stumbled against her, and for a second he thought Aaron was there again.
But he wasn't.
He looked up. A smear of blood streaked across her cheek like war paint, mixing with the grime of battle. But it was her eyes that caught him. They were calm, clear, and unblinking. Her smile told him that everything would be okay.
"Are you ok?" she asked, searching his armor for deep dents.
