Ravyn and Luna walked slowly toward where Kyrren stood, casually inspecting the unconscious body of Damien. Kyrren had Damien slung over his shoulder like a sack of laundry.
"What happened to him?" Luna asked.
"He's just resting." Kyrren replied smoothly, adjusting Damien's weight. "He used too much mana."
Kyrren then decided to lay Damien down but he did so with unnecessary force, dropping him onto the pavement.
Damien's eyes snapped open. He instantly grabbed Kyrren by the collar. "You!" he gasped.
Kyrren only raised his hands in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, easy there, tiger."
Ravyn started to step in but Luna put her hand out, pushing him back. She stepped forward, standing over Damien. "What are you doing?"
"This guy let Elena flee!" Damien spat, directing his accusation at Kyrren.
"No, I did not." Kyrren countered, looking bored. "I saved you from getting killed when you passed out. So, you're welcome."
"You made me pass out! You didn't want me to kill Elena!" Damien shouted, fury in his eyes.
Luna turned sharply to Kyrren, her voice rising. "What is your problem? Why would you do that?"
"Why do you think I'm the problem?" Kyrren asked, gesturing widely. "I was the solution. Your brother was about to get his ass handed to him by a baddie and I saved him."
Ravyn stepped forward again. "And you shouldn't have. Because either way, he has to go."
Luna turned to Ravyn, her eyes wide. "What did you just say?"
"I said...." Ravyn repeated. "He has to go either way. Remember what you told me? The Game only requires three participants. And him dying by her hands would've spared us some time."
Luna recoiled as if struck. "Are you listening to yourself right now? You're talking about killing my brother, Ravyn. You're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you do that."
"Maybe I am, Luna." Ravyn said. "But you're too blind to see that he doesn't care about you. He's only here right now because he lost everything. He has no one, at this point it's either him or one of us. And I'm not letting any of us left now to die."
Ravyn fixed his gaze on Damien. "So, I'm going to get him one way or the other. But today, I'll give him a head start. He can run and hide all he wants."
Luna let out a wordless cry of fury and launched herself at Ravyn but Damien grabbed her from behind, restraining her.
"It's okay, Luna." Damien said. "You don't have to fight with your team for me."
"He's not my team!" Luna screamed, struggling wildly against Damien's grip, tears blurring her vision. "He left me! He's nothing to me! And I ha..."
Before she could finish the word Damien landed a lightning-fast strike to the back of Luna's neck that rendered girl unconscious.
Luna went instantly limp, her eyelids fluttering before she sank into unconsciousness.
Damien caught her and gently handed her over to a stunned Ravyn. "Take care of her."
Ravyn looked down at Luna's unconscious face, then back up at Damien. He stepped dangerously close.
"I'm giving you up to ten to get out of sight." Ravyn hissed. "Or I'll draw back the head start."
Damien didn't hesitate. He simply turned and started walking away.
Ravyn waited a moment, then began counting. "I'm on five."
Damien instantly broke into a desperate run, disappearing into the ravaged street.
Kyrren chuckled and smacked Ravyn on the back of the head. "You sure know how to act dangerous, kid. Come on, pick her up and let's go."
Ravyn silently picked up the unconscious Luna. They went to a rundown safe house nearby, and Ravyn carefully placed her on a makeshift bed.
Kyrren surveyed the room. "I'm going out to grab beer." he said. "Wanna come?"
Ravyn looked at Luna, then shook his head. "No. I'm good. I want to rest."
Kyrren nodded and left. Ravyn walked over to the sleeping Luna. He knelt beside her.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you were being attacked." he whispered, his voice cracking. "I thought that staying away from you guys was the only way I could protect you." He reached out, his hand hovering over her shoulder. "I thought by the time we met again, I would be so strong that you guys wouldn't have to fight anymore. But I failed. I failed you and Ria. And I'm so, so sorry."
He wiped the tears from his face and then he crossed the small room, lay down on the floor and succumbed to the exhaustion, falling into a deep sleep.
A few hours later, Luna woke up with a sharp headache. She looked around, instantly noticing that Damien wasn't there. She stood up, rubbing her face and walked out of the room without a word.