Bianca shot upright on the bed to the sound of her own screams. "Brantley!" She clutched the air with her fists as if hoping to hold Brantley close to her. She heard heavy footfalls near her.
"Bianca?"
Her eyes flew open. She was in her bedchamber. It was the same nightmare that had been haunting her. In her sleep, she had seen how it ended. She heard Gayle's breathy voice. How he ran to save her, how the arrows were shot at him, how he lied in the pool of blood. He must have been so distraught when he succumbed to his injuries while saving her. She remembered his unblinking eyes, which stilled. She remembered his caring words. He saved her and died saving her.
Then Brantley had come to save her. The way he carried her… like a treasure. He was about to take her when an axe cracked his skull.
