MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Seventy-Five: The Rescue
---
The weeks after Yuri's mother died were quiet. Too quiet.
The house was being rebuilt again. The walls were patched. The windows were replaced. The garden was starting to grow. But the corner was still empty. Lyra was still gone.
Alex stood there every night. His hands were in his pockets. His face was blank. His eyes were on the window where she used to watch. He didn't speak. He didn't move. He just waited.
The others watched him. Percy brought him coffee. He didn't drink it. Aries brought him food. He didn't eat it. Ella sat with him sometimes, her hand in his, her voice low. He didn't hear her. He was waiting.
Jay stood at the window of the study. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"We have to find her," Jay said.
Keifer looked at Alex. At the man who was fading. At the man who was disappearing the way Lyra had disappeared. "We will."
---
The call came at dawn.
Mica's voice was sharp through the speakers. "I found her. Pasay. The old warehouse district. The same place where Alex chased her. She's been there for days. She's not moving."
Jay was already standing. Keifer was beside her. "She's not running?"
Mica's voice was quiet. "She's hurt. I don't know how bad. But she's not moving. She's been in the same building for three days. She's not leaving."
Jay's hand tightened on the desk. "Then we go to her."
---
The warehouse district was gray in the morning light.
The buildings were old. The streets were empty. The fog was low. Jay drove fast, Keifer beside her, Care in the back, her medical bag open, her hands ready. Ella was in the passenger seat, her face calm, her hands folded.
Percy and Aries were in the car behind them. Freya and Erdix were covering the east. Rakki and Ci N were covering the west. Grace and Denzel were at the north. Kit and Mayo were at the south. Mica was in the van with Calix, her eyes on the screens, her voice steady. Honey was on the line, silent, watching.
Alex was in the car with Jay. His hands were empty. His face was pale. His eyes were on the road.
"She's hurt," Alex said. His voice was low. "She's been alone. She's been hurt and she's been alone."
Jay looked at him. "We're going to bring her home."
He didn't answer. He couldn't.
---
The building was at the end of the street.
It was old. The windows were broken. The walls were crumbling. The door was hanging off its hinges. Mica's voice was in Jay's ear. "Third floor. The back room. She's been there for three days. She's not moving."
Jay walked toward the building. Keifer was beside her. Care was behind her, her bag open. Ella was beside Care, her face calm, her hands steady. Alex was behind them, his steps fast, his eyes on the door.
Percy was at the entrance. Aries was beside him. "We'll cover the exits. No one gets in. No one gets out."
Jay nodded. She walked through the door.
---
The stairs were dark.
The walls were damp. The air was cold. Jay climbed slowly, her knife in her hand, her eyes scanning. Keifer was beside her. Care was behind her. Ella was beside Care. Alex was behind them, his breathing fast, his hands shaking.
They reached the third floor. The hallway was long. The doors were open. The rooms were empty. Mica's voice was in Jay's ear. "The back room. The one at the end of the hall."
Jay walked to the door. It was closed. She put her hand on it. She pushed.
The room was dark. The windows were boarded. The light was thin. In the corner, a figure was curled on the floor. Small. Still. Pale. Her hair was short. Her clothes were black. Her face was turned away.
Lyra.
Care moved first. She was across the room before anyone could speak. She knelt beside Lyra. Her hands were on her face. Her voice was steady.
"Lyra. Lyra, look at me."
Lyra's eyes opened. They were dark. They were tired. They were familiar. "Care."
Care's hands were shaking. Her face was wet. "You're hurt. You've been hurt for days. You've been alone. You've been—"
Lyra's hand came up. Her fingers touched Care's face. "I'm okay."
Care laughed. It was a broken sound. "You're not okay. You're never okay. You're always protecting everyone else. You're always—"
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "I'm okay now."
---
Ella knelt beside her. Her hands were on Lyra's arm. Her face was calm. Her voice was soft.
"You scared us," Ella said. "You scared all of us. Alex has been waiting for you. Every night. In your corner. He hasn't moved. He hasn't eaten. He hasn't slept. He's been waiting."
Lyra's eyes went to the door. Alex was standing there. His hands were empty. His face was pale. His eyes were on her. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just looked at her. Like she was the only thing in the world.
"Alex," Lyra whispered.
He walked to her. His steps were slow. His hands were shaking. He knelt beside her. His hand reached out. His fingers touched her face. Her skin was cold. Her eyes were wet.
"Lyra," he said. His voice was low. His voice was breaking.
She looked at him. Her face was blank. Her eyes were not. "I'm sorry."
He pulled her close. His arms were around her. His face was in her hair. "Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. Just come home. Please. Just come home."
She held him. Her hands were shaking. Her face was in his chest. "I can't. I can't come home. It's not safe. They're still out there. They're still watching. They're still—"
Jay knelt beside her. Her hand was on Lyra's arm. "They're gone. Yuri's mother is dead. Michel is dead. Sato is dead. Ram is dead. Kiko is dead. Keizer is dead. There's no one left. There's no one watching. There's no one waiting. There's just us. There's just home."
Lyra looked at her. Her face was wet. "You don't know that. You don't know—"
Jay took her hand. "I know that you've been protecting us for months. I know that you've been saving us for months. I know that you've been alone for months. And I know that it's time to come home."
Lyra's face was breaking. Her walls were falling. Her hands were shaking. "I don't know how. I don't know how to come back. I don't know how to be that person anymore. I don't know—"
Ella took her other hand. Her fingers were warm. "You don't have to be that person. You don't have to be anything. You just have to come home. You just have to let us take care of you. For once. Let us take care of you."
Lyra looked at them. At Jay. At Ella. At Care. At the women who had been her sisters. Who had been her family. Who had been waiting for her.
"I missed you," Lyra said. Her voice was small. Her voice was breaking. "I missed all of you."
Care pulled her close. Her arms were around her. "We missed you too. We missed you so much."
---
Alex held her. His arms were around her. His face was in her hair. His voice was low.
"I love you," he said. "I love you. I've always loved you. From the first day. From the moment you held a knife to my throat. From the moment you let me stay. From the moment you said my name. I love you."
She pulled back. Her face was close to his. Her eyes were wet. "Alex."
He kissed her.
It was soft. Slow. A kiss that said everything he had been waiting to say. A kiss that said he had been waiting for her. A kiss that said she was home.
She kissed him back. Her hands were in his hair. Her face was wet. Her heart was pounding. She kissed him like she had been wanting to kiss him for months. Since the day she fell. Since the day she died. Since the day she disappeared.
He held her. His hands were on her face. His eyes were on hers. "Come home. Please. Come home."
She pulled back. Her hands fell. Her face went blank. Her eyes went cold. She looked at him. At the man she loved. At the man she was leaving again.
"I can't," she said.
He stared at her. "What?"
She stood up. Her legs were shaking. Her hands were empty. Her face was pale. She looked at the women who had saved her. At Care. At Ella. At Jay. At the sisters who had come for her.
"Thank you," Lyra said. "For coming for me. For saving me. For—"
Jay stood up. Her face was pale. "Lyra. What are you doing?"
Lyra stepped back. Her hands were at her sides. Her face was blank. "I have to go."
Care stood up. Her face was wet. "No. No, you don't. You don't have to go. You can stay. You can come home. You can—"
Lyra shook her head. "I can't. Not yet. It's not safe. They're still out there. They're still—"
Ella stood up. Her face was calm. Her voice was steady. "There's no one out there. There's no one left. There's just us. There's just home."
Lyra looked at her. Her face was breaking. Her walls were falling. "I don't know how. I don't know how to be safe. I don't know how to be home. I don't know how to be—"
Alex stood up. His hands were empty. His face was wet. "Then let us teach you. Let us show you. Let us—"
She looked at him. At the man who loved her. At the man who was waiting for her. At the man she was leaving again. Her face was wet. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was breaking.
"Thank you," Lyra said. "For waiting. For loving me. For—"
She stepped back. She turned toward the window. The boards were loose. The light was thin. She could see the street below. The fog was lifting. The sun was rising.
"Thank you for all of them," she said.
She jumped through the window. She disappeared into the light.
---
Alex ran to the window. The street was empty. The fog was lifting. The sun was rising. She was gone.
"Lyra!" he screamed. "LYRA!"
Jay was beside him. Her hand was on his arm. "She's gone."
He turned. His face was wet. His hands were shaking. "She was right there. She was right there and she left. She left again."
Care was at the window. Her hands were on the sill. Her face was wet. "She said thank you. She said thank you for all of them."
Ella was beside her. Her face was calm. Her voice was soft. "She's not ready. She's not ready to come home."
Alex looked at the street. At the light. At the place where she had disappeared. "When will she be ready? When will she come home? When will she—"
Jay took his hand. "She will. When she's ready. When she knows it's safe. She will."
---
The sun was rising over Manila.
The fog was lifting. The city was waking. Lyra was gone. She had saved them again. She had protected them again. She had left them again.
Alex stood at the window. His hands were in his pockets. His face was blank. His eyes were on the street where she had disappeared. He didn't speak. He didn't move. He just waited.
Percy came to the door. Aries was beside him. Their faces were pale.
"She's gone," Percy said.
Alex didn't turn. "She'll come back."
Aries walked to him. They stood beside him. "She will."
Alex looked at the street. At the light. At the place where she had disappeared. "I'll wait. I'll always wait."
---
Care stood at the window. Cole was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She's gone," Care said.
Cole pulled her close. "She'll come back."
Care looked at the street. At the light. At the place where her friend had disappeared. "I hope so."
---
Ella stood in the corner. Her corner. She was standing where Lyra used to stand. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was calm. Aries was beside her. Their hand was in hers.
"She was here," Ella said. "She was right here."
Aries squeezed her hand. "She'll come back."
Ella looked at the window. At the street. At the light. "I know."
---
Jay stood at the door. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She saved us again," Jay said.
Keifer pulled her close. "She always saves us."
Jay looked at the street. At the light. At the place where Lyra had disappeared. "She'll come back. When she's ready. When it's safe. She'll come back."
Keifer kissed her hair. "She will."
---
The sun was high when they left the building.
The cars were waiting. The family was waiting. The home was waiting. Alex was in the back seat, his hands empty, his face blank, his eyes on the window. On the street where she had disappeared. On the place where she had left him.
Jay sat in the front. Keifer was beside her. She looked at Alex in the rearview mirror.
"She said thank you," Jay said. "She said thank you for waiting. For loving her. For all of them."
Alex looked at her. His face was wet. "I'll wait. I'll wait forever."
Jay smiled. It was small. Tired. Real. "I know."
She started the car. She drove toward home. She drove toward the light. She drove toward the family that was waiting. The family that was healing. The family that would be whole again. One day. When Lyra was ready. When Lyra came home.
---
END OF CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE