The Last Ember

Declan stood frozen over Clara’s crumpled form. A flicker of doubt tugged at his mind as he watched her pained trembling, but his ingrained pride acted as an iron barrier. He forced his shaking hand down, physically holding himself back from reaching out to check on his wife's condition.

From the blood-stained carpet, Lila whimpered. "Declan, my stomach... it hurts so much."

Her calculated, feeb