Nathaniel flew to his side as Mashuwa tore Elizabeth’s shirt down the middle, revealing her bloodied stomach and a thick red stream gushing out from a hole a few inches above her belly button and running down either side over her ribs. Mashuwa tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and pressed it against the wound. It darkened with blood instantly, but the red tide was stemmed.

“Hold this!” Mashuwa said, grabbing Nathaniel’s hand and thrusting it onto the bloodied shirt.

Nathaniel held it down with both hands. The cloth was warm between his fingers, and he could feel it growing damper by the second. He called out for Annyka, and she came rushing through the crowd. Mashuwa knelt over Elizabeth’s face, and lifted her eyelids with bloodstained fingers.

“Elizabe...

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