The Shifters: Katrina

The next grave didn't pull at my heart as much.

Anna Sherrybrook was only twelve, but she had been a cunning girl. She was a diplomat and a traitor: a friend and a new foe.

And Coraline had killed her in the last fight. My heart pitied her young life cut short, but I couldn't let myself break down over her, too. Anna had purposefully helped Xavier to hurt our compound, and she'd spilled our plans to him.

Because of her, my friends were dead.

However, I didn't hate her. I simply swallowed my emotions, lifting one hand out in front of me.

The water swirling above my palm took form of a rose, freezing into a solid form. I left it on her grave, silently saying goodbye to the young girl who followed the wrong path.

Near Anna was a grave that I was responsible for -- and there were three that were my fault, at least that I knew of. Sonya was laid to rest close by, her marker smaller and rough-looking.

It was kill or be killed.

And what a terrible thought that is.

"Tyree and the others missed you when you betrayed us," I muttered. "They probably still miss you. Do you think they'll hate me for what I did?"

I imagined my classmates in Greenhill.

"I hate people easily. Honestly, I've never been forgiving until I came here. And I still hate you, Sonya. I probably always will."

My knees cracked as I crouched, laying my hand on the soil. Water spread from my fingertips, making the cracked, dry dirt a little healthier.

"But I still hope that you were at least happy with your life alongside Xavier," I whispered. If anyone heard me, I knew I wouldn't live it down. "And if you weren't, I hope you realized that your place had always been with us."

I pulled away, glaring at the grave.

"It was your fault that you lost that place, after all."

A touch of anger flooded my systems, and I knew I had to move on before I destroyed something. I scoffed, my breath coming out in a puff of white as I scowled. I was walking to say goodbye to an actual friend when a name stood out to me.

Beth.

Oh, Beth. Who apologized because she knew she might not get another chance.

I stared at the marker with her name on it, her blue band hanging from the top.

Rest well, Beth.

I think we should've been real friends.

I managed to smile for her, whether she was watching or not.

Maybe in the next life.

"Katrina..?"

My eyes slid from the grave to the shifter standing in front of me. Tyree's eyes were swollen, a wrinkled tissue crushed in her hand. She sniffled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was the first time since I met her that her eyeliner was smudged.

"Tyree," I breathed, a weight lifting off my shoulders.

She's Beth's cousin.

Shared grief passed between us. I opened my arms, offering her comfort. Tyree rushed forward, her larger form enveloping mine in the middle of a makeshift graveyard. I listened to my best friend cry, rubbing circles in her back as I held back my own tears.

"We weren't good friends," she sobbed, "but she was still my family, damn it..."

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

She scoffed, gently pulling away. She lifted up her shirt, exposing the white bandage around her midsection.

"Mostly okay," I clarified.

Tyree giggled. "Says you."

Her sad smile broke my already cracked heart. For a moment I wanted to shut myself into a tent and cry, just so that I didn't have to feel the stabbing emotional pain in my heart every time I looked at one of my teary-eyed friends, or at a grave of someone I once knew.

But I had to be strong. It was what I was known for, after all.

It took all my strength to pull her back into my arms, hugging Tyree so tight I thought I'd break her ribs. I rubbed circles around her back until her tears dried out, ignoring the stain on my shoulder. She sniffled, the gross sound of a clogged nose making both of us giggle.

"What are you doing here?" She asked softly. "Last time I checked, you were in intensive care."

I shrugged. "I needed to say goodbye."

"Did Talia..?"

She couldn't finish the question, but I forced a nod nevertheless.

Tyree's expression was solemn. "I feel bad for her. I'm still shocked that she turned on us suddenly."

I pursed my lips. "Me too. Both she and Anna seemed to trust that they could rely on Iluita..."

My best friend patted my shoulder, and I pushed the topic aside. Something about it felt weird, but I was in a state of grief -- I didn't trust my immediate judgement. I needed rest and time to recover.

"Are there anymore for you to visit?"

I swallowed, burying the lump in my throat. "I saw Alisa... She, well... She's probably been buried already..."

A small flicker of shock appeared on Tyree's face at the news. "I hadn't checked the list of those that were lost yet..," she murmured. "I didn't know..."

Instead of telling her the gruesome details of how our shared friend had been killed, I moved onto a different topic. "There's a list?"

Tyree nodded. "They have a list of bodies that have been found and identified. If they don't know who they are, they ask around. Either way, even our enemies are buried," she explained, motioning to where Anna laid, "as you can see."

"I might have to check... Just to see..."

Just to see if I lost anyone else that I never even knew of.

"Let's visit Alisa first," Tyree said, forcing a smile. "We should both say goodbye."

A tear slid down my cheek.

I never got to ask her what her tattoo was.

"Okay," I whispered, taking Tyree by the hand. We walked together until we found our friend's grave. At that point, both of us cried, the air filled with sorrow. We took turns saying our goodbyes, wishing her well. She had been a good classmate and a fun friend, and I would miss her dearly.

Alisa was a shifter that Iluita could be proud of.

They all were.

I noticed it when I looked out at the fresh graves around us. I noticed the effort and care that was put into each burial, even those of our enemies who had died honorably in battle. Each marker was made with a steady, respecting hand. Thoughtful gifts were laid next to them, and not a single one was disturbed. They laid in a beautiful area, one that would be full of wildflowers during the warmer seasons. Even now, in the dead of winter, snow trickled down onto them.

I knew in my heart that this would not be the last time I visited this place. I knew that it would become a historical site for this compound.

The cemetery of the fight for Iluita. Of the fight for a Guardian. Of the fight to save our innocents.

I was lost in my thoughts when Tyree touched my shoulder, ever so gently.

"Katrina..?"

My smile, though still forced, came a little easier.

"We should go check in," I said softly. "Before we get roped into doing reconstruction."

Tyree, with her smudged eyeliner and eyes that were red from crying, nodded her head.

"That sounds good," she murmured.

She took my hand, and together, we walked back to the group of survivors.