Chapter 463

• Blood had been clogging his throat, and when the cough hit, it spilled from the corner of his mouth and bled into the muddy river.
• Every inch of him hurt, especially his stomach and heart, like a cactus jammed inside. He swayed, barely steadying himself with a hand to his forehead. His steps were weak. His foot slipped in the water, and then he pitched headfirst into the river.
• The water came to his thighs. The moment he fell, he sank like a stone.