by Heather Long
It wasn’t just Zhan sitting next to him, but Zhan and Justice, twined together again. They weren’t two halves anymore.
“We can’t let this end us,” Zhan told him. “She wouldn’t want that.”
“No, she wanted us to look after each other.” They shared a long look. “We need to go get Seth.”
They both tried to smile, and it was a weak if genuine effort on both their parts. “We have to honor her,” Zhan whispered.
Tarus would rather just love her. “I’m here for you, brother,” he told him. “We’ll be there for Seth. No more leaving him behind.”
“Even if he doesn’t want us.” Zhan nodded.
“I want you,” Seth announced as he strode through the door without so much as a knock. He reeked of Nectar and a little bit of vomit. His clothes were stained, and Tarus wasn’t going to ask what was on his pant leg. “We need to go, now.”
“Go where?” Zhan asked.
“To get the one thing—the one Keeper who could still help us.”
“Help us how?” Tarus asked, shooting to his feet with Zhan half-a-heartbeat behind.
“Dahlia needs Time.”
“She died, Seth,” Zhan said softly. “Bish has already taken her.”
“There’s still a chance. Karmen is fickle, but she’s not that vicious. She wouldn’t have come to me if there was no Hope.”
Hope.
Tarus’ eyes flared. Hope was in Dallas, not far from Sinner’s. She could have intervened. If she had…
“Let’s go,” Seth ordered.
“Wait,” Tarus told him, and when his brothers glared at him with rage in their eyes, he smirked. “Change your clothes, Seth. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want you to smell like the floor at Sinner’s.”
Seth scowled, then glanced down at his clothes before snapping his head up.
“Closet.” Tarus pointed at him. “Just grab something that fits.”
As soon as his brother vanished into the closet, Zhan turned on him. “You think he’s right.”
Tarus didn’t know what he thought, but there was an alien sensation unfolding in his chest. A feeling he’d only ever had once before.
Hope had never so much as given him a passing glance before.
Seth reappeared in jeans and a t-shirt, but it would do.
At least they didn’t stink.
“Where are we going?” Zhan asked, even as he and Tarus each put a hand on Seth’s shoulders.
“To get more time…”
28
‘The things that matter most will stand the test of Time.’ They matter most to me. - Dahlia
Dahlia
“So, tell me about yourself while we wait for the big man.” Hope guided me through the beaded doorway, swatting the strings of beads so hard, they snapped back to hit me in the face. I didn’t believe it was intentional though. She didn’t give off any kind of vibe, other than no nonsense kind of attitude.
Wasn’t that a little odd if she was the angel of Hope?
I mean, that was the obvious conclusion, but I could be wrong.
“Careful.” Bish parted the beads because it was apparently clear I had no survival skills when it came to these things.
We entered a small sitting area with plush pillows with tassels decorating the floor, rather than actual furniture. Well, there was a short table with a stack of glasses, doilies, and a pitcher of some type of dark drink. Tea maybe?
If this were any other time, I would have gushed over how well it worked in the room. But this was now, and my heart was broken.
“What do you want to know?” I settled on a pillow next to Hope, and Bish sat next to me. It was all a bit odd. Surely this wasn’t the afterlife Bish was taking me to, right?
If it were, there shouldn’t be another Keeper here. Wait… “Bish, why haven’t I died? Shouldn’t I be a spirit right now?” Holding my hands out, I poked each one, clearly maintaining my physical body.
He waved a hand. “I can help you hold this form for a short time. No more than an hour though.” The apology was clear in his eyes.
Got it. This wasn’t some miracle, and don’t get my hopes up.
I snickered. Don’t get my hopes up in the presence of Hope.
Damn, the inappropriate giggles were going to set in, then my last impression left on the real world would be as a weirdo. Great.
“Is she okay?” Hope shot me an unsure look, leaning slightly away.
The soft smile that crossed Bish’s face helped me pull it together. “Yeah, it’s her thing. She laughs at random times when her emotions are all over the place.”
“Cute.” She grinned and pulled three glasses off of the stack. “Spiced tea?” She momentarily stopped her motions and waited for my answer.
“Sure.” I shrugged, because I needed to get used to my new normal with my…
Breathing suddenly became very difficult as I tried to push down thoughts of my angels.
“So, back to you, how did you meet Bish?” Hope was tenacious in her questioning. What did it hurt to tell her about me?
“At the dog park.” Nope, just kidding, I really didn’t have it in me to hold a random conversation right now.
“Is this really necessary, Hope? Dahlia’s understandably upset right now, and clearly doesn’t want to shoot the breeze.” Bish scooted a little closer, and I was reminded of how good of a friend . “When will Khrone be back?”
Hope looked to the wall behind, and when I turned around, I almost fell off of my fluffy pillow. The entire wall was made up of clocks. And not just any clocks, but all different sizes and varieties. There were even a few vintage cuckoo clocks in there.
How had I missed all the incessant ticking?
Oh yeah, because my life was ending as we speak, that’s how.
“Any minute, he just ran out to do a quick errand.” She took a sip of her steaming tea.
Needing something to occupy my time, I picked up my own cup, bringing it to my nose for a quick sniff. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg tickled my nose. It was like a little piece of Christmas in a cup.
The door behind Hope flew open and banged against the wall as a tall, though slightly shorter than Bish, man entered. Propping his hands on his hips, he stopped just inside the door. The man was every definition of the word eccentric, with surfer board shorts, a long velvet robe, and Crocs.
“Why hello there, Bish. What’s it been, two, three hundred years?” The man—Khrone?—swiped a hand over his errant orangish red hair.
“More like ten,” Bish deadpanned.
“Really?” He reached behind him to shut the door, then dropped unceremoniously onto the pillow directly across from me. “Seems much longer. What brings you in? I hate to break it to you, but my days of betting on dog races are over. You’ve always had too much of a connection to them for anyone else to have a fighting chance.” Khrone adamantly shook his head. “Nope, not doing it.”
A sly grin curled Bish’s lips. “No dog betting, but coincidentally, that is why I’m here.”
I really wanted to know what was going on, but this was one of those times where I would probably learn more from being quiet than interrupting with questions that were way off base from what was actually going on here.
“I knew this day would come. And I dreaded it. Every single day of my life, panic gripped my chest at wondering if this was the day you’d finally call in your favor.” He clutched his chest while Hope rolled her eyes good naturedly. Then he smirked.
“You probably forgot about it until this exact minute.” She thwacked him on the shoulder, and he fell sideways with a grunt. Okay, this guy was a hoot that I simply didn’t have the energy to appreciate right now, because he totally exaggerated her hit.
“Maybe. But you didn’t have to spoil my fun.” He seemed kind of affronted.
“Actually, I need to be the one to spoil your fun.” Bish bent forward, draping an arm over his knee. “Time is of the essence right now. My friend Dahlia here needs more of it.”
> As if his goofy attitude fell away like a cloak he shrugged off his shoulders, he turned to me with a far too keen gaze. Chills raced down my arms as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Just like Bish back at Sinner’s, he didn’t seem to be looking at me, but inside me, peeling away the layers as he saw fit.
The suspense was starting to ratchet up my anxiety. Could this man really give me more time? Had Bish truly brought me somewhere to extend my life when he was ready to move me beyond this life to the next? I loved him all the more for that.
Several moments passed as Bish and Hope remained as still as statues while I constantly fidgeted.
“Sorry, Bish. But that favor can’t be called in for this. She’s too close to slipping away as it is. I’m honestly surprised she is still conscious with all the grace thrumming beneath her skin. I know your signature enough to know you weren’t the idiot who did this. So, who was it?”
When he turned to Bish, it was like a spell was broken and I could breathe normally again. My heart slammed against my ribs in an uneven rhythm, and I didn’t even know why.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Bish cast me an apologetic look. “She has three lovers who did this to her. I can only assume they didn’t realize that every ounce of grace they gave her shortened her already fast depleting life.”
Wait a minute.
The guys did this? Both Zhan and Tarus shared their grace with me during very intense intimate moments. I thought it was a loss of control, had even felt empowered because of it. But I was actually losing some of the precious time I had with them?
They didn’t know. I know they didn’t, and that made me all the more sad. Please don’t let them find out, I thought to the Heavens. It would break their hearts to know they stole some of my life with their kisses.
A brief flash of pity entered Khrone’s eyes before it disappeared. If I hadn’t been looking at him, I would have missed it.
“Ah, so this is the little gem who brought Punishment and Justice back to Judgment? I’d heard about her. Never thought I’d see them come back together.”
“Khrone,” Hope interrupted. “Is there nothing you can do for her?”
I curled my fingers around the tassels hanging off my pillow. I almost wished Bish had just taken me to the next plane…realm?
The pain of crushed hope was almost too much to bear right now. And that’s exactly what was happening. For a second, I thought there might be a way, a loophole, but Khrone gently shot that all to hell.
“There is one thing…” He trailed off dramatically.
What. The. Hell?
There was a way? I wanted to slap the silly out of him so he’d get to the point.
“Come on, Khrone. Don’t hold us in suspense.” Bish tossed a pillow at his face like we were having a good ole time at a slumber party.
“It’s not conventional. In fact, it’s never been done successfully. And it’s definitely risky. Right now, you could take her to Elysium and she could have a second life there. If the Test of Time is attempted and the sacrifice isn’t found worthy, she wouldn’t get a second chance. Dahlia, you’d simply cease to exist. It’s the price of the test. Is this what you want?” He studied me with a cunning glint in his eyes, as if he already knew the answer.
But I didn’t even know the question. Everything he just said went so far over my head, I couldn’t begin to comprehend what he was trying to poorly describe to me.
“Huh?” Yes, that was my articulated and well thought out response. I facepalmed.
“But even if you wanted to risk it all, you can’t take the test on your own behalf. That’s part of the sacrifice.” He poured himself a glass of tea and shot it back in one gulp.
“I’m still so confused.” I rubbed my forehead.
“I know, doll. You aren’t meant to understand it. Mortals never do. But before we get too far down that road, I need to know what you’re willing to sacrifice for immortality?”
“What he means, Dahlia, is there isn’t a way to extend your mortal life,” Hope inserted. “But there is a way for you to possibly gain immortality. It does have risks, quite significant ones, both to you and the ones who would take the test on your behalf. For you, the consequence if they do not pass is you simply stop existing. For them…well, you can’t know the punishment for their failure, you just have to be honest and tell Khrone what you’d be willing to sacrifice for immortality. And more importantly, what are you willing for your lovers to sacrifice for your immortality?”
Flecks of black danced in her amber eyes as she reached forward and caught my hand. She gave me a comforting squeeze and continued. “I realize this is a lot, and not any time at all, but you don’t have that luxury. You have to answer Khrone now.”
I glanced at Bish, but his stoic expression gave nothing away, then I turned my attention to Khrone. He was calm, waiting for my answer without judgment. But what was the answer? You just couldn’t spring this on a girl last minute. It wasn’t fair.
But life never was, and apparently, neither was my fate because I couldn’t do this to Seth, Tarus, or Zhan. I couldn’t expect them to give up anything or receive some insane punishment all to give me a chance of eternal life.
I’d lived a good one. More so these last few weeks. That was enough for me.
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I tried to rapidly blink them away. I opened my mouth just as the door behind Khrone burst open again, only this time, my three loves ran through the door, desperation and hope etched into their features.
“I wouldn’t have them sacrifice anything. I want them to live happy lives, not endure some punishment or give anything up for a chance to save me. It’s not worth it.” One tear broke free and trailed down my cheek as I met each of their pained gazes.
“Dahlia,” Seth began, then froze utterly. All three of them did. Khrone shot them a baleful look.
“Remind me to charge them for that door. I just got it fixed from the last time I broke it.”
Hope smothered another smile, but there was no happiness in me. I’d said my goodbyes. I’d made my peace with having to leave them, and now they were right in front of me again like some wicked taunt of what I could never have.
That wasn’t fair either.
To them or to me.
“Dahlia,” Khrone said, even as Bish covered my hand with his
“A sacrifice doesn’t have to be a huge thing,” Bish told me, but then like the guys, he also froze, and even the hand on mine stiffened.
“Really, you’d think Keepers would have more respect for the rules. You just can’t burst into a man’s day ready to throw down when he’s already entertaining guests.” The first part he directed at my loves, and though they weren’t moving, their gazes seemed to track me. “And as for you, you sly old dog, thinking you could bring me a juicy problem like this as payback for a favor I owe you—well, you might have been right. Still…” The last was to Bish, and while Bish seemed as frozen as my guys, I could almost hear his snort of derision.
Khrone settled his gaze on me again, and it was like being dropped inside of a huge bell as someone struck the outside of it.
“You would give up everything for them?”
“Without hesitation,” I answered. That question I understood. “I love them. But I don’t want them to suffer for me. If this is my fate, then I’m prepared to meet it.” No matter how badly I wanted to stay with them. I couldn’t ask them to sacrifice anything. They’d just found each other again.
“Oh,” Hope said, leaning forward, but Khrone held up a hand and she bit her lip.
“I know immortality might be difficult for you to grasp, but you could have a real shot at it.”
I shrugged. “Can you promise it without harming a hair on their heads? Without potential misfortune coming to them? They do not deserve to suffer.”
Puzzled, Khrone stared at me for a long time. “You really mean that.”
I nodded. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. I got that
these guys could be literal sometimes and a little different, but love was love, right? You protected what you loved. I loved them, and I would protect them.
“What would you give up if the situation were reversed?” Khrone studied me for a beat. “What if you had to save them?”
“Everything.” My vision tunneled, and the darkness flashing around the edges warned me whatever time I’d had left was running out. I was so tired.
“Hold that thought for me, sweetheart.” Khrone pressed a single finger to his lips, and the world hiccupped. Then Bish jerked into motion, even as my guys hurried toward me. I wanted to reach out to them, but I couldn’t move.
“Free her,” Zhan ordered as he crouched in front of me. Tarus shifted to face off with Khrone, even as Seth went toe to toe with Bish, who scrambled to his feet.
“You took her,” Seth said. “You said it was her time, and you took her early.”
Thunder rumbled under every word.
“I’m here,” Zhan whispered as he touched my cheek.
“We came to petition you for more time,” Tarus stated.
“Have you?” Khrone managed to look vaguely surprised, then he yawned. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”
Tarus’ back stiffened, and Zhan’s jaw tightened, but it was Seth of all of them who suddenly rounded on Khrone. “They are my brothers and Keepers,” Seth stated. “Vital, necessary, and should be shown respect.”
Hope bit her lip, and I wasn’t sure if she was worried about them or trying not to laugh. Zhan stroked his fingers against my cheek. “We’re here,” he whispered again. “We’re not leaving without you.” My shattered heart crumbled all over again. I would never be able to pick up these pieces. I’d made it through that first goodbye, but I didn’t think I could stand it if I had to do it again.
“Brother,” Tarus said though, putting a hand out as though to wave him off. Bish shifted his weight, and Seth whirled to pin him with a look. Judgment shone in all his glory, and it was so beautiful, but also terrible in his fury. My poor sweet angel. Twice his gaze dipped to me, and twice he yanked it up, even as his eyes seemed to shimmer with tears.
