My entire being aches with loss. Questions and doubt float through my brain when I think of what my life will be like without her. At first, I think it's just sick joke, but when I look up at her sleeping, still body, I can't deny what I see. She said she could allow herself to die now that we accomplished what we had to.
I didn't say thank you enough to her. She saved my life in numerous ways, and I wasn't enough to save her. She couldn't just hang on for me. She could've had a few more days, or weeks. Maybe all she needed was someone to stay with her, by her side.
"I know you want to stay here, but they need you at that portal."
I don't have any emotion left in me. My brain shuts down, blocking any more thoughts from entering. It's like white noise in there. I can't handle this. I've lost too many people in my life.
My body physically hurts. My eyes burn from lack of tears, despite the fact that I could cry for the rest of my life. I stand up, and my legs wobble beneath me, weak.
Dad holds my hand as we leave Cece behind. My dad says something in leaving to the nurse, but I don't have the energy to listen. We walk out of the building and into the warm night. The training center is fuller when we step through, but I still don't see Kara and Ari.
Ollie leans against the bleacher by Cristos, who is now joined by his brother Dimitri. Ollie's laughing, which is strange in context with what's going on. I'm almost mad that he can laugh after what we've all been through. Our eyes clash as I look at him, and he squints his at me.
I stomp over to him and grab his shoulder. I pull him with me out the training center doors, and he rolls his eyes as I let him go. The tension hangs in the air between us, but I ignore it.
"Why are you laughing?"
"'Cause Dimitri said something funny."
"Well, stop. People have died. This isn't a joke."
"You don't think I know that this isn't a joke? I just had easily the worst day of my life. Don't talk to me about loss, Ryder. Don't try to make this better. It's not going to be better. Ever." He turns his back and crosses his arms over his chest. I prefer this emotion over his laughing in the training center. I touch his back softly, and he whips around to face me.
"What?" he snaps.
"I wanted to say sorry."
"Sorry?" He laughs manically. "The man who should've been saying sorry is dead, so my score is settled."
"I don't want you to go away."
"What do you expect me to do?"
"Stay. I still love you. You're one of my best friends."
"Yeah, that's not going to work." He shakes his head and runs his hand through his hair. "The guy I've been fighting with for my entire lifetime won. I can't stick around and watch your happy ever after. I'm the loser."
"You're not." I grab onto his forearm, but he yanks it back, like my touch is fire. I step backwards and fold my arms over my chest, not wanting to cross a boundary.
"I can't do this. I love you, but I hate you. I can't be around you until I can sort through my emotions. It's not fair."
"I know, but you can't just leave. What if I need you?"
"You have your soul mate. Just forget about me."
After a final look at me, he turns on his heels and walks back into the gym. I take a second to breathe, to relax, and then when I enter the gym, he's gone, along with Dimitri.
"They left?" I ask Cristos, who's left sitting alone again.
"Yeah."
"Did they say how long they'd be gone?" I sit down beside him and lean back against the bleacher behind us. It's not comfortable, but I don't want to leave this area until every last person is back.
"No. But I'd guess a while."
"Where is he?"
"He's coming." Cristos looks over at me and nods. If Cristos and Junior are so sure they're coming back, why aren't they here yet?
It feels like we've been sitting around for hours. Dad helps people as they return to the gym. He's got all the medical supplies Cece left on a bench, and he bandages and fixes each person.
Lex comes through the portal, but he doesn't stop. He sprints right out the doors, the wind the only thing I even felt. I want to follow him and console him, but he's faster than me, and I know he'll be long gone by the time I even find his trail. All I can picture is Alexius' eyes staring at me, dead.
Professor La and Professor Elytis come back together with one other woman. The woman is crying and both Professor La and Elytis hold her, letting her cry on them. I wait for Professor Orntean to come in behind them, but it's clear that they don't expect him to follow.
After seeing me, Professor La comes over to where I sit.
"It was an honor to fight beside you. I'm sorry it had to come to a war. We won't be staying. We'd like to grieve privately." She gives me a subtle smile, and I smile back.
"Thank you for you sacrifices." I nod to her, trying to keep my face brave. "I, along with everyone else, appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I'm sorry you lost someone." I stand up from the bleacher and hug her. The act of kindness puts her over the edge, and she begins to cry.
"Sorry, I've got to go." She sprints from the room before I can say another word. Professor Elytis nods at me, and then follows behind Professor La, the other woman still in his care.
Cristos and I sit in silence. Every ten or twenty minutes he asks if I'm okay, to which I nod, and then we go back to silence. I'm not sure how long it is, but Atee notifies us that someone is coming through the portal.
I jump to my feet by the bleacher and wait. At this point the only people we're waiting on are my friends, Magdelina, Linus, and the Originals.
The first person to come out is Shane. He's coated in blood from head to toe, red everywhere including his hair. His glasses are long gone, but he looks whole. He smiles at me, and then walks over to my dad, clutching his right arm, who's examining everyone.
Next is Mikey, who teleports right in front of me and hugs me. But it's not like he normally does. Typically, he'll spin me in a circle and play around. But, this hug is somber and heartfelt. He clings to me like he needs me.
"Are you okay?" I ask him. He tucks his head into my shoulder, and I feel him drag in a ragged breath. His chest rises in uneven increments.
"Are you?" he whispers back. I don't answer. I shake my head, because I'm not okay. And I know Mikey isn't okay. Carter is gone. Martin is gone. There's nothing we can do.
"Don't worry," he says, pulling back from me. He swipes the back of his hand across his face and lets go of me. "They're coming. I know it. There were just so many demons. They clogged the entrance to the castle and blocked our exit. I finally just started teleporting people to the other side. But they followed."
"They're safe?" I question. I grab onto his hand and clutch it to my chest. I notice Lisa appear out of the portal behind them. She's covered in blood, but it doesn't look like it's hers.
"The Originals are protecting them," Mikey says, nodding at me.
I'm about to say something, but my thought is immediately cut off at the sight of Linus coming through the portal, right after Lisa. My eyes immediately fill with tears, knowing that Linus is going to find out his mother died.
I step out of Mikey's arms and towards Linus. His wide eyes are relieved and excited to see me. But the second he actually looks at me and the expression on my face, his smile disappears.
"What is it?" he asks me, grabbing my shoulders.
"I don't even know how to say this."
"Well, just say it!"
"Cece, your mom—"
"No."
"She didn't make it."
"Where? Where's her body?" He looks around the room, asking everyone the same question. He's shaking, his body unstable.
"The nurse—"
Before I can even finish his sentence, Linus is gone. I can't just let him find her there alone. I rush after him and find him already at her bedside, heavy tears beating down his face as he kneels before her bed.
"I'm so sorry." I wrap him in my arms, knowing that no matter
what I say it won't make a difference. My heart hurts for him.
"She didn't wait."
"She tried to. But when I told her you were safe, she let go."
"You got to speak with her?" Before I can answer, the same nurse as before walks into the room. She smiles sadly at Linus and then takes out one of the heart monitors. When she returns, she takes the oxygen tank with her.
"What happened?" Linus asks, and I'm not sure who it's directed to.
"Her body was failing. I see this in most patients who begin to age after so long. She had a heart attack. She died in her sleep, peacefully. I think it's safe to say it was just old age. She definitely didn't suffer." Linus cries at the nurse's words, and it's loud and strange coming from a man.
When the nurse leaves us again, the room falls into a painful silence. It's also completely empty, just a bed with Cece's dead body on it. Linus clutches her hand as if he was praying to her, and I stand behind him, wanting to give him support but not knowing what to do.
"She was so proud of you," Linus says to me.
"She was proud of you, too. She was an amazing woman. I wouldn't be who I am without her."
"Me either. I love her so much. I don't know what to do without her." Linus breaks, a sob breaking free from his grasp. A knock sounds at the door, and instead of making Linus get it, I walk over.
I pull open the door and see Cece's sisters—Mimi and Lee. They're both crying, but when they see me, they wrap me in their arms and hug me tight. I can't be strong anymore. I let more tears take me over.
"Oh, Linus." Lee, the one with darker hair and shorter legs sprints over to Linus and pulls him into a hug. Mimi takes my hand and walks over to Cece's bedside.
"I know this is hard."
"But you guys should know, she left a few things." The sisters speak like they know what the other will say before she says it. It's almost like twin mentality or something.
Mimi takes her purse from off her shoulder and pulls out a stack of envelopes. I recognize Cece's perfect cursive writing on the front. Mimi hands both Linus and me an envelope and then tucks the rest back in her purse.
Linus opens his, but I put mine in my back pocket. I want to read it in private. Mimi, Linus, and Lee all stand together, huddling around Cece's body, and I feel like an intruder. They are her true family. They should have a moment alone.
"I have to head back to the training center." I break through the silence. Nobody says anything back, so I quickly turn and run from the room. Before I can make it to the stairs, Linus catches me.
"Thank you." He tucks me into his chest and squeezes me hard. I can feel his damp tears on my head. I don't know what he's thanking me for, but he holds me, and before I know it, he's gone again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
last survivors
"Someone is coming through," Atee says, looking right at me, knowing that this has to be the last group of people who are saved. I sit up from my sleeping position on the bleacher and watch where the small hole in the ground is.
Kara and Ari appear right before my eyes, and I sprint to them. They both look beat up and worn down. I wrap them both in my arms and hold them tight.
"I need help." I wave over my dad to take a look at Kara. I pull back, and her nose is profusely bleeding. She has cuts and scrapes all along her body from her fingers to the bottom of her legs.
"What hurts?" Dad asks.
"My head." She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself down. Dad picks her up into his arms and runs her over to the bench. He lays her down and taps on Junior, who's passed out on the bench.
His eyes flutter open, and then he sees her. He leaps over my dad and kneels beside her on the hard floor, stroking her face with his pointer finger. She opens her eyes and, when she sees him, it's like the life is put right back into her.
"Hey," Ari says, when I focus back on him.
"Hey."
"I love you. I've always loved you."
"I love you, too." I push onto my tiptoes and kiss him right on the mouth. My stomach turns, butterflies erupting all inside me. I melt into Ari's touch, knowing that this is the man I will spend the rest of my life with.
"Did everyone make it?" he asks as we separate.
"Not everyone."
"Who did we lose?"
"A lot." I shut my eyes and hide into Ari's chest. I don't want to think about all the people who gave their lives today. I don't want to think about death even though it looms in the air.
"Why isn't Cece here?"
Ari lifts me into his shaky arms before I can answer and walks us over near where Cristos is sitting. I don't answer his question, just let him cart me around. Cristos sighs in relief and hugs Ari, maneuvering around me.
"You hurt?" Cristos asks him.
"Not bad. Kara fixed me up."
"Good."
"So, where's Cece?" Ari asks again. I look over at Cristos and shake my head. I can't say it. I just can't face another person. I don't even want to face the truth myself.
"She didn't make it, man."
"What do you mean?" Ari asks back.
"She passed away last night. She didn't make it." Ari lets me go and jumps up from the bleachers. He slams his fist against the bottom bleacher, making the seat split in half. I reach for him, not wanting him to hurt himself.
"How could this happen? I didn't say goodbye."
"It's okay," I tell him, tracing my finger along his bruised jaw.
"Are you okay? I'm such an idiot, I didn't even ask you."
"I'm fine."
He smiles, narrowing his gaze on me, knowing me better than anyone else. He sits back down and pulls me onto his lap. I lie on him, his warmth enough to make everything better for now. I'm about to fall asleep in his arms when Atee makes another announcement.
"Originals are here."
They all walk through the portal at the same time. The Originals, minus Hermes and Apollo and Hades. My mother leads the group, but the second she sees me, she sprints across the gym and steals me away from Ari.
"Are you okay?" she asks me as she places me on the ground and hugs me. She runs her hand up and down my back and tucks my head against her chest, breathing me in.
"I'm okay." I smile. Seeing her again is like a dose of much needed painkillers. Her violet eyes shine, and it doesn't look like she has a single scratch on her body.
"You were wonderful." She shakes her head with a proud smile as she pushes me back. She looks down at me, right into my eyes, and she exudes pride.
"Yes, she was," Ari chimes in.
"So, it was you all along," my mother says, her voice light.
"Apparently."
"I'm happy for you. For both of you."
"Thanks," Ari answers, nodding to her.
"Is that it?" Atee asks from behind us. Mother nods, and he lets the portal go. The black hole suddenly disappears, and Atee falls back on his butt, finally letting go for the portal.
Zeus rushes to Atee and sits beside him on the ground. He talks to Atee as he recovers. He's tall with salt and pepper hair. He doesn't look a day over twenty, but he walks maturely and with a certain prestigious air.
"That's Zeus." My mother says. Little does she know, I saw him in the vision.
"And Atee…my brother."
"Ah, so you know." My mother smiles and laughs as we watch Atee talk in hushed tones with Zeus. Ari wraps an arm around me, tugging me against his chest.
"What do we do now?" I ask her.
"The Originals won't stay. Zeus and I will, just because of you and Atee. I think everyone probably wants to relax, so why don't we meet tomorrow and say thank you and all that in the morning?"
I nod in agreement.
"Everyone!" Ari yells into the otherwise quiet room. "Aphro Hall has plenty of beds for those who want to stay. There's hot water, showers, and a small kitchen on the bottom floor. Help yourself. We'll have breakfast in the morning as a thank you. Feel free to do whatever you'd like."
&nb
sp; The Louisiana group is the first to leave, followed by Mikey and Shane. Cristos leaves, telling us he's headed back to Ari's house and we'll see him later. He looks exhausted, from his sunken-in cheeks to the green bags under his eyes.
"Athena, nice to see you." My dad comes over to the small group of us and smiles at his former love.
"You too." She doesn't hold back. She hugs him right around the waist and he holds her back, his arms over her shoulders. "You've been holding down the fort?"
"Of course." He looks over at me, as if just realizing I was there. "Kara is all set. She wants to go up to bed. Ari, do you think you can carry her?"
"No problem." Ari walks over and takes Kara into his arms. Junior looks a little put off, but he doesn't say anything. Ari nods for me to follow as he leaves the training center.
"Thanks for everything." I tell my mom as I wrap her in a hug. "I was worried that you were hurt down there."
"Hades wouldn't really hurt us. There's too many of us and only one of him. Although, I was surprised that Apollo was working with him. That was a bit of a betrayal."
"Why do you think he did it?"
"Apollo? I'm not sure. Maybe he just wanted the power. He's always had a bitter taste for humans, so maybe to get rid of them. I guess we'll never know now."
"Did he die?" Dad asks.
"Yes. Orpheus murdered him." I avert my eyes to the ground. My vision flashes with images of Ollie cutting into Apollo and draining him. I try to push them back.
"Anyway, I'll see you in the morning." She presses a kiss to the top of my head, and then my dad does the same. They walk towards the medical supplies together, and I notice that my dad grabs her hand and holds onto it, their fingers intertwining.
I walk over to Atee and Zeus, taking my time because it looks like they're deep in conversation.
"Hi." I wave my hand to introduce myself. "I just wanted to say thanks."
"It was no problem. I wish I could've done more," Atee says. "Eury, this is my father, Zeus."
"It's nice to officially meet you." I shake his hand as he holds his out.
"It's nice to meet you, too." He smiles down at me. "Although I have known you in previous lives, this one is my favorite so far." He winks at me, and grins, his face full of charm.
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