by Kristen Day
"No!" I heard Sebastian's cry somewhere far away. He grabbed Nadia from behind and pummeled her to the ground in one motion. I lost my ability to focus on them as the world around me slowed. I peered down at the glittering hilt of Nadia's dagger sticking out from my body. My lungs coughed weakly and spewed blood down my chin and onto my shaking hands. I blinked once. Thick, hot blood poured from the wound and down, puddling in the sand beneath me. I blinked again. Sebastian was too late. The damage was done. Destiny had prevailed. My fate had been sealed.
You have the power to save her, Stasia.
Fallon's last words echoed throughout my thoughts as my head fell to the side of its own volition, bringing the crux into view. Now it was just a still pond of glassy water, no different from any other body of water. The ghost of a crux; void of power, lost to the ages. I wondered what had become of the blue woman; the protector of the crux. The Beacon. I'd failed her too. Her. I blinked. Her. You can save her. You're the only one who's strong enough.
A tiny glimmer of hope sizzled in the pit of my heart as I realized my fate may have been sealed, but I wasn't dead yet. I vaguely felt the vibration of Sebastian's feet as he ran towards me. It was time. I cried in pain as I used all of the life force I had left to throw my body to one side, sending it rolling into the water. Into the crux.
Sebastian's grief-stricken face appeared at the surface, shouting something I couldn't hear anymore. His beautiful turquoise eyes were soon blocked out by a crimson cloud of blood drifting up as I was pulled farther down. All of a sudden, a tremendous shockwave rippled out from my body, followed by a resounding boom that filled my ears. The next thing I felt was the sensation of thousands of needles puncturing my skin, ripping it apart and draping my eyes in a thick blanket of darkness. And then...there was only silence.
OLIVIA
Sebastian's helpless cry careened over the sand and filled my eardrums with its sorrow, followed by an equally wounded voice sounding from the ridge above. Finn. I stretched my neck to see what was happening, but my body wouldn't cooperate. It was done listening to me. It was dying. Even in death, Selene had won. My own death would be coming soon enough. I almost welcomed it. Almost.
The sight of Fallon returning to fulfill her destiny and destroy Selene put a smile on my face that still hadn't faded away. At least one of us succeeded, but I didn't know to what end. The crux had stilled, which meant the Nereids would falter, followed by the entire Tyde order. A sharp pain in my leg reminded me I still had a physical body. As useless as it was.
My pain had become a longtime friend at this point, letting me know I was, indeed, alive. The constant burning in my palm gave me the comfort of knowing Stasia was also in pain, but still breathing, still here. As my thoughts wandered to my palm, I realized with a sinking emptiness that the pain had left that small section of my body. It was...numb.
While the rest of my body reamed with agony, my palm felt perfectly healthy. Nausea welled up in my stomach and I squeezed my eyes shut. Finn. Sebastian. That's why they were in anguish. It was Stasia. I pulled my arm to my body with a tremendous effort and peered down at my left palm. The breath left my body and tears sprang to my eyes. I allowed myself a moment of weakness for the first time in months, as I heard Finn's afflicted howl again from the ridgeline.
She was gone, and my all-seeing eye trace disappeared with her as if it was never there. Stasia was dead. The world darkened along with my heart, and a sob escaped my mouth. The heinous sound of Nadia's sinister laughter provided me the fortitude to roll over onto my stomach and drag my body toward the others.
Sebastian unleashed a cloud of essence into Nadia, knocking her back to the ground, where she continued to laugh hysterically. I wanted nothing more than to strip the tongue from her mouth and beat her to death with it. I clawed at the sand beneath me as a tremor flew across the beach and the water of the crux began to bubble violently. The ground shook with ferocity, tossing everyone to the ground. I waited for it to pass, but it didn't pass. It increased. Strengthened. Another stronger tremor rippled across the beach, followed by a tremendous rush of noise that rattled my bones. The agitated water of the crux suddenly shot skyward with the force of an erupting volcano; creating a column of water thousands of feet high. The resulting shockwave exploded outside and blew anything within the island's interior against the surrounding cliffs. My body landed several yards from Sebastian, who quickly gathered himself and was able to climb to his feet.
I watched with quiet wonder as he secured his hands against the cliff side, displacing a chunk of earth and urging it to fall safely out of the way. The earth rumbled once more, but Sebastian was unfazed. When he was satisfied with the size of his newly created chamber, he scooped me up into his arms and delivered me into the safety and darkness of the cramped space. He disappeared once more and soon after, I watched Phoebe and Avery tumble into the opening as well, breathing heavily with wide eyes. Phoebe cradled the arm that was still broken. Avery had healed it as much as a couple of minutes would allow, but it was far from reliant. Blythe and Carmen were next to appear, as they both collapsed to its sandy floor. Carmen's focused gaze took a quick inventory of the cave's inhabitants just as the column of water ratcheted up and began to spin outside.
"Where's Sebastian!?" I shouted to Carmen, who was perched closest to the opening. I was immediately stunned at the strength of my voice and the ease with which I was able to yell. In the next moment, I realized I was sitting up! Carmen's dark eyes blinked at me with surprise before crawling on her hands and knees to peek out at the chaos past the slender opening. A burst of wind found its way into our hiding place and she crawled back in, pressing her back against the wall. Her hair blustered into her face and a cloud of sand attached itself to my eyes.
"I can't see anything!" she called back to me. She took a deep breath and returned to the opening once more. From my vantage point at the back of the chamber, it looked like the column was...expanding. I watched with horror as it grew wider and wider with each passing second. Carmen must have noticed the same thing, because she scrambled back inside, panic written all over her face. "Move back! Move back!"
Sebastian's soaked torso appeared at the mouth of the cave and he fell inside, coughing and waving his hands for us to move backwards. He managed to maneuver his large stature inside and quickly twisted back towards the opening. With both hands anchored on either side of the makeshift cavity, our only way out began to crumble in on itself. Large boulders were quickly joined by smaller rocks and a shower of dirt that successfully plugged up the opening. Soon we were cast into complete darkness, cut off from the outside world but, most importantly, cut off from the fury of the crux.
While the entire island continued to shake, Blythe's elbow connected with my chin and we pressed ourselves further against the back wall. We huddled closer as the crux expanded to the point where it was testing Sebastian's handiwork. I froze as a familiar sensation sizzled within my body. My essence was continuing to strengthen me, and although my ability to heal quickly had disappeared with Stasia, I felt so much stronger already. My heart seized at the thought of Stasia and I pushed her into the back of my mind. If I made it out of here alive, I would have plenty of time to fall apart. Despite my best efforts, tears sprung to my eyes and sorrow squeezed my throat. I took a couple of deep breaths and was finally distracted enough to stop the hot tears now held back by a levy made of paper.
A shining ball of turquoise appeared several feet in front of us, casting a dim light on our rocky prison that doubled as our savior. Sebastian's tight grin sparked above it as he continued sending essence into his palm and allowing us to see. Drops of water trailed down his body as he moved; the reflection of his glowing essence dancing amidst each droplet's surface.
He shuffled back to us on his backside with wild eyes shining of fearlessness and a steady resolve. He was running on adrenaline, instincts, and the experiences only a warrior of his stature could depend upon. He shook the water from his hair, spraying us with
cool droplets that calmed my nerves. His light chuckle was evidence that he was wholly in his element. This was what he lived for. War, danger, and suspense. It was in his bones, his DNA. I closed my eyes and my thoughts turned to Stasia once more.
"Olivia?" My head snapped up at the tenderness in his deep voice, but was silenced by a desperate, warm kiss as he wrapped me in his muscular arms. He pulled back slightly and searched my body for wounds, before meeting my tired gaze with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," I whispered. I was afraid the intense storm of emotions within me would spill over at any moment. "I think I'm getting stronger."
His glassy eyes held mine and I became mesmerized by the dancing light within them. I could see the heartbreak splintering the depths of his soul and saw that he was drowning in the sorrow of our recent loss as well. Our eyes were able to convey what we didn't trust our mouths to say. Stasia. She did it. The crux had been resurrected. She'd sacrificed herself, and it worked. Without my permission, the rush of emotions I'd been holding back toppled over one another and collapsed into a heap of rawness that poisoned my heart. Sebastian's eyes dropped to the ground as they filled with tears. A sob escaped my throat and I placed a hand over my mouth.
"I can't believe it," Carmen muttered and shook her head in disbelief.
"She can't be gone," Phoebe sniffled. "She can't be."
"She did it," Avery whispered. "She revived it somehow." Her eyes shifted to the wall of rock keeping us from certain death. The groaning of the boulders was not a good sign. The pressure of the cave changed briefly and Sebastian's eyes snapped up as he sensed something. His body straightened with purpose and his expression hardened.
"We need to move," he said to no one in particular, glancing at the door warily. He placed a palm on the low ceiling and closed his eyes calmly. Everything around us began to shake once more as he grunted with exertion. I could hear water rushing against the rock and watched in horror as one of the large rocks shifted ever so slightly.
"Oh my God!" Phoebe gasped. "It's going to suck us out of here!"
As the boulder moved yet again, Sebastian cried out at the same time a burst of essence exploded from his hand and into the cliff above our heads. A section of earth dislodged above us and slowly lifted out of sight. Dirt and rock rained down on our heads once more and we covered our faces. When the dust settled, I peeked up at the natural light filtering down through the newly formed hole in the earth above.
"We're going to have to climb," Sebastian informed us expectantly. I glanced over at a solemn Phoebe, still cradling her broken arm. Sebastian followed my gaze and nodded down to her. "You'll go last, with me."
Blythe was already crouched and ready to climb. She stepped onto Sebastian's hand, which hoisted her upwards and allowed her to find a place to grip and place her feet. We watched on as she slowly made her way up the slender shoot towards clean air above. Carmen and Avery followed her lead, successfully climbing their way to freedom. With my strength restored, I reveled in the knowledge that I'd be able to get myself out. The torture of being trapped in a body that could not and would not provide you the tools you needed to survive was not something I ever wanted to relive.
"You're up, beautiful." Sebastian grinned down at me. I matched his grin with a cynical one of my own. There were many words to describe me at that moment, but beautiful was not one of them. The exhilaration in his eyes gave me further energy and I stole a kiss before placing my foot in his hand. He easily lifted my weight and my hands drug across the walls of the tunnel, searching for a grip. My fingers wrapped around a small lip and I found a slight depression to anchor my other foot. Hand by hand, foot by foot, I made my way upwards. The breeze of fresh air from above was all the incentive I needed, but Blythe's words of encouragement from the top gave me extra motivation.
She offered me her hands once I was close enough and pulled me up onto stable ground. My lungs coughed to expel the dirt that caked my windpipe and my eyes watered relentlessly, sending trails of tears streaming through the dirt and scratches on my face. I swiped at them with annoyance, only smearing the dirt further, right as Blythe and Carmen called to me for help.
I caught sight of the top of Phoebe's head as Sebastian lifted her towards the surface. With the help of the loose earth and sheer determination, he was able to make it up with Phoebe in tow. We grabbed hold of her good arm and torso before pulling her up and over the side of the hole. Sebastian easily climbed all of the way out, wiping his hands together with a victorious smile.
"Sebastian!" Avery called. She stood with her back to us, unmoving. We raced to catch up with her and stopped dead in our tracks. The small grouping of bodies lying lifeless in front of us took me by surprise. The Auras. I knew the Sons had fought them, but I didn't expect to see the aftermath close up. My heart squeezed at the devastation I knew would follow for their friends and family. Death was never the right answer.
Sebastian inspected the bodies with detached curiosity and I found myself wondering what was going through his mind. Unlike the rest of us, his life had been spent surrounded by war and fighting. His calm demeanor and optimism gave me my answer. Death was the norm. By all accounts, he himself was dead. But something about his methodical inspection, the respectful way he closed one of their eyes and crossed another's arms over their chest comforted me.
"Olivia!" Finn's surprised voice cut through the silence we'd fallen into, and the sight of him running towards me snapped me out of my trance. In the distance I could just make out Liam and the other Sons huddled around another group of Auras; bound and downtrodden, but alive. His deep blue eyes were strained and he was covered in blood, but he appeared to be completely fine. Immortality would do that for you. A sliver of jealously shot through me, knowing I no longer had that perk, but I was alive. I could still fight.
"Where's Nadia?" I demanded after a quick hug; adrenaline shooting through my veins. Instead of answering, Finn's jaw clenched and he strode to the edge of the cliff. With Sebastian and Blythe on my heels, I followed his lead cautiously. The roar of rushing water welcomed us as our gazes careened down the sheer drop and into the crux. We didn't have to look far.
The crux had grown. The beach we stood on no less than an hour ago was no more. The monstrous life force churning once more in the center of the island had risen and filled the whole belly of the island. The angry waves were infinitely closer to the rim, where we stood in awe. Undeniable energy pulsated from its depths and the constant wind it blew up danced over my skin.
"Nadia disappeared," he informed us. "I'm sure she's back in the Underworld whining to Persephone because she couldn't get her way."
"I'm sure that's one hell of a temper tantrum," Blythe muttered. Finn's gaze hadn't left the crux, and the way his shoulders were slumped forward told me he was thinking about her. Stasia.
"She's in there," Finn claimed evenly. I met his desperate gaze and faltered at the sorrow that confronted me there. Without a word, I embraced him in a hug. I felt several more pairs of arms wrap around us as a sob escaped from my chest.
"She saved us," I whispered to him, but it sounded empty in the wake of what we'd lost in her.
"She saved me first," he sobbed, his tone heavy with meaning.
FINN
I felt like a fraud. I looked strong. I looked powerful. I looked like a lot of things, but none of them were the truth. None of them portrayed the aching void eating at my soul, and none of them hinted at the cancerous anger and hopelessness that chained my heart. I had been afforded one night; one night to grieve; one night to put myself together enough to appear in front of thousands and give them a look at what the Prime of the Sons Order should be.
On this day, we would honor them. We would gather in the Games Metropolis in remembrance and we would go through the motions that were supposed to bring peace and hope. But there was nothing this world could offer to bring me peace; especially not the fifteen burning pyres that represented each soul we'd lost. Ten Auras. Four Tydes. Fall
on. Selene. A much grander ceremony would be held for Anastasia in the coming days, the details of which had been put upon Amphitrite. I dreaded it already.
I felt as if my soul was burning; ignited by the wood pile that was a woeful representation of the lives lost. My mind seared with the knowledge that I'd taken three of those lives during the fight with the Aura army. I didn't know if my inner fire could ever be tamed. It would burn until I was relieved of my station and could retreat to the Underworld...and Stasia.
As the embers detached, brightened, and lifted into the air, pieces of me did the same; flaking away into oblivion, never to be made whole again, destined to be only a scant whisper of what I once was. My eyes locked onto Liam's solemn gaze and I felt his essence reach out to me. My eyes dropped to the ground in shame. In the span of one night, I was sentenced to the same plight as him. The promise of a bleak future stretched before us, barren and scorched with the death of our soul mates.
Olivia sniffled next to me and I was pulled back into the present. At her request, Sebastian and I were invited to stand with Stasia's Council members and the remaining Tyde Captains, Blythe and Ruby. We were all shells of our former selves; grasping at the strings of what used to be and avoiding the question of what would come to be.
The thousands of Games participants who crowded the seats sat perfectly still, listening intently to the speaker at the middle of the floor, surrounded by the dancing fires of death. Maera's arms moved in cadence with her words, but all I heard were sounds; the rise and fall of her tone, the soothing rhythm of her gentle voice. I couldn't discern what they meant and I didn't particularly care. They wouldn't bring Stasia back. No amount of words in the universe could tackle that impossible feat.
