The Kat Dubois Chronicles: The Complete Series (Echo World Book 2)
Page 111
I couldn’t speak, exactly, but I could at least think at Isfet. “It’s amazing,” I told her, the only thing I could think to say.
“It is all because of you,” Isfet said, speaking not just to me, but to the handful of other souls residing within her as well. “Because of all of you. Without everything you did, all of your sacrifices, either the Mother of All would have destroyed this universe and everything in it or she would be ruling over it herself, twisting it into something cruel and evil—a tool to enslave others. To use others. To destroy others.” Isfet was quiet for a moment. “I would repay you, if you would allow it.”
I could feel the others perking up from deep within Isfet, eager to hear her proposal. “How?” I thought at her, speaking for them.
“I cannot give you your physical bodies back,” Isfet started, “but the tree can. You could be as you were before—you and any others you choose.”
In the background, I could feel Lex and Heru’s excitement. They would still have a chance to raise Reni and Bobby. They would still have a chance to watch their children grow into whoever they would become as mature Nejerets.
“You will be free to continue your lives on earth among the humans, to help them rebuild,” Isfet said. “But if you choose to do that, there is one thing I would request in return.”
“What?” I thought at her.
“You, daughter, must watch over that world and your people,” she told me, specifically. “I will be busy tending the tree, so it will fall to you to protect ma’at. You must use your immense power to prevent further damage to the universal balance, for the greatest threat to ma’at is and will always be your kind—energy beings with eternal souls.”
“Oh,” I said, not overly fond of her proposal. I wondered if creating another Aaru wouldn’t be a better option—that way we could isolate all of the unruly Nejerets like Carson and his sycophants, leaving ma’at more or less safe.
“I will not create another Aaru to contain the Nejerets,” Isfet said, her voice a soft whipcrack responding to my thoughts. “The damage caused to ma’at by losing touch with so many immortal souls at once would be catastrophic. Besides, that was the Mother of All’s way; it will not be mine.” She fell quiet for a moment, letting me process her offer. “So tell me—do you accept my proposal?”
How could I not, with Lex and Heru practically begging me to agree. It was emotional blackmail of the highest degree.
“Alright,” I thought at Isfet. “I accept. I’ll do it.” In the back of my mind, I realized I’d just committed to becoming the goddess humanity believed me to be. And, strangely, the prospect didn’t really bother me anymore.
Because I no longer doubted my abilities. Because I didn’t fear my power or the responsibility that came along with it. Because I wouldn’t be doing it alone. I had one hell of a team, and so long as they were by my side, I could do anything. We could do anything.
My unique connection to the universe didn’t feel like a burden anymore. I’d shed my why-me skin, and I was done with whining and feeling sorry for myself.
Just as the Death card had predicted, I’d transformed.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“I think we’re ready,” I said, hanging the broom I’d been using to give the shop floor one final sweep on its hook in the supply closet. I shut the door, placed my hands on my hips, and scanned the tattoo studio. It didn’t look exactly the same as before—it looked better.
The building had been almost completely destroyed by the Netjers’ sonic blast; Capitol Hill had been leveled, for the most part, just a skeleton—a mere footprint—of the once-thriving Seattle neighborhood remaining. The rest of the city was still mostly in ruin, but I figured we would take the rebuild-reclaim mission neighborhood by neighborhood, and of course I’d chosen to start at home.
The shop now boasted At walls and At furnishings, like pretty much every other building and home in the area, including the brand-new Nejeret headquarters, built on the top of the hill where a hospital had been before. Heru was in charge there, of course, handling the Nejeret day-to-day affairs. He was the undisputed king now, and nobody seemed to mind one bit.
People had slowly been trickling in as rumor of my return spread. I’d been ecstatic to see Kimi and her sister, Nina, as well as Alison, the teacher from Nina’s school, and her new beau, Joe. I so called that one. I was more than a little bummed that only one of the shop’s artists had survived the attack, but having Samuel back was a good start.
It was the day of the Grand Opening—not only of the shop, but of the whole neighborhood. We were ready for people to move back in. For Capitol Hill to become a vibrant, bustling place once more.
I couldn’t have been more excited, let alone prouder of all we had accomplished. We hadn’t just given Seattleites a portion of their city back—we’d given them hope, too. Hope that the world might not only recover from the Netjer attacks, it might thrive, becoming something far better than it had been before.
And with Carson and his sycophants as well as the Senate and all of their followers left in energy form, no longer tied to the earthly plane and no longer fighting over control of our little blue planet, peace among my people seemed more achievable than ever before.
As I surveyed the shop’s interior one last time, Kimi took up her usual position behind the reception counter, Samuel stood in the doorway of his studio, and Nina waited by the door, her hand on the lock and her eyes on me, awaiting the signal to open up shop.
Nik approached me, taking up a stance behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. He leaned down to kiss my temple. “You’re going to do great, Kitty Kat,” he whispered near my ear, straightening a moment later.
He was now one of the shop’s resident artists too, though he wouldn’t be working here much for a while. Neither of us would be—we had far too much to do all around the world, repairing, restoring, and rebuilding alongside the surviving humans.
I took a deep breath, then nodded to Nina.
She grinned, bubbling over with excitement, and twisted the lock. As she pulled the door open, the bell overhead jingled, the familiar sound warming my heart. It was the original; I’d found the bell in the rubble, one of the few remnants of the old world, and its familiar jingle would never not make me think of my mom, of the days long ago when this shop had been hers.
Out on the street, the noises of people chatting and laughing filtered in through the open doorway. A huge crowd milled on the street, waiting for me to emerge.
Nik gave my shoulders one final squeeze, then released me.
A bundle of nerves and butterflies, I took a step toward the doorway, then another and another. I’d been taking my new divinely appointed role as guardian of this world very seriously, but I hadn’t actually told humanity about it yet. I hadn’t told them anything about what happened, about why their world had been nearly destroyed.
It was time to tell them now.
Swallowing roughly, I stepped through the doorway and out onto the sidewalk. I created a small At platform in front of me as I walked and slowly ascended the three stairs.
From my elevated position, I surveyed the crowd. It stretched out for blocks in either direction on Broadway. This was more people than I’d been expecting. If everyone who was here today settled in Capitol Hill, we might even have to expand to one of the neighboring areas of the city earlier than expected. The thought sent a thrill through me.
I cleared my throat, then directed some of the power thrumming through my ba into my vocal chords to amplify my voice. I smiled broadly and stretched my arms out to either side of me like I was embracing every single person there, and when I spoke, my voice boomed out over the crowd. “Welcome home!”
The cheer that rose on Broadway that day was as joyous and heartening as the Mother of All’s scream had been horrifying. Maybe her awful cry would remain with me for the rest of forever, but so would this hopeful roar.
Grinning from ear to ear, I lowered my hands, and the cheering
slowly died down. “I know you have questions,” I said, meeting the eyes of those nearest me. “I know you’re wondering why—why did all of this happen? Why did gods—monsters—attack us? Why did so many people have to die?” I inhaled and exhaled deeply. “The reason is long and complicated, but it’s my goal to make sure you leave today knowing everything. To make sure you understand that the danger has passed. That we won.”
I licked my lips. This was it. The moment of truth.
“Let me start at the beginning,” I said. “Before our universe existed—before any universe existed—there was a being, a god, and she was called the Mother of All . . .”
The end
Thanks for reading! You’ve reached the end of Afterlife, the final book in the Kat Dubois Chronicles. Kat also plays a major role in the Echo Trilogy, a completed series that’s available now!
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Also by Lindsey Fairleigh
ECHO TRILOGY
Echo in Time
Resonance
Time Anomaly
Dissonance
Ricochet Through Time
KAT DUBOIS CHRONICLES
Ink Witch
Outcast
Underground
Soul Eater
Judgement
Afterlife
THE ENDING SERIES
The Ending Series Origin Stories
After The Ending
Into The Fire
Out Of The Ashes
Before The Dawn
World Before: A Collection of Stories
ATLANTIS LEGACY
Sacrifice of the Sinners
Legacy of the Lost
Fate of the Fallen
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About the Author
Lindsey Fairleigh is a bestselling Science Fiction and Fantasy author who lives her life with one foot in a book—so long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from Post-apocalyptic to Time Travel Romance, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of history, mystery, adventure, and romance. When she's not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time walking around the foothills surrounding her home with her dogs, playing video games, and trying out new recipes on her husband. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and their small pack of dogs and cats.
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