“Brother, don’t lecture the poor girl. She’s been through enough. I’ve put her through enough, as well.” Death chuckled softly. I felt so tiny and insignificant just looking at them. I hated the feeling. “Will you help me? It will take both of us to open a channel to the other side.”
The Word nodded slowly. “I will help. These people must be returned. They were reaped before their time, and the universe is feeling the loss. If we don’t fix it, terrible calamities will be unleashed.”
“Calamities?” Seeley asked, his brow furrowed.
“The universe—as big and as complicated as it is—is a fragile thing,” the Word explained. “One tilt in the wrong direction, and things start to break. There is a reaction to every action, remember?”
“Take my hand,” Death said, and the Word reached out. As soon as they were linked, Death used her other hand to grip Thieron’s handle, whispering more words that I couldn’t quite hear or understand. As her lips moved, the ground shook again, and a luminescent slit opened up in the air. It seemed as though the sun itself shone through it, making her and the Word squint as they looked inside. Death glanced at Nethissis. “I’m going to need you all to be silent for this. It’s extremely important.”
No one dared speak anyway. My heart was racing. Hope dared flicker somewhere in the back of my head, and I held my breath for a long time, watching the light intensify as Death called out to someone.
“Order! Order, darling! Could you please come over for a quick minute?”
“We both wish to speak to you,” the Word added.
They stared into the light, and I was so entranced by the sight of them that I didn’t even see a third figure emerge from it until she was right in front of them. Unlike Death and the Word, however, this was a much stranger entity. She was tall, with long legs and short gold hair trimmed close to her scalp. Gold. Literally gold hair. Not golden blonde, but gold. She wore a gold dress with a mother-of-pearl breast plate and gold sandals with laces tied up to her knees—which I only caught a glimpse of through a slit in the fabric.
Her skin was smooth but covered in glimmering gold symbols I didn’t recognize. There wasn’t a single patch that hadn’t been inscribed with something. In her right hand, she carried a scale, its delicate chains jingling whenever she moved. And she looked extremely irritated.
“You have quite the nerve to call me,” she said, her tone clipped.
Death smiled. “I wouldn’t have called unless it was absolutely necessary, Order, and you know that.”
I realized then that the more I looked at this being, Order, the less I remembered about her. It was as if my own mind was blocking her out. Whenever I glanced away from her face, I forgot what she looked like. Whenever I saw her face, I forgot about the scale or the dress or any other detail that I’d observed before. It was strange. I had to keep looking just so it wouldn’t slip my mind again, making it harder for me to focus on anything else.
“What do you want?” Order asked.
“I believe you’ve just received a sudden influx of souls,” Death said.
“We need them back,” the Word added. “They don’t belong there.”
Order scoffed. “And I believe you just tossed someone into the nothingness. It reverberated through all the realms, dear sister.”
“I had to,” Death replied. “He threw the universe off balance. He killed and reaped these souls before their time. Our brother here can confirm. Had they been simply killed, I would’ve handled this myself, but I’m afraid the miscreant responsible also had the nerve to throw them all over to your side.”
Order listened quietly but didn’t say a word.
“They will enter the afterlife when it’s their time. What happened here was not natural or sanctioned by any of the forces, myself and our brother included,” Death added. “Please, sister. You will have them later. For now, they must be returned.”
My heart nearly stopped as I understood what was happening. The hope I’d felt earlier had grown into something else, something much more powerful. It flooded me with a dizzying array of emotions that gripped me tightly by the throat and refused to let go.
“If I do this, you will owe me,” Order said.
“Name your price,” Death replied.
“Not now. Later,” Order concluded. She stepped back inside the light, and the opening vanished. As soon as she was gone, the air felt heavy, almost unbreathable. Silence reigned supreme once more, while I waited desperately for something to happen.
When Esme first sucked in a breath, I cried out. The mere sound of her wheezing had broken the silence Death had put on me. My sister was alive! Then Kalon came back, his chest swelling with a loud inhale. Derek and Sofia. Ben and River. Caleb and Rose. The dragons grumbled as they stirred back to life.
One by one, everyone who’d died from the Spirit Bender’s final spell had been brought back. One by one, our friends and allies had been returned to us, along with all the other people who’d been taken before their time. But the fact that I had Esme back was the only thing I could focus on, the only thing that really mattered.
I threw my arms around her and cried like a little boy, while she took deep breaths and tried to understand what was happening. She asked questions, but I couldn’t say anything other than, “I love you so much,” over and over again. My world had returned. My life…
Unending
Death’s lesson had been a cruel but perhaps necessary one. I certainly understood where she was coming from, and as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. We couldn’t control or fix anything. For the longest time, I’d been forced to accept that truth while living inside an Aeternae’s body, doomed to see it all and never be able to do anything about it. As the years passed and my memories faded into the darkness, I’d forgotten all about who I was and what I could do. Then Tristan had come along and stirred me, fanning the flames of my desire for freedom.
For a moment, I’d thought myself above Death. What a foolish idea. I could never be above her. Yes, she was a capricious and moody power of the cosmos. She had good sides and horrible sides, and she didn’t care much for notions such as justice or right or wrong. The only thing she ever really cared about was the balance of the universe. I didn’t agree with how far she’d pushed things, getting everyone killed just to prove a point. I also didn’t have what it would take to limit her, since there was no chance I’d ever get close enough to slap a Thousand Seals on her form ever again. But I could still poke her—hard enough to remind her that while she was a force to be reckoned with, we weren’t exactly helpless.
After the pain she’d caused Tristan, though not necessarily on purpose, Death deserved to face some kind of consequence. The agony that Taeral and I endured as we watched the events unfold, unable to intervene and stop the Spirit Bender—I would never forgive her for it. Yes, I’d certainly learned my lesson. Clutching the three-dotted stone in my pocket, I took a deep breath, waiting for the right moment. It would soon be time for Death to learn a lesson of her own.
What I had just witnessed was extraordinary. I had never met Order before. The Word had been a frequent visitor with Death during my service to her, but not Order. I knew of her, of course, but I’d never seen her. By the stars, she was a strange thing to behold. Something told me the three of them were pretty much the same—a trifecta of flawed entities that reigned supreme over their realms. In the world of the living, the power was in the Word. In the world of the dead, our little strip of space and time where souls first emerged from their bodies, Death was queen. And beyond, where none of us knew what was and what wasn’t, Order ruled. I was willing to bet they shared similar traits. Indecision. Secrecy. Pride. Stubbornness. I’d seen some of those tendencies in the Word before.
At least the people Spirit killed had been brought back. I wondered what favor Order would demand of Death in the future. I hoped it would be something profoundly uncomfortable—my maker deserved a few slaps from the universe she claimed to protect, because she
was an absolute diva. I loved her, but I also hated her. It was a complicated dynamic.
My heart swelled watching Tristan and Esme hugging and crying tears of joy. Derek and Sofia had huddled around Thayen, showering him with kind words and kisses. Ben, River, Caleb, and Rose were inseparable, unable to let go of one another—Taeral had been kind enough to tell me a little bit about them over the past couple of minutes while we gave everyone a moment to recover. To adjust to this new and frightening reality. Yes, they were all back. But they’d been somewhere strange where no one had visited and returned to tell the tale. I doubted they remembered anything. Death had once told me that Order was insanely secretive and strict with her soldiers. No one was allowed in or out of the realm she commanded. Her dominion was over judgment, a purgatory of sorts, and not the actual afterlife. That place was even more secretive than Order’s realm. I didn’t know who ruled there—if there was anyone in charge—or what it entailed. I wished I could’ve told Tristan about all this, but unfortunately my vows were sacred, even now.
It took everyone a while to catch up, to hug and kiss and be thankful for their return.
Lumi and Kailani had been restored, as well, and the Word had vanished before they’d had a chance to speak to him directly. I stayed quiet, surrounded by my First Ten brothers and sisters, pleased to be able to hold them again. I’d missed Morning’s brightening touch and the chills that Phantom’s smile sent down my spine. I’d missed Widow’s silly gimp mask and Soul’s blistering sarcasm. I’d missed Time’s wisdom and Dream and Nightmare’s childish bickering. I’d even missed the Night Bringer’s moodiness. It felt good to be back, but I needed plenty of time going forward to really settle in. This was a new world, and I hoped my siblings would forgive me once I was done with what I had planned.
Leaving Esme with Kalon for a little while, Tristan made his way toward me. We hadn’t said a word to each other since Death had revealed me, and a lot had been left unspoken between us. My undead heart was drumming with excitement. Every step he took in my direction added another beat. Discreetly, I pulled away from my group and gave him a soft smile, not sure what to say.
We’d fallen in love, he’d gone through hell to set me free, and then I’d left without even telling him that Spirit couldn’t kill him or Thayen. Tristan must’ve been terrified.
“I think the world makes more sense now,” he said, his voice low and his eyes still puffy from all the tears he’d shed. His suffering was my suffering, and he didn’t even know it. He couldn’t see the gold string that connected our hearts because he was a living creature, but I could. It shone beautifully in the sunlight. We’d fallen in love with one another, and there was no turning back from that.
“I am sorry,” I told him. “She stopped me from intervening.”
“Unending, it’s okay,” Tristan replied, his lips mere inches from mine. I liked that he was taller, despite my imposing height, and that I had to tilt my head back ever so slightly in order to look him in the eyes—well, eye. The other was still swollen. His handsome face had taken quite the beating from Spirit, dried blood streaked down his bruised cheeks. “Death has made everything clear. You don’t have to explain anything… I’m just thankful she fixed things.”
I knew it killed him not to be able to tell the others about Order. All he and Thayen could say was that Death had brought them back. I cupped his face and whispered a healing spell into his ear. Within seconds, my beloved was as good as new, and I could look him in both his eyes.
“I don’t get it,” I heard Esme telling Kalon. “If we were dead, why don’t I remember anything from it? Wasn’t I a ghost?”
“You heard Tristan. It was for a very short period of time. Our spirits were probably too dazed for any memories to stick,” Kalon replied. I didn’t like keeping secrets, but knowledge of the afterlife was a dangerous thing to have in the minds of the living.
“Lying to them about this feels so wrong,” Tristan whispered.
I shook my head. “There is no other way. You know that.”
“Honestly, I wish I didn’t remember any of it myself. All that grief… ugh, it’s still a lot to come back from,” he said, glancing back at his sister. Esme was sitting on the ground, surrounded by the Visentis brothers, laughing and talking. The world was slowly returning to a sense of normalcy, with no understanding of what had really happened. In their case, ignorance really was bliss.
I placed a hand on Tristan’s chest, the gold thread tickling my skin. “Your heart is strong and pure,” I said. “The day will come when all this will hurt considerably less. Give yourself time.”
“Sweet, sweet child,” Sofia said to Thayen just a couple of yards from us. The boy was all smiles, melting in her embrace. “You’re one lucky creature, you know that?” She raised her gaze to look at me and mouthed a “thank you” for the Unkillable charm. I replied with a wink.
Derek ruffled Thayen’s hair, and the young prince let a deep sigh out. “So I’m a mortal now. I get to die of old age.”
“Mm-hm,” Derek replied, stealing a glance at me. There was hope in his eyes, though he dared not bring it up. I respected that. He and GASP had been nothing but kind and helpful and unselfish. It meant the world to me.
Tristan’s hand came up, cupping my cheek, and I stilled. My gaze had been wandering, though all I wanted to do was be with him. “Forgive me,” I murmured. “There is just so much going on right now.”
“I know. But I just want you to know…” He paused and kissed me, his lips soft and sweet and wonderfully warm. My whole being simmered and untangled itself from the millions of years I’d spent in misery and solitude. I found joy in the sky’s blue and delight in the sound of a breeze. The rhythm of his heart followed mine, and our hearts sang odes of the deepest love as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.
He deepened the kiss, and I welcomed it all, reveling in his taste and affection. We’d been through so much, both together and apart. We’d need a few days to refine our rhythms and catch up with the world. Until then, I was happy to simply be with him, as he was clearly happy to be with me. This was what I’d been waiting for. Millions of years later, this was what I’d been waiting for.
The closeness. The affection. The pure love in his eyes as he stepped back and looked at me, my lips still tingling. “It’s good to… meet you, I guess.” He chuckled softly, and I could almost feel a tear coming up to my eye. It wasn’t real, but the emotion… the emotion was real. I’d found love again, beyond death, and this time I would do everything in my power to hold on to it. To cherish every moment and to make sure Tristan got the best life possible. I could do it. I had the freedom to do it.
“This is better than what I’d imagined,” I said.
“I think we’ll have some time to really dig in,” Tristan replied, a playful smile settling on his lips. Despite the grief that had wracked him, he was sparkling with life. We were together, and nothing would ever tear us apart.
Esme and Kalon walked over, both of them grinning from ear to ear. With their immortality gone, they seemed carefree. Vivacious. Free of anything that had brought them down before. Or maybe it was the fact that they’d been brought back to life. Either way, I reveled in their expressions. They brought hope to this world. Esme caught me in a tight hug. “I am so happy for you,” she said. “You have no idea.”
“Thank you. I’m just thankful you’re all okay,” I replied.
Kalon took my hands in his. “Valaine is still in there, right?”
“Yes,” I said, and I was being truthful. I felt her, and I had all her memories. Her voice spoke through me, and I knew she was happy to see him alive and well. “I am Valaine, too. And it’s so good to see you again, Kalon.”
“You say that now. I hope we can still spar once in a while,” he shot back. During my days as an Aeternae, as Valaine Crimson, I’d had a brilliant friend in him. We’d trained often in the palace halls, and he used to love getting his ass kicked, saying that it made him a
better fighter. We never told anyone that I’d defeated him almost every time, though. It had stayed between us. Kalon Visentis had an ego once.
“Please… please, end this.” Kelara’s voice brought me back to the slew of issues that had yet to be resolved. The Spirit Bender and the Darklings had besmirched Visio beyond repair, but we could still make things better, if only to a certain degree.
Kelara was on her knees, shaking uncontrollably, the stars gone from her eyes. It was only a psychological effect of the ghoulish hunger, but it was so powerful that it had fooled her undead brain into thinking she was succumbing to the transformation. The mind, even after death, could be one’s best friend or worst enemy. Spirit, the original author of the ghoulish curse, had made it permanent and not bound to the spell caster’s life thread. Only Death could free her.
She offered a hand, and Kelara hesitantly took it. “Rise, my child,” Death said. Once Kelara was back on her feet, our creator got to work fixing her. She pressed Thieron against the Reaper’s chest, its blade illuminated in a delicate pink glow. “The hunger is but a curse. A disease of the soul. It can be cured because the soul has not corrupted itself by eating another soul,” Death added. “Had you given in to it, had you consumed a spirit, you would’ve been beyond help, Kelara. For resisting, I commend you.”
“Okay, but can you also fix her?” Soul asked, his tone clipped. His impatience was almost endearing at this point. All of us Reapers could see the golden bond between them. While they’d been apart, the thread had disappeared, but it was always there. Always and forever. That was how love worked when Reapers felt it. A rare but wonderful occurrence. Now that Kelara was within his reach, their connection sparkled beautifully, a thread of gold linking their hearts.
A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals Page 20
