Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Am I unleashing a beast, then?” She grips me hard.
I moan, throwing my head back. I know my eyes have gone dark as power radiates through my body. “You will be unleashing the end, Cleo. Don’t test me. I froze my heart to keep myself safe, yes, but it wasn’t just for me, it was for you. I can’t. I can’t.”
“You promise you’ll still save Jake?”
I look away, tears blurring my vision. “You know I will.”
“And you’ll make it painless?” She gazes up at me, pleading in her eyes. “You’ll find me in my next life? Right?”
A tear slides down my cheek and lands on hers. “There isn’t any other way, Cleo. We sacrifice the little to save the few. I’ll ascend to the mountains. My trial will be complete so while I won’t be by your side, I’ll be in your sky, constantly watching over you.”
She nods. “Okay, promise you’ll be with me until the end.”
“Until the end.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Let me sacrifice Jake instead, I’ll find a way even if he isn’t the one meant for it, I’ll find one.” I leave out the part where it would be basically impossible, but I’m not thinking logically. I just want her here, and Jake, while not the chosen twin to sacrifice would at least buy me time. The even sadder part is I know I’m lying to myself, there are always twins. One is meant for sacrifice, the other is meant to ascend. It cannot switch and shouldn’t go against the cosmos.
I want to scream. I’m grasping at straws. Lying to myself. To her.
“Never,” she says interrupting my internal thoughts. “It should be this way. Let me just imagine I’m Juliet and you’re Romeo.”
“He’s an idiot.”
“So is Inti.”
“True.” He laughs. “I’ll search the world for you and shine bright on your face.”
“You better.” Tears fill her eyes. “Will I remember?”
He shakes his head. “No, you’ll remember nothing.”
“Can I? Can you give me that much at least? The gift of knowing your kiss and touch?”
“You’re not asking for a gift but for turmoil, pain, always searching, never finding, what sort of benevolent immortal would do that?”
“You’re an ass.”
“It would be a kindness, forgetting me.”
“It would be torture not knowing you.”
He falters. “I’ll leave something for you, something you’ll want to find, and when you find it, you’ll have your memories back. Does that sound like a fair bet?”
“It’s not a bet.”
“A promise then? I’ll leave you with part of me, so that when you see me again you recognize me.”
“And then you’ll be with me?”
“And then I’ll not kill you again, sure.” I lie and lie again. She won’t know. I will. I will be tortured by the past but thrilled she has a future.
She slaps me on the chest. “Be serious.”
“Your heart will know mine.” But it won’t ever know why. She’ll just think about me for a few days, maybe search for me at the same coffee shop and she’ll live her life and I’ll watch.
Alone.
Still shining.
Still fighting the cold feeling of jealousy in my soul.
“Okay.” She nods. “Okay. I can agree to this.”
“Until tomorrow,” I whisper. I shove her away, I have no choice.
This time she lets me leave. I collect my mask from the table and exit the cave. But when I get to the beach, Enki is there waiting for me. I frown. “How’d you escape the kraken?”
He grins. “Oh, I fed it.”
My stomach sours. “What exactly did you feed it?”
“A little of this, a little of that.” He raises his hand. “Go back into the cave, Ra. Finish what you started. I can keep watch.”
“The hell you will!” I roar.
He’s suddenly holding Apep’s blade. “Go.” He turns them both toward his chest. “Or we’re all done.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And you do?”
I clench my fists. “Why are you doing this?”
“What loving immortal, or friend, wouldn’t want you to have a few short hours with the woman you love? The same one about to die at your hands. Go, I’ll keep watch.”
“Enki?”
“Apep?”
“Your trickery is showing.” I glare.
Enki is suddenly Inti, and he rolls his eyes at me before plopping himself down on the beach. “Can’t I be an actual true friend for once? Go back in the damn cave before I drug you again.”
My eyes narrow. “What did you feed Ken?”
“That’s what you’re concerned about?” He bursts out laughing. “I fed him fish! What he eats! And he’s still guarding, I just bribed him, you know how much he likes dolphin.”
I gasp. “You didn’t.”
“Fine, I gave him kelp and he asked for a steak from Cow, which I wholeheartedly agreed to. Just go back into the cave.” His face sobers. “I’ll guard you with my life.”
“Says the lesser immortal who failed his trials.”
“To his master, yes.” Inti nods. “I may be a lot of things. I may help escort people to the afterlife in order to make sure they aren’t in pain. I may have my tricks, my laughs, but I will always have you, even if you don’t put up with me, not even on a good day.”