Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Did you hear that?” Hannah cries. “She said her first word.”
I jump up and hurry over to where the little family is scrunched up at the door. With all these sudden returns, I can’t help expecting Remus to pop up the next moment.
But when I grab the doorway and look down the hall in hopeful expectation—
There’s no one.
Behind me, I hear Vlad start arguing with Layden and Abaddon about what happened to make the AI runes disappear. Theoretically, the nuclear attack was just a first strike. If the spirit driving it had control of the governments and really wanted to destroy the world, it could have just kept trying. Why then disappear, as if giving up?
“Well, something made it retreat,” Kharon says. “Can’t we just count that as a win? Maybe Remus was able to destroy the Devourers.”
“Why the hell did you let Remus be the one to take care of them?” Abaddon shouts.
“You’ve met Remus,” Layden bites back. “Does anyone ever let him do anything? He just flew off, and we haven’t heard anything for hours. And you weren’t around, taking off to play hero like that.”
“We need to be working on a backup plan. Remus isn’t exactly reliable! Maybe that’s why the spirit left. He knew he’d accomplished the end of the world in a different way than expected because the Devourers are eating the sun as we speak.”
“I came back up so we could try to make another circle to call the Devourers back,” Phoenix rushes to say. “We brought them in; we’re responsible for ridding this plane of them and sending them back where they came from—”
I can’t handle listening to them anymore. My heart is a double drumbeat, whispering two names over and over. Remus. Romulus. Remus. Romulus. I spin away and run down the hallway, bursting out into the courtyard and staring up at the gray sky.
Where are you, my beloveds?
I know being out here won’t bring them back any quicker, but still, I close my eyes and pray. It worked once. . .
Please, God or whatever deities may be out there. . . including my beloveds. . . Please. Please bring them home to me. Please let them be safe. I never deserved them the first time, but I beg you, please bring them home, and I swear I’ll never take another moment for granted.
I look up toward the sky.
It’s foolish, childish, really, that I expect to see the huge black wings extending from my glorious beloved’s back flapping as he comes down.
All I want to see are his hands held out and that huge, slightly wild grin on his face.
I fall to my knees and weep, my hair around my face.
I don’t know how long I kneel there, weeping, before I hear a voice.
“My mortal beloved, behold!” a voice shouts. “Your god is here among you!”
I swing my head up so fast that my neck cracks. It’s him!
I jump to my feet, joy bursting from my chest as history repeats itself. The god I prayed for descends from the sky just like he did that first day in the plaza. Except there’s clearly something different about him. Is he. . . glowing? He’s so bright I have to shield my eyes.
I don’t care. I still reach my arms out and run toward him as he descends the last ten feet, nearly bowling him over as he touches the ground.
He wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight to him. I can feel the light inside him. It vibrates, hot and so bright I have to squeeze my eyes shut.
“Remus!” I cry, burying my face against his neck, in part to shield my eyes and to prove to myself he’s actually real. Actually here.
“I’m home, my love,” comes his voice, deeper and somehow more mature sounding than it used to. It’s like it reverberates from deep in his chest and echoes back again. “You gave me strength when all was lost.”
“What happened?” I cry.
“I vanquished the foe. We are safe.”
I squeeze him even tighter. “We have to tell everyone. They’re still terrified the world’s about to end.”
“In a moment. I must hold you first.”
He does, continuing to hold me tight. At first, I just feel the warmth from his light. I still don’t open my eyes because even through my closed eyelids, the brightness feels like it’s all but burning my retinas. And then I realize it’s not just my eyes that are burning. My whole chest suddenly feels on fire everywhere I’m touching him.
“Ow, Remus, let go,” I start, but he holds me tighter still.
“Do not be afraid, beloved,” he says calmly, bending his head over mine as he clutches me tight. The heat becomes so intense—
“It’s burning! It’s burning me!” I cry, starting to struggle in his arms. Useless against his strength. What’s happening? Why is he—?