Page 91 of Ignited Spirits
“Yep, that’s the plan.” She pauses as she thinks something through. “Or, if not me, it will be Hades, Seph, Zeus, or Poseidon.”
Mateo’s eyes bug out of his head. “Hades, as intheHades?”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah,theHades. Try not to gawk at him too much when you meet him. The guy really doesn’t need you boosting his ego.”
The jaguar manages to shake himself out of his shock after a moment. “Do you need anything else? If not, I need to start on preparations for tomorrow.”
My mate shakes her head. “Nah, I’m good.” The jaguar gives her a curt nod and turns on his heel to leave. Izzy’s voice stops him. “And, Mateo? Thank you. For everything.”
He freezes before turning around and dipping his chin. “Thank you. I know this fight isn’t how you imagined your future. You could be like most mages and decide it’s not your problem. But instead, you’re putting your life on the line for all of us. I respect the courage that takes.”
She ducks her head, looking uncomfortable at the praise. “I don’t really have much of a choice, so I wouldn’t call that courage. But thanks.”
“We always have a choice, Izzy. You could walk away, but you won’t, because that’s just not who you are. The fact that you’re fated to stop LuaMateris just one option of many. It’s your choices that determine whether that path is the one you walk.” With one last smile in her direction, Mateo and his fellow jaguars stalk farther out of the squat building the meeting was held in.
Izzy stares after him before shaking her head. “No pressure or anything,” she mutters to herself. “I just have to make all the right choices, or I won’t defeat Lua. No biggie.”
Forking a hand through her hair, she tilts her head back to stare sightlessly at the ceiling. I hate how uncertain and defeated my mate looks.
Seizing control from the pup, I slowly approach her, not wanting to startle her. While I feel slightly bad about taking control of his body, the need to reassure my mate outweighs it.
When I am close enough to touch her, she snaps out of her daze. Izzy looks at me with a smile that freezes when she notices the color of my eyes. While she makes an effort to keep that smile on her face, I can see the uncertainty shining in her gray eyes.
I give her a soft smile as she stares up at me. “You do not have to smile at me if you don’t feel it, mate. I know we do not yet know each other. I hope you will come to care for me at least as a friend over the years, but there is never any pressure to feel anything toward me you do not.”
She bites her lip nervously before deflating. “I’m sorry, Legion,” she whispers.
I gently tilt her chin up with my thumb and forefinger, making her look at me. “None of that, mate. You never need to apologize for how you feel around me, understood?” She nods, and I give her as gentle a smile as a being like me can. “The most influential moments in history do not happen because those involved make all the right choices.”
“Then what are they determined by?” she asks.
I hesitate as I try to figure out how to word what I want to convey. “They are determined by how much each individual cares and how much they are willing to put in and sacrifice. To defeat Lua, each choice does not have to be the right one.It simply has to be the best one you can make under the circumstances.”
“But I don’t want to sacrifice anyone.” She looks so afraid and vulnerable in that moment that it shatters the heart I never really thought I had. I wish I could make it all better for her, but I do not know how to do that right now.
I sigh, hurting for my little mate. “Entering a battle means to accept the fact that there will be sacrifice,” I tell her as gently as I can. “People will die, Isabel. There is no avoiding that. But how much would you sacrifice if you chose not to go against her?”
Every path has its consequences. Not fighting can sometimes cost many more lives than a battle.
“Have you ever had to sacrifice anyone?” she growls, directing her fear disguised as anger at me. “It’s fucking easy for you to say that battle means losing people when you’re as old as the universe and unkillable.”
“I have lost those I care about, mate. To be ananguisis to lose. I have not seen my brothers or sisters in too many lifetimes to count. I have not seen my friends in longer than this planet or galaxy has existed. I have had to watch them die over and over and over, unsure if our lives will ever line up again, so, yes, I know what loss is.”
After so very, very many lifetimes, the loss becomes easier to bear in some ways and harder in others. There is an ever-present aching sadness as I miss those who mean so much to me, but it has been here for so long that I am used to it. The weight of it has not gotten any easier to carry, but I do not notice it as much after so long.
Her eyes fill with sorrow and empathy as she hangs her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Do not apologize, mate,” I tell her through an understanding smile. “You are allowed to be angry and scared and need to take it out on someone. I am more than strong enough to weather it.And I know you are strong enough to survive the confrontation with Lua. I have witnessed many battles with far worse odds and far weaker people than this.”
Her eyes light with a hope that, while weak, still flickers. “I don’t feel particularly strong.”
“That is what your mates are here for. When you cannot see your strength or your resilience or your perseverance, we will see it for you. We will remind you of it when you feel defeated. We will carry you when you feel like you cannot go any further.”
She does not seem to know what to say as she digests my words. I do not make any move to rush her. Eventually, she settles on, “You’re super sweet for a dude who could wipe out multiple realms without a second thought.”
I chuckle and trace her cheekbone with the pad of my thumb. “Thank you, mate. Do you feel like continuing on to rally more support, or do you wish to rest here for longer?”
Her face fills with determination. “Let’s keep gathering support. We don’t have infinite time, and I’m feeling energized by your pep talk.” Surprising me, Izzy lifts onto her toes and presses her lips to mine. I clench my hands into fists to avoid the temptation to touch my little mate. She notices and pulls back, laughing softly. “You’re allowed to touch me, Legion.”
