Page 125 of The Eternal Mirror
Then the soldiers, the husbands and wives, a few children. I wave to the little girl whose leg I treated. At least I’m saving these people. That has to be worth something. I have to think positively, or I won’t get through this.
Thorben and the rest of the council come last.
“I feel like we are abandoning the gods,” Thorben says.
“No gods here,” I answer.
He smiles. “Kill Khronus for us all.”
“I will.”I hope.
Then they step through the mirror, one by one. The light flickers each time, humming in my bones, until the last is gone.
And I’m alone.
Except I’m not. Because Khaosti is there. Silent. Waiting.
The mirror ripples once more, a soft breeze stirring the dust at my feet. The light twists my reflection, stretching it strangely—like it’s trying to remember who I used to be.
Then it goes still.
I stare a moment longer, then I wave my hand, and the mirror vanishes.
I turn and walk away from Khaosti. The next fight starts soon.
But not yet. Not just yet.
Chapter 47
This Is How You Break a Heart
The silence is heavy. Like it’s waiting.
There’s just me, Khaosti, and a few hundred ghosts.
I realize how much I’ve relied on the others—especially Josh—as a buffer to keep my distance from Khaosti.
He’s given me some space, and I’ve spent the day wandering my father’s lands, only returning as the sun sets.
Now I’m sitting on the sofa, trying not to cry because I know I’ll never see Zayne and Josh again. I need to do something to take my mind off what’s to come, but until Khronus shows his hand, there’s nothing I can do.
Khaosti is pacing. I watch him surreptitiously, tension evident in every line of his body. He’s restless, and something is bothering him.
Probably me.
“You want to talk?” he asks.
“Ugh. No.”
He almost smiles at that. He comes to stand over me and looks down through half-closed eyes. Then his tongue flicks out to lick the silver ring in his lip. His nostrils flare, and his cheeks flush. And I know what he’s thinking.
I’ve been thinking about it as well, though I’ve tried not to. It’s been ages since I touched him. Since he touched me. Since he was inside me, and the world made sense, just for a while. Hawaii seems like a dream, and I’m filled with an almost desperate longing. But we can’t go back. Already, I feel like letting him go will rip me apart. I tell myself that it’s the mate bond, but that doesn’t make things easier.
My breasts feel heavy, my nipples tight, my sex swollen.
Khaosti reaches out and trails a finger over my cheek. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want to fly.”
