Neith dashed through the portal first, Hathor pausing, looking back at the ash pile remains of her daughter, expression dark, a fierce scowl clinging to her lovely features.
The steel shutter jerked forward, finally providing enough of a gap that several of Maat’s Warriors who’d been ramming it could squeeze through.
Hathor glared their way. “This isn’t over.” She hissed the words. Turning, leaping through the Portal.
Flynn, the closest Maat Warrior dived forward, attempting to stop Hathor from getting away, just managing to get a hand around her ankle. For a moment it looked like he might be able to pull her back to the Southern Sanctuary, but then a slim elegant hand appeared, encircled his wrist and with a yank,Flynn sailed through the shimmering Portal, and it winked out of existence.
“No. Flynn!” Dash, his brother by sword and twin by blood, hit the wall, smashing his fist against it so hard the plaster cracked and crumbled away. And then he kept on hitting it until Rafe captured him by the shoulders, pulling him away.
Merciful Lady Above. Gigi glanced down at Qetesh’s remains and then at the cracked plaster where the Portal had been. There was no victory here. Though at least Sunny was safe. But as Hathor had promised, this wasn’t over. The Goddess still wanted the baby. And they had no idea where Flynn had ended up. If he was safe, or Hathor’s prisoner, or dead.
Moving aside as the worried parents raced forward to check on their children, Gigi felt dazed rather than triumphant. Flinching as a piercing whistle split the air, issued by Hadleigh, followed by the rapid thud of something moving fast across the tops of the bookcases and then Asher was flying through the air, landing safely in his mother’s arm.
“Can you tell me what’s stuck in my back?”
“Huh?” Her attention shifting to Nico now standing before her, twisting away from her, so she could see the projectile lodged rather deeply just below his scapula. “Oh, it’s a dancing fairy.” She recognised those wooden legs. “No, don’t try and pull it out. I think it’s holding a wand and I can’t see her head which means she’s lodged pretty deep inside of you.”
“A fairy?” Nico looked sceptical, but resisted the urge to try and tug the bloody thing out. His body was still flooded with adrenalin, once that backed off he was sure pain would rush in to replace it. “We did it.” He glanced down at the remains of Qetesh, everyone rushing around had been very careful to give the pile a wide berth. “We broke the curse. I can’t even sense the silver ring. I think it evaporated along with her.”
“But how? Why did she disintegrate?”
Shaking his head, Nico shrugged. “I have no fucking clue. But it was like that ring was diseased or tainted or something there at the end when I returned it to her.”
“Well now you’re officially free of all curses. Congratulations.” Gigi forced a smile but her stomach felt hollow and a little queasy. They could finally be apart. Ditch the pretence of being a couple and get on with their respective lives. She knew it was coming, but still, it didn’t stop the ache. Yet it seemed selfish to think about her own breaking heart when there was still so many things left to deal with.
Glancing over she noted Nell was in the process of checking over each of the babies. Gaia sobbing silently, clutching at Theo like she would never let him go. Hadleigh had already strapped Asher to her chest, and by the time she’d closed the last lock his head was dipping forward, eyes closing, exhausted.
Whilst Marcus was kneeling by Riordan, checking on her vitals.
Someone must have called the police, as two of Riordan’s brothers, in uniform, hovered over their sister protectively, unsure of what the hell was going on but clearly angry that she’d been here and gotten hurt somehow.
Just exactly what Riordan would remember about the events here and her actions remained in question. If she was lucky, nothing. If not, then the family, the entire community, would be there to help her.
Marcus stepped over to Nico, running an assessing eye over his injuries. “You need to get to the hospital and get that thing removed. And some of those cuts are going to need stitches.” Noting the cut across Nico’s hip, the one on the back of his wrist and the slice of flesh missing from his arm.
“You should come with us.” Nell had finished her examination of the babies and was now standing beside her meld mate, who was holding Sunny’s car seat like he would never let it goagain. Drum and Nell anxiously gazing down at her, the baby girl seemingly placid and calm, currently staring at her own wriggling bare toes in fascination. “I want the babies checked out at the hospital. Maybe run some tests, just to be sure. And you’re going to need surgery to get that projectile out. It’s acting like a plug currently, trust me, you’ll be wanting some pain meds when we remove it.”
Damn, Nico glanced Gigi’s way, her face pale still, but she looked fine, not a scratch on her, which he was heartily grateful for. But she wasn’t saying anything about coming with them. Was this the official end of them? An awkward goodbye in front of too many witnesses? It certainly seemed so. “I, um—”
“We’re heading out. Now.” Drum’s words were low and growly, like approaching thunder warning all those nearby to seek shelter.
Everyone started moving, those heading to the hospital ducking out past the buckled steel doors, as the nearest Sanctuary Portal was located downstairs on the ground floor in the High Council offices. Nico had little choice, swept along by the group. Mierda, his last glimpse of Gigi was of her patting Patricia’s shoulder in sympathy as they gazed around at the damage left behind.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to end between them, was it? Perhaps he should go back, they could talk, except the world was suddenly going a little grey around the edges. He heard someone, several someone’s voices but they seemed a long distance away. He tried to turn around, but the world slid sideways, the grey turning black and he sensed the ground coming towards him at speed, and then nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Argh.” Gigi thumped the large lump of cookie dough with the rolling pin, and it felt so satisfying she did it again, and again. “I know. I know.” Growling at Canary, who was doing nothing but contently sitting on the edge of the counter, in a little nest her bridesmaid dress had created for him with its abundance of mottled swamp green material. The dress had taken to hovering over the bunny, ever since they’d returned from that horrendous day at the Library.
And Gigi didn’t blame it for worrying, Canary had been a little off, ever since he’d been flash frozen. It wasn’t anything she could put her finger on. He just wore his daily piece of bling a little less jauntily. And appeared to hesitate before nibbling on anything shoved in his little furry face.
There wasn’t anyone Gigi could ask about his changes in behaviour, but it was kind of weird. If he was a real animal, she’d almost say he was pining, but the only missing element for the last eight days was Nico.
Who she was not thinking, dwelling or ruminating over. Thumping the cookie dough again, and one more time, sneezing as a puff of flour exploded upwards, tickling her nose. “Argh.” And look at her, the professional chocolate and cookie empress, she couldn’t even make simple ginger snap bites at the moment. She’d known for the last ten minutes the poor overworked dough was heading nowhere except into the bin, but it was mindless busy work, and thumping the hell of it every so often felt kind therapeutic.
Which had nothing to do with him.
No, it’s just a lot had happened eight days ago, and she was still working through it all, like a normal healthy person. The babies, according to the grapevine, were all healthy and happy, withseemingly no lingering negative after effects from that fraught day. Although it was rumoured Asher’s parents had consulted one of the Great-Great Uncles who had magical wielding powers about making an inescapable car seat.
