“I can’t. You are special.” Selene looked away, and a silvered tear trembled on her eyelashes. I felt it all slipping away. I nodded once. The bridge between mine and Rowan’s souls was starting to splinter. Nix and Megan ran towards it, and I made my decision.
I turned to the other gods. “Can the spell I made protecting the packs survive if I die?”
Gaia gasped. “Amy, no.” She shook her head.
Pontus and Uranus looked at each other before they crouched. Pontus reached for one of my hands, and Uranus grabbed the other. Pontus spoke first. “Your power and the sacrifice of life on these grounds are the fuel for the shields. If you die, the power fades with you.”
“We aren’t allowed to interfere. Once your power fades, the shields will fail, and your kind will be at the hands of the humans.” He tried to deliver the news as softly as he could, but I knew with the thunder he was feeling my pain.
I screamed, and lightning flashed in the sky. Gaia sighed. “Uranus, keep a better hold on your power.” He cut her a look I didn’t have the energy to discern.
“Is there any way that we could pull them to this pack and have my father take over powering the shield?” I looked at the two men with the last shred of hope. But they shook their heads. “So you are all telling me I have to live without my mate for the restof my life just to keep everyone else safe?” The truth ripped out the last remaining ember of hope I had.
There was a soft cough. “Well…there may be one way.”
Everyone turned to Carly to see her glassy white eyes. “Oracle.” Hecate bowed her head.
“Mother.” Carly’s tiny face smiled. “It has been a long time.”
Hecate nodded as her lips turned up. “How has Selene been treating you?”
Carly grinned. “You saved me a lot of pain by taking me from Apollo.” She bowed her tiny body. “I never got to thank you properly.” She sat back up and turned to me. “But I think now I can.”
“What do you mean?” I focused on my pup, but I felt nothing. All my love was dead along with my mate. The guilt hit after my realization. Carly deserved better than what I could give her.
She tilted her head. “You are feeling guilty, but there is no need to do so. You are stronger than you feel at this moment. Even if your mate stayed with the Goddess, you would still do right by this pup.” She nodded to me. “You still have a lot of love; you just don’t feel it right now.” She turned back to the gods. “We still might be able to save the King.”
Selene dropped to her knees. “Shaman, are you sure?”
Carly nodded. “You have dominion over the wolf souls, and death.” She waited for Selene to nod. “You could bring back his soul.” Selene nodded again.
I gasped, but the Goddess turned to me. “I could bring his soul back, and while I have some ability, I can't bring him back to life. Erubus’s soul would just be trapped in the body.”
I gasped and shook my head. “No.” I turned to Carly. “He doesn’t deserve that kind of afterlife.”
Carly smiled. “Nor would I ask that of him. Or you.” She turned to Gaia. “Call Hades.”
Gaia frowned. “Why would you call him?”
“Because Selene has dominion over the soul of the wolf. However, Hades has dominion over human souls and their bodies.” She turned to me. “You have to convince him to help you.”
I felt my mouth fall open. “I don’t know what I could give him to get him to agree.”
Gaia sighed. “He is fickle and arrogant.” She blew out a breath. “Hades, I have need of you.” Another ripple went out with the call, and I felt something ripple in my soul.
I gasped as I saw a dark shadow rippled from the ground. A pale man with dark hair and a trimmed beard stepped out. He was in a three-piece suit, which, compared to the other gods, seemed wildly out of place. He tugged at his shirt cuff as he surveyed the clearing. “Grandmother.” He turned to Gaia. “You called for me?”
She nodded once. Her green lush skin rippled with a yellow hue, as if just being near the god of the underworld took some of her lushness away. “I did.”
He turned to Rowan. “I just saw this man.” I gasped.
“Is he okay?” I shuffled towards his feet. “Is he safe?” I raised a hand without thinking and grabbed his pant leg. As soon as I touched him, I gasped. Something resonated with the God in front of me, and he lifted a brow.
Hades stepped back, tugging his leg out of my grasp, before he crouched in front of me. With the tip of his finger he tipped my head up, and he tilted his to the side as his gaze swept over my face. “Interesting.” He stared at me for another moment before his eyes flicked to Rowan’s body. “Rowan is safe. His soul was granted passage into the fields as he had spent his life sacrificing for his people. He was a good man, and a good king.” A whine slipped from my lips, and his eyes snapped back to mine. “You are a wolf?” I nodded. “And a Lycan?” I nodded again. His eyes turned to Hecate’s. “And she is one of yours?” Hecate noddedthis time. “Very interesting.” He finally dropped my face and stood. “Why did you call?” He turned to Gaia, but she was staring at me.
“It was for me.” I murmured. He turned back to me and waited. I searched for the words, my eyes landing on my twisted hands. “I wish I had the ability to explain everything, but time is running out. My tether to Rowan’s soul is fracturing, and I know that once it does, he will be lost to me.” I looked back up at Hades. “You owe me nothing. I know this. But I beg you. Please. Bring him back to me.” He scoffed, but I grabbed his pant leg again, and a shock ran up my arm. “I will do whatever you want as long as it isn’t evil, and it is within my power. Take me instead if you have to. But please bring back my mate.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I have lived two lives, and in all this time, I just found him.” I tugged at his pants. “Please, just give him back to me. You said it yourself. He was a good man, and a good king. Without him, we won’t survive.”
He crouched again, his finger finding my chin, his black eyes searching my face. “You can’t trade your life for his.”
