He slowly rises, eyes hot with anger. “Three against one,” he sneers. “You think that makes a difference?”
Frankie steps forward as a bright light builds around her. “It will.”
Together, we close in: Rhea’s spear, my fire, Frankie’s magic. We push him back step by step as the roar of the portal fades.
The light behind us flickers, the wind dying down as the surge dies out.
“It’s time,” I say, forcing the words out, though my body is screaming at me not to.
Frankie meets my eyes across the chaos.I love you,she mouths. Then she runs straight for the portal, and watching her go is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
She’s so small, so gentle. She’s everything good about this world. It doesn’t deserve her. I should stop her, pull her back before it’s too late, and I almost do. But Dante lunges after her.
I quickly launch more fire into his chest, forcing him back long enough for her to reach the edge. She glances over her shoulder one last time, giving me a small smile, and steps through.
And then she’s gone, the light swallowing her whole.
The ground settles. The air stills. And for the first time in days, the portal is silent.
For a second, I can’t move. My chest feels hollow, the bond stretched thin until I can barely feel her at all. I want to trace after her, pull her back, but I don’t.
She’s in there, and I have to believe she’ll make it out.
If she doesn’t, I won’t be far behind.
CHAPTER 44
Frankie
The wind hits me the second I step through, but it isn’t wind. Whatever it is, it’s alive, crawling under my skin, in my lungs, behind my eyes. Everything moves as flashes of light and shadow swirl around me. Something is pulling me in different directions all at once, twisting like it’s going to rip me in half.
A voice cuts through the chaos.Come on, Squirt!
I jerk my head around, looking for the owner of the voice, but I can’t even tell what’s up or what’s down. There’s only one person who’s ever called me that.
There’s so much going on, I start to think I imagined it, but then I hear it again.You can do this. It’s just like riding a bike, remember?
“Nate?” I call out. My voice cracks, swallowed by the noise.
Something bright flies past my face. I close my eyes and pull my head back. My hand reaches out, searching for something to grab onto, but it only catches air. No ground, no walls, nothing.Don’t panic now, Frankie. Just breathe. You got this.
Hey,his voice cuts through again, closer this time.Breathe, Squirt. You always forget that part.
I suck in air, but the ache in my lungs doesn’t ease. Why did I think I was strong enough to do this? I can’t get my bearings in here. I don’t even know where to begin.
The flutter in my stomach reminds me that I have to get my shit together. The babies are counting on me. I have to be strong, I have to focus.
I close my eyes, pretending I’m safe, enclosed by Zarreth’s wings. I finally take a full breath and then another, until the pain eases and I’m able to find my magic.
Light gathers at my fingertips, and shadows crawl up my skin. I picture two strands of hair, one red and one dark brown. One strand wraps over the other. Over, under, over, under.
I open my eyes. The light moves slowly now, almost gentle, as the shadows weave in and out.Thank God!
Something stirs ahead of me. At first I can’t make out what it is, but then the light changes. It’s a child. Their knees are pulled to their chest, dark shaggy hair falling over their forehead.
“Hello?” I say, my voice shaking.
He looks up, and eyes the same color as mine stare back at me. “Nate?”
