And now, I was about to use the Scepter.
“Halt!” A group of Seraphim blocked my way.
“Sorry about this,” I said and blew purple dust off the palms of both hands and into their faces.
As similar as the motion was to star-crossing, that wasn't what I was doing. The dust from my fingertips star-crossed people, but the dust from my palms—blown, not flung or sprinkled—would put people to sleep. It was called dream dusting, and I hoped it, like star-crossing, would work on Angels.
The Seraphim wavered on their feet, lowered their weapons, then closed their eyes. Standing. They fell asleep standing.
Whatever worked.
I rushed past them and burst through a pair of golden doors. Sudden light blinded me, but I adjusted quickly and a room came into view. Lots of white marble veined in gold. Columns. Light from an unknown source streaming from above. Shiny, pretty, yada yada. I went straight for the magnificent gold throne that stood upon a dais at the opposite end of the room. It was the only thing in the room.
Besides the Scepter.
I raced up the dais.
My hand reached through a halo of golden light so bright that I could only see the outline of the scepter.
“Seren, no!” Sever cried brokenly.
I turned back.
Sever's eyes were wide and full of fear. “No child of Anu can wield the scepter.”
Something rushed through me. Not just a feeling of rightness, but one of justice. After all I'd done for the Gods, thiswas my reward. Unfailing support.Be my sword, and I shall be your shield.
“I am not just a child of Anu,” I said, my voice resounding in the chamber.
Then I picked up the scepter.
Chapter Forty
Eternity in each breath. Everything unfolded before me. The universes. All of them. The worlds. Every heartbeat upon them. All for me to listen to. Marvel at. Be amused by. Creation. Power. Magic.
I screamed.
“Seren!” voices called to me. Fairy, Angel, and Demon voices.
The people I loved.
Love. Joy. Determination. I felt each emotion individually, then they united. My mind settled. There was no pain here. No terror. It was more than I should see, more than I could comprehend. But I knew that. And I knew what to do.
I opened my eyes and turned toward the men.
Wide stares locked on me. Armored Angels stood behind the men I'd brought to Heaven. They dropped to their knees.
I strode forward, feeling the weight of each step. First, like wading through quicksand. Then, effervescent. Hardly any weight to me at all. I was learning with each passing second. I could do this. I could wield the scepter and change the worlds. I could end pain. Hunger. Poverty. I could . . .
I locked eyes with Killian. His stare went proud. Those beautiful snake eyes saw me and knew me. He didn't need a piece of my soul to read my heart. He had faith in me. No, not faith. Assurance. Utter certainty. And that certainty brought me back to myself.
Once I was Seren again, the wisdom of the Divine filled me without overwhelming. I wasn't lured by the power. Instead, that absolute wisdom gave me peace. Everything was as it should be. There was no need to fix the worlds. All things, even what some perceived to be bad, were necessary. The soul's journey. Not to suffer, never that, but to learn. To expand. To grow with each reincarnation. And each soul added to the whole of creation so that everything expanded with it. Even a murderer could play a part in the evolution of the universe. Evil drives good. It inspires greatness. Without evil, there is no good. Balance. This is the balance Anu strove for. The reason for Heaven and Hell.
All was well. Or would be. These souls weren't marked for reincarnation. They were pure. Like mine. Only their bodies were poisoned.
I held out the Scepter.
The Light of God came not from within me but from the wand in my hand. A crystal rod topped with a crystal cross, but not a Christian cross—an even-armed, square cross. X marks the spot. Within the crystal, Anu's power bubbled to life. It exploded out of the Scepter. Star's stare locked on me. Me, not Anu's Scepter. A memory of Star came to mind; of him seconds after he had killed Lucifer, when the power of Hell rolled through him and turned his eyes completely black. I wondered if I looked the same. Were my eyes black or did they shine with the Light of God?
