Mayhem whispered something in Ember’s ear. She relaxed, and he slowly let her go.
The ground shook. The trees around the clearing groaned with the shifting earth. The rift tore wider, the edges sparking and crackling like live wires as the low vibration of Hell spilled into our realm and the horde of demons in the distant hellscape marched closer.
“You have to mend the veil,” Dad said. “You have to do it now.”
“You have to cross over first,” I said. “Did you give the amulet to Hecate? That was your ticket home.”
“Indeed, he did.” The celestial voice echoed around the clearing a moment before a flash of silver light blinded me.
Hecate’s high vibration wove through the energy leaking in from Hell, almost balancing it, and as her light dimmed and my eyes adjusted, the goddess stood before us, her sparkling gown flowing in a nonexistent breeze. The amulet hung from a golden chain around her neck, the red stone catching the light of the shredding veil, pulsing as if it were alive.
Mom appeared beside her, looking younger and more refreshed than should’ve been possible, and she strode toward the rift, the sadness in her eyes making my chest ache.
“Marshall.” She laid a hand over her heart. “I’m so sorry I left you behind.”
He sob-laughed. “It’s okay, my dear. You had no choice.”
“Come home, my love.” She held her hand toward him, palm up.
The hellscape rumbled, the sky flashing shades of fiery orange and red, and a fissure formed beneath Dad’s feet. He scrambled to one side, widening his stance to steady himself. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” I snapped my gaze to Hecate. “We released you from prison and found your precious amulet. What more do you want from us?”
The goddess inclined her chin, looking down her nose at me in warning. “A trade. Lucifer will allow your father safe passage once his demons are home.”
No. My heart plopped into my stomach, and both organs threatened to fall through my pelvic floor and splatter on the ground. The moment I’d been dreading since the first glimmer of love for Discord registered in my psyche had arrived.
It was time to say goodbye.
Discord pulled me to his chest, and I caught a teary-eyed glimpse of his brothers embracing my sisters. My heart pounded, hard and fast against my ribs, and all the blood in my head plummeted to my feet. The world spun. I could hardly breathe.
“There must be another way,” Discord said, his chest rumbling against mine. “We are bound. If I cross over, Cinder will go too.”
I sniffled, holding him tightly and shifting my gaze to the goddess. “He’s right. We bear their marks. We can’t be separated.”
“Then you must dissolve your tethers,” Hecate said matter-of-factly, as if breaking the bond with my soulmate wouldn’t shred me to ribbons in a heartbeat. “Say your goodbyes and end this. The worlds will not survive if you don’t.”
Discord clutched my face in his hands, his expression fierce, determined. “I love you, Cinder. Every fiber of my being, every shred of my soul, is entwined with yours. Removing the bond will not change my feelings for you. It will not change anything. I will love you wholly and ferociously with every piece of myself until the end of my existence.”
I choked on a sob. “Ditto.”
“I will find a way back to you.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “As long as the realms exist, I will search for you. We will be together, no matter the cost.”
My chest tightened, my throat thickening as tears spilled down my cheeks. This couldn’t be the end. After everything we’d been through…the adventure, the lessons, the love…I couldn’t just stand here and watch him walk away.
“I love you,” I whispered, and I crushed my mouth to his.
He kissed me back, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me tightly. His breathing shallowed, and his heartbeats thrummed against my chest as he drank me in. I closed my eyes, letting the world slip away for the briefest of moments and memorizing the way his full, soft lips felt against mine, the way his strong arms felt wrapped around me.
He parted my lips with his tongue, and I opened to him, tasting him, feeling him, sharing my magic and my soul. His essence warmed me from the inside out, mingling with mine until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began.
We were one. Not even two halves of the same whole. Just…one.
“This isn’t fair,” I sobbed.
“Fairness won’t matter if you don’t fix this now,” Hecate said. “The world is unraveling. We will all cease to exist unless you remove your bonds.”
“Go.” Ember shoved Mayhem’s chest. “Just go. I can’t handle a long goodbye.”
