Her beautiful voice mesmerized him.
“But she’s dead.” Just speaking the word made him choke.
The small glowing orbs drew closer, and a strange comforting warmth brushed over his face.
“Choose.”
His nostrils flared, and heat rose to his face. “Choose what? She’s dead.”
The light grew brighter, but the hue darkened, the thrum grating, chilling his blood.
“She is not past the power of a goddess,” Ahmi said in a voice that brooked no argument. “Shecanbe saved, but will she go home, or will she stay?” His heart lifted in hope and then sank in sorrow. How could he choose for her? “I’ve gifted Perez with only enough power to fulfill one last task.” Her indifferent tone showed boredom. “He can send her home to the year two thousand and twenty-five where medical technologies beyond your understanding may save her, or he can bring her back to life—but she’d be trapped here in 1817. Forever.”
A heavy weight settled over him. To live without her, or to live with the pain of knowing she’d never get home to her own life. The answer was simple. She’d hate him forever, but she’d be alive, and she’d be with him, because he’d never let her go again.
“I choose for her to stay.” No regrets. “Bring her back to me. Bring Haven back to life.”
After a long pause, the small yet terrible orbs retreated into the glowing figure.
Perez spoke. “As you choose, so be it.”
What looked like a hand reached forward, and a golden energy formed. As the ball of energy grew, Perez spoke again. “Logan, I am sorry, I never intended for any of this to happen.”
Logan closed his eyes against the sadness clawing at his heart.
“When you chose Haven as my opposite spirit,” he rasped, “fate chose her as my soul mate. You chose well.” It vexed him that he had to feel gratitude toward the spirit at all, but he couldn’t be anything but grateful, especially if Perez could bring her back.
Perez built brighter energy in his palm. “When Haven revives, can you please convey my apologies to her as well?”
Desperate to feel her alive within his arms again, he urged Perez to hurry.
Brighter.
A deep laugh rang from the figure of light, startling Logan.
“Would you also tell her she has the softest breasts I’ve ever felt? I truly enjoyed my time snuggled in her bodice.”
Outrage and confusion battled for supremacy in his mind, but before Logan could utter a word of derision, a pulse of heavy, powerful energy pushed down on him, pinning him to the floor.
A beam of intense light shot from the figure of Perez and hit Haven.
Staggered by the force, Logan fell back.
A pulsating wave of brighter light hit her body, and soon he couldn’t make her out through the brilliance of the bright white light.
The deep, bone-rattling thrum returned, emanating from the ball of energy and light.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, the light dimmed and the heavy thrum faded.
He scrambled forward to bring her into his arms, and gasped.
Warmth had returned to her flesh.
Her limp, lifeless body filled with breath, and the wounds marring her flesh began to close. The delicious olive color he’d grown to love returned to her skin.
She moaned.
Relief slammed into him.
