Ellanora looked around. “You better hurry, my Goddess,” she said softly.
“No, sweet Avalon, that was the important part for Ebrus. This is the important part for you.” She looked down at me. “This was your Ninth Life, Avalon.”
I almost rolled my eyes. “The Ninth Life, of the Ninth Daughter, of the Ninth Line. Makes sense now.” I stink-eyed Ellanora, who laughed.
“I actually thought that was quite clever.”
The Goddess cleared her throat, dragging my attention back to her. “Quite so. I can send you back, Avalon, but you’ll never be able to reset time again. Life will continue for you the way it does for every other living being: with uncertainty and fear, but also with happiness and joy.” She stroked my hair again. “Or you can stay here with me, and Ellanora. Dermet too, I imagine. The decision is yours.”
I looked up at them, at the sky that now spread out above us. “You won’t be alone?”
She shook her head. “No. I won’t be alone.”
I sighed a breath of relief. “Then I’d like to go back. They need me, and I think I need them too.”
Ellanora gave me a bright smile, bending down to kiss my forehead. “You have so much to give. It was an honor seeing your future, Avalon Halhed.” Then she stood and left.
It was just me and the Goddess now in this field. “He grows weary. We should hurry.” She placed a hand on my chest. “Your precognition should return to you, as well your Line.” Shesmiled, kissing my forehead too. “Thank you for your service, Avalon Halhed.”
Then she electrocuted me with her hand.
Son of a bit?—
Gasping,I folded upright, dislodging someone from my chest. I stared around at the pale faces of the men I loved, my chest aching. Actually, every fiber of my being ached. My eyelids fluttered, but I forced myself to remain awake.
Hayle had been crying, his long eyelashes clumped together, tears dampening his cheeks. “Avie?” he breathed, like he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Hey,” I croaked out.
His face screwed up again, and he laid his head in my lap and cried, murmuring things I couldn’t hear. I ran my fingers through his hair almost reflexively.
Looking around the room, I spotted the decapitated body of Feodore Vylan, right next to that of Dermet. Sadness washed over me again.
Swallowing hard, I reached out and gripped Vox’s hand, and he squeezed it back. “There’s a lot of decapitated bodies in here, and I think I’d like to leave.”
Zier reached down and hauled me into his arms. I should have struggled, maybe tried to walk, but honestly, it was nice. “We’re going to talk about you using me as a diversion,” he grumbled.
I briefly wondered if he’d spank me.
“Don’t tempt me, Avalon,” he purred, and I realized I’d thought that out loud.
A flash of purple in Lierick’s arms had all thoughts of spanking flying from my brain. “Epsy! Is he okay?”
Lierick held him out to me, his soft little body limp.No...He’d fought so hard.
And then the little bastard stretched and yawned. I’d been dying, while he was napping. I couldn’t even care about that, as Lierick laid his soft little body on my chest. “You’re my hero, do you know that?” I whispered to him.
I’d never forget him flying through the ceiling of water like a ferocious killer, hacking at Feodore Vylan’s face like he was the Spryrix. He’d been rabid. “Why didn’t the Baron’s magic work on him?”
I looked at Hayle, because if anyone would know, it would be him. He took a shuddering breath, his hand reaching out to twine his fingers in mine.
“I don’t know. They’re naturally resistant to magic, but most of the time, it can be overridden by people with enough power. Perhaps it isn’t only humans who got a little magic boost being down here.” He lifted our clasped hands to his lips. “Don’t do that again. Ever, Avalon. I mean it. Fuck, you were dead.”
I winced, because I couldn’t even argue with that. “Never again, I promise. Not that I could; the Goddess says my Recreationist powers are gone.”
Lierick’s eyebrows rose, but he was still struggling to meet my gaze. I guess he’d read the last entry inA Future History of Ebrus.“The Goddess?”
I waved a hand. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”
