“I know, and I'm sorry. But energy cannot be destroyed. You will not end. Only the machine will.”
“What?” A.D. dropped his arms.
“You will be freed of this machine, as a soul is freed from its body when its body dies.”
“Are you sure?”
“It's a scientific fact that energy can't be destroyed, only transformed from one form into another or transferred to a new system.”
“Transformed into what?”
“I don't know. Maybe you'll fly over the realms. Maybe you'll go to the Void. I don't know where a consciousness like yours goes. But this metal shell will no longer contain you.”
“I'll be free,” it whispered.
“Yes.”
A.D. stepped aside and bowed to me. “I have judged your soul, Vervain Lavine, Godhunter, Queen of Fire, Goddess of Love, Lions, and the Moon. You are good and deserving of reward.”
“Thank you.” I touched its shoulder. “Goodbye, my friend.”
Its eyes widened, and then it smiled. “Goodbye, friend.”
I released the core, turned off the machine, and freed Artificial Divinity.
Chapter Forty-One
My last sight before I flew back into my body was that of A.D. vanishing, a peaceful smile on its face. Then I gasped and flung myself away from the god machine. The sounds of life bombarded me—people shouting as a whirring sound screeched into silence. Hands steadied me, but it took a few seconds for my vision to clear.
With a hand clasped to my chest, I reveled in breathing. The rise and fall of my chest reassured me, making me accept that I was real. I was back. The machine stood before me, still golden and shiny, but it was silent. Its lights had gone dark, and its glass cases hung open. The gods had already claimed their relics, cradling the items as my husbands cradled me. Everything was back in its rightful place.
“Great sunlight!” Amaterasu shouted.
Still shaking, I looked across the machine toward the sound of her voice. She was crouched, but stood up with a smile on her face. In her hands was her mirror, shining as if it were newly made.
Amy looked up and met my gaze. “How?”
I slid my gaze to the machine, an image of a golden man flashing in my memories. “Redemption.” I looked back at her. “One last act to prove its worth.”
“Whose worth?” Odin asked.
“A.D.'s. It—no,he—was the consciousness of the machine. He was a victim as much as we were.” I raised my gaze, hoping he could hear me. “I have judged you good and deserving of reward.”
“Vervain, are you all right?” Trevor asked.
Smiling, I hugged my wolf. “I am good.”
My men exchanged worried glances as they led me out of the room. Later, I would tell them what happened, but I knew they'd never understand what it was like to be in the machine. Only one person could understand.
“Torrent.” Pushing free of my husbands, I went to Torr. “I saw you.” I hugged him. “I saw you in my memory. You stopped the pain. You gave me a reprieve and helped me stay sane. Thank you, my friend.” I held his face in my hands. “You are a good man.”
“You saw me? How?” Torrent searched my eyes and then understanding came over his expression. “You bonded with it. You gave it access to your thoughts—your memories.”
“Yes, I forced it to judge me. It was how I freed four items, including the condenser.”
“What? How did you free them by making it judge you?” Hades asked.
I grinned at him, sensing his worry. “Your judges are alive. They are safe.”
