Thessilnn and Heles shrieked, and, even over the wind, Morgen heard Vane bellow her name as Heles raced to the spot where she had fallen. The void slowly turned its head, eyes glittering with empty stars as it cocked its head. A strong wind slammed abruptly against Heles, knocking Vane to the ground too. Morgen did not see him get up.
Carus, who had fought and trained soldiers triple his age, who hadn’t done more than grimace when he’d been nearly disemboweled at sixteen, who was more likely to make a joke than admit he was afraid… He was shaking so hard, Morgen was surprised he still stood as he gripped his arm.
“You were right,” the void crooned, looking at Carus. “Sister or not, you probably should have killed her. A shame for your world that you had to be so human.”
“Nya!” Morgen shouted over the wind, this time aloud. “I know you’re there.”
The void shook its head. “She is gone, and soon, you will be too. Close your eyes, god of life. It will be easier that way.”
He did as it said, letting it assume his defeat. But just as a wall of nytfire erupted that could destroy him and Carus, he forced up the same shield he had used against it days ago, yanking on each and every ember he had been painstakingly awakening over the last few minutes. The void cackled, and his weak barrier faltered, almost to failure, until pure light flared behind him, bolstering the defensive wall.
Sol, he realized, after a moment’s confusion.
Next to him, Nyx, Thanatos, and Anabeth stood, all with hands on Sol’s back. Morgen didn’t trust any of them, but right now, he had no choice but to accept their help. With the added force, the wall of nytfire began to ebb and then faded completely. Even the storm calmed slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, Morgen saw Vane limping towards Nya, Sora at his side.
“Nya could stab me in the heart and twist the knife, I’d still be trying to make sure she was okay,”Vane had said to Carus.
He hadn’t been lying.
Morgen took a casual step towards Nya, not trusting the moment of victory. She was oddly still, but her eyes remained flooded with midnight. He motioned subtly to Carus, and his most trusted general gave him the smallest of nods, understanding his silent order:Retreat.
“Step aside, all of you,” Sol said. His hand was still outstretched, blood running down his forehead. “It’s time to finish this.”
Nyx shook her head, reaching for him. “Sol, you promised you wouldn’t?—”
“I said I would help you end this, Nya,” he snarled. “I am.”
The Goddess of Night dipped her chin, and shadows swirled at her feet. “You do this, and I am never trusting you again.”
“If I don’t destroy the girl now, it won’t matter! Nothing will!” he bellowed, a burst of pure light flaring at the crown of his head, so bright, it singed the air.
“Nya, he’s right,” Juno urged.
Nyx shook her head. “Not you too, Jun.” A silver tear tracked down her cheek, and she whispered, “They named her for me.”
Juno glanced at Thanatos, who was uncharacteristically still and silent behind Nyx. An odd look passed between them.
“Enough!” Sol snapped. He turned his attention back to Morgen, Carus, Vane, and Sora where they stood around Nya. “Move.”
“He’s right. You should step aside.”
Morgen’s head snapped back at the sound of Nya’s voice. Her face was completely expressionless and her voice was flat, but her eyes were flashing rapidly between silver and black. Hope clawed at his chest, crawling from the wounds despair had wrought there all his life. Maybe justonce,the fates would pity him.
“Nya?”
Her eyes settled. The hope crumpled and faded to ash, and he did not know if he could take another blow. He felt like he was dying, and it had little to do with the blood in his mouth.
The void spoke again, its voice harsher now. “I told you.She is gone.”
Nyx screamed, the only warning as Light exploded from Sol so pure, it was just as blinding as the deepness of the void itself. None of them had time to move fast enough, to protect Nya or themselves from the inevitable end.
The end, something he had always thought would come at the hands of a vengeful god. As a child, he had even prayed silently for it, that one day, Kronos would push just a little too far, and finally, he would stop existing.
Morgen?
He opened his eyes, and the world seemed to be moving in slow motion. The light hovered all around them, and in front of him, he saw a small form with unbound silver hair haloed by the glow. Her eyes were still gone to the void, but within that never-ending midnight, stars flickered. In her palms, she held something close to her chest—a dying star, cold and untouchable. But she saw its beauty. Perhaps that was why he had fallen in love with her in the first place. She had an ability to look at things everyone else presumed dead and see wonder all the same.
This is goodbye.Her voice was in his head, echoing between their shared soul down the pathway.But I need you to know I love you. I’ve loved you for years, and I’m sorry I never said it.
