She approached the edge of the balcony and the chant soared to a fever-pitch. The sea of bodies rippled, pushing forward, cresting closer.
She closed her eyes and stretched her arms towards her worshipers.
The word was her destiny. The reason for their worship. The source of her power.
Her role in this world.
In every world—
* * *
Cool dirt pressedinto Cassandra’s back and strong hands gripped her cheeks.
“Wake up, Cass. Wakeup.”
She blinked her eyes open, Tristan’s terrified face forming before her unfocused gaze.
Her muscles protested as she attempted to lift her heavy limbs. She opened her mouth to speak, her tongue a dry, hefty lump.
Tristan sat down beside her, pulling her head and torso into his lap.
“Did it work?” she croaked out, though based on those visions, she feared she already knew the answer.
“No, sweetheart.” He brushed sweaty strands of hair off her forehead. “I’m so sorry.”
A hot tear dripped from the corner of her eye as she turned her head to gaze over at her mother, crumpled on the floor, panting heavily, her eyes swimming behind her lids and her limbs twitching and jerking as if she were having the most horrible nightmare. Borea was crouched beside her, holding her hand and trying to soothe her.
“What…what happened?” Cassandra asked, closing her eyes and just letting go, her spent body draped across Tristan’s powerful thighs.
“You disappeared,” he said, his shaking voice etched with terror. “As soon as you touched your mother’s hands. There was a flash of rainbow light and it was like you both just winked out of existence.”
“H-how long were we gone for?”
“Not more than a few minutes, thank the High Gods.”
Cassandra exhaled a weak chuckle at his relief. “Were you worried about me, Birdman?”
She gazed up at him, but he wasn’t laughing. Fierce resolve hardened his features, and he gripped her hand so tightly, she worried he might break her brittle fingers.
His eyes blazed bronze, pinning her in place and stealing the breath from her lungs.
“I would have traveled infinite worlds, shredded the cosmos, to find you.”
That wall around her heart shattered, and everything she felt for him, all those vast, terrifying emotions, rushed through her body, his magic following with a scintillating tingle.
She reached a quivering hand up to cup his cheek and he nuzzled into her touch. She didn’t have the strength to respond. Not yet. Not after everything she’d just experienced.
But she would. Soon.
He seemed to understand. Stood, and helped her to her feet.
He supported her as she made her way over to her mother, then crouched down on creaking limbs next to Borea.
Cassandra reached out to touch her mother, but stopped herself.
Borea grabbed her hand and clasped it with Mama’s. “It’s safe. You’re not concentrating on a memory, so you can touch her without worrying about the consequences.”
Borea’s own features were drawn tight.
