Chapter 31 #2
“But what if I am? What if I just don’t remember doing it? What if someday I do remember and I have to live with what I did?”
“No matter what, you’re still my Riley.”
“What if I’m a monster? How could you ever forgive me?”
“I don’t have to forgive you because you aren’t a monster and there’s nothing to forgive,” I say as I walk up to him and hesitantly reach out to him. I lift his head and pull him into my arms, feeling so much relief when he doesn’t pull away from me.
His arms wrap around me. “We need to stop that evil god. I know it won’t make up for anything that happened in your realm, but I would like to do everything I can to save this world and others he might target.”
“We’ll stop him,” I promise Riley. “I don’t know how. But we’ll stop him.”
I squeeze him closer, and finally, he melts into me. He drops his head on my shoulder, and the resistance I felt when I held him earlier is no longer there. The knot in my stomach slowly begins to loosen.
“Why were you just going to leave?” he asks. “I never wanted you to leave. I just… I was afraid you’d hate me. I was afraid that I was a monster. I just… needed a minute to think.”
“Afraid? Maybe that’s what was wrong with me,” I say.
Riley tips his head back as Kit watches me. “You were going to run because you were afraid?”
“I don’t know. There was just this… feeling… and I didn’t like it.”
He lets out a soft laugh and squeezes me. “These human emotions kind of suck, don’t they?”
“Human? Hmm… I think they’re Riley emotions.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, they only revolve around you. They’re very pesky. You make me feel pesky things.”
“That sounds horrifying,” he says teasingly with a soft grin.
“It is! I’m used to feeling manly and horny! Those are my two emotions.”
“You are ridiculous, you know that?” Riley asks as he tucks his head against my neck. “How can you not hate me?”
“I very much don’t and never will.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
He’s quiet for a while, so I kiss the side of his head. Then he takes a deep breath. “Come join us. I want you to get looked at by the emergency team, and then we’re going to…”
“Eat pizza?”
“Uh… no, I was thinking like… figure something out, but…” He looks around and trails off. “Eating pizza sounds easier.”
“Sure does. And I don’t need to see any healers; I’m fine,” I assure him.
Riley stares at me, so I show him one of the wounds that is slowly healing. It really will do just fine on its own.
He apparently still isn’t pleased since he starts pulling my shirt up higher to check for other ailments before I hear someone whistle. I look past Riley and see Mickey leaning against the wall.
“I approve, please continue,” he says, but Joy grabs him by the hair and drags him off to help.
“No! Joy! Please! I can only help so much before my body begins to hurt,” he whines.
“Come on,” Riley says as he walks over to a woman lying on the grass, unconscious but still alive. “Conquest said something about me being Death… is that why these souls are hovering around me? Can I control them like he did?”
I gaze at the white orbs bouncing around. “I’m going to be really honest… I have absolutely no idea.”
Riley sighs and holds his hand out, and one of the orbs rushes up to him. He seems perplexed as he stares at it and then looks down at the woman. “Can I just kind of… shove it in there? I can feel that it belongs to her.”
“Won’t hurt to try,” I say. I watch him grab it and press it against her chest, but it’s like he’s trying to press a solid ball against her chest while looking uncertain why it won’t just merge.
“Maybe she needs to eat it,” Mickey unhelpfully suggests. “Just like cram it in her mouth and see what happens. I should have been a doctor.”
“Should you?” Riley asks as Mickey kneels down and touches the woman then takes the orb from Riley. The soul is not pleased and immediately leaves Mickey’s hand to return to Riley. “Do you have any actual ideas?”
“Not at the moment. Maybe it needs more weight. Just like… stomp it into her.”
“Your help is extremely ineffective,” Riley mutters, but I can tell he’s frustrated. “Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I help her?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“Do you think this is the end? Do you think she really can’t be saved?”
“Maybe the other horseman can save her,” Mickey says.
“I have my doubts we’ll get anywhere near him,” I state, having the feeling that his free will has been stripped by the god. So I set my hand on Riley’s. “Maybe now is just not yet the right time. This magic seems to be disconnected from you. Maybe you’re just not powerful enough yet.”
Riley looks down at his hand that’s hidden beneath the glove and laughs. “Any more powerful and I doubt there’ll be much left of me.”
I reach out and tug up the leg of his pants, finding that the stain has crept up as far as I can see. I stare at it for a second before dropping the fabric. “Let’s try again when you’re not so drained.”
He nods as he stands and looks toward the spot where the Door stood earlier. “How long before he returns?”
“I don’t know.”
“The better question is… how many worlds are already gone?” Mickey asks. “Can we warn other realms?”
I look over at him. “I have no idea where they would target next.”
Mickey’s quiet for some time before saying, “Yeah? I might.” And then he claps his hands and Tommy rushes forward to try to carry him off. It’s very unsuccessful while he struggles to pull Mickey away.
“Is… is this what they call secondhand embarrassment?” I ask Riley.
“Sure is. I think he thought he was going to be super cool dropping that bit before being whisked away… it’s very embarrassing.”
“I can hear you guys,” Mickey yells.
“Good,” Riley calls back.