Chapter 38
ANASTASIA
“But I don’t understand.”
This was not the Underworld. I’d lived there long enough to know every nuance of the Underworld.
There were no screams or scent of burning embers on the wind.
The air wasn’t cool from the creeping fog of Asphodel.
Instead, I stood in the middle of a large temple.
Three of the walls were open with only columns holding up the roof.
At the back of the temple stood the lone wall.
A single door was at the center of it. Long golden threads ran across the ceiling to a large rectangular hole just above the doorway.
The threads glittered and moved, drawing my eye up toward them.
“What is this place?” I turned toward Hades. “Why am I here and not in the Underworld?”
Hades held his finger up. “Just a moment.”
“I am so confused.” This place was too beautiful. Just beyond the columns was a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds drifting all around us.
“Any minute now.” Hades took a step back and held his arms loose at his side.
A tornado of power came twisting into the temple. I sucked in a sharp breath. I recognized that blue and black magic.
Thanatos came to a halt just before Hades. “HADES!”
“I am here.” Hades spread his arms, keeping his tone smooth and calm. “What do you need?”
“You foul bastard. Where did you take her?” I’d never seen Thanatos so angry.
His voice was loud and booming, echoing all around the temple.
When Hades only gave a light chuckle, Thanatos let his power flow over his body.
He lit the room with blue and black sparks.
The wind kicked up, and his hair flew around his head.
Hades looked past him right at me. “You might want to step in now, before he does something he’s going to regret.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Thanatos?”
He froze. The magic died down from his body. When he spun around, his face crumpled and he pressed his hand to his chest. “My Anastasia.”
He opened his arms for me, and I hurried to get within them. I pressed my face to his chest as he held me so tight I thought I might be crushed. My heart soared and everything clicked into place.
Thanatos turned toward Hades. “But why? How is she here?”
“We are gods, my friend. We get what we want.” He gave a dark chuckle and shrugged. “Eventually.”
“Speak accurately or do not speak at all, Lord of the Underworld,” a female voice drifted from the doorway at the back of the temple.
Thanatos pulled me to his side, tucking me in close to his body. “I suppose you have something to do with this?”
Three women walked out from that doorway. Each one was more distinct than the other. The first had long, flowing golden hair and cloudy eyes. Her dress was a deep crimson color that highlighted her pale skin. Thanatos motioned toward her. “These are the fates, and this is the Fate of the Past.”
Something about her seemed so familiar, like I’d known her from a past life, yet I couldn’t place her face.
Thanatos motioned to the next fate. She wore a thick cloak that hid her features within the hood.
But when she pushed her sleeves up, revealing her delicate hands, I noticed her dark, beautiful skin.
She gave a small nod in my direction. “The first piece. It has been a long time coming.”
“This is the Fate of the Present.” Thanatos inclined his head in her direction.
I lowered my voice. “What does she mean?”
“They tend to speak in maddening riddles,” Thanatos muttered before motioning to the last fate. “This is the Fate of the Future.”
Again that feeling of familiarity came over me as if I knew her somehow. She was small and slight with a trim waist and straight inky hair. Her lips were a deep ruby red, and her eyes were dark and sharp as she gazed at me. “Finally, something to look forward to.”
“Excuse me?”
Hades motioned to the fates. “They have been waiting. . . for you.”
Thanatos narrowed his eyes at the fates. “Someone explain what is happening here?”
The fates all took a few steps back from us. One by one they extended pure white wings behind them. Thanatos balked, then glanced at Hades. “What is the meaning of this?”
“They aren’t fates.” Hades scoffed. “They’re angels.”
“What?” Thanatos shook his head.
“I know. I couldn’t believe it either.” Hades motioned toward me and Thanatos. “You two have really messed life up for them.”
I pressed my hand to my chest. “Me? How?”
The Fate of the Past stepped forward. “Our destiny was not to be the permanent fates.”
“But the fates are gods,” I argued. “They just exist.”
The Fate of the Present shook her head, sending the cloak floating in waves around her. “No, fates are different. It was long ago decided that to become a fate one must first live a human life. For if we are human, then we will have the empathy to wield their past, present, and future.”
Thanatos shook his head. “But you’ve been the fates since the beginning.”
“Thanks to you.” The Fate of the Future sighed. “Fate is a cycle.”
“All cycles have a beginning and an end.” The Fate of the Present made a circular motion with her hands.
“You were always meant to be here in the beginning.” The Fate of the Past motioned to me. “But love got in the way.”
“I got in the way, you mean,” Thanatos groaned.
“We were still new at this, and you were never supposed to meet that night.” The Fate of the Past gave a heavy sigh.
“And so, we have been paying the price ever since. Each time you thwarted her death, kept her soul, and reincarnated her, you stopped her from taking her rightful place as one of us.”
My eyes widened. “I’m to become a fate?”
“More specifically, you were always meant to replace me.” The Fate of the Past gazed in my direction.
“We could not chance it this time.” The Fate of the Present motioned to Hades. “We needed him to end the cycle so that we could start our own cycle.”
“If I’m supposed to replace the Fate of the Past, then who are you two supposed to be replaced by?” I motioned to Present and Future.
The Fate of the Future gave a knowing smirk. “That has yet to come. But come they will. You are the first and now the others may follow. The order has been restored.”
Thanatos gave a light chuckle and shook his head.
Then he hunched over, laughing more heartily.
Tears streamed down his face from his body-racking laughter.
“You mean to tell me if I had just let her go just one time, she would’ve become an immortal fate and we could’ve been .
. . could’ve been together this whole time? ”
My eyes went wide. “Oh no, that can’t be . . .” My words trailed off at the looks on their faces. “Or can it?”
“We have tried to kill you to bring you here in our own way many times.” The Fate of the Future folded her hands in front of her. “But alas, we are exhausted. It is time for us to move on and the job must be passed to the true fates. Our replacements.”
Thanatos continued to chuckle, and Hades came to his side, patting him on the shoulder. “Just let it all out. Go ahead. Hard to find out you’ve been fucking things up for centuries.”
“So, you see, love was always meant to be your reward.” The Fate of the Past motioned between Thanatos and me.
“This . . . this is unbelievable.” A wave of relief washed over me. “We can be together.”
“I know.” He forced himself to stop laughing. “We’ve been through all this and we . . . we can be together.”
He pulled me closer to him, and I wrapped my arms around his torso, pressing my face into his chest. Everything slid into place.
The hole I’d been feeling all this time was now filled completely.
I had my love and a new life to look forward to.
Centuries of strife to bring us to this one moment.
I would live those lives over again to bring me here.
It wasn’t a mistake for me to live. It wasn’t a mistake for me to die.
Everything was just as it was supposed to be. Fate had brought us here . . . finally. “I love you. I always have.”
He bent down low and pressed his lips to mine, taking my mouth in a scorching kiss. He pulled away and pressed our foreheads together. Our breath mingled and he met my gaze with his devastating pale-blue eyes. “And you always will.”