Chapter Eleven
Several months later…
“Let me see if I understand this correctly. You are stuck in a death loop that keeps you dying over and over again because your dad accidentally killed you, then he stuck your soul in a jar in order to try to bring you back to life,” Braxton Lightbringer, Prince of Hell and the newly appointed God of Souls, recapped.
Naomi nodded. “Pretty much.”
“The soul in the jar is actually from a different lifetime,” Viktor reminded helpfully.
Naomi realized she was gripping his hand too tight, and slowly relaxed her grip a little.
She’d told her story to dozens of people over the past several months, so she should have been used to it.
But for some reason, she was nervous as hell.
Probably because she had never imagined sitting across the table from the God of Souls, his mate, Devon, who was known as the Goddess of Technology, and Lucifer, the King of Hell himself.
No matter how many times Viktor had tried to reassure her that everything would be fine, she wasn’t convinced. She couldn’t think of the dark god most people within the six realms feared as just her mate’s old friend.
Even though she was a powerful goddess herself now, she still had trouble thinking of herself as being on the same level as other gods. Because of that, she usually liked to avoid them. Part of that was the survival instinct. She had died far too many times to simply ignore danger.
Lucifer leaned forward and grinned at her. “This is fascinating. Naomi, I would love to talk to you more in depth about the various ways you’ve died. Have you ever considered ranking the methods, like the most painful down to the least?”
Viktor groaned. “Cut it out, Luc.”
“What? I’m just asking. It would be helpful research for me. Did you really try to come speak to me during one of your past lives?” Lucifer’s smile disappeared, and his expression turned downright terrifying. “Tell me who turned you away, and I will make them pay.”
Naomi waved that off. “No worries. It really wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just bad timing.”
“Let’s try to focus, Dad,” Braxton growled.
“I am focused,” Lucifer argued. “We need to merge her soul in the jar back into her. So, get to work, God of Souls. Just shove it in there.”
“That’s not…” Braxton sighed. “See, Naomi? You aren’t the only one with an asshole for a dad.”
She had to press her lips together to stop the startled laugh from bursting out of her. It wouldn’t be good to insult them when she and Viktor were there at Guardian’s Gate, Braxton and Devon’s home, asking for their help.
Over the last several months, she and Viktor had searched for a way to merge her souls back together.
Unfortunately, every new lead had ended in disappointment.
At least, the fruit she’d eaten from the Tree of Life had helped her remain healthy during that time.
It had also helped stabilize her magic a little more, so her glowing eyes had stopped doing that strange flickering.
Even if she felt better, that still hadn’t stopped random accidents from happening. Luckily, that’s when Viktor had stepped in. He’d saved her life too many times to count since they had mated. Some had simply been mishaps, while there had also been a few natural disasters thrown into the mix.
Devon raised her hand cutely. “You said there is a two-year window, right? Is there a chance Braxton could have been the one who sent you back initially during the original timeline?”
“I guess it’s possible, since we’ve never figured out why I was resurrected in the first place or why it’s two years,” she admitted. “Perhaps Zeno brought my soul to you after he experimented on me for two years, and you were able to send me back to my original death date.”
“I’m not sure this is something I can do,” Braxton said cautiously.
“If anyone can do it, I’m sure you can,” Devon encouraged, rubbing his arm.
“I’m willing to try if you are.” Naomi smiled. “And if it fails, I can always come back here next time, and we can try again.”
Viktor squeezed her hand hard enough to hurt, but she didn’t protest. She knew how difficult this was for him. Hell, it was probably harder on him than it was for her. She had experienced all of this before, but he had never had to watch her die in real time.
Braxton lifted the crystal jar, narrowing his eyes as he studied the soul trapped inside. Then, he looked at Naomi, studying her in the same, impassive way.
“Soul one and soul two are definitely identical. Meaning, the one inside of you is the same as this one,” he said, holding up the jar again. “I’m just unsure how both can exist in the same timeline.”
“Perhaps it’s possible since they are in different forms,” Devon said.
Braxton nodded. “That makes sense. Are you ready?”
“Give us a minute.”
Viktor pulled her out of her chair and crossed the room until they were in a private section of the great hall.
Even though they had made sure to say their goodbyes last night, he needed a moment alone with his mate.
He hated what they were doing, even though he fully understood why it was necessary.
Staring down at her beautiful face, he felt his eyes sting with unshed tears, and his breath caught as her own eyes filled.
Using his thumb, he brushed away the single tear that slid down her cheek.
“I will find you again,” she promised through their bond.
Pressing her hand against his chest directly over the mating mark there, he said, “I’ll be waiting for you. Always.”
He felt his heart breaking as she rose up on her toes and pressed her lips against his.
“I love you, Naomi. In this life, and the next.”
“And I love you, Viktor. I will always find you, no matter how many lifetimes it takes.”
When they broke apart, she reached up to wipe away the tears he hadn’t realized had fallen down his cheeks. Letting her go was killing him, but not ending her curse would continue to kill her.
And that was something he couldn’t allow to keep happening.
Not if they had a chance to stop it.
He had to remind himself that he had been infinitely blessed that he’d had the last few months with her.
If that was all they got, a few months together each lifetime, that would be enough for him.
Some mates didn’t even have that much. But it was hard not to be greedy, especially when he loved her so deeply.
Taking a deep breath, he walked with her back over to the table where the others were waiting. He was reluctant to let go of her hand, and had to force himself to take a step back.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Naomi announced. “Where do you want me? Should I sit down again or—”
Braxton gave them no warning. Using his magic, he broke open the crystal jar and sent the soul inside flying directly at Naomi. It slammed into her with enough force to throw her body backward.
Naomi felt the impact travel through her entire body. It was like being struck by a shooting star full force in the chest. Pain vibrated through her, echoing out until every cell in her body felt like it was going to explode.
Then, it suddenly stopped.
When she opened her eyes again and found herself back in her bed in her apartment, it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
They had failed.
Lying there staring up at the ceiling, she tried to motivate herself to get out of bed, but she simply couldn’t do it. Not with the loss of her mate making her want to completely lose her shit.
She pulled the extra pillow over her face as the tears began to fall. She let herself cry for everything she had lost. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, like an echo of the mating mark Viktor had given her.
Then, she realized it was just her heart breaking.
Naomi let out a gasp of surprise when she suddenly felt the pillow being pulled away from her face, and her eyes went wide as Viktor’s handsome face appeared in front of her.
“Are you trying to suffocate yourself?”
She sat up in a rush, almost bashing her head against his. He pulled her onto his lap, snuggling her close. “Hello, Naomi.”
“What are you doing here?”
He cocked his head to the side as he studied her. “Where else would I be but with my beloved mate?”
“I don’t understand,” she sputtered. “Didn’t we fail? What am I doing back here if we—?”
“It worked,” he said softly. “This is the day before your original death day.”
“The day before…”
Her head spun as she made a desperate grab for the phone on her nightstand. Sure enough, the display said that it was the day before she was supposed to start attending the magical academy. Braxton had sent her back in time, and somehow, she had been reborn outside of the death loop.
Covering her face with her hands, she started sobbing. He held her close and rubbed her back as she continued to cry. She wasn’t sure how long her tears lasted, but by the time her tears finally stopped, she felt exhausted and thoroughly dehydrated.
Glancing back up at him, she saw his own cheeks stained with his tears. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his in a sweet, tentative kiss. A gasp escaped her as he crushed her against his chest and buried his head against her neck.
“I woke up in a panic at The Manor and had no clue what was going on. Then, my chest began to burn, and the mating mark appeared in full glory. With it came all my memories of our past life together.”
“We did it,” she whispered. “We finally broke the curse.”
“We did,” he repeated. “And now, I want forever with you.”
She smiled at him, tears once again filling her eyes. Only, this time, they were tears of joy. “Forever is a good start.”