Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Riley
With Selena gone, her defensive wall crumbles down, burying Onyx’s body and giving Sigma a path to bring me across to the others.
They’re facing Famine, who is simply standing beside her horse. She’s clearly quite injured, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to slow her down if she chooses to attack.
I ride Sigma past the others while Torin looks at me then gives me a nod, telling me he trusts me.
“You will help us stop Aemon,” I say to Famine as I hold the soul tightly in my hand. Her eyes are fixed on it.
“I will if you promise me that if I can turn this soul white again, you will help me bring Selena back,” Famine replies.
I watch the black wisps curl around the soul and wonder how she’d ever figure that out. I don’t even see a hint of white left on it. But if it forces her to take my side, then it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Slowly, I hold the soul out and she tentatively reaches for it.
“If you ever try to hurt my people again, I will destroy her soul with just a thought,” I say quietly. I’m honestly not even sure if I can, but I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to force her to feel like she has no option but to help us if the need arises.
Famine wraps the soul up, protectively holding it against her chest before she swings onto her horse’s back and flees through the Door. Torin destroys it the instant she’s through.
“Do you think it’s a good idea to let her go? She was hurt; we had an advantage,” Vero says.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “But if she was prepared to destroy a world and even herself for that goddess then maybe she’ll help kill a god. I guess only time will tell.”
“We need to get stronger,” Vero growls.
I glance over at him, but he refuses to look at me for some reason.
“What’s blocking your power, Vero?” Torin asks.
“I don’t know,” he says. “But I’m still strong enough to stop them.”
I look at him thoughtfully. If we could figure it out, he’d be even stronger.
Torin pulls me down from Sigma’s back. “I think you made the right decision.”
“Did I? Because I feel quite unsure.”
“I trust you,” he says.
“Are we group hugging to celebrate that we’re all still alive?” Mickey asks as he hurries over, dragging Vero in for a hug.
Vero turns into a statue, not wanting any part of this, while Torin is disgusted by Toast, who is back to being a tiny bat on Mickey’s shirt.
“You didn’t tell me that thing gets bigger,” Torin complains. “That size is creepy enough. I nearly plunged to my death to get away from it.”
“He’s so cute and magical. Aren’t you, Toast? What a good boy, saving Torin. Give him a kiss,” he coos as he holds the teeny bat up to Torin. The bat licks the side of Torin’s face, and I think Torin nearly dies right there.
Vero scowls. “This is irritating and disgusting. I’m going home.”
“I’ll go with you. We can go tell the people that the two of us saved the world,” Mickey teases while he chases after Vero.
I look over at Torin and then around at the devastation caused to his land by mere minutes with them here.
Torin must notice what I’m looking at because he says, “What I learned long ago is that we can aways rebuild. No one was hurt. And your decision was for the best. I’m happy to see that you’re beginning to gain control over your power. I bet your horse helped that.”
“He definitely didn’t,” I grumble as I glance over at the horse still watching me.
“He definitely might have.”
“Thank you for saving my life… what I did was really risky and if it weren’t for you…” I think about how close I came to dying. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I would do anything for you, you know that,” Torin says as he pulls me in and kisses my forehead before sliding his hand into mine. “Do you want to ride back?”
“How about we walk?” I suggest.
“I will always choose the option that’ll allow me to spend more time with you.”
“Do you ever just… feel exhausted thinking about all we need to do? We need to find Conquest, start a new city, protect all these people, learn how to use our powers, save a realm from War, stop a god…”
“Learn how to ride a horse,” Torin tosses in.
“We can skip that one.”
“Have a lot of sex.”
“I’m glad that’s up there with saving multiple worlds and stopping a god.”
“Right? It’s rather important.”
“I’m exhausted just thinking about it.”
“Let’s go on our honeymoon.”
I look over at him and grin as I hug Kit to me before setting her on the ground so she can run. “We’re not even married.”
“We’ve already joined the mile-high club; marriage sounds like a good next step.”
That makes me laugh, and it’s like a weight lifts off me just because he’s here. “Umm… I think we never actually accomplished that, but if you reading porn on an airplane makes you feel close to it, then sure.”
“‘Sure’ as in we’re getting married?”
“Usually people know each other more than a few weeks before getting married, but I guess we haven’t done anything the usual way so far, have we?”
“We can be Torin, God of War and Love and Lover of Riley, and Riley, Lover of Torin, God of War and Love and Lover of Riley.”
“Oh yes, we should have those printed on our wedding invites. I should have my name officially changed.”
“I concur,” Torin says.
I brush against his shoulder while I squeeze his hand. “How about we check a few things off our list first and then we’ll talk about marriage, okay?”
“Can we have sex on every surface until then?”
“I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”
Torin nods, quite pleased. “Perfect.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you could shoot lightning down from the sky?”
“Because I wanted you to witness it and be so turned on that your pants exploded from your body,” he says.
“Well… that sure would have made the fight a lot more awkward.”
“But was it sexy?”
“It sure was.”
He laughs as his fingers squeeze mine.
After a minute of contented silence while we walk, I tell him, “The first time I did this alone and failed. But this time, I have so many people prepared to lay down their lives to stop Aemon. I might not have the strength I did back then… but a big part of me wonders if I would have let the magic consume me like it did if I’d had you by my side.
Or if I would have been able to stop him for good. ”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Torin promises. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“I don’t think I could ask for anyone better to be stuck with.”
Kit glances back and I get to see Sigma and Quill walking side by side. Quill is trying to chew on Sigma’s mane and the horse is biting at him in fury.
“I think they’re going to be the best of friends.” Torin must have noticed what I was looking at.
“I think Quill just pesters everyone into liking him.”
“I’m fine with that,” Torin says with a grin. He leans in and gives me a gentle kiss.
And for the first time in a long time, I discover that I feel hope that we’re going to be able to do this. I’m aware the road ahead of us is extremely rocky, and I’m afraid of what I might lose along the way, but Torin and I are going to stop Aemon and set everything right.
Torin hooks my chin and sneaks in another kiss. “It’s the power of love.”
I smile. “Sure is, Torin, God of War and Love and Lover of Riley.”