Chapter 41
Zara
Air filled my lungs, and I shot my eyes open as I coughed through the pain. They felt stiff, as if they hadn’t worked for a long while, as if I was forcing them to move against their will.
Above me, a vast domed ceiling stretched, its expanse dominated by stained glass that filled my vision.
It was breathtaking, and my gaze skated across the intricate vines that snaked across the glass, adorned with countless blooming roses.
I watched as some sort of spell made them recede, only to reappear and re-bloom elsewhere.
A metaphor, I guess, of life and death, and its ever-changing, shifting currents.
My body felt peculiar, despite the fact that I was resting on something that was soft and silken. I was cold, stiff, and my limbs felt heavy, empty.
I didn't belong here, and a wave of discomfort washed over me.
I was back in Nexia. I could feel it in my soul, in the very air around me, as if a tangible connection to the heart of this world had been forged, allowing me to know and see it.
I should have felt my pulse racing from the unease, but there was nothing.
Not a beat, not a pulse. And then I remembered, I was dead.
Blood no longer flowed through me and whatever body I was in was just a corpse I was puppeteering.
Fear and disgust crashed over me, and my chest rose and fell rapidly but only from the air I forced into my decaying lungs.
I wanted to vomit, but the nausea wouldn't come.
I felt nothing but the biting cold. Why did they send me back here? I shouldn't be here—I—
“Took you long enough.”
I shot up, my aching limbs forced to comply as I gasped. It couldn’t be. But that had been his voice.
I was still disoriented but as I turned, my eyes locked onto bright, emerald orbs.
Without hesitation, I lunged.
The sound of his silky laugh caressed every inch of my soul, and my arms went around his neck, my mouth crashing onto his as he pulled me from wherever I had been lying and into his arms. He smiled against my lips and, fuck, if that wasn’t everything.
Xavier spun me around, my feet landing on the floor as he held me tightly to his chest, our mouths devouring one another in a desperate, feral kiss.
His hands laced through my hair, drawing me nearer until no space remained between us.
Our lips parted, our gazes locking as his breath, a phantom touch against my mouth, sent a shiver through me.
He was alive. He was here. He was—wait.
My eyes widened and Xavier smirked. Hope surged through my soul and my grip tightened around his neck.
“Does this mean… are you… are we?”
“Dead?” Xavier’s smirk widened. “Yes.”
“But are we—are you?” I said frantically, needing to know, needing it confirmed.
Xavier's eyes flickered, a brilliant, glowing blue erupting within his irises. “Yes, love, we are,” Xavier said, running his fingers through my hair.
A happiness I'd never known washed over me. I didn't care how or why this happened. We could be together. Truly together. We'd get to have lifetimes, among the stars, in other realms. He was finally mine.
I lunged at him again, and he let out a hearty laugh as we tumbled to the floor. I grinned, our limbs entwining as he rolled me onto my back. Our mouths met once more in a passionate kiss, and I wished it would never end.
“As much as I desperately want to see where this was heading,” Xavier said, groaning as he pulled away from me, a grin still plastered on his face. “We only have until sunset, and we are on a schedule.”
I didn’t understand, not fully, but I nodded and let him pull me off the floor. My gaze swept past him, and I realized we were in some sort of mausoleum.
The walls were recessed with large arches, niches built into the sides of the beige stone.
The room was empty except for three large coffins.
They were each made from carved bone, much like the thrones in Xavier’s castle.
They twisted over stained glass, which had a design etched on its surface, one that matched the tattoo on my left arm, on Xavier's right.
They were beautifully crafted. Regal even.
The third coffin matched, having the same twisting bone and glass, but that coffin had a separate design. Tiny roses were painted on its surface and my brows touched as I stared at them.
All three sat open, and my eyes went wide as I realized that is what I had been lying in when I had woken up. I met Xavier’s gaze again and his features softened as he nodded once in confirmation.
This was where our bodies would forever lie. Together, here.
Sucking in a shaky breath, I forced myself to ask the question. “Who is the third coffin for?” If I had a heart, it would be racing, and I watched as Xavier chewed on his words. As if he was afraid to tell me.
“Who, Xavier?”
He ran a hand through his inky black hair, and scratched at the back of his head. The muscles in his bicep bulged and I couldn't help but stare at them—at him.
He was okay. Alive.
Xavier reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment, and handed it to me. I took it cautiously, peeling open the message, and blinked.
“I die and my reward is spending eternity with you and your mate? I think I regret not passing on. Lex and I went ahead to the castle. As usual, you took too long to wake up. See you soon.”
–Lana.
I read the message again, and then a laugh, a genuine barking laugh left my lips, startling Xavier. That bitch had always been good at surviving.
I kept laughing but it slowly morphed into a choking sob the more the information sank in.
Part of me was relieved, happy even. Maybe this meant we could have another chance.
A chance to be true sisters. Ones who laughed and took care of one another instead of poisoning each other and bickering.
To finally not be in some sort of twisted competition.
The thought warmed my chest, but it was quickly replaced with ice.
How was she going to spend eternity with me and my mate, when hers was going to die? Her mate was mortal, and eventually his soul would pass on. And what would that mean for them? For us? Why had she agreed?
Tears fell down my cheeks and Xavier reached up to wipe them away as another jarring thought entered my mind. My back straightened, and fear coursed through me. Xavier must have felt it as he moved closer, his brows drawing inward as he looked down at me in concern.
“If Lana is still alive, doesn’t that mean?” I let my question hang, my body vibrating with unfamiliar energy but Xavier’s shoulders relaxed, and the action calmed me.
“She is no longer mortal. Her essence has changed. Morgana can no longer take her magic, her life. Gods can’t be controlled like that. Morgana is gone for good.”
“But Jaxon—” I began, but Xavier shook his head, a soft smile on his lips.
“Turns out, my brother is technically my cousin. He isn't a part of Morgana’s bloodline.” He sighed, and his smile fell.
“According to the Fates, they approached my uncle and mother when Jaxon was born. Whatever they showed them, it convinced them to alter my mother’s memory, making her believe she had another son.
This happened before Morgana’s soul merged with hers, and by the time it did, the lie was too ingrained, too widespread for Morgana to question it. Just another lie my uncle told.”
My mind raced, and just as I was about to speak, a voice boomed around us, making me jump.
“Turns out I have more than mommy issues I have to work through.”
Spinning, I saw Jaxon enter the room, a smug grin plastered across his face as he approached us.
His piercing golden eyes seemed to bore into my very soul.
His blond hair was now cut short, and a single strand curled over his forehead.
He was dressed entirely in black, his suit shimmering with an intricate silver embroidery.
I collided with him, and his breath escaped in a huff as I threw my arms around him and squeezed. He chuckled, returning my embrace. He held my body tightly against his, sighing into my hair. “Good to see you too, Zara.”
A low growl echoed around us, and we both laughed at hearing Xavier.
“Same old possessive asshole,” Jaxon murmured, and he gently pushed away from me and strode toward his brother… or I guess his cousin?
“Brother,” Xavier grunted, not moving, and I rolled my eyes at his greeting.
Jaxon snorted and slammed into him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Cousin.”
Xavier pulled away, slapping Jaxon on the cheek, and Jaxon frowned at the action, knocking his hand away.
“Fuck that. You have been and always will be my brother.”
Jaxon grinned again, and they stared at each other a long moment, and the sight had my chest swelling with emotion.
A cough rang out in the room, and we all spun toward the entrance. Julian was standing outlined in the doorway, the light behind him casting his features in shadow. He was also wearing all black, and he pushed his large square glasses up his nose and lifted his chin.
“We are on a tight schedule, you know, and you two are late.”
A laugh burst out of me, and I was running. Julian's eyes widened in surprise as I threw my arms around his neck, a sob escaping my lips as I buried my face in his neck.
“Uh—well—Zara,” Julian stammered, but I only sobbed harder, my words muffled as I tried to speak. Julian’s arms awkwardly wrapped around me, and he patted my back as if I were some strange creature.
“I'm sorry, Julian, so fucking sorry. Please understand, please know I had no choice. I didn't want to hurt you.”
It almost seemed like he hesitated but then his arms tightened around me.“I know,” he breathed, and I let out another shaky whimper. “It's okay, Zara. Really. I know now that it wasn't actually you.”
I leaned back, and met Julian’s large, dark eyes. They were glistening with tears, and he quickly drew me back into a full embrace. After a long moment, I pulled away, trying to regain my composure.