46. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

E laine was free.

Truly free.

She endless, a vast sea of pure energy, encompassed by a dark abyss. It was warm, and safe, wrapping around her, until a comforting scene spilled out. Soft grass bloomed beneath her; a blue sky stretched to the horizon, absent of clouds, and any cold wind; she lay down, at peace, no care or fear tormenting her.

"We're meant to be training, love, not lounging about."

"I'm not—" She caught herself, bolting upright.

Aya sat up on the grass, smiling at her. A frown pulled at Elaine. No, this wasn't right. Aya wasn't—

"This isn't right," she whispered.

"Yes, it is, you're here with me. Isn't that what matters, what we promised to each other?" Aya said gently as she cupped the side of Elaine's cheeks. "You swore yourself to me."

"We swore ourselves to each other," she found herself saying. "But I…I died, I think. I don't know. Maybe I'm not dead but I'm not alive."

"Then what are you?"

Uncertainty quivered through her soul. She closed eyes, trying to recall what happened; all the light, and the pain, and the magic that tore her apart.

Had it worked? Surely…It had to have

She had to know, had to be sure that her risk paid off. She needed to say sorry to Aya—to the real one, anyway. No doubt she'd be angry, but Elaine could deal with that. She would smile and kiss her, tell her how much she loved her, and let Aya fuck her for a solid week.

"I have to…" Elaine glanced around. "I need to go. How do I leave?"

Aya returned with an arch look. "This is your creation. Command it."

"I don't know how. "

Something softened in Aya's expression. She leaned in, cupping Elaine's cheeks. "Yes, my love, you do."

Elaine!

She jumped to her feet, looking around wildly. "Did you hear that?"

"Sabra!" she cried out. "Can you hear me?"

Elaine, Aya needs you! They all need you! They're going to die if you don't come back.

"I don't know how! I'm stuck, I—"

The voice came again, softer this time.

I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope so. Aurora said you should've been able to come back but she doesn't know. But I do. If anyone can, it's you. You made Aya fall in love with you, and she needs you, we all do. So, COME BACK!

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Elaine's fists curled tight. She didn't know how to come back. Fuck, she had no idea what she was, or what power now flowed through her. It was unlike anything she'd ever wielded before and—

The magic.

"Fucking hell, surely not—" Her gaze snapped to her arms.

There were no tattoos in sight, no mark of the gods. Bare, like any other witch before they swore the oath. But she felt her magic, didn't she?

She closed her eyes. There it was, the same roaring storm, all the magic that had crashed into her. Right at her god damn fingers. She'd assumed the magic would've burned through her, dulled enough that it would pass into the ground. Maybe she might destroy a bit of the forest. Hell, she half expected it to burn her up completely, turn her to ash.

But it hadn't.

She was reforged.

Elaine, please—yes, Zari, I know. But I trust her. She's family and she—

Elaine slammed her palms into the ground and something inside of her snapped. The world exploded into light. She screamed into the void, the words tearing out, an unchecked storm to be unleashed upon the world.

The light dimmed as Elaine floated down, the stone ground touching her feet a second later. Her legs wobbled as the weight set in, and the world lurched, sending her staggering forward. Two sets of blue hands caught her. She blinked, her vision clearing, as she dared to look up. A smile split her cheeks, tears spilling out.

Sabra smiled tearily. "You're back."

"I heard you," she breathed. "You—"

"Everyone's imminent deaths, remember?" Zari cut in.

Elaine straightened up, and she grabbed the pair of them, looking them square in the eye. "Where?"

"The Inner District."

She closed her eyes.

There.

Light bled away, exposing the carnage strewn before her. The stench of death hung thick in the air. Bodies scattered across the ground. She saw Alexios first, desperately shaking Tobias. He froze, his gaze snapping up, widening upon her. Her focus flew beyond him, past the gods—there, in the flesh, and she didn't give a damn—to her necromancer on the ground. Anger, like freshly forged steel, settled in her gut. It wrapped around her bones, hardening them.

And then she was there, striding into existence. Light streamed off her body, ribbons of magic spilling across the ground

"Get your fucking hands off her."

One of the gods rushed to stop her. She threw out a hand. Pure energy erupted into existence, sending him crashing into the wall. She kept on walking. Another lunged for her. Her hand snapped out, catching Arcan by the throat. She stopped and dragged him close. Their breaths tangled together as she stared him down, no longer afraid of what he might do to her.

He was no threat to her.

She had grown beyond him. She was something else now, something more.

" You are nothing."

She dropped him and moved on.

Akaria paled and stepped back. "You can't kill me."

The goddess of death kept moving back until Elaine stood between her and Aya.

"No," Elaine agreed. "But she can."

Sabra materialized right behind Akaria, Aya at her side.

And the love of her life shot in, tearing the dagger right across Akaria's throat. Aya stepped back and the goddess of death dropped to the ground.

"Now, I think that about—" Aya's voice cut off as her head jerked back, and darkness roared from her.

Elaine vanished away, appearing by Tobias and Alexios. She threw out a hand as a blast of energy crashed against her shield. It sailed harmlessly off. Beneath her, Tobias whimpered, and in that single sound, a little tension eased from her muscles. She smelt the blood, saw the puddle around his stomach, but he was alive.

For now.

She turned her focus to the shield. Once the energy ceased, the world silent once more, she lowered it.

"Fucking hell…"

A few feet away, Aya stood, glowing. Ribbons of black energy swirled around her. Jewels were woven through her raven curls, glittering like stars, and radiated with thousands of little waves of energy. A gossamer silk red dress clung to her body, like blood dripping from her, and even her forearms were wrapped in black leather gauntlets.

Enamored by those dark, wondrous eyes that swept around, a little wide and uncertain. Her wings ruffled a little behind her, stretching out.

Elaine's breath hitched. The tips of her wings were red . Aya's gaze seemed to follow Elaines' and as they alighted on her wings, a little ‘fuck' whispered through.

"Quite a look," Elaine drawled.

Aya's attention whipped to her, cut her to the core. Shock splashed over her face. She moved too quickly for Elaine. One minute she was an arm's length away, the next Aya was kissing her—hard. Desperately, drinking her in, clinging to her with nails that bit into her upper arms. Each a tiny bloom of pain, welcomed and dizzying.

Someone cleared their throat behind her.

"Um, can I kindly say what the fuck right now?" Sabra crowed. "And also, I am little confused."

Elaine turned, entangling her fingers with Aya. After everything, she needed a little comfort, and knew that by Aya's side, she was exactly where she belonged. Defiant, she lifted her gaze to meet the god of war, her shoulders square, as if to say, you don't scare me anymore. Free of his marks, of all the gods, possessing a strange power that made her feel just as strong as any of them, she was ready to cut them down to size.

The gods shared a long look among each other, a silent conversation as much of the Inner District watched on. Waiting with bated breath for the decision that would set the path forward.

After a seemingly eternal wait, Arcan turned. "Welcome Aya Sinclair, the new Goddess of Death."

Beside her, Aya spluttered. "I'm sorry, what?"