25. Arit

Chapter twenty-five

Arit

A da isn’t surprised in the least about our decision, and she hugs us both and reminds us that we’ll always be welcome here. It turns out here is a privately owned island, one of many off the coast of Belize. I can’t help dwelling on the fact that I’ve finally been told I have a home just in time for me to make my home with Nixon. Having a home a million or five years ago would have been nice, but I’m still happy with having two homes now.

And just the concept of having a home is completely foreign. I’ve been a nomad my entire life. What will it feel like to have someplace I actually belong? That’s mine? Where I sleep every night with Nixon at my side? I can’t wrap my head around it. Or my suddenly limited time frame.

Yesterday, I had millions of years ahead of me. Endless days and nights filled with service. An eternity to remember the limited time I had with the most important person in my existence. To watch him grow old and die without being able to stop it. Would I have traded my soul to save Nixon? Yes. But either of us living without the other would have been a cruel punishment to bear.

Now, I get to spend the rest of my time in this realm loving Nixon from the depths of both our souls because I will carry a piece of him with me forever.

Ada explains that our transition can wait a little while, but not too long unless we want Nixon’s symptoms to return. Apparently her tea is only slightly magical in terms of alleviating Nixon’s soul situation. The cure is evidently me. Or us, actually. Our union.

As we talk some more, we learn that Nixon’s symptoms were set in motion the first time we met in person. We both felt drawn to each other, that we had a connection, and Fate, or Ada, was nudging us to this very moment. Everything that’s happened, every life Nixon has lived, has led us to this. Our souls knew it, we just needed a helping hand to see it too.

Ada sounds intrigued as we explain how we found her, our use of the magical portal, and the fact that our combined essences, for lack of a better term, connected us to her. She explains that my creator was one in a long line of Fate Mothers, the beings in charge of perpetuating the Fates and reapers alike. As beings are created, so then do they die, and the cycle continues. Ada was the being created by my Fate Mother to replace her when she chose to retire her post and live out her days in human form, much the same way I’m doing with Nixon.

The outpost we’re on, nicknamed Bells Two, is one of dozens of similar sites across the globe, not all of them in a tropical paradise, however. When Ada takes us on a tour of the working wing of the outpost, I’m not the only one shocked at what I see. Nixon is transfixed, asking a million questions about the use of modern surveillance systems, the database used to store information, and how all of this goes unnoticed by the world at large.

Ada just grins, mischief in her eyes, and says I’m not the only one whose superpowers have evolved over time.

When we’re finally ready to have some time to ourselves, we stop by the kitchen to grab some snacks for Nixon and then make our way back outside.

“Besides Paris, this is the coolest place I’ve ever been,” Nixon gushes as we head up the path toward the rest of the visitors’ huts.

“You didn’t even see Paris,” I remind him.

He looks back at me with hooded eyes. “I was a little distracted, yes. But Paris will forever be our place. It’s the place I fell in love with you.”

I wrap my arm around his back as we draw nearer to the huts. “I think I probably already loved you at that point, seeing as I’ve been obsessed with you for a while.” Nixon laughs. “But yes, I’d agree. Paris was incredibly special.” I press a kiss to his shoulder. “I’ve never had a place like that before.”

“Like what?”

“A place that means something. A place that’s important to me.”

“Mm. Well, from now on we’re going to have lots of those places. I’ll make it my mission.”

We stop at the top of the path and turn to look out at the view. “Paris and Bells Two,” I muse, watching tranquil blue-green waves roll onto shore over the pristine white-sand beach. “Not a bad start for a month.”

“Don’t forget our park bench.”

I snort out a laugh. “Right. Where you ran away from me. Such fond memories.”

Nixon snickers and elbows me in the side. “You were talking about some crazy shit, my love.” He sighs happily and rests his head on my shoulder. “But Ada was already working her magic. And you know what else?”

“What?”

“I haven’t nearly died in weeks. Well, except for my soul situation.”

I’d noticed Nixon’s surer footing of late but hadn’t found a reason to bring it up. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s more confident or if it has something to do with our connection, but I just hum thoughtfully and say, “Thank the Fates for that.”

We stand there for a few more minutes, soaking up the scenery, but eventually make our way to one of the unoccupied huts. We open all the windows and doors and cuddle together on the bed while Nixon snacks. Neither of us makes a move to do anything more intimate than remove our shirts or explore the other’s warm skin, but I’m more than okay with that. The next time we’re together that way, I want to be human. I want to know my soul is connected to Nixon’s and feel that part of him throbbing in my chest in return. I want to taste him with human senses and make love the way I’ve only ever dreamed would be possible.

Nixon is my dream come true, the soul I’ve been chasing across eternity. To have him in my arms, to know I will always be with him, is enough to make me wish I could cry already. But I pull Nixon tighter, drop a kiss to his shoulder, and tell him I love him.

Our ceremony is tonight, and that’s when I’ll finally fulfill my destiny, six million years in the making. So much time has passed, but only now it seems like I’m finally living. And I owe it all to Fate.

“Are you sure?” Nixon asks for the third time in less than half an hour. We’re dressed in white linen shirts and khaki shorts, the basic menswear that’s kept on hand for guests in need, as we make our way to the reflecting pool to meet Ada. The sun has set, but the moon has not yet fully risen. “I know you keep saying you are, but this is forever we’re talking about, not just what color to paint the living room. We can’t undo this, Arit.”

I stop along the path that leads uphill and away from the main dwellings. In the distance, I can already hear a waterfall, which I suspect will be near where we’re heading. The vast array of flora and fauna on the island is remarkable. The macaws alone are some I’ve never seen anywhere else. I turn Nixon to face me and rest my hands on his shoulders. “You’re right.”

He pauses mid-speech, his mouth ready to form the words he’d prepared to keep arguing his point. “What do you mean?” he asks instead of saying whatever he was going to say originally.

“I mean you’re right. Maybe I should rethink this. Forever with you does sound nice.”

“Nice?” He looks almost offended.

“Yeah. I know so many amazing places we could visit. Did you know that sometimes I like to break into museums after hours? I mean, I am usually invisible and I can walk through walls, so I just go wherever whenever, right? But the Louvre and the British Museum, the Uffizi and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo are all fantastic. But what’s interesting is that I remember a lot of what’s on display. Not the actual items of course, but similar objects that people today find remarkable. And they are, don’t get me wrong, but let’s just take King Tutankhamun, shall we?”

Nixon is looking at me like I’ve suddenly lost my marbles, but he doesn’t interrupt. He just waits for me to continue.

“Did you know he ruled from 1332 to 1323 BC?” Nixon shakes his head. “Right, so quick math, roughly three thousand, five hundred, fifty years ago, give or take. Modern society considers anything two to five thousand years old ancient. Recorded history is only five thousand years old, dating back to the first written language of Cuneiform.

“Now, humor me and close your eyes for a second.” Nixon sighs but does as I ask. “I want you to put some serious thought into this, okay? If the first written record of history is only five thousand years old, and that was made using a reed pressed into clay slabs, what do you think the next five thousand years will hold?”

Nixon furrows his brow but doesn’t say anything out loud. From our connection, I can get a vague sense of his thoughts circling around to flying cars and interspace travel.

“Good. Now jump ahead another five, ten, fifty thousand years. Will humans still be living on this planet? What kind of damage will they have done to the environment by then? How will they treat anyone who’s different as they evolve to adapt? Now add five million years and tell me what you see.”

Nixon slowly opens his eyes. He still doesn’t say anything, but he holds my gaze, a more pensive expression on his face, then he leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m ready when you are,” he finally whispers, and this time I know he means it.

I take his hand in mine, press a kiss to the back, and we walk the rest of the way to the reflecting pool in silence.

Ada is already at the top of the path and senses our introspective moods. She comes over to greet us both with a hug. “Good evening. I’m set to begin, so if you’ll follow me, we’ll get started.”

Nixon squeezes my hand.

The narrow path Ada leads us along widens, verdant vegetation giving way to a rock-enclosed pool with a small waterfall at one end. The turquoise water is not entirely clear, a silty hue making it appear slightly milky, but whether the silt has anything to do with it or not, the water appears to glow from within, almost like some kind of bioluminescent reaction is taking place. The scenery is beautiful, and I know I’ve never seen another place like it.

“This is one of only a few moon pools in existence,” Ada begins, stopping at the edge of the water. “As the moon rises and we enter the pool, the water will clear, and we’ll be able to see things in the reflection that are not otherwise visible with the naked eye. This is when we’ll transfer your connection, Arit. Once you are no longer bound to your purpose, to me, Nixon will claim you and you two will be bound to each other. I’ll take care of creating your human form, but this is also when Nixon will need to surrender part of his soul.”

I glance at Nixon to gauge his mood. I can tell he’s nervous, but he’s also determined, his unwavering love for me stronger than any of his concerns.

He meets my gaze, ready and willing. “Let’s do this. You and me, together forever.”

I couldn’t ask for anything more.