Sage

Sage

She placed the last stone over the grave, the heavy clunk it made echoing in her heart. It was like she was burying part of herself with them. A piece of her soul, deep beneath the earth, would die right alongside her friends.

Minx’s magic vibrated behind her, and a rose bush grew between the graves, the branches curling around the headstones Alec helped her make. Lush scarlet roses bloomed, their perfume filling the chilled afternoon.

“It will never stop blooming - not even in the winter,” Minx said softly behind her. She could hear the tears in her voice and the hitch in her breath as she tried to hold back a sob.

Sage had tried her best to prepare Minx for it. She’d blocked her in the cave and wouldn’t let her see their bodies, not until Alec had a good hold on her. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t stop the pain from cracking her world when she heard Gabriela and Naru were gone.

She couldn’t stop her best friend from blaming herself - she was supposed to protect Gabriela. She’d been the one to take her from her home, just as Sage had with Kami, and they would both harbor that guilt for the rest of their lives.

Minx placed a hand on her shoulder, sinking to her knees in front of Gabriela’s grave. Sage put her hand over hers, squeezing her fingers as she silently cried. They would help each other with the guilt, with the pain of failing their friends.

Together, they would spend the rest of their lives making up for it.

“I’m so sorry, Naru,” Sage whispered over his grave. “You were so kind to me, and I failed you in so many ways. You deserved so much better - a life together.” Her chest hitched as she began sobbing, the guilt too much to bear.

Something cracked inside her, and she felt the souls she harbored moving, swirling beneath her skin. A shadow of a ghost placed a hand over her heart, shocking her. Kami appeared before her - a translucent, watery version of herself, but still her.

She took Sage’s free hand and pushed her gift inside her fingers. Sage wielded it without a thought, and Gabriela appeared, standing over her own grave. Minx let out a strangled yelp somewhere between a sob and a cry of relief. Then Kami pressed Sage’s hand to the earth, over Naru’s grave, and pressed her gift there.

Naru appeared next to Gabriela, his giant arm slung over her delicate shoulders as they stood side by side.

“How-” Minx started.

“Kami,” Sage said, smiling through her tears. She had Kami’s soul and her gift - the gift of taking power, taking souls, but also calling to them across the void.

“Keep me here,” Naru said, glancing down at Gabriela. “Keep us together. At least until she’s ready.”

“Naru, I-” Sage began, but he shook his head.

“I knew the risks. We both did. You don’t owe us anything, Sage. But if you want to do something for us, keep us.”

The Kami before her smiled, then pointed to the ghost of a pendant hanging from her chest.

“I held Grup here, near my heart when I needed him. His soul is free now, but you can do the same with the ones you have.” Kami pressed her hand over Sage’s heart.

“You don’t have to harbor us here. Find some pretty gems.”

Sage blinked back at them, her eyes burning with tears. She nodded, then smiled. If that was what they wanted, then she would do it. She’d place them in gems and carry them around the world if they asked.

“Put our gifts there too,” Kami said with a knowing look. “For one, you’re going to go crazy if you keep them. But we can pass on our gifts when we are ready.”

Minx frowned at them, confused.

“Pass them on? Like, gift them to someone else?” She asked. Kami nodded.

“Our bloodlines are gone, but our gifts can still be given. But only if we find someone worthy.” Kami explained.

“Otherwise we will keep them, and when we are ready to say goodbye to you all, the gift will die with us,” Gabriela said, smiling up at Naru. “I for one hope to find someone brave and true to hand mine to. Or a few people.”

Sage exchanged a look with Minx. Could they do that? Just hand their gifts to someone else? Bestow them like the Goddess did?

Was that the answer? Maybe one person shouldn’t have all that power. Maybe they did need to split their gifts up.

Her thoughts were broken when she heard the soft whinnying behind her. She turned to see Omi and her shadow horses - and Kade striding towards them. Sage jumped up, seeing the bemused expression on his face, and ran straight to him.

“Blackwood! Of all the harebrained, stubborn-” she jumped into his arms, silencing him with a kiss. Wrapping her arms over his neck she pulled him to her, holding him tightly. Without the bond, there was no blinding light, no searing heat that blazed like a tether between them.

But in its place, there was something else. Something that only she could feel, deep in her soul, that set her body alight and brought fresh tears to her eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

His red eyes dimmed, turning lilac as he stared into her eyes. “Don’t you ever do that again, Blackwood.” He said softly. “I thought I lost you.”

She smirked, “It’s not going to be that easy, Demon. Especially since I broke the only working portal. You’re stuck with me now.”

His eyes widened as his lips curled into a smile. “Thank the Goddess.”

She pressed her forehead to his chin, breathing in his scent.

“He’s gone,” she said.

“I know. I felt it.” He replied.

“That makes you King.”

Omi appeared behind him, rolling her eyes. “We know. Everyone has been bowing and scraping at his feet. He’s going to get a big head about it.”

“I will not!” Kade shot back, looking indignant.

Omi shrugged and waltzed over to Alec and Minx, who were still speaking with the phantom Gabriela and Naru. Kami was on her back, staring up at the clouds, a satisfied look on her face.

Sage noticed Kade’s confused look and chuckled. “I’ll tell you about that later. But what about the horde?”

“Under control. For now. But we need to figure out where to place them. There’s going to be a lot of animosity towards them, especially after my father ransacked a few towns and villages.”

Sage nodded.

She let her head fall against his chest. “Whatever we do, we do together.”

“Always, Blackwood.” He said, stroking her hair. “Bond or not, I am tied to you. Tell me what you want to do - and we shall do it.”

Sage frowned, looking back at her friends. What did she want to do? Kade had his people he needed to help - which she could help with, and most likely would have to help with. The people of Neaviah still harbored a fear of the Demons, but with the Hands gone, they had a chance to rectify that. It would take time and a lot of hard work, but she had hoped that they could make changes and bring peace to the land.

But that was Kade’s dream. That’s what he wanted.

What did she want?

She had her soul back. She had magic. Her family couldn’t hurt her anymore.

What future did she want to work towards?

“I want to rebuild the Guild in Reinshire. I want to offer a home to the orphans Rhea and Wraza saved - to the prisoners Minx freed and to the people your father displaced. I want to build a place where everyone is welcome, so long as they behave.”

Kade looked down at her, his lilac eyes glowing as he smiled.

“So do I.”