75. Abraxas

You burned for me, now it's my turn to burn for you.

Itold her once that I would always find her, and I intended to keep my word. I would have rather died than spend a single moment on this earth without her, so that's just what I did.

Ilanded in a river, plunging to my stomach. The water was ice cold, and I could feel frost coating my skin. This was no place for a living soul, and I wouldn't be living much longer if I lingered. The sky above was lit by only stars, as dark and endless as a moonless night. Even my vision only allowed me to see a short distance ahead, and all I could see was the endless expanse of the river that separated life and death. I tried to conjure my flames and felt nothing but the unending cold.

Imade my way with the current. Even traveling with it, it nearly knocked me off my feet. Fighting our way back against it would be nearly impossible. My wings were useless here. They were soaked in that icy water, frozen and bogged down. I had expected this would not be simple, but I had counted on them. Dragons weren't meant to walk; they were meant for the sky. But people weren't meant to come back from the dead either.

Iwould worry about that later. Something smashed into me, and I looked down to see the culprit was a body. It had wrapped itself around my knees from behind, and I carefully extracted myself as the river ripped it away. I had seen the man's face but didn't know him. I was sure his soul was one of the many who had fallen in our battle. Enemy or ally, it didn't matter now. I said a small prayer for him as he drifted down the river.

Hehad been lifeless as he drifted with no awareness as the river carried him to the end. Was that what Tori had been like? Was this all a farce, and she had already been swept too far for me to follow? No, I would not allow it.

Asthe thought plagued me, I felt a pull at my heart. Our bond was still present, if only weakened. Now that I was here, it felt stronger. No, she was still here and I would find her. I focused on that golden thread and followed into utter darkness.

BeforeI could see it, I heard the river change. No longer the forceful but calm flow, it churned. Eddies of current ripped in erratic patterns, battering me this way and that. The bottom of the river became slicker as if it, too, was coated in ice. I sunk my claws in to keep myself above the water, which was growing deeper and deeper as I traveled forward.

Painlanced through my wing as a sharp rock hidden just below the surface tore through it. I gingerly pulled the wing back, ice cracking along my skin as I did, which was just as painful. The river was becoming more treacherous, but I had spent my youth exploring the Sea of Spirits, and I would not be bested by it. I may not have had my magic, but it still held me. I felt the movement of air over the dark water, sensing the changes in the current around the rocks and obstacles. This was all slowing me down far too much.

Thattug came at my heart again. It was no longer forward but to my side. I made my way towards its source and found her. She was strewn across one of the razor-sharp rocks, and I could see the flesh of her spirit was flayed, even if it did not bleed. But her hands gripped the rock until I could see her nails cutting through the ice. She slowly raised her head, her eyes faded and unfocused.

"So, you have finally found me again, Death. You shall not have me, not yet." She tightened her grip on the sharp surface, but I saw that light return to her eyes, that same burning hatred she had thrown at me so long ago; it focused her.

Ibrought my nose close to her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes softened. "Abraxas? Is that you?" She loosened her grip, but then she swiped at me with her fingers clenched like claws, grazing my nose. "No, just another of your tricks. A particularly cruel one." She slashed at me again.

Little bird, it's me.She held her hand aloft, but I saw the division on her face.

"It can't be. That would mean you are…" she trailed off as her hand slipped on the rock. I swung my tail around and used it to hold her before she could float away.

I told you once before, Tori, no force on this earth, or beyond it, could keep me from you.Now that she was held to the rock with my tail, she lifted both hands to my snout and ran her fingers over the scales there.

"I should have known I couldn't escape you, even in death." Despite the cold, imminent danger, and unending darkness, she cracked a smile mischievous enough to deny Death himself.

You remember that next time you pull another stunt like this.As if the river could hear our hope blossoming, it struck. The tide underneath us rose, and the rock she clung to was submerged. I wrapped my tail around her and, with no small effort, lifted her high enough for her to crawl onto my back. I could hear the ice cracking on both her skin and mine as we moved.

Sheclimbed, sitting just in front of the joints of my wings before she collapsed. The bond between us faltered. She had been fighting for so long; I didn't know how much longer she had. I turned upstream and tried to claw us back to wherever in the hells we needed to go.

Tomy horror, the river kept rising, the water flowing faster and faster. I sunk my claws into the riverbed, but it was useless. Tori clung to my neck as I lost my purchase, and we were swept away.

Islammed into multiple rocks, their surfaces sharper than a newly honed blade. Each broke away scales and cut into the flesh below. I tried to keep Tori protected, but the next crash sent her flying. She reached out and grabbed one of my horns, twisting herself so she landed on my face.

Inthe pitch black, I could see her face by the golden light that radiated from my eyes. It highlighted her features in stark relief. She looked deep into my soul, and a sad smile crossed her lips. She pressed them into the scales of my forehead, and over the din of the river, I heard her say, "I love you."

Ilove you, little bird. Until the void takes us.

Andit would. I could hear it now. The river crashed over the edge as it fell into that place where nothing could escape. She held me tight as we fell.

Itried to spread my wings, and as I did, I felt not just the ice that clung to me but their very existence crackling and crumbling into nothing. I couldn't slow us, let alone fly. The thin flesh became nothing more than dust on the wind.

Aswe toppled down into the pit that was the original chaos of all things, I felt Tori clinging to me with all her strength. I reveled in it, that last feeling of her I would ever have. For centuries, I had longed for my dragon form and cursed the fae body I had been trapped in. Now, I wished for nothing more than to wrap her in my arms, holding her tight to my chest with our lips pressed together so that we might enter death together.

Isuddenly felt very light and looked back. Had my wings miraculously caught the air? I saw them stretch behind me now, great and black. They were far larger than mine had ever been. That's when I felt the claws clamp around my neck and tail. With a great tug, we were pulled out of our fatal dive. I couldn't twist to see, but I felt Tori lurch at the sight of what held us. I tried to rear back and fight, but it squeezed around my throat, and in a place of unending darkness, I saw nothing but black.

I awoke to a celestial constellation.More stars than I had ever seen coated the sky, somehow closer and brighter. Nebulas of purple and pinks swirled between them, moving slower than time itself. I pushed myself up on four legs and found myself partially submerged in a pool of water that was perfectly still like a mirror, reflecting the sky above.

Asmall groan came from beside me, and I saw Tori push herself up. She met my gaze, and scrambled over to me, her arms wrapping around my snout.

"Where are we?"

"The edge of everything," a deep voice rang behind us. We spun around, and I beheld them. They were enormous, even compared to me. They were the mother and father of all dragons, the first gods. Life and Death. She was perfectly white, like fresh fallen snow, and he was darker than the void itself. Her eyes shone a deep blue, and his an infernal red. Those eyes bore into us.

"You have caused quite a situation, little beast." I realized Death was talking to Tori.

"I don't know what you mean?" She shrugged her shoulders. Gods, she was bold.

Deathsneered, "You know well what I mean. You have broken the earth's curse and released magic back into the world. This will have consequences you cannot imagine."

"Well, I am the WorldBreaker."

Mylaugh cut through that infinite place.

"That you are." Life smiled like a mother looking down on a mischievous child.

"And you, last dragon." Death turned his sneering face to me. "You have once again attempted to steal what belongs to me."

Itwas my turn to be bold. "Tori is my mate, mine and mine alone. You will not have her while I live."

"Yes, but you do not. You are in my realm now, and you would both do well to remember—"

Lifepressed her snout to Death's, and he stilled. She ran the scales of her neck along him, and he calmed.

Lifeturned her sapphire eyes back to me. "A fae mated to a dragon. Such a thing I could have never predicted."

"Ah, but she is not just a fae, is she, my mate?" Death responded.

"No, I am not. I am something new. Me, my brother, Abraxas, this entire world is new, and it deserves a chance." Tori glared at them like she had at me when we had first met.

"You think I should return you?" Death asked.

"I know you should."

Helaughed, the rumble of something that could break apart the very cosmos.

"You cannot go backward, only forward. This is the way of all things, little beast."

"The river can cut deeper, but it can also run dry. The forest may burn, but it allows new life to grow. Not everything is so linear in our world," Tori countered.

"It is in death."

"I cannot believe that." Death bared his teeth at her, and I wrapped my tail around her, encircling her with my body.

"EvenI cannot change what is done. You are dead, little beast and your mate is not far behind. I would not linger before the price is too high for either of you to pay."

"I will not allow that." I pulled my lips back, revealing all my fangs.

Deathonly laughed. "Then go through the final gate together. I care not."

Atthis, Life snorted, a flurry of blue flames ghosting over her mate.

"Our work is not done," Tori declared. "Hadeon is defeated, but there will come another. They always do. He was just a symptom. There will always be those who think of themselves as greater than others and who will try to place themselves above others. Someone has to stop that."

"Ha! And that is to be you?"

"Not just us."

"Very few pass through my gates believing their life is ready to be over, but they pass through all the same. Now, if you do not hurry—"

"I will go."

BeforeDeath could respond, Tori swatted my nose. "Abraxas, I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me. Not again."

"Not all of me, little bird. Just the part of me I no longer need. That part of me that will always burn for destruction and revenge for a people that have long passed beyond the stars. It is easy to fight, to destroy. It is easy to die. I want to live, Tori, with you."

"Abraxas, you can't mean…"

Atthis, Life roared, "You are the last dragon, the last of our people. You would give that up?"

"I cannot bear the burden of an entire people upon myself, not anymore. I tried, and it brought nothing but more pain. You yourself helped weave the curse upon everyone's hearts. What did it solve?"

Lifedid not deny my claim. "I had hoped, with magic gone, our people might survive. I might subvert our great prophecy. EvenI, after all this time, can make mistakes. I tried to wield the grief of the earth, but I only magnified it."

Deathran his snout along his mate's nose, and they huddled together, purring gently.

AllI saw was Tori.

"Abraxas, I cannot ask this of you." In this place, we were nothing more than spirits, and I finally let my spirit be what had always been destined. I shifted down until we were eye to eye, and I kissed her gently with soft, fae lips.

"You will never have to, my love. It is mine to give and to have a chance at a life with you. I would pay this price a thousand times over."

"Your dragon name, it was to be Astaroth."

Ipaused, stunned. "How do you know this?"

"Your father, I saw him in his last moments. He said your mother had given it to you."

Torihad given me so many gifts. This was just one more. I gave her face a gentle squeeze as tears rose in her eyes.

"You will be weak. You would give up this power you have fought millennia for... for her?" Death's voice carried no malice this time. Only curiosity.

"Yes." A resounding truth.

Deathsighed. "It is… noble. But impossible. I cannot unweave the part of you that is dragon any more than I can turn back time."

"Maybe you can't." Tori's smile was all wicked fae.

"We are not in our world anymore, little beast. You cannot channel mana here," Death stated flatly.

"I don't need to."

Sheplaced her hand on my chest and reached into the well of life at its core. Death was right; the part of me that was dragon and the part of me that was fae were almost inseparable. Almost.

Shepulled on the white light in her heart and followed it across the cosmos to Jun. His light was smaller than the furthest star, but it was there.

"One more puzzle, brother?" Her voice rang out across the vast empty space.

Thestar winked back, but so did the surrounding stars. They shifted across the sky, the dust and clouds of nebulas spinning into new life. They coalesced above us, drawn into each other as I felt the life inside me shift apart, sliding and unlocking as white light unwove the two halves.

Lifeand Death stood awestruck as the part of me that was dragon died and was reborn. Scales shimmered over my skin before disappearing forever. My claws punched out and retracted, and my horns rose above my head. At that, I felt the smallest tug in my heart, and I didn't feel my horns disappear. The twins pulled, and half of me broke away; a golden light drifted above our heads.

Weboth watched as my lifeforce was pulled by the gravity of the stars, and a new world was born. White light surrounded us, and we rose into the air to follow it.

Lifeand Death were silenced, and time stood still. A deep rumble grew in Death's chest. I could see that brilliant red fire glowing around his heart.

"You'll catch me someday, Death."

"I look forward to it, little beast."

Lifechuckled, but she called out, "But know this, little beast and the last dragon, the time you will need to rule may be shorter than you imagine. When the time comes to give up that power, you will, or there will be consequences beyond reckoning."

Withthat, we shot across the universe.

I awoke, and Tori lay in my arms, just as she had before. She looked calm and serene. So unlike herself.

"Tori, open your eyes." Her hair draped over her face, and I gently tucked it behind her ear, my fingers gliding over her soft skin. I leaned over and kissed her. Her lips were warm under my own, and after a few heartbeats, she jerked awake. Her limbs flailed as she sucked in a deep breath and sat up. Her head spun to everyone waiting just outside the enchantment circle. A moment later, a body collided with us.

"It worked; I can't believe it worked! You"re both alive!" Jun wrapped his arms so tightly around ToriI thought she might pop, but she hugged him back with equal enthusiasm. Almost immediately, another body hit me.

"You fucking assholes! You need to stop doing this to me," Avlyn sobbed into my shoulder.

"I'll take that into consideration the next time I die, Avlyn." I wrapped my arms around them, enjoying the sensation of being crushed; it reminded me I was very much alive.

"Interesting new crown, YourMajesty," Pallas said dryly. I reached up and felt my horns pulling back from my temple. I gave Tori a puzzled look.

"What, I couldn't let you give it all up, now could I?" She smiled and I felt her tug at our bond.

Isnapped my fingers, and dragonfire, raw and true, sprang forth between them.

"Clever little goddess."