I stood to the center of the six beds. There was no hope to bring back Francesca, so she had been moved to the side. Just out of the immediate way, but not forgotten. Lallielle was with her, finishing the last prayers to help her sister on to the next life. My heart stuttered every time I saw her still form, but I didn’t have the time right then to really comprehend the loss of Francesca and Quarn. I was trying to make sure there was no more death that day.
On either side of me stood four Walker males. They would be using their massive butt-loads of energy to kick-start the girls’ vessels. Cerberus was at my back, along with the other guides. I could sense that they were just as excited as the rest of us by this small slice of hope.
Part of me was afraid to do this in case I failed, but at the same time I was desperate to slide back the filing cabinet drawer inside. There was no way to know if their essences might be trapped in there. Once that drawer was closed the power was hidden. I just had to hope that in those last moments with the Seventine I had slid my friends’ energies in there without thought. Right? It had to be right.
It was time to find out.
The drawer clicked open and a veritable flood of elemental energy filled my soul. Along with a kick of pure joy. I could feel them now, strong and beautiful. My six sisters; their warmth floated out into my well.
I reached for my tether. It was faint, barely a specter of the strong golden cord from before. A result of the loss of my original energy. But it was still there, and with no more thought I released the six essences back into their bodies.
The Walker males must have sensed the elemental power, because they let loose their own energy. My hair almost whooshed back in the rush of power flowing across the room.
Please work, I was silently begging, a prayer or chant taking residence in my mind as I locked my gaze on to the girls’ still forms.
The men did not stop their flow of power. They were taking no chances that the girls would fade away from us again. I decided to join in with whatever energy I had left inside. As the surge of my power left from my center, I sensed that this was the final piece of the puzzle needed to bring them back. The conduit power was the key; it could restore that which had been lost.
Emerald streamed along Talina’s hair. I had never seen a more beautiful color. Green vines burst to life from Ria. Shadows danced across Sapha. Winds whipped around the enclosed space as Delane’s dark eyes fluttered open. And then there was that blast of heat which was Fury’s signature.
All of the girls, still wearing permanent marks, had life infused into their vessels. Their elemental powers were back where they belonged, all of us still holding small parts of original energy.
Eva was the first to sit up, and at that point I couldn’t halt my feet any longer. I pretty much dived at the Earth Walker, who blinked large, confused eyes with her gorgeous blond hair sticking out in about fifteen different directions.
My arms closed around her. “Holy crap, don’t you guys ever scare me like that again,” I said fiercely and loudly enough for them to all hear. “Ever again, you hear?”
I could sense their confusion, and there were lots of murmurs as mates and friends all talked at once, trying to explain what had happened.
“We died?” Eva’s voice was low as I pulled back. “It didn’t feel like that. It was warm and calm. Just like soaking in a nice, hot bath.”
“You almost died,” I corrected. “I held on to the last of your spark of life, and it was enough that we could restore your essence to your vessels.”
I could see her Earth mind trying to wrap itself around that. But after everything that had happened, everything we’d all been through, this wasn’t that big a stretch. We both turned to see the other girls.
Dune had Fury up in his arms and they were pressed together so tightly I wasn’t even sure where one began and the other ended. Ladre and Talina were simply staring at each other, their foreheads resting together.
Jedi had practically flown across the space to Sapha and the Dronish half barely even hesitated before reaching out with both hands. That was a huge move for her; she trusted him enough to reach for him, and he was clearly head-over-heels for the dynamic Drone. I couldn’t wait to see how their relationship unfolded in the next few millennia.
Holy gods above. We would have millennia. We would have eternities.