~~*
I stand in the room, staring down at her lifeless body. Her hand is in mine, and it has since grown cold. The others had left the room at my command; Adam, Ristan, and Zahruk stood just beyond the door. I could hear them discussing a funeral. The babes had been taken up to the nursery, which had been created in my chambers, where I could protect and watch over them.
I look down at her face and close her eyes. I place my hand over her midriff where Ristan had removed our babes and healed up as much as he could of the damage he’d been forced to do. I was a father now, but the joy of it is diminished without Synthia to enjoy it with me. It felt empty without her, and I felt like I didn’t deserve the beautiful gifts she had left me; not without her by my side to watch them grow.
Soon, it will be time to take them to the Tree, and offer them for Danu and the land to accept. I place my hand on her ice cold cheek and stifle the emotion that tries to lay me low. “This is your love; it has to be. I can’t breathe. I can’t fucking breathe without you, Synthia Raine. You weren’t supposed to leave me, Pet; that wasn’t the deal. I told you I would find you, damn you. How could you run from me in death where I cannot follow you? This isn’t right, but I get it now, you taught me. I know what love is, and it hurts. It’s tearing me apart, and I find I don’t enjoy it at all. Had you told me of this kind of pain, I’d have denied wanting it. I’d have lied if I could have. But if not feeling this pain meant never knowing you, I’d feel it again and again—just for you. I’d do it all again for one more moment with you.”
I reach down and place a long, gentle kiss on her lips, then walk out of the room. I’m leaving her there for burial. My world is gone, and every Mage left should be worried. I plan to kill every single fucking one of them, and by killing my world they’ve left me one thing…Revenge. It will guarantee that they all will die—violently. I’ve failed her, but I won’t ever make the mistake of failing the children she has left me to protect. Ever.
Chapter Ten
~Synthia~
I was behind him as he walked out of the room. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and I stood there, helpless to stop him from leaving. I turned and stared in horror at my body. I was dead? He loved me and I was freaking dead! That shit wasn’t fair!
I moved out of the room, oblivious to everything going on in the corridors. It wasn’t until something or someone grabbed me and pulled me back to my corpse.
“You can’t go to him yet,” Danu said softly. “You’re not ready and the others won’t be able to see you for about five or ten minutes as you complete the transition to your new form.”
“I’m dead?” I whispered, choking on the words as if they were sawdust.
“No daughter; you’ve been reborn. It was the only way I could save you without interfering. If I had saved that body, it would have broken the laws of the Gods and the natural order of the universe. If I had done so, the world of Faery would have crumbled, killing them all. Those who escaped would have killed the Human world as they tried to take it over. There’s not enough Witches left to protect them, and I knew if it was up to you, you would have wanted me to let your Fae body die. So I allowed it.”
“So I am dead?” I croaked and looked down at my body and the delicate white dress I wore. Everything seemed to be there except my baby bump, and I looked back at her trying to understand what was going on.
“You have to stop thinking like a Human now, Synthia. You’re a deity; I give you the title of Goddess of Faery to protect her at my side,” she said as she smiled softly. “I’m the Goddess of the Fae, and you’re the Goddess of the lands.”
“I’m a Goddess?” I asked, unbelievingly.
“You are overthinking everything right now,” she said as she sat on the bed next to my corpse and started filing her nails. “There are rules to being a Goddess, and we will go over the big rules later, but for now all you need to know is while you can help the Fae, you can’t interfere directly and change the future. You have an advantage over me, as I sense you can physically help in the fight against the Mages. Your powers will come online soon and we will see exactly what you can do,” she said with a hint of excitement.
“Did—did my children…” I couldn’t ask, because if the answer was no it would be too painful.
“All three of them are alive for now, but I must warn you, Synthia. I used a lot of my power to save you and bring you back. I will need as much help from the Fae people as I can get in order to draw enough magic to accept them and to feed the lands, as well.”