Chapter THIRTY-NINE
Rebecca
There was silence when Sarah and I came through, into the prison where I had been killed. It hadn't changed much since I had been there last, except the blue glow that had once filled the room was nearly gone. Only a slight flow had been left behind, unable to be collected without the blood of the true diuscrucis. The white star still floated near the top of the prison, and it cast a soft light on us.
Then I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. It was sitting exactly where it had fallen those long months ago. The Holy Grail. I felt the sting of memories, and the guilt of what I had helped to start. Now I would help to finish it.
"Holy crap," Obi said, breaking the silence. "That is seriously unreal."
"Sarah?" Adam said.
"I brought him," she said. "Where is the Redeemer?"
"Here." A new voice. A small black and white demon scampered out from behind Dante's legs, dragging the final Canaan Blade behind him.
"Alichino?" I said. "Where did you come from?"
"Alichino was helping Gervais to unlock the power of the Box," Max said. "It seems his allegiance changes as easily as the wind."
The demon snickered. "Always bet on the winning team. That's what I always say."
"At least we can thank him for creating the portal."
"We must hurry," Dante said. "I can't remain here for long."
Max held the Box in his hands. "Adam, take the Destroyer. Obi, the Deceiver. Sarah, the Redeemer, Brian, Truth. Alichino, you will take the Damned, and Rebecca, the Deliverer."
Adam leaned over the duffel, taking out the swords and handing them to each of us.
"An angel, a demon, a diuscrucis. A mortal, a spirit, a changeling."
He lifted the Box into the air, and let it go. A beam of light shone down from the white star, capturing it and holding it in place at chest level.
"Six swords. Six sides. Six creations. We must all use the blades at the same time."
Adam rose into the air, to place the Destroyer into the top of the box. Alichino positioned himself below it, and the rest of us each took a side. I felt my heart begin to race, the end of my journey and Landon's freedom so near. We each held our blades ready.
The Box sat in front of us, its lines pulsing with blue power, its energy radiating around it. Max stood behind me, but he didn't give the word.
He was waiting for something.
I saw it when he did. A single thread of white in the sea of blue. It raced around the Box, following the scripture that had been carved into its sides.
"Now," Max said.
I stabbed.
The swords sunk into the Box, much further than they should have been able to without coming out the other side. At the same time, the white light intensified. The Deliverer grew too hot to hold, and I let go and backed away at the same time as the others. We all watched as the light from the star continued to expand, growing larger and larger until the Box was swallowed by it.
Gervais began to scream.
Sarah had held him up above her, still trapped in the wings, but now she shifted and lowered him towards the light. It stretched out a thin tendril and wrapped around his leg, spiraling up and encircling him while his screams became louder and more pained.
"Sarah, don't do this," he said. "Sarah, I'm your father. All I wanted was for us to be a family, to rule together."
"All I want is for you to die," she replied. "You've hurt enough people. You've killed enough of my friends. Mother may have forgiven you. I never will."
The power was draining from him, feeding back into the white light and through it to the Box. His entire body began to compress on top of itself, losing the energy that was holding it together and keeping him in his existence. Sarah released her hold on him, dropping him to the ground. His eyes shifted wildly, looking at each of us as he shook and screamed.
Then he was gone.
"Max, where is Landon?" I asked. I turned my head, looking for the reaper. "Max?"
He was gone, too.
"Where the hell did he go?" I said. There was nowhere to go. We'd all been watching Gervais, and he had disappeared. Then I looked at the light again. It was definitely big enough, and it did look a bit like a door. "Damn it. He did it again."
"Did what, signora?" Dante asked.
"What do you think? The swords don't open a way out of the Box. They open a way in." I looked into the white light, and took a deep breath. I knew in that moment that this was why I was here. This is what I had been redeemed for. This was His task for me, His test. I released Elyse from my hold.
"Take care of yourself," I said to her.
"Rebecca, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Saving him."
I pushed away from her, letting myself move into the light. I could feel the energy of it, the power surrounding me. I didn't know what Max's intentions were, but I wasn't about to let him have free reign to do whatever it was he wanted to do. If I had to, I would stop him.
A final burst of light greeted me, and then I was through. Everything was dark.
I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, trying to clear them. I took a breath. Another. I looked down to see that I was whole once more. It was my form, my body. I took my hair and moved it in front of my eyes so I could see it. I licked my lips to feel the fullness of them. I winked my eye.
Max vanished around a corner in front of me.
I knew where I was. I had been here often enough to recognize it. The Museum of Natural History in New York.
I started running.