It very well might be.
The jungle receded around us. I hardly noticed the change. Soon, great walls made of brown brick rose up on either side of me. The muddy earth under my feet gave way to a checkerboard pattern of stone. None of that mattered. All I knew was that as the jungle receded, I could see more of my mate.
We reached a large chamber. Statues lined the walls, all of them life-sized and incredibly detailed, having been made of bronze, wood, and stone. Hundreds of Dolly-mechs lined the floor, all of them standing in groups of three. In each case, there was a man and a woman kneeling before a standing figure whose face was covered with a drawn hood. Behind the dolly-mechs, the chamber walls were filled with arches that were also made of stone, bronze, and wood. I thought back to the Meadow of Many Gateways. This space reminded me of that spot—from the checkerboard ground to the many gateways—but that’s where the similarities ended. There certainly hadn’t been any statues.
There was no time to wonder more about the temple interior, however. Rowan had slowed his pace as he closed in on the massive gateway set into the far wall of the long rectangular space.
Something about that arch set my teeth on edge.
Up until now, I’d been enjoying this game of pretend with an illusion of my mate. But even though I was excited, my mind wasn’t so shut off that I wonder at this mystery.
Was this all some way to capture me?
I rubbed my neck and thought through the possibilities. In the end, it didn’t matter if this was a trap. From what Kila Kitu told me, the rest of the Sword of Theodora was hidden in this temple, and my mate’s soul was leading me through it. I had to take a closer look.
After taking in a slow breath, I stepped toward the largest gateway. This massive arch was like everything else in this temple: a mixture of bronze, wood, and stone. In this larger gateway, the three materials had been fashioned into hefty gears that formed the arch’s edge.
How odd. Most gateways were lined with gemstones, not clockwork. That meant something, but at the moment, I couldn’t place what. Still, I slowed my pace. Intuition told me that Rowan was about to do something.
A memory appeared in my mind: Nan, Mrefu, and Jicho frowning at one another as we tied up the MAJE nearby. They all knew what sad fate awaited me. Perhaps this was the moment things would turn sour.
I paused a few yards away.
Rowan touched the arch’s frame. The gears spun. Metal creaked. Stone split. On the right-hand side of the gateway, a piece of metal materialized into a section of gears.
It was gleaming.
Sharp.
The blade of the Sword of Theodora.
And it was set right into the wall.
Rowan turned to me. “You have the hilt. If you promise me one thing, then the blade will magickally break free from the wall. The entire Sword will be yours.”
I stepped closer. In every way, this man looked like my mate: green eyes, strong build, and worn Caster leathers. But he was still surrounded by a sheen of white light. Magick stayed thick in the air. I’d seen soul spells before. I’d cast them, too. At closer range, I could tell this was indeed my mate’s spirit. This Rowan recognized me. His soul in its pure form would always know its mate. And if my mate knew who I truly was, he would never hurt me.
I glanced longingly at the exit archway. Or would he?
Rowan gave me his crooked smile once more. “I know what you’re thinking. My sweet Elea, still unsure whether to fully trust anyone. Even me.”
“I’m trying.”
“As am I.” Spirit-Rowan stared at his hand. “If only my mortal form would believe in our bond enough to touch you, then all of this might have ended differently. I’d do anything to spare you pain, my mate.”
It was such a Rowan thing to say, that my eyes began to sting with held-in tears. “It’s really you, isn’t it?”
“This is my soul. After you escaped from me, the Lady summoned my spirit to the Eternal Lands. In this form, I can remember everything. I know who you are and what must happen.”
“What exactly did the Lady tell you to do?” I tried to control my tone, but I couldn’t help the note of disbelief that wove through the question.
“Does it matter? This is my true self, and I’m here to ask you a question.”
My pulse raced so quickly, my heart felt like a hummingbird was trapped inside me. “Go on.”
“Will you promise me one thing?”
“What?”
“The Sword of Theodora can slay anything.”
“Yes. That’s why we need it. It can kill Viktor without hurting anyone else.” Like me. Viktor had shown me once that when he was cut, I’d bleed as well.
“It can kill a spirit as well, you know.”
My breath caught. “You don’t mean—”
“You must promise to kill my soul right now. That would end my body, too.” Spirit-Rowan got down on his knees and bowed his head, exposing the back of his neck.
I’d seen that pose before. On the Meadow of Many Gateways. Not-Elea had crumpled onto her knees so the executioner could destroy her. Even worse, Not-Elea had been blackmailed into giving up her life in exchange for those she loved. And now this same trick was being used on me in reverse.
In my case, I wasn’t going to kneel.
“No, Rowan. Never.”
“But this is what must happen. It’s what always happens. Someone must recharge the gateways and heal our realm. I won’t let it be you. Give me this. Allow me to spare you the pain. Kill my soul and release the power.”
“No, you have it all wrong.” I pounded my chest with my fist. “I’m the Elea here. Not you. I have the hybrid power for the gateways.”
“Do you?” Rowan looked up until emerald gaze locked with mine. “And yet, I still have your power within me, remember?”
My veins chilled as I realized the truth. “That’s right. When we were back at the Skullock Passage—right before I spied on the gods—I gifted you so much power. You’re still filled with hybrid energy. Is it enough?”
“The Lady thinks so. Without the memory of you, I haven’t known what to do with it. Right now, my mortal form doesn’t even know I have hybrid magick within me, let alone how to release the power. That’s why this is the perfect solution. Now, I can protect you. I’m begging you. Let me help you.”
I popped my hand over my mouth. That’s just what Jicho had said. “Let him help you.”
But to allow Rowan to die, body and soul? The thought made my ill. “You don’t mean that,” I said slowly. “You cannot want me to kill you.”
“I do mean it.” His gaze stayed locked with mine, intense and determined. “This is the only way.”
Every corner of my soul recoiled at his words. “No. There has to be another option. I saw Kila Kitu use hybrid magick to activate a gateway. There must be some means to use it to heal the gateways, too. If only the gods would let us try a few experiments…”