Everlife (Everlife #3)

“I know who you are, and I’ll never work with—”

A bird swoops from the sky, sinks its claws into the man’s shoulders and hefts him into the air. Happens in less than a blink of time. I don’t understand. Why was he grabbed but not me?

Oops. Spoke too soon. Sharp claws cut into my shoulders. A second bird. Should have known. I grunt, every muscle in my body clenching and unclenching as I’m lifted into the air. The branch falls from my grip and thuds to the ground.

As soon as we clear the tops of the trees, I scan the forest…there! My gaze is drawn to Killian, as if he’s a magnet. He’s perched at the top of a tree, insects crawling all over him, biting him, shredding his skin as he searches below. For me.

I won’t be separated from him again. “Killian!”

Gritting my teeth against the coming onslaught of pain, I reach up to latch on to my captor’s wing. His head whips around, allowing his spiked beak to scrape my hand all the way to bone. Through sheer grit and determination, I maintain my hold. He needs his wing, but because of me, he can’t move it. Together, we fall. Limbs slap at my body, and leaves bite my face. By the time we land, I’m a mass of injuries, precious Lifeblood hemorrhaging from me.

This isn’t a new development. Every time I’ve been here, I’ve bled.

But I take heart. Where there is blood, there is life. A spirit never dies. The very reason Reed and Kayla were able to leave this realm and join Troika.

There’s hope for escape, and that hope gives me the strength I need to stand. My knees wobble, but I remain upright. The bird remains on the ground, unmoving.

I killed him?

“Ten.” Killian bursts through a wall of foliage and yanks me into his arms. “Lass, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I let you get away from me. Let’s just burn this realm tae the ground and call it good, yeah.”

He’s more concerned with my pain than his own?

Focus! Lina helped me before; she’ll help me now.

Did I tell you I died in the Land of the Harvest? I’m sorry I killed Killian.

I cried. You cried. I cried some more. My husband made it up to you.

Light was the answer. Light was always the answer.

She killed me, which in turn killed Killian. We’re in Many Ends, and we’re going to save the damned. We’re going to save our mothers and friends.

Lina’s husband, whoever he is, will make it up to us.

If he makes it up to us, we survive this. We survive this. I throw my arms around Killian and kiss his lips, because I need to kiss him, and taste him, and connect with him, if only for a second. He kisses me back, a glorious meeting of lips and tongue, even teeth. A communion of souls.

Love spills through me. Love, Light. In the back of my mind, the Grid becomes more noticeable. As if finally hooked to a battery. A weak battery, but a battery all the same. Strength plumps my muscles. Joy eases the burden I hadn’t known weighed down my shoulders.

Joy is as much a source of strength as love. It will hold steady when our circumstances roughen.

We’re in Many Ends; our circumstances are definitely going to roughen.

Though I want to linger, I force my head to lift. Distraction kills; I must never forget. After all, Many Ends remains true to its name. The end of life as we know it. The end of safety and security.

“Where are you gettin’ Light, lass?”

He felt it? His Grid must have sputtered to life, as well. “Love. My love for you, to be specific.”

He beams at me, experiencing his own surge of joy, and my love—Light—only magnifies.

“Now come on,” I say. “Let’s find that tree.”





chapter twenty-four



“When opportunity knocks, always opens the door.”

—Myriad

Ten

Using Lifeblood—gotta use whatever is available—we mark tree trunks, to help us remember where we’ve been, and trek the woods. Avoiding gorillas, skeleton birds, monkey-spiders and ember-bugs requires cunning. We cover our bodies in sulfur-scented mud to better blend in with the landscape and also protect our skin from the too-harsh sun.

As we maneuver through trees, we’re ignored, as hoped. And yet, I feel as if we’re being watched. By another spirit? One of the many creatures? No, I don’t think so, because my instincts aren’t even close to razed or gearing for another battle.

I search and scan and examine every shadow thoroughly, but I find no sign of a tail.

Finally, blessedly, we reach the Tree of Life. And none too soon. The strength I acquired has already drained. Exhaustion has settled into my bones. I feel as if I’ve been in a car accident: battered and barely able to stand.

A quick exploration reveals we’re the only two people in the area. What happened to everyone else?

Right on cue, a new chorus of screams assaults my ears, as if to say: What do you think happened, dummy?

All right, then. More people to save.

“I’ve never seen anythin’ like this,” Killian says, the words saturated with awe.

“I know.” I’ve been here before, yes, but the beauty still takes my breath away.

With a trunk the size of a football field, and branches longer and wider than a freight train, the tree drips with colorful leaves. A thousand different shades of pink, purple and blue.

I pick a handful of those leaves, and thank the Firstking that none of the leaves have fangs. “Eat,” I say, after handing half of my bounty to Killian.

I eat the other half, the taste sweet and the temperature cool. Absolute perfection. My wounds begin to heal, as expected, torn flesh weaving back together, fractured bones reforming.

My last trip here, the process amazed me. It amazes me still. The power! These leaves might as well be dipped in adrenaline and sprinkled with opiates. And they prove that even in the worst of times and the worst of places, we can have hope. Whatever the trouble that is plaguing us, there is always a way out.

Here, the scents of poison and sulfur are chased away by a fragrance perfumers would kill to bottle. Sweet, floral yet woodsy, earthy and clean, everything wonderful with no hint of taint. It’s like all the best odors in the realms have been spliced together to create a delicious harmony of perfection.

“What is this stuff?” Killian asks. The cuts on his skin weave back together. Broken bones mend. Swelling fades.

“I refer to it as manna, though I suppose bread of life would be more appropriate, since it grows on the Tree of Life.”

“It helps Troikans and Myriadians alike?”

“It does. Maybe because there are no Troikans or Myriadians here, all bonds severed upon arrival.”

“Thank you for the food, and the explanation.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Now we need a game plan.”

“Yeah, but we also need a breather. We’ve been on the go for months. No rest. No respite. It’s time to recharge.” Time to bask in our love, and the joy of being together, until we are an unbeatable unit, no matter what happens. I wiggle my brows at him. “Maybe do a little more of that kissing.”

“Well. You did strengthen when I kissed you. What kind of man would I be if I left you in this weakened condition?” There’s a husky, teasing note in his voice, that sends shivers cascading down my spine.

“True. Kissing and touching me is practically your duty. And we don’t want you remiss in your duties, now, do we?”

“I’m willin’ tae work myself tae the bone.”

I nearly choke on a laugh. “I’ll be disappointed if you don’t.” Up ahead, water flows from a branch, creating the perfect shower. I cast him a wanton grin and strip down to my underwear, his hot gaze cataloging my every move. “Catch me if you can,” I say, and race forward.

He gives chase. And he does catch me. We fall into the water with his arms wrapped around me. Little moans of delight leave me as we surge above the surface.

Lightning fast, he strips and tosses his clothes onto a rock.

“This is our second shower together,” I say. “Only this time you’re not plotting my downfall.”

He sucks in a breath as if punched.