Page 158 of Alastair

“And I love you. Until we meet again, brother.”

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at a winter night sky. Something cold landed on my cheeks. Snow. It fell in large flakes, drifting, spiraling toward the ground below. Crisp air filled my lungs as I inhaled.

“Thank the gods!” Lazarus gathered me in his arms. Gasping cries left him. “You had me so worried, you stubborn, foolish boy.”

“I kept my promise.” I breathed in his sweet yet tart scent of apples. The cracks in my soul mended.

“Yes, you did.” He combed his fingers through the back of my hair, pressing kisses to my temple, edge of my brow, nose, then finally, my lips.

Konnar appeared on my other side, resting his hand on my shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, old friend.”

“You too, ancient one.”

He scoffed, but softness remained in his purple eyes. “That word is forbidden.” He squeezed my arm before withdrawing his hand. “The next time you decide to be a hero, allow me to thump you upside the head instead. I have many acquaintances in this life, but very few I consider friends. You’re someone dear to me that I cannot lose.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, moved by his words. I felt exactly the same about him.

The reunion was bittersweet. Night Fall lay in the snow a few feet away, all stones in the hilt clear except for one. “Kallias.” My throat squeezed. “He can’t find his way out.”

A shrill sound came from above us, like something whistling through the air and hurling toward the earth. In less than a second, that whistle turned into a thunderous boom as Uriel landed in the snow. Someone was with him.

“No fucking way,” Castor said as the two of them approached. “Is that…?”

“Yep.” Raiden grinned. “I dunno how, but that’s totally him.”

“Who?” Nico shuffled up from the snow and squinted at them. “Oh damn. He’s hot.”

The brown-haired male looked just as he did all those years ago: tall, bronzed skin, and with a muscled body shaped from long days of hard training beneath a Grecian sun.

“Elasus,” I whispered in disbelief. “Kal’s mate.”

The Spartan wasn’t fazed by the dead bodies scattered across the clearing. He’d seen much worse in his lifetime. His focus solely rested on Night Fall. He took a knee beside it and ran a hand along the shadows circling the dark blade.

“Kallias,” he said with a tremble in his voice. He touched the black stone in the hilt. “The battle has ended, my warrior. Come home to me.”

I blinked back tears. After thousands of years, they would finally be reunited.

Black mist lifted from the stone before flowing into Kallias’ body. He didn’t open his eyes, but his chin shook a bit. Our mind link had returned, and with that connection, his emotional state was opened to me. He was afraid. Afraid he’d open his eyes and realize it had all been a dream, that he hadn’t heard his mate’s voice.

Elasus knelt beside him. “Open your eyes, my warrior.”

Kallias obeyed, and right as he looked at Elasus, a choking sob left his lips. He lunged upward and threw his arms around him. “Are you really here?”

“I am.” Elasus lowered his face to Kallias’ shoulder, forehead crumpling. He was fighting hard to hold back tears. “I never stopped waiting for you.”

Kallias took his mate’s face in his palms and kissed him, a whimper rumbling in his throat. As they embraced, that dark cloud that always hung over my brother’s head cleared. Elasus was his light that chased away the storm.

“I could live a million years and never know a moment happier than this one,” Kallias said before kissing him again. “My heart. My soul. My everything. It all belongs to you, Elasus.”

“And I will cherish all of it,” Elasus responded. “Until the end of our days.”

“How?” I asked Uriel. I wanted to ask him “why” too but held it back. He’d shown an unexpected kindness to us. Better not push our luck.

“Each archangel oversees certain areas of the celestial realm,” he explained. “I preside over the souls in the afterlife. It’s why my opinion holds more weight over who is allowed through the gates. Under normal circumstances, I would have the ability to retrieve a soul but not restore a corporal body. However, tonight is special.”

“Because of the black moon.”

He nodded. “Not just any black moon, but one that hovers between two different years. The energy is much like that from All Hallows’ Eve that allowed Kallias’ body to be restored along with his soul. More powerful, even.”