Page 21

VARIANT

The Tomb of The Gods

Eilish rests in the arms of the primordial god, eyes open and haunted by unseen foes.

I feel helpless. I feel as though I’m once again that frightened boy chained within a concrete box, wondering if my mother is still alive.

Only this time, it’s the woman to whom I’ve chosen to devote my life. And now I face losing her.

“How much time do we have?” I ask.

Silvanus leads me to the doorway of the temple.

The ground is covered with bodies. Blood sticks to my boots as I follow him inside.

“Seconds. Maybe minutes if luck shines on us.” He steps over corpses and forces his way inside the chamber.

The Throne of The Gods rests at the far end of the room.

Silvanus’s presence seems to awaken something.

Stone cracks along the walls, allowing pale light to filter in.

The shadows retreat, skittering into the corners.

Cambion uses a surge of magic to collapse one of the columns. “Place her there. We’ll need her lying flat to…”

“No,” Silvanus interrupts. “It was my magic that gave the Sacred Oath its power. It was my magic that saved the realms and locked Abedon away. Eilish isn’t only my lover, she was once my pupil. Everything in our lives has been leading us to this moment.”

I step in front of Cambion when he attempts to argue against Silvanus. “What do you need us to do?”

“Barricade the door. If any of Abedon or Elioth’s followers remain, they may come here. No matter what you hear, let no one inside.” Silvanus carries Eilish over to the throne. I grab Cambion by the arm and steer him out of the throne room and into the temple.

“You had no right to agree to this!” he shouts.

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Silvanus was the one who was there before any of us. He was the first to nurture her magic, to feel her love. If anyone can reach Eilish wherever she is and help her restore the balance... it’s him.”

“Eilish should have a choice.”

“This is her choice, Cambion,” I chuckle dryly. “She said to put the realms first, to set them free no matter the cost. Eilish would give her life to save innocent fae like Noni just as much as she would give her life to save a broken... undeserving false king like me.”

The fight leaves Cambion. Only sadness remains in his gaze. “I love her. And I blame myself for all of this.”

“There’s no use in blaming yourself anymore,” I answer on a sigh. “Or anyone else for that matter.” I inhale deeply. “Silvanus’s plan may still work.”

“What plan , Variant?” he asks, moving to stand just inches from my face. His brow pinches into a frown. “Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

“I’m not certain. It’s just a theory…”

“Tell me.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat and seal the doors behind us. “Baron was able to save Pyre and Aima and prevent Morrigan’s plan to use a dark tantric ritual to break open The Veil.”

Cambion takes a step back, realization creeping into his expression. “Silvanus is going to use the power we gave Eilish to bind himself to her.”

“But he isn’t planning to split guardianship,” I explain. “He’s going to use it to make her his vessel, to give her his divine power.”

“And she will rise as a goddess.” The elf leans against the door with a stricken look on his face. “Will it kill Silvanus?”

“It may kill us all or set us free, but it’s the price to pay and he’s willing to make the sacrifice.

” I take my place beside Cambion. He flinches as I draw nearer, but doesn’t deny me his company.

“When this is over... if we’re still alive, I mean, I don’t want to be a leader.

I’m not ready, Cambion. I have no qualms about being Eilish’s consort, but I am no king. ”

“But your father…”

“Was no better than your own before he died,” I confess.

“There is no kingdom in the sky. No Earlann or Oronrel. Even the Dales of Arborel have fallen. All that remains are the refugees in the Delendren Glade and those who defend the keep we’ve built in the mortal realm.

There is no place for me among them when I was the one who took everything they had.

I’m better off serving our queen elsewhere. ”

“If an undead vampire can find his place beside a human necromancer and a gargoyle can befriend a house brownie, there’s a place for you, Variant.

I, myself, have come to cherish the friendship I share with Zir and the mages.

Theren banters with Bombri and Flumph while playing with satyr children in the courtyard. Anything is possible.”

I feel warmth bloom in my chest. “Are you trying to comfort me?”

“I’m trying to give you hope for the future that Eilish envisioned for the realms. It’s her dream that we must keep alive. No matter what happens here and now, that is our legacy.”

***

SILVANUS

The Tomb of The Gods

Her hands are stiff and frigid as I drape her across the throne.

Though the gods themselves are long gone, their power still lingers here.

It’s faint, but there may be enough to invoke the ancient oath of peace and balance once more.

I pull her hand against my chest and let my warmth seep into her. “Hold on, little one.”

My lips brush her temple and I allow the energies to flow through us. Eilish is the ultimate vessel, the one strong enough to bear the burden of birthing the new world. And if it should be my fate that I die here today, then…

“So be it,” I whisper against her skin. The divine grace of heavenly powers fill me.

The rays of light flow into Eilish, forcing her to gasp and writhe as she lay on the throne.

I hold her steady, but she releases a scream that shakes the walls of the crumbling temple.

Dust and stone rain down from the ceiling.

Columns fall like dominos, tumbling over, before crashing onto the ground.

Debris kicks up and a shard of stone knicks my cheek.

Warm blood drips on Eilish’s armor. Bright light envelopes her body and I claim her mouth with a kiss.

Light passes between us until the physical world begins to fade...

***

SILVANUS

Blessed Meadows

A radiant curtain of sunlight bathes my face in a warm glow.

The scent of lavender tickles my nose. Of course.

Ever since Eilish was a young child, she adored the purple fields of fragrant flowers.

Though the Blessed Meadows appear to each soul differently, this isn’t where Eilish belongs.

She needs to be with her people, leading them into a new era.

I hear the sound of wings flapping in the wind. A shadow falls over the field. Eilish lowers herself gracefully to the ground in front of me. A smile stretches wide across her face.

“Blue skies. I can hardly believe it,” she sighs as she walks closer to me. “Is it over? Is Abedon…”

“He’s dead.”

She nods but there’s no emotion on her face. “I killed him.”

“Yes,” I answer, using my thumb to touch one of the balls of her cheeks.

I glance down at her and take in her person—she’s dressed as if she were a goddess.

The long, ivory garment is very thin. Fashioned out of lace and nothing more, the dress allows teasing glimpses of her skin to shine in the sunlight.

“But there is more to be done, Eilish. The dark army remains. If we can’t restore the balance, then all of this will have been for nothing. You can’t stay here.”

“My mother and sister are here.”

“This place… it isn’t real,” I say gently.

“How is that possible?”

“This is a place where those who are lost come to hide from the world. Your body is strong enough to hold amazing power, but your mind is fragile.”

“What will happen to me?”

I tuck a strand of black hair behind her ear and dip my head to kiss her.

“Let me take care of you, Eilish.” My hands move down her shoulders and trail faint lines on her arms. She shivers with a little sigh that I capture with my lips.

Her hands move to my chest to squeeze and knead the muscle that bulges beneath my armor.

I grip her hips and bunch up the lace that covers her body.

“This time will be different,” I start as I look at her. “Then any other time we have melded our bodies.”

“How?”

I silence her with a finger on her lips. “Wait and see.”

Eilish dips her tongue into my mouth, moaning as I pull the dress over her head.

I drop the gown off to the side. She stands before me wearing nothing but a trusting smile and her wings.

I suck her tongue into my mouth, causing her to squeal.

Eilish pries at the straps of my armor, growing impatient as the chest plate seems a bit stubborn.

I pull away from her kiss and use my magic to undress myself.

Hungry eyes watch as I trail a hand along the contours of my muscled chest. Lower and lower, sliding my fingers through a light dusting of hair.

She squeezes her thighs together and I know she’s envisioning my beard marking the tender flesh of her thighs.

I lick my lips and wrap my fingers around my cock, falling back into the plush grass.

I spread my legs slightly, tucking an arm behind my head to tempt her.

Laying out like an offering for her to devour. “Come.”

Her eyes widen and a pink blush stains her cheeks.

Ever the illusion of innocence, Eilish tiptoes over to me.

She kneels beside my legs seeming unsure of herself.

But I grab her hand and lead it to the thick shaft of my member.

It jumps against her palm and I bite my lip.

That blush on her cheeks spreads, touching the tips of her ears and her chest. “You grow more beautiful each time I look at you. It was a great honor to show you the pleasures of taking a lover.”