Page 108 of Evermore

Make him suffer as we suffered, another voice demanded.Walk away.

But had we suffered at his hands, truly? Or had he suffered alongside us, watching helplessly as his brother tore us apart time and time again? He’d said telling me the truth would mean my death before sunset. Was keeping that secret truly unforgivable if he’d done it to keep me breathing?

The monster’s mass shifted, and I caught a glimpse of his face. Those hazel eyes that had looked at me with such devotion now held only acceptance of his fate. He didn’t expect me to save him. He’d created this prison, and now he was willing to be consumed by it. For me. Always for me.

My heart cracked. If I left him here, I’d be free of him forever. Free of the complications, the pain, the centuries of baggage I carried in my soul. The voices would win. The prophecy would be fulfilled.

But I would know. Every time I looked at Archer, I would know I’d abandoned the man who’d loved me enough to let me go. Every time I held Quill, I would remember the way Thorne had shielded my memories in this dark place. Every time I danced, I would feel the ghost of his touch, hear the echo of his voice telling me I was perfect exactly as I was.

The voices screamed so loud I couldn’t make sense of it anymore. But in that small, quiet corner of my mind where no voice could reach, I knew my truth: I could hate him, fight him, rage against him, but I could not stand by and watch him be destroyed. I was done letting others write my story. I would take control. Not because voices in my head demanded it, not because prophecies foretold it, but because I chose it.

And they knew it. The Remnants that once followed my command turned on me, whipped around me, shadows slicinginto my skin, ripping through my hair. In the span of one decision, I was destroying myself. Losing myself.

“Stop!” My scream shook the temple walls as I pushed back against them all, finding something deeper, stronger within myself. My own voice. My own power. My own choice. The Remnants pulled away, and I yanked them back. They screamed, and I screamed louder. Battling my mind. My power. My entire existence.

I strode away from the fading tear, forcing my Remnants to heel until I was the stronger mind. Surging forward with devastating force, they tore into the creature, ripping through layers until I saw him. My shadows wrapped around Thorne like steel chains, yanking him free as I poured every ounce of destruction I possessed into the monster.

I pulled him against me, surrounding us both in a cocoon of darkness. “Open it again,” I demanded, my voice raw. “Now!”

His eyes met mine, full of questions I didn’t have answers for. But his power flared, tearing another hole in reality. I shoved him through first, following as the tear sealed behind us, leaving the creature’s inhuman yell echoing in the void.

We fell together, tumbling onto the cobblestone streets of Stirling as the final scraps of my power’s strength flickered out.

36

Paesha

As I woke, sprawled on the streets of Stirling, the Remnants revolted.

They tore across my skin like shards of glass, each movement a rebellion against my choice. The voices had abandoned words entirely, filling my mind with an endless, piercing shriek that threatened to shatter what remained of my sanity. My body convulsed as I pulled away from Thorne, every inch of separation an agony as the shadows on my skin twisted in fury.

Through the haze of pain, I saw them. Alastor stood with his usual arrogant posture, hands clasped behind his back as he watched us sprawled on the cobblestones. Beside him, Irri swayed gently to a tune she hummed, her blood-red hair the perfect staple for her eerie nature. But the dreamy vacancy in her eyes had been replaced by something ancient and knowing as she studied us.

“Well,” Alastor drawled, his lips curving into that infuriating smile. “Isn’t this delightfully unexpected.” He raised his hand, and the binding marks around my wrists flared one final time before fading completely. “As promised, you’re free. Though Ifeel compelled to mention that means you’re no longer under my protection. The gods will notice soon enough.”

Thorne had barely moved but his voice carried enough venom to make Alastor pause. “Let them try. Just know that anyone who dares to touch her will beg for death long before I grant it.”

Alastor’s smile widened as he wrapped an arm around Irri’s waist. “Such passion. Such promises. I do hope you can keep them better than the last ones.”

Thorne pulled himself up, reaching for me with hands that still trembled from the fight. Despite the screaming in my head, despite the shadows trying to tear me apart from within, I let him help me stand. We walked away without another word, leaving Alastor’s soft laughter and Irri’s haunting melody behind us.

“Take me home,” I managed.

“Tuck’s already been summoned.” Thorne kept his hand at my elbow, steadying me as another wave of fury from the shadows threatened to bring me to my knees. “We need to make it to the main street.”

I barked out a laugh that held no humor. “Easy enough.”

“Just a few more minutes. You can yell at me the whole way if it helps.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

We made it three blocks before my legs started to give out. The Remnants were relentless, tearing at me from the inside as punishment for my betrayal. Thorne’s arm slipped around my waist, taking more of my weight. The sound of hooves on cobblestones was almost lost beneath the screaming in my head. Tuck jumped down from the carriage, his heavy boots hitting the ground as he rushed to help.

“You look terrible,” he said, reaching for my other arm.

“And you look like a liar,” I shot back. “A god? Really?”

“I never lied.” He helped Thorne guide me toward the carriage. “You made assumptions.”