Page 3 of Evermore

She laughed, clapping her hands together. “I see what you did there, Keeper. So clever. But I think it’s indeed the perfect time. And no one would know better than me.”

Her smile was ruthless as she looked up and grains of red sand began falling over me. Raining down from wherever she’d pulled them from. She’d always preferred the dramatics, no matter the cost to use power so frivolously. The sand swirled like a crimson cyclone right in the middle of the walk until Stirling faded and her temple appeared. Glass formed around me, effectively trapping me in her damn hourglass, once again.

1

Thorne

PRESENT DAY

Fuck.

2

Paesha

Pieces of the shattered veil crunched beneath our feet as Archer and I walked away from Stirling, stepping without pause into Requiem. Or was it all Requiem? Or all Wisteria. Who knew the rules when two worlds, ripped apart for gods knew why, were reunited? Not me. And I didn’t care either.

“Which way?” Archer asked.

I spun, sweeping my eyes over the city, realizing with a hitch in my breath that it’d changed. The footprint of Silbath was the same, but the rot was gone. Requiem was a realm of two sprawling cities, split only by a river. When I’d left, this half was little more than rubble and half erected buildings, barely surviving the wrath of a man gone mad. But everything had returned newer and cleaner, glistening beneath a sky that hadn’t belonged to Requiem in my lifetime. One of stars and a moon, not of clouds and mist and rain. The street lamps didn’t reveal the rats, but rather the glistening gold streets.

Archer let out a low whistle. “So, guess you felt like Stirling was slumming it.”

“This isn’t normal,” I answered, feeling the drag on the last syllable as the world tilted. “What was that?”

“What?” Archer asked, whipping around so fast his blond hair fell across those baby blue eyes. He hadn’t put his weapon away since we’d killed Farris, as if that would have saved him against a horde of immortals.

I pushed the back of my hand to my forehead, feeling the drain. Shaking my head, I looped an arm around Archer’s and pointed. “The price for using that much magic is going to be significant. You’ve got to get us to the Syndicate house. It’s nothing fancy, that’s just what we call it. It’s the only home outside of the city.”

“Got it,” he said, still staring at the buildings surrounding us.

“We’re standing in the Gambler’s Quarter right now.” I leveled a stare at him. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“Give me a little credit,” he said, eyes far too haunted for the happy man I’d known him to be. “I had no idea we’d be traveling realms today. I brought nothing but the clothes on my back.”

“Same realm,” I said, leaning further into him. “Don’t forget the facts, do you hear me? Reverius is the god of memories or some bullshit and if you don’t have your guard up, he might try to take them from you. If you see one twin brother, assume the other is close behind. They are identical and dangerous. I saw it, remember?”

“As if I could forget,” he said with a glare. “You confronted the boy and Thorne–er–Reverius showed up.”

“Yes. Reverius was holding his name back, so I wouldn’t know he was a god. But he fucking is. And as soon as I gave the name, Alastor’s Remnants forced me into a memory from the desert. There were two of them, Archer. Twin brothers. One led me there and the other killed me. They want me dead. I don’t know why, but stay focused.”

“I promise I’ll never let that happen.”

I paused. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Especially when it comes to the gods.” I looked around, trying to anchormyself in a realm that was home, and nothing like it at the same time. “Behind this building is Sinner’s Square. Don’t stop. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t take a single second to look at women. Keep moving. There’s a line of trees behind it. Just keep going. It’ll open up to—” I paused, remembering the way the tall grass in the meadow swayed like ocean waves on a windy day. The way the sun warmed my skin as Quilly and I danced barefoot, while I taught her ballet after Elowen had kicked us out of the house for being too loud.

Archer snapped his fingers in front of me. “Was that a complete thought?”

“Huh?”

“Behind the trees, what’s next?”

I closed my eyes, yawning as my legs threatened to give out. “The meadow. Thea’s forge. The bathhouse. That’s it. You’ll see the lights on in the house if anyone is…”

He pulled me closer. “It was a lot of power, Fingers, but at least it’s gone now.” He patted my hand. “I’ll get us where we need to go, just keep moving your feet, okay?”

“I’m okay for now,” I answered.

“Are we going to run into any trouble when we get there? Anything I should be ready for?”