Page 2 of Devastation
With that simple statement from her son, all the fight bled out of Nyx, leaving her with the pain of knowing she had to accept this, and quickly. I swear I hear her whisper, “I have done more than you know to keep my children safe.”
“You understand me then,” I offered just as quietly as the words she so quietly breathed out.
Her eyes filled with pain in the depths settled on me and a small nod came from her.
“Erebus is stronger than any of us anticipated. We turned a blind eye for far too long, and by the time we learned of his plans, he had acquired too much power for us to put a swift end to his machinations.” I paused briefly to ensure I had their unyielding focus.
“I know it is not the way of the gods and goddesses to police one another, but we must do precisely that in this scenario. Take Lana under your wing, let her have my home in this realm, and ensure that she gets the journal I am leaving behind for her. She will need it to understand what will be expected of her.”
A quick nod from Nyx set my nerves at ease. Her word meant everything to her, so I knew my wishes would be honored.
“It will be done,” Hypnos swore solemnly with a tight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
“Gather as many allies as you can in this realm. Lana will need to journey to each of the other realms to gather her queens and their armies.”
“Why can we not just go with you to battle him and end this now?" Nyx demanded.
My head hung at Nyx’s question. The selfish side of mehadconsidered that option, but I knew that, ultimately, Lana needed the element of surprise on her side to win this battle.
“We need to view this as a long-term battle. Yes, we may be able to hold Erebus off with our powers combined, but that would tip our hand. He would know we were working as allies and would retaliate swiftly, not allowing us the time we need to assemble an army that has any hope of rivaling him. He would kill hundreds of thousands throughout the realms. His foothold is too strong…” I trailed off as I once again ran through the scenarios of how this could unfold.
Hypnos nodded along and added “For all we know, his seconds-in-command have orders to set his plans in motion should anything happen to him when he’s without them.”
I nod. “If they didn’t have Lana in one of their strongholds right now, perhaps things would be different. I wish that we had looked into the whisperings of Erebus’ dark dealings sooner, but change does not come about from a wish. It comes from action, and in that we have failed.”
I continue, “I have failed, content to believe that I would be able to hold the fragile balance of the realms and that Lana wouldn’t get caught up in the fray of this battle. That I would be strong enough to handle this for all of the realms.”
The passion with which I spoke, and the depth of the truth to my words, caused my own eyes to glisten with tears. I had underestimated Erebus, determined to focus on my own precarious balance of powers.
I had been so hyper-focused on that balance that I had, in turn, developed blinders to anything outside the scope of my own duties. Now, I would pay the price for that.
My throat tightened as I held the sorrow at bay, knowing I would never be able to form the relationship with Lana that I now knew we both wanted. I wouldn’t be here to make sure that she lived to see the next day, or that her heart soared with happiness and love. To earn her forgiveness for not telling her about Ash.
Hypnos, ever the empath, crossed to my side on the couch and held me in his arms, whispering into my ear, “Just promise me that you will go there and fight, Gaia. Fight to come out of it alive. Do not go there accepting defeat before it has happened.”
His arms tightened around me at the end, and I leaned my head against his chest, taking a shaky breath.
“I will fight tooth and nail. There is nothing I want more than to have the opportunity to develop my bond with my daughter and watch her flourish.”
His breath tickled the hairs against my forehead as he spoke. “That is all we can ask of you.”
Straightening from his embrace, I squared my shoulders, knowing that my desires didn’t matter. I would say what I could to placate Nyx and Hypnos in our final moments together.
They deserved that peace of mind.
In my soul, I knew it would soon be time for my eternal slumber. But first, it was time to save my daughter and her mates.
Chapter One
Lana
After drifting in and out of consciousness for what feels like days, I finally open my eyes and am able to take in my surroundings. A canopy of ivy vines and flowers covers the ceiling entirely, intricately woven together. Staring at the array of colors above me, my eyes catch on a teal rose that is the exact same shade as my eyes and a pang of grief shoots through me.
The same color eyes Gaia had during our last encounter together, when she admitted that she'd helped my fae parents to conceive me, making me a demi-goddess and her sole child.
I hadn't had enough time to process that admission from her before she was ripped away from me by Erebus in battle. The same battle I lost Ash in.
Ash. I failed you.
