Chapter 749: Strong Enough
My Fate's lovely face turned upward as she spread her hands. Her brother bowed to her and vanished, but not before also bowing to me.
The familiar presence of Max pressed against my back, his power deep and as vast as ever as Fate whistled a song in the expanding air. When she dropped her empty eyes to mine, she unpursed her lips to smile.
"Well done, my very dear Sydlynn," she said. Her head shifted a fraction, blank gaze over my shoulder. "Oh, my love," she said. "You're strong enough."
I felt him shiver, half-turned to look up at him, only to swing back as she vanished.
And gasped in awe as the ground beneath my feet erupted into green and blue and red and pink. All shades of deepest emerald, jewel toned flowers flourishing in full bloom on the suddenly thick, lush carpet of grass, trees leaping, full-formed from the earth, reaching for the blue, blue sky.
Within the time it took me to catch my breath, the empty plane was empty no longer, the sound of bird song and the chitter of small animals the most beautiful music I'd ever heard.
"It waited for this moment," Max said. "For you to free its soul."
His. The soul of the plane. I touched him again, felt the power of the stronghold embrace me, feeding me magic until I pulled free, already stretched further and with more power than I knew what to do with.
But when I turned to look for Ameline, to share this wonder with her despite our differences, she was already gone.
But before I could panic, freak out over her escape as I came back to myself, shaking off the awe of what I just went through and returned to good old cynicism-my favorite-Iepa just shrugged, her own tears on her face.
"It's over," she said. "You can do what you want now."
No sweeter words had ever been spoken.
I could finally kill Ameline and take Gram's power back. Ahbi's. And kill that bitch once and for all.
Hesitated, feeling doubt clench tight around my chest, not about Ameline, but about what happened here.
And why.
Iepa must have known what I was going to ask. She came to me, took my hand, squeezed it in hers. "It was about choice, Sydlynn," she said. "Isn't it always? Didn't Fate tell you so?"
I nodded, mind churning around what she said as she went on.
"Without your choice to trust Demetrius, to trust Fate, having faith no matter the loss to yourself, to those you loved, you would have fallen. A fight would have led to the battle I showed you when we first met." I shivered at the memory, all those witches, demons, every one, dead at the hands of the Brotherhood. "Ameline was never the center of this and, had Fate not needed her power to complete the circle and lure Belaisle, only you would have been necessary."
To make a choice. Imagine that.
"I almost didn't." The words escaped me in a whisper, fearful as I realized what my stubbornness could have meant.
"But," Iepa said, smoothing my hair back from my face, "you did. As Fate knew you would. With your faith to heal him, Demetrius's choice to give up the power he took from Belaisle, to return it from where it was stolen, completed his restoration." She sighed softly, dropped her hands. "Dark Fate never believed you would sacrifice so much, that Demetrius would give up what Belaisle craved. And, because of that, Light won."
Okay then.
"And Ameline?" What was her fate? "If she wasn't here to fulfill a purpose?"
Iepa hesitated. "Her fate has yet to appear," she said. "Her choice."
She'd better hurry up. Time was ticking on her final clock, you betcha.
Mia's sobbing stilled as she looked up suddenly, faint smile on her face.
"Hello?" She staggered to her feet, looking around with an air of innocence I would have more closely paired to a child. "How pretty." She bent, plucked a flower, smelled it. Giggled.
Iepa's sad smile lifted to Max. He gestured and two of his drach shifted to human shape, coming to take Mia by the hand and lead her away. She turned to me as they left, blue eyes blinking as she smiled at me.
"Her mind is gone," Iepa said. "And with it, her pain and the memories of what she became in the end." She nodded once, as though there were no other choice to be made. "You are very generous, Sydlynn."
Considering I didn't know what I was doing when I put Mia into sleep, Iepa was being kind of generous herself. Still, I was glad the broken witch found some of her own peace.
"My people will guard over her," Max said. "Until such time your Enforcers return to take over."
I turned to him, hugged him. "Thank you," I said. "I'm so sorry your people had to suffer for this to work out."
He held me gently against him, face so sad I wished there was more I could do or say to make him feel better.
"I have to find Ameline." I stepped away from him. Max nodded, head hanging, shoulders slumped just a little.
"As do I," he said. "I will come with you." He finally looked up again, diamond eyes moist. "As is my task."
Why did that make him so unhappy? Maybe his people didn't kill, didn't believe in it or something?
What was I missing?
Didn't matter. I'd sort it all out later. For now, I had one job and one job only.
Find that bitch and make sure her death was slow and painful.
I turned to go, spotted my friends, and totally forgot Ameline. Rushed to Trill who sat up, shaking her head, looking around with huge, brown eyes.
"What happened?" She helped Owen sit up as Quaid assisted Apollo. "Syd, is it over?" She smiled in childish wonder at the beauty around her, running her hands through the grass. "We won?"
I hugged her, laughed. "You were a big help," I said.
Owen grabbed me next, brilliant blue eyes narrowed under a frown as he let me go. "Syd, are you being sarcastic?"
"I'm not," I said. "For once." Nudged Apollo's sneaker. "Nice job, you three."
Met Quaid's eyes.
I'm sorry. Guilt almost choked me, it showed up so fast.
For what? His Enforcer magic warmed me up. Saving everyone?
I left you behind. How could I explain to him how hard it was to do that?
You did what you had to do, he sent. And we're fine.
He was, too. Looked fabulous, dark waves all tousled and chocolate eyes full of yumminess.
Married.
Happily.
Yup.
Time to go. I helped Trill to her feet, waited while Owen dusted off the seat of his jeans, Apollo winking at me.
"A chick with power and a hot bod," he said. "What's not to love?"
I laughed. Didn't smack him.
Went home instead.
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