“Ourwork is not done,”Torideclared. “Hadeonis defeated, but there will come another.Theyalways do.Hewas just a symptom.Therewill always be those who think of themselves as greater than others and who will try to place themselves above others.Someonehas to stop that.”
“Ha!Andthat is to be you?”
“Notjust us.”
“Veryfew pass through my gates believing their life is ready to be over, but they pass through all the same.Now, if you do not hurry—”
“Iwill go.”
BeforeDeathcould respond,Toriswatted my nose. “Abraxas,Iwon’t let you sacrifice yourself for me.Notagain.”
“Notall of me, little bird.Justthe part of meIno longer need.Thatpart of me that will always burn for destruction and revenge for a people that have long passed beyond the stars.Itis easy to fight, to destroy.Itis easy to die.Iwant to live,Tori, with you.”
“Abraxas, you can’t mean…”
Atthis,Liferoared, “Youare the last dragon, the last of our people.Youwould give that up?”
“Icannot bear the burden of an entire people upon myself, not anymore.Itried, and it brought nothing but more pain.Youyourself helped weave the curse upon everyone’s hearts.Whatdid it solve?”
Lifedid not deny my claim. “Ihad hoped, with magic gone, our people might survive.Imight subvert our great prophecy.EvenI, after all this time, can make mistakes.Itried to wield the grief of the earth, butIonly magnified it.”
Deathran his snout along his mate’s nose, and they huddled together, purring gently.
AllIsaw wasTori.
“Abraxas,Icannot ask this of you.”Inthis place, we were nothing more than spirits, andIfinally let my spirit be what had always been destined.Ishifted down until we were eye to eye, andIkissed her gently with soft, fae lips.
“Youwill never have to, my love.Itis mine to give and to have a chance at a life with you.Iwould pay this price a thousand times over.”
“Yourdragon name, it was to beAstaroth.”
Ipaused, stunned. “Howdo you know this?”
“Yourfather,Isaw him in his last moments.Hesaid your mother had given it to you.”
Torihad given me so many gifts.Thiswas just one more.Igave her face a gentle squeeze as tears rose in her eyes.
“Youwill be weak.Youwould give up this power you have fought millennia for... for her?”Death’svoice carried no malice this time.Onlycuriosity.
“Yes.”Aresounding truth.
Deathsighed. “Itis… noble.Butimpossible.Icannot unweave the part of you that is dragon any more thanIcan turn back time.”
“Maybeyou can’t.”Tori’ssmile was all wicked fae.
“Weare not in our world anymore, little beast.Youcannot channel mana here,”Deathstated flatly.
“Idon’t need to.”
Sheplaced her hand on my chest and reached into the well of life at its core.Deathwas right; the part of me that was dragon and the part of me that was fae were almost inseparable.Almost.
Shepulled on the white light in her heart and followed it across the cosmos toJun.Hislight was smaller than the furthest star, but it was there.
“Onemore puzzle, brother?”Hervoice rang out across the vast empty space.
Thestar winked back, but so did the surrounding stars.Theyshifted across the sky, the dust and clouds of nebulas spinning into new life.Theycoalesced above us, drawn into each other asIfelt the life inside me shift apart, sliding and unlocking as white light unwove the two halves.
LifeandDeathstood awestruck as the part of me that was dragon died and was reborn.Scalesshimmered over my skin before disappearing forever.Myclaws punched out and retracted, and my horns rose above my head.Atthat,Ifelt the smallest tug in my heart, andIdidn’t feel my horns disappear.Thetwins pulled, and half of me broke away; a golden light drifted above our heads.
