Page 40 of At The End There Was You

She hummed and the vibration prickled Azriel’s skin. “Like a bear in the summer.”

He chuckled and rolled over on his back, taking her with him to lay on his chest. “Sleep, my sun,” he said when her eyes struggled to keep open.

“I shouldn’t.” Her words slurred and her lids finally drew shut, giving way to sleep. Tears rolled down her cheeks and he kissed each of them away.

He reached into her small cabinet and pulled a sewing kit from it. When he found a piece of thick yarn, he took off a ring bearing the red stone of his land and threaded the yarn through it before tying it around her neck. “I might not be back to say goodbye,” he whispered, kissing her lips. “I don’t think I can.” She stirred a little when he lifted his body from the bed and he hesitated, standing there and watching her. Not once did he look away as he walked backwards towards the door. “I’ll see you from afar, but you’re so stunning this close. This must be why they always warn to never fly so close to the sun.” Azriel’s back met the door, and he dropped his head back on it, struggling to find the power to turn and open it to leave.

The day at the end

She woke in his arms, safely tucked to his chest, and not yet at the end of the world. But something did not feel right. His body felt warm, his touch on her back felt mechanical, his scent was not his.

When she cracked her eyes open, another reality crashed hard against her. She was crawled up on her side in the middle of a salt circle surrounded by candles and colourful stones, hooded men and women chanting a sharp spell encircling her. That didn’t worry her as much as not seeing him did. They could do to her whatever they wished, but not to him. They had wanted to kill him the other night. They wouldn't stop. She knew they wouldn’t stop until they did so because he knew them better than anyone—he knew humankind was not capable.

Winter could recognise the runes surrounding her, they’d been painted and sometimes carved around her old house. A hiding spell. Anyone within the runes would be impossible to find. It meant they didn’t want Winter found for some reason.

She pushed up, and spotted Miriam watching by the far corner of the odd room that looked like nothing in the Sanctum. “Where is he?” she asked her despite the weakness of her bones. “What have you done?”

“Oh, sweet girl,” Miriam cooed in a stony voice, showing her tenderness that had never come to her before. “I’ve known your purpose with us has always been far greater than anyone predicted.”

Winter tried to stand up. “What are you talking about?”

Miriam pushed off the wall and reached close to her. “I’m talking about him. There will be no end today, only a new beginning. And it will start with you. Your life, for his. The other Mages are already trying to establish a connection to Asphodel, to seek him. He left a note for me last night that he’d leave our world and that he’d no longer claim its end.” She sneered. “ Lies. So many lies. Of course he’d rather watch it fall apart from his throne. Of course he’d want to catch us by surprise and feast in our fear. Until we can lure him out, you will remain where he cannot find you, where you cannot seek him or his aid.” Miriam pointed to the necklace around her neck which Winter had not noticed. “He marked you. A God marked you. How important you must be to him, sweet Winter.”

Her limbs failed and she collapsed to the ground again. He’d forgiven them? He’d left? “No, do not do this Miriam. You do not understand. It was because of this he threatened this world, because of this!”

“And humility, will it save us? Begging, will it save us?”

“This will definitely not. Don’t do this to him. Don’t hurt him anymore, please.”

Her mouth pursed with disgust. “And let him hurt us? Has your soul always been this corrupted, Winter, or did you just give it to him?”

He’d been nothing but gentle with her soul. No one had ever been. No one had regarded it before. Winter had not realised she still had that part of hers until he’d brought it out of the shadows it had hid. “If being corrupt means condemning this, then yes, I am.”

“Then this world will lose nothing important when you are gone.”

Winter stepped back and sat back on the wet ground, clutching his ring in her palm. He’d left her with it. He’d left. He’d not stayed. “Then this world does not deserve his mercy.”

They’d brought her far from the Sanctum, somewhere where the sun burned red and scorching. There was nothing for miles along no matter which direction she looked, only scarce dry trees and parched shrubs. She could recognise the red sand beneath their feet, she knew they stood where river Lethe started in the world of the living and continued through to the land of the dead. Somewhere in the middle of the dry bank stood the invisible gates to Asphodel that only the dead and him knew. They had brought her there to lure him out of his lands.

Everyone had gathered by the tall wooden pyre where Winter was tied on, hundreds of blood thirsty Mages, scared and curious villagers, all those from the Sanctum were there, too. The girls she’d called her friends stared at her hopelessly, tears streaking their faces as they murmured apologies and asked for forgiveness.

“It is alright,” Winter mouthed back, trying her best to offer them a smile. It was. It was really alright. She would be with him. They wouldn't kill him, and she’d be with him beyond this life. They would be together.

She closed her eyes tightly and looked up at the skies. “Don’t come. Don’t come, Azriel. Please don’t let him come,” she prayed to the God of Life, too.

She repeated those words over and over even as they pushed the torch inside the hay at the bottom of the pyre. She didn’t stop even when it caught fire and began burning the wood. Even when she could feel the heat below her feet or when sweat covered her body. She did not stop even when flames began burning around her body and licking over her skin. She did not like pain. Winter did not like pain, but she didn’t stop and didn’t cry.

Someone else did. Someone else screamed and cried. Then more joined, forcing her to open her eyes.

Between the tall flames surrounding her, she saw massive gusts of black smoke gathering near the crowd, and from them emerged him. Angry and terrifying.

The fire died in a snap.

Miriam vanished in a blink, turning into black dust that disappeared in the wind.

The Mages disappeared next.

Her chains vanished, too, and she fell to her knees.