Page 18 of Vengeance of the Gods

Vega pushed her way through, stepping on toes to get to the front.

The portal is in California… How did Arlet make it here? Doubt crept in, but it couldn’t get her to ignore the feeling that’d brought her here. She hadn’t even registered the ring around her wrist burned like fire, too distracted by the dimming headache.

“Go get a medic,” a man beside her called to someone outside the crowd.

“That’s really not necessary,” a voice cut through. A voice Vega would know anywhere…

Oh my gods.

Vega stumbled through to the front, and if her jaw could touch the ground, it would have. Standing in the middle with the woman asking for help wasn’t the beautiful, curly-haired best friend she’d been accustomed to seeing on Earth.

It was Bridger… his chest covered in cuts and blood, looking disheveled and maybe even a little annoyed.

My name is Vega Caelum. I’m a god… and I’m from a world called Tolevarre.

Her life came back into focus. There was no accident, no TBI.

When Bridger’s eyes locked on hers, the pain in her head, the tug of the thread in her chest, and the fire of the brand around her wrist vanished.

9

“Hey, Kitten,” Bridger said with his lips pulling to one side in a lazy smile.

What the fuck—What. The. Fuck. There was no time to think about what Bridger was doing here, let alone how he got here.

The panicking woman didn’t let up. “Doctor. You need hospital,” she demanded in broken English.

Vega’s eyes felt glued to Bridger’s, and it seemed she had the same hold on him until the woman started blabbering to the new people gathering around to see what the fuss was about.

“I could use a little help here.” Bridger’s words broke her trance—stole the only moment of peace Vega had felt since waking up in this life.

Her body acted before her brain could catch up, still lagging from the comedown of the splitting headache.

Bridger was here.

On Earth.

In Rome.

Vega crashed into him with so much force he stumbled back a few steps. Her arms snaked around his midsection, and when she inhaled, Vega smelled home. The crisp pine scent mixed with Bridger’s fresh clothing. “I wasn’t going crazy,” she whispered, feeling tears sting behind her closed eyes. She squeezed them tighter. “I knew it was real.” For over a month, she’d been questioning her sanity. Day in and day out, Vega was starting to feel like she was losing her mind—creeping further into a state of psychosis.

Bridger tensed for a second before wrapping his arms around her too.

For the first time since she reset in this life, Vega felt no pain when she remembered.

I can go home. To Tolevarre.

“Hospital,” the woman said again, ripping Vega back into the current world she was in.

Fuck.

He couldn’t go to a hospital here. He couldn’t draw the attention of authorities. He couldn’t get in trouble… because he wasn’t from here, and not existing in this world would cause other problems Vega couldn’t deal with.

“Oh my god!” Vega exclaimed, having to remember not to add the s at the end. She pulled out of Bridger’s arms and looked up at him. “What happened? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She reached up and placed her hands on Bridger’s cheeks, playing the part of worried lover well. Splatters of blood had already started to dry on his neck and chest from the cut still oozing near his collarbone. Her hands warmed where they connected with Bridger’s body. “Are you okay?” she asked loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Bridger’s eyes flashed with recognition and something else—gratitude? Gods, focus.

He smiled softly, resting a hand over one of hers. Vega did her best not to flinch away. “I’m fine. I told this nice lady,” he said with a sneer, “what she saw wasn’t as bad as she thought. I took a wrong step and tumbled a few feet. That’s all.”