Page 37 of Vengeance of the Gods

“His eyes,” Vega said softly, breaking the silence to look up from the passports.

They hadn’t had much time over the last few hours to talk about everything. The revelation about the cracked portal, Chase’s black eyes.

“Have you seen them do that before?” Bridger asked, keeping his voice low despite the cabbie’s music.

Vega swallowed the knot in her throat and nodded. “When he attacked me before I found you at the Colosseum. That’s the only time I’ve seen it. Ever.”

Bridger looked as exhausted as Vega felt. She was nearing twenty-four hours of no sleep, which meant Bridger was well past a full day awake by now.

Gods or not, they still had to sleep, especially with no powers to fuel them.

Silence was filled with the clueless cabbie’s off-key singalong.

“You said the people in these lives are controlled by your curse…” His eyebrows drew together in question.

“Not like this. I mean…” Vega rolled her lips together while she thought about how to explain it. “The curse has basically only hijacked a person’s life, forcing them into one with memories they didn’t have of a life we didn’t live together. It was never them going all soulless eyes, ‘let’s fulfill your destiny’ shit.”

Quiet fell between them again, their eyes staying locked.

“But now the portal’s cracked. The curse might not be held to an object anymore…” Bridger mumbled like he was thinking out loud.

Vega wasn’t sure about Chase, about what was going on with him or why the other portal was destroyed, but one thing felt certain now. “All signs point to the portal.”

He nodded once, looking as certain as Vega was becoming. “All signs point to the portal.”

Rubbing her temples, Vega slumped into the seat, sliding down until her legs couldn’t go any further underneath the driver's chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bridger looking at her.

“What’s next?” he asked, always needing the details.

“Airport. Security. Flight. Customs. This is the most dangerous part of the trip.” Vega closed her eyes, focusing on keeping her heart rate under control. If she freaked out now, everything else would crumble around her. Vega’s composure couldn’t slip.

“Please tell me there’s a place to eat at this plane-port because I could devour ten meals right about now,” Bridger said, distracting Vega from her growing anxiety.

Vega sat upright. “Airport,” she corrected. “Yes, though we might not have a ton of time for a full meal.”

Bridger groaned, holding his stomach dramatically. “You’re trying to starve me, aren't you? This is my payback.” It was his turn to slump down, tipping towards the middle seat until his head fell into her lap.

Vega tensed, and so did Bridger.

Her body flushed, the worries of their imminent future washing away and shifting into all new ones. Vega’s body warmed, sending a flutter of heat through her veins. “Do you feel that?” she whispered. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt in ages—one she thought she might never feel again.

Their touch had always felt electric, their own tiny current of power, like they were drawn together by an outside force.

“Yes.” Bridger exhaled, not moving from her lap.

She hadn’t realized she’d brought her hands to her chest. Vega slowly lowered them. “Have you felt me this entire time?” Her hand rested softly on Bridger’s upper bicep.

“Every single life. I could block my brain from thinking of you, but I couldn’t trick my body into forgetting you.”

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. They were too close. Vega couldn’t let them get too close… but where was she supposed to go? They were stuck inside the tiny backseat for at least another thirty minutes before they arrived at the airport, and then if they didn’t get arrested trying to use false identification, they’d be stuck together on a plane. And then if⁠—

Vega took a shaky inhale, her hand sliding up to his hair. She couldn’t stop herself. It was soft between her fingers raking through the length at the top. “What do you think it means?” she asked, resting her head against the headrest and closing her eyes.

Bridger didn’t answer right away, and the more time passed, she figured he wouldn’t.

“That I fucked up.” Bridger’s words trailed off, his voice deep with sleep and a gravel Vega could feel vibrate against her lap.

Memories of his wrongdoings threatened to flood Vega’s mind, but for the first time since he’d left, Vega let herself enjoy the warmth wrapping around her like a hug—the bliss of reuniting with a soul she’d been bound to deeper than the others.