Page 50 of The Stars

As they floated back towards the shore, Theo whispered in Amy’s ear, his eyes wide with wonder, “Thank you, Pandora… Epimetheus… for saving me.”

Dante clenched his jaw. They were no longer just Amy and Dante. They were something more—something that even the gods feared.

And now, there was no turning back.

Chapter Seventeen

By the time the three of them landed safely back on the beach, the crowd had grown in size and everyone was chanting their names. Their god names.

Everyone gathered around them, cheering and hugging Theo. Moments later, the water separated a few feet from the crowd as Prometheus stepped out from the sea.

“I see you disobeyed the gods,” he said to Dante. “Well done.” He smiled and slapped him on the shoulder before turning towards Amy. “Sister,” he said with a quick nod. “Welcome back.”

“Is this it then?” Dante asked. “Will you send us home now?”

Prometheus chuckled. “I was not the one who brought you here.”

“But you can send us back, right?” Amy asked.

He turned fully towards her. “No, sister. You are the only one here with that power.”

“Me?” Amy was shocked. “I… I…” She shook her head.

“You are the one who came here, to him,”—he motioned towards Dante—“on your own powers. You are immortal and omnilingual, as with all gods. Your knowledge surpasses even mine.” He waved his hands slightly as if convincing her. “You’ve been known, in the past, to create weaponry out of thin air.”

“I have?” She looked down at her hands and willed a dagger to appear. Sure enough, moments later an intricate silver blade with a bright yellow stone on the tip of its hilt appeared. She’d had visions of this knife before. Seen her past self-wielding it in battle.

“Cool,” Dante said, getting her attention.

“No, sister, it is not I who will send you to your next step in your journey.” Prometheus bowed his head slightly. “I am out there in your time, waiting for your arrival and awaiting my fate.” He glanced at Dante. “As it has always been, I will stand beside you both when the time comes for the final battle. It is up to you, Pandora, to ensure that the last piece is in place to finally end this game.” He glanced down at Theo. “Well done, boy.” He winked at the kid, then turned and walked back into the sea.

Amy’s mind swirled as Prometheus disappeared into the sea, the waves closing in as if he’d never been there at all. His words echoed in her mind—You are the only one here with that power. Her?

Immortality, omnilingualism, the power to create weaponry from thin air. Could she do all of that?

She thought about how she could easily understand the ancient Greek everyone spoke around her. How she could read the writing on the temple walls. Then she realized that even though she’d been reborn, that was, in a way, immortality.

Dante stepped closer, placing a hand on her back. “You okay?”

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted softly, her eyes still fixed on the spot where Prometheus had vanished. Everything was happening so fast. The gods, the power inside her—powers she had barely scratched the surface of. And now, to learn that she was the one responsible for getting them home.

Dante gave her a reassuring smile. “Hey, we’ve gotten this far. We’ll figure it out. Besides, I can fly.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

His calm confidence steadied her, and she took a deep breath. She squeezed the hilt of the dagger she had just conjured, marveling at its weight and craftsmanship. How had she done that?

Thinking quickly, she held out her other hand and a thick leather strap appeared. It matched the dagger perfectly, and when she slipped the blade into it, she knew that this too was hers for all time.

“Pretty cool,” he said as she wrapped the thing around her waist.

Theo, still beaming from the rescue, wiped at his eyes and turned to her and Dante. “Thank you,” he said quietly, his small voice lost in the sea of cheers.

Dante ruffled the boy’s hair, grinning. “You did good, kid. I think you were a lot braver than we were.”

Amy bent down to meet Theo’s gaze, her heart warming at the sight of him safe and sound. “You were really brave,” she said softly, her hand resting on his shoulder.

Theo smiled again, his youthful face brightening. “I knew you’d come for me,” he repeated, like a quiet, steady mantra. Amy’s chest tightened at the faith this boy had in them—in her.

The villagers led them back to the village, where a feast was quickly put together. Large wooden tables were brought out to the center of the square.