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And still she waited.
She waited until she began to feel Marius’s power shift direction. And even then, she waited until she felt his arms surround her. “You can remove your foot now.”
Nothing remained beneath her stiletto except a thin layer of ashes. “Are you sure? Once I’d taken in your power, I could feel what he was. He would have succeeded if not for you and your brothers.”
“And you.”
She glanced up at him, turning slightly. He levitated her into the air, moving away from the sunlight. “Wait, you were standing in the sunlight for a couple of minutes just now, when you were holding me?”
“I felt I was safe because of our bond. Apparently, your humanness protected me, which isn’t the usual case.”
She searched his eyes for a long moment. “Is it over, Marius? Really over?”
“What do you hear?”
She realized the arena had grown completely silent. She turned, casting her gaze in a circle as Marius turned her so she could witness the aftermath of the battle.
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Gabriel and Rumy were in the center of the arena stage, standing beside Adrien and Lucian. Shayna saw that there were an awful lot of dead warriors everywhere, but new forces entered the building, many of them with white medic vests. The cleanup had already started and the dead were being carted away on stretchers, thousands of them.
She moved with Marius to stand with his brothers and Gabriel and Rumy, the latter of whom took one look at her chest then surprised her by removing his black shirt and handing it to her. He then got on his phone and requested a new shirt for himself.
“Thanks,” she murmured, putting it on and quickly buttoning it up to hide her exposed cleavage. She also worked to smooth down her hair, knowing that something about the experience had caused it to fly around. Glancing at her feet, she reached down and unbuckled the uncomfortable stilettos then kicked them off.
Marius brought her close again, and she shifted to slide her arm around his neck. All the men were now watching the patch of sunlight.
Together they’d accomplished the impossible and she’d been a big part of it, something that pleased her human soul more than she thought she’d ever be able to communicate to Marius.
I get it. His voice was a quiet, soothing sound within her mind. Remember, I can still feel what you’re feeling and I understand completely.
She kissed his cheek. And you’re feeling the same way.
I am. I feel …
Honored?
Marius squeezed her waist. Exactly. Honored to have been able to finally rid our world of this monster.
Shayna waited in the arena with Marius. Cleanup continued with precision so that corpses left in a steady stream and the cavern slowly emptied out. The familiar steam-cleaning happened at the same time, purifying the bloodstains from the stone.
She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to stay until the very end, a sentiment Marius shared with her.
Occasionally, she’d glance down at the pool of light and watch as even the ashes continued to be eaten up by the light.
When the arena was empty at last, she glanced down once more and spoke aloud. “Marius, look.” She gestured to the sunlight. Only a few specks remained.
“Unbelievable.”
Both Adrien and Lucian added the same sentiment.
“He’s gone now.”
Somehow, even the air felt cleaner.
* * *
When the last of the cleanup crews were taking care of the few remaining corpses, and the regiments had returned to their respective continents, Gabriel and Rumy drew close, both hovering in the air with ease.
