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Once again, Clay opened his hand, sending the Heart of the Earth dancing into the air. Energy gathered in Hale and he focused all of his being on the task at hand. As much as he loved his soul mate, his priority had to be saving the Earth. That was his task as the Air Weaver. He had family back in Chicago who needed to live long lives. The Earth had its place in the cosmos, and it needed to keep spinning for a few more billion years filled with crazy humans.
“For the earth and the plants that grow,” Clay said in a loud, strong voice that seemed to rise up from the depths of his soul. He started the spell and each Weaver followed.
“For the animals that find life.”
“For the humans that love.”
“For the fire that burns.”
“For the water that flows.”
Pushing past the lump in his throat, Hale spoke the final words, “And the wind that blows and binds us all.”
The power behind his heart surged forward, pouring like a torrent out of his chest and into the Heart of the Earth. His lips parted on a scream of pain, but he wasn’t sure if the sound ever left him. The spell was pulling the goddess’s gift from his body. It wasn’t a matter of handing it over. He couldn’t have stopped it if he’d wanted to.
All of himself. All his power. Even the immortality he’d been promised was flowing straight into the stone.
He tried to look at his brothers, but he was losing them against the increasingly bright white light that was emanating from the Heart. Just when he was sure he was about to burn out his retinas, the light shot from the Heart and into the rift. He followed the beam to the darkness, watching it slowly closing, inch by slow inch.
Just a little bit more.
Except a different darkness was gathering around the edge of his vision. He couldn’t see the mates forming a circle around the Weavers. He couldn’t see his brothers standing beside him. There was only the bright light and the steady flow of energy moving from his body toward the light.
No, not energy. His life.
The last bits of his life were flowing out of him.
But that was what had to happen. He had to sacrifice everything to save the world.
He tried to hold on, to dredge up even more power to push into the stone. The rift had to close. His brothers had to be safe. His parents. Gio’s family. And Clay’s family.
They would be safe.
And then he was floating. It was as if he’d blinked and suddenly he was rising above the earth, floating higher and higher away. Had he used his powers? Become the air and the wind?
No, this was different. It was like even his memories were slipping from him. He’d been holding on for so long, and now he couldn’t remember why he’d been fighting. He was tired and it was easier to float.
But something…something was tugging on him.
The world was hazy beneath him. A thick white fog had floated in, blotting everything out. The whiteness was soothing. Cool and clean. Soft nothingness. He could float and rest.
Tug.
He looked back again, trying to figure out what exactly was tugging at him. It didn’t feel quite as strong as the last one, but it was definitely attempting to pull him down. Away from rest and peace.
Why wouldn’t he want to rest?
Tug.
He tried to tug back, to break free of this something holding him from rest.
Tug.
“I swear to you Hale, I will follow you into death.”
The hard, angry voice swirled around him. Where was it coming from? Was he really dead?
“Please, Hale, don’t leave me.”
He knew that voice.
“I need to hear you call me Angel one more time.”
Harrison! His Harrison was crying. He was pleading for Hale. That was the tug.
The promise of rest and peace faded to nothing. This was no time to rest. He needed to return to his Harrison. His soul mate needed him.
Hale followed the tug, trying to pull himself toward it, to find the source of Harrison’s broken voice.
Pain was the first thing that came to him. He gasped loudly, the sound ripping through his ears first, and then Harrison’s laugh. Arms wrapped around him, lifting him up.
He opened his eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight. When they finally focused, it was on Harrison’s red, tear-streaked face. There was no better sight in all the world.
“Welcome back,” Harrison said. His voice was rough as if he’d damaged his voice screaming at Hale. He quite possibly had. He’d heard his soul mate all the way into death.
“You saved me,” Hale whispered.
“I thought I’d return the favor. You did save me first.” Harrison drew Hale closer burying his face in Hale’s neck. His loving mate smelled of sweat, dirt, and magic. But most of all, he smelled of home.
