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Divina had braced herself for Hades’ next words. Her heart had stuttered to a thrashing halt.
In order for his soul to embrace the revival, he must let go of all the pain. Let go ofyou.
He must forget you, even if you do not forget him.
I want to say goodbye,she had whispered, her heart shattering piece by piece inside her chest.
That can be arranged…
Divina stumbled on nothing and fell to her knees with a muffled cry.
All at once, the darkness parted, slowly brightening to reveal a familiar landscape. The ancient Greece that she admired when she’d first been dropped into this time and place.
It was beautiful, nostalgic, even magical.
She could live and thrive here, she thought. The hills, valleys, mountains, endless skies and shimmering sea called to her.
A chorus of neighs and whinnies drew her attention to the plains below the hill that she knelt upon.
Gorgeous.
A herd of wild horses raced through fields of flowers, manes flying, tails waving.
Divina could feel their happiness vicariously. So free and proud and graceful. Horses had always been her favorite animals. And after she met the centaurs, even more so.
At that thought, a streak of black caught her eye, racing faster than the others.
He was lagging behind the herd at a good distance, but now he was gaining on them, so much faster and stronger than any of the others. His shiny coat like obsidian satin, his muscles flexing with effortless grace. He was the biggest stallion she’d ever beheld.
He was so beautiful it almost hurt to look upon him.
Andros, her heart sighed.
As if he heard her, the stallion broke his gallop and slowed to a canter, tossing his head and whinnying. Suddenly, he cut away from the herd and turned in her direction, pounding his way up the hill.
Divina gathered herself hastily onto both feet and waited.
He didn’t slow down. If she didn’t know better, she’d be afraid that he intended to trample her beneath those plate-sized hooves.
But she held her ground. Also held her breath with bittersweet anticipation.
This was it.
This was goodbye.
When she left the Underworld with the lyre, her quest with Sorin and Ere would be done. She would return to the Celestial realm, to her own time, with her friends.
And if Hades kept his promise, Andros would live. She would never see it, but she would know in her heart of hearts.
The stallion stopped abruptly a few feet away from her, pawing the ground with his front hoof, head tossing, nostrils flaring in a high-spirited snort.
“Hey, baby,” she greeted with a teary smile, and brushed her eyes and cheeks absently so that only joy remained. Aching though it might be.
He tilted his head a little and perked his ears forward, giving her all of his attention. Reminding her of how they first met. Captivating her all over again with his raw, untamed beauty.
She extended her hand toward him, palm up, and waited for him to draw closer.
He hesitated a while, sniffing the air around her. Then, snuffling her palm directly. He blinked as if he enjoyed her scent but didn’t recognize it.
