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Our journey would be hard enough without Ben potentially causing mayhem, and I couldn't fault Seth for it, even though Ben was my brother, and I would have loved to get to know him better.
Unfortunately, neither he nor my parents would be given the choice to accompany us. My parents had lost that privilege when they sent Ben and Alex after me, knowing full well that I was not in danger from Azazel. Part of me could understand that they had been worried about me, but another part resented them for not having trusted me enough to trust my word to come back to them.
Well, now they wouldn't get to see me again, and neither would I them, but that was a decision I made and would have to live with. Seeing Azazel almost die again because of them, was something I would never be able to forgive.
My heart twisted at the thought that by the time we reached Tartarus, my parents and Ben and Alex and everybody I had ever known would be long dead, but this was what fate had willed, and I would not fight it.
"You should go and say goodbye to them," Azazel tried to sway me.
I couldn't though. I didn't trust them to try to keep me with them by force, and I wasn't willing to take the risk.
"Please tell Mom and Dad that I love them," I told Ben in a breaking voice. "I wish I had had a chance to get to know you."
"Me too," Ben replied with a wry smile, and I stepped to where he was chained against the wall while Azazel shouted my name in warning.
I wanted to feel my brother's arms around me one time though. Just once, not in a fight, but in a way that would give me a memory of what could have been.
Ben made no attempt to use me as leverage against Azazel, he only hugged and kissed me on the cheek. "Goodbye, sister."
"Goodbye, Ben," I choked out and stepped back, to be immediately surrounded by Azazel's arms.
"Always remember it was her who saved your lives. If it had been up to me, you would be both dead by now," Azazel told Ben and Alex as he held me up while we left the men's cell. Outside, I fell into his arms and sobbed. His hands caressed my back while he whispered sweet, soothing words.
"We can stay," he offered.
I stared at him.
Stay?
"I spoke to Seth. He wasn't happy about it, but he did say we could stay here on Adama if you preferred."
A glimpse of a future with my parents, Ben, and Azazel rushed by me, and for just a moment, I allowed myself to dwell in that sweet daydream. But that was all it was. Just a daydream.
In my heart, I knew my parents would never accept Azazel as their son-in-law. I wouldn't put it past them to try to kill him, and even if they didn't, Earth had suffered, and it would take years to rebuild what had been destroyed. Azazel would stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, and there would be many people who would want him dead.
No, I would get over the pain of separating from my parents and a brother I hadn't even known, but I couldn't condemn Azazel to live a life of persecution. Besides, whatever lay ahead of us, for some reason, deep down in my heart, I felt we were both still needed for the remainder of the quest.
"Thank you for that, Azazel," I smiled at him. "But I will be alright. It might take some time, but I will be, I promise."
"I love you." He kissed me. "You have a few more days to think your decision over. We can also still go visit your parents or have them brought up."
I considered that and thought I might take him up on the last offer if they were willing.
As it turned out, they weren't. They refused to come, making my decision to leave a bit easier.
We did linger in Earth's orbit longer than planned because, suddenly, Grigori decided to go in search of his karamia, who he was convinced was hiding somewhere on Earth since she hadn't been part of the seven maidens.
Grigori was the only one without a bride, and he made it clear he would turn Earth upside down in search of her. But that is a different story.
It was hard saying goodbye to Ishtar as well, as she insisted she wanted to stay on Earth and become a mortal to live out her life there. It was hardest on the remaining brothers, but I knew they, too, would get over it, just as I had over the loss of my family.
WereachedTartarusexactlytwo hundred and fifty Earth years later. The number was still mind-boggling to me. I had lived for over two hundred and fifty years and hadn't aged a day. Neither had Azazel, only our daughter, Beth, had.
Yes, daughter.
Azazel and I broke another part of the spell by giving birth to the first baby girl since the beginning of this horrendous quest.
Beth aged until her twenty-seventh birthday, then she stopped. Just like Seth's and Lilith's son Osiris.
