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“Elodie!” Her friends call for her and she hears them. She’s angry with me for everything I did here today. But I won’t let go. I push her down as far as I can and stand, shaking my head and laughing.
“She’s gone! It’s just North now—you hear me?! She’s fucking gone and you’ll never get her back!”
Goosebumps crawl across my skin as I lock eyes with a large deceased Hollow. His fur is decayed but I can see the dark tufts that were no doubt once glorious. His eyes are yellow and deep, and he has translucent leaves scattered throughout his coat.
Murph.
She surges through me and throws me back into the darkness, into the deep nothingness to watch alone again.
Alone—and filled with so much hate.
35
Elodie
Murph.
He’s here.
He’s here and he saved me again. Even from the second death, he came back to save me.
I crash into the ground before the great Hollow that I left in the Moss Forest so long ago. My heart cries out and my body’s in so much fucking agony. Murph walks up to me, humming low in greeting, and I wrap my arms around his bony corpse tightly.
I never want to let go. I never want to say goodbye again, but I know I have to. He can’t stay this way. None of them can.
I’m sobbing too hard to get any words out but my old friend seems to understand. He lifts his head and turns back to look at Kastian.
The Death God stands like a stone. He’s not Kastian, not right now. That’s how he was able to do this… to bring me back. He knew what would call out to me, the desire to save all those I’ve let down.
“Borvon.”
“Elodie.” He speaks evenly and his tone is deeper than Kastian’s. “You need to channel Talia.”
I shake my head. Maybe it’s because I’m so distraught and I’m still fighting back the other god trying to possess me right now, but I just want to stay… I don’t want to disappear again.
“Elodie,” he snaps, bringing me from my thoughts.
“Yes?”
His eyes soften on me, sad and weary. “She will give you the knowledge to resurrect them. To take them all to the other side.”
My breath hitches and my heart soars with the thought of sending all the dead back to the human realm. I nod slowly.
I’m not sure how long I’ll be here before North takes over again. I look to the side and Wren and Rune are already crashing into me, hugging me and pressing kisses to my head. Moro narrows his eyes at me. Our time must be short by the way he tightens his lips.
Fuck.
Wren cries as he wraps his arms around Murph. His Hollow nuzzles his hair and licks his cheek. My soul is fading by the second and there’s nothing I can do but say goodbye.
I hold Rune’s face in both my hands, caressing him as tears flow from his eyes. “I’m going to sleep now… I don’t know if I’ll come back.”
His crimson eyes widen. “No—no, you’re not going anywhere. We have a million wishes to make. You can’t go. You can’t,” he chokes out as he sets his head on my shoulder. I lean my head against his and let a few of my own tears fall.
“After I resurrect them… if North comes back, I want you to kill me.” I tilt Rune’s face up. He’s hardly holding himself together. My once so steeled and emotionless guard—he’s crumbling with them now because of me.
I’m sorry I’m breaking you—I hope you’ll heal again someday.
I feel Talia reaching up against my skull.It’s time.
