No. She’s really hurt, Thornton responded, angry with himself.
What were you thinking, man?
I just lost control for a few minutes.
She’s a nice girl, bro! It’s one thing to use her, but it’s another thing to physically injure her! She doesn't deserve you taking out your anger on her.
I didn’t mean to, Thornton responded. I screwed up, Ash. I’m sorry. I’ll take care of her. See if you can get me some vials of Sakra’s water to heal her.
“You have to let me take you to the hospital,” Thornton said with concern. He lifted her body effortlessly and was already moving to the window. “I don’t know what came over me. I just...”
“Relax, Thorn! Put me down. I’ll heal.” She gave him a reassuring smile, freeing herself from his protective grip. She moved over to her hourglass, and saw that she was running out of time. “We don’t want to be in a hospital on a day like this. Not over something small that isn’t life-threatening. I’m a doctor, remember? I know this isn’t serious.”
“You don’t understand! It is serious. I used too much power...”
“Shhh,” she said, “it’s fine. It's just a little blood. You'd be surprised at how much this type of thing happens to people.”
“What’s wrong with me?” he whispered. Thornton sat on the side of the bed and put his head in his hands. Para moved over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Pax, do you hate me? I wonder where you are right now. Look at this mess I’m in—and I’m just digging myself a deeper hole by the second. Maybe I will try to go back in time. I love you, Pax. I need you with me, always. I’m not even half a man without you—I’m some kind of insane beast.
She frowned as she listened to these thoughts. He was tortured. He was just as tortured as she was. Her heart ached for him.
Come on, Thorn, he told himself, just forget it. Let it go. There’s a beautiful woman here right now, and you owe her some kindness. You just nearly burned her house down and wrecked her body by using Silver Form and she hasn’t even complained. She’s smiled and been so tough. She’s tried to reassure you she’s alright when she’s obviously not. What a sweet girl. Just forget about Pax... just for a few minutes. Medea needs your attention.
He looked up at the indigo-haired woman, trying to think of what to say or do to make this better. As he examined her face, he found himself searching for similarities to Pax. Dammit! What I like most about Medea is her resemblance to Pax! I’m such a sick fuck. When am I going to stop? When am I going to accept that Pax is gone and stop beating my head against a brick wall?
Para pulled away from him, and began to move around slowly, picking up her discarded clothing with shaking hands. Her dress was ripped, so she pulled another out of the dresser in an irritated huff. “Thorn, I don’t have to be a genius to know you’re not thinking about me.”
She began to tug underwear out of the drawers with angry and abrupt motions. Be angry, be angry, Para. I wish I could take a shower to wash off this blood, but my merger will be ending soon. Time to get going.
“Where are you going?” he asked, suddenly panicking.
“I have to get out of here. Maybe I’ll take a walk to clear my head. This was a strange experience.”
“Medea, let me explain,” he said wretchedly, “I’m not completely human…”
“I can see that,” she snapped. “Your eyes turned red and your body was covered in flames. It was really painful and horrible. I need to go.”
Thornton looked up at her with sad, anxious eyes. “No. Don’t go, Medea. I—I can’t be alone tonight. Please. You’re the only person I have left.”
Para had already begun walking for the door, and she paused midstride. She turned back to glance at Thornton. He was sitting on the bed, with his head in his hands, completely devastated. She heard his thoughts about missing Pax and needing Pax, and her heart went out to him. It’s my fault. I can’t do this to him. She had intended to make him hurt and angry, but she still loved him and it was hard to see him this way.
She moved to the dresser, grabbing her watch and saw that she had four minutes remaining. Slipping it on her wrist, she sighed. “What’s wrong?”
“She hates me,” he said softly.
His voice was barely a whisper, and she was hardly able to make out his words. She moved back to him and sat beside him on the bed, stroking his arm gently. It was one of the rare times in this escapade that she had felt genuine love and concern for him. His little sister’s affection mixed in with his lover’s adoration, and both of their remorse. The emotions mingled to create a new, unnamable feeling that belonged only to Para.
“She really hates me,” he said again.
“No, she doesn’t,” she told him as she put her arms around him, stroking his back and hair soothingly. She used untraceable amounts of prana to transfer some of the tranquilizer from her own body, and into his. She hoped this would help to sedate him.
“If she didn’t hate me before, she’ll hate me now,” he said hoarsely.
“I don’t hate you. I never could,” she said, kissing him gently on the lips. Then she remembered who she was and added, “Not that you seem to care about that much at the moment.”
He took her hands into his. “Of course I care.”
“No, Thorn,” she said, shaking her head. She glanced at the hourglass again, and saw how little sand was remaining. “I’m obviously nothing but something to use to kill time. You act like you were so heartbroken over Pax, but you wouldn’t have been chasing after me in the first place if that was true. Do you really care about her?”
There was a pause before he said too firmly, “Maybe I don’t!”
It hurt her to hear him say that. “Maybe you don’t,” she repeated. Was he admitting it or trying to convince himself? Her watch vibrated. Two minutes. “I need to go.”
“No!” Thornton tightened his grip on her shoulders nervously. “I’m really messed up right now... but I know one thing for sure. I need you. Right now, in a million ways, I need you.”
She silently studied his face in the dim light.
Thornton sighed and spoke again. “Please. Will you just let me hold you?”
She answered by moving close to him and letting him encircle her body with his arms before gently lowering her back down onto the bed. He held her tightly, and pressed his face against her chest. She felt the moisture from his wet cheeks against the skin of her breasts as she cradled his head gently.
“I’m sorry,” he said, tightening his arms around her waist. “I’m just so fucked up. I’m sorry.”
“Everyone is,” she said in a soft voice as she kissed his hair. “Get some rest, Thorn.”
He mumbled softly, “I didn’t mean to injure you...”
“It’s nothing at all.”
She glanced at her watch. Two minutes. His breathing began to slow down, and his thoughts became cloudy and insensible: Where are you, Paxie? Don’t hide from me. I’ll search the whole world until I find you. I’ll hold you like this—you feel so good in my arms. You’re the only one. His mind called out her name, over and over again, pleading and yearning for her. I love you, Pax... just stay with me.
Para felt herself swallowing as she wondered, Does he somehow know in his heart that it's me? She continued listening in on his jumbled thoughts curiously, but with growing concern over the time she had remaining. One minute. Please fall asleep in one minute, Thorn. Please fall asleep in one minute.
Concentrating on the tranquilizer which she could feel in her body, she exhaled a bit of etorphine mixed with prana, causing him to breathe the substance. Everywhere that his skin touched hers, she allowed the tranquilizer to leak out of her pores and suffuse his body.
As she did this, the turbulent thoughts swimming in his mind began to calm. Thornton mused to himself, even through his drowsiness: She is so kind. Would it be so terrible... if I ended up with Medea instead of Pax? He ran his hands over her hair, and deeply inhaled her scent. He thought he cou
ld make out cinnamon and sandalwood. Sakra, holding her like this is so comfortable. Thank you for giving me this gift—it’s just what I needed. It’s not strange or forced. I could do this every single night.
You certainly could, Para said inwardly, if you can fall asleep really fast. Thirty seconds. Go, go, go! Sleep! Hurry, please. She continued with her soothing caresses, and continued letting tranquilizer seep into his body, until there were only fifteen seconds left. She prayed he was deeply asleep enough that her movement would not disturb him. She edged away from him on the bed and gently lifted herself off the mattress. Ten seconds. She looked down on him for a moment as she deftly pulled on a simple black dress.
Pax was always there when you woke up. Para won’t be.
Chapter 31: A Sinister Moon
With a burst of prana, she rapidly flew out of the house moving into the middle of the street. Staring up at the comet heading toward the earth, Para threw her arms out to either side arrogantly, looking up at it with a challenge on her face.
“So come on then,” she said to her adversary, her voice silent and deadly. “You want me? Come on, Suja. Hit me with everything you’ve got. Send your cannonballs of ice and fire. Send it all, bitch!”
The coalescence technique wore off right there, as she stood on the yellow line between lanes of traffic. It was the most careless and public Para had ever been, allowing herself to break into two girls in the open. Thornton could have looked through the window and seen it happen, but she did not believe he would. She did not even know if she cared anymore. There were no people on the street—no humans or even their pets. Everyone was tucked away safely in bomb shelters.
“That was really not cool,” Amara said softly to her friend, from where she had been flung to the concrete. She had not felt like she had been present in Para’s body or calling the shots for most of the past thirty minutes. She had been aware of what was happening, but from a distance. She had been aware of Pax’s emotions, but she had almost felt like for the majority of the time, she hadn’t existed at all. She suddenly noticed that her friend was still standing, staring defiantly up at the comet.
“Paxie,” she said weakly. “Are you okay?”
The dark-haired woman was completely still, reminiscent of a marble statue. Her fists clenched at her sides and her head tilted up toward the heavens.
“We should get out of here,” Amara whispered, gulping back the lump of dread in her throat. She could feel the chill in the air indicating that Pax was about to do something crazy. She could not hear any of her friend’s thoughts, but she began to fear the worst.
“I’m sorry, Paxie. I never knew that my brother was so…”
Pax exploded off the ground like a bullet. A rush of silver flames mushroomed out in ripples from the spot where her feet left the ground. Amara stared after her for a second, her eyes wide.
Pax! she screamed out mentally, flying after the woman. She knew that she would never be able to catch her. Pax was too powerful and fast. Paxie, please! Wait for me. Let me talk to you! What are you going to do?
When there was no response, Amara tried to use Ruby Form to chase after her friend, but she still could not reach her. Please, Paxie! I’m your best friend. I know exactly how you’re feeling. I am right here with you in this. It’s not fair to cut me out now, considering that I am sacrificing my own skin and my dignity for you! You just forced me to sleep with my brother, for Sakra’s sake! You owe me an explanation.
Amara was shocked when her friend suddenly appeared in front of her. She froze, and both women hovered there, suspended in the air for a silent moment. The red flames surrounding Amara’s skin seemed to be intimidated by the force of the silver flames surrounding her friend’s body.
“Paxie,” Amara whispered desperately. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m leaving,” Pax answered, her eyes silver and empty. Her voice was emotionless. “I know what I need to do now. I know the solution.”
Amara took a deep breath. “Okay. Just—give me a hug first?”
Pax seemed stricken by this request. Her empty eyes seemed to spark with recognition and feeling for a second. She nodded, reaching out to put her arms around her friend. As she looked over Amara’s shoulder, she realized that they were floating over a small body of water in a forest—a pond or a swamp. She could see the reflection of their energy in the water—one vivid scarlet flame, and a larger, silver inferno. She could also see the image of the approaching comet in the water. She stared at the distorted, circular image—it looked so much like the moon, but ominous.
It was a sinister moon—and Pax was going to destroy it. She knew that she needed to use the self-destruction technique that Vincent had taught her. She would create a black hole with her own body, and suck the comet away. She didn’t care anymore.
“Self-destruction technique?” Amara gasped, realizing her friend intended to attack the comet head-on, solo. “What the hell are you thinking about?”
She had not meant for Amara to hear that thought. Pax realized Amara had only hugged her to make contact with her skin and better read her thoughts.
“We have to go to the bunker!” Amara yelled. “It’s really cute and comfortable—I promise you’ll like it! There an underground movie theatre, a ballroom for dancing, a mini shopping mall…”
“I don’t care about any of that,” Pax said softly. “Tell my family goodbye for me. Apologize to your dad that I broke my promise. I love you, Mara. You were the best friend—the best sister any girl ever had.” With a smile, the dark-haired woman flew away.
“Pax!” Amara screamed. She launched herself at her friend, wrestling her into a headlock. “You’re not going anywhere! I won’t let you!”
“You really don’t want to fight me right now. Get your hands off me.”
“You are not going to go all one-woman-army on this thing! Do you hear me, Pax Burnson? This is insane! This is madness! This is…”
Pax pivoted in the air and struck Amara in the abdomen violently. The blond woman went flying back dozens of feet until she landed in the shallow part of the pond.
I’m sorry, Pax said telepathically.
“Pax!” she screamed up at the sky. “Paxie!”
The determined demigoddess had already teleported away.
* * *
Feeling possessed with radical motivation and recklessness, Pax lowered her body through the miles of misty white gas surrounding the comet. When her feet touched something hard, she crouched down to lie flat against the frozen fjuyen nucleus. She remembered what Vincent had said about needing to be pressed directly against the target of the supernova attack. Swallowing, she spread her arms out, in effect, hugging the dirty bomb.
This is it, she told herself, pressing her cheek against the icy surface, this is my moment. I can kiss it all goodbye and go out with a bang—do something worthwhile. She closed her eyes, feeling her courage suddenly falter. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, telling herself that she could enjoy a few more minutes of life before extinguishing herself. No, I can’t, she insisted. The black hole can’t be too close to the planet. I have to do it now.
Okay. Here goes. Thorn, I’m sorry I hurt you so much. Pax imagined the man’s face, and felt her insides convulse in remorse. Tears began to harshly sting the back of her eyes. She remembered how distraught he had been, and it surely crushed her insides more than any self-destruction technique would. You betrayed me, and I struck you back—it would have continued like this. We created a sick, endless cycle, and it will never stop. Not unless I make it stop. So I’m putting an end to this now. It will be better with me gone.
Pax rubbed her cheek against the coarse surface of the comet’s nucleus, feeling it scratch at her skin. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat. Let’s go, she told herself, lifting her index finger to touch her forehead. Right before it connected with her skin, she felt a hand clamp around her finger, preventing her from performing the technique. She peered through the mist to see wh
o had stopped her, since she was unable to feel a life force.
Mom? Pax asked, seeing the silhouette of Bridget Burnson’s smiling face and her beautiful dark curls.
The woman reached out to place a hand on Pax’s back, inching close to her until their faces were almost touching. Don’t do this, sweetheart.
She reached out to touch the woman’s curls, mesmerized by her beauty. Pax missed her mother dearly, and this would have been an enchanting near-death apparition if it had just been a figment of her own mind, or somehow, the actual spirit of her mother. But it wasn’t. She frowned, deciding that she was too focused on the task at hand to demand that Suja change back into her original form. What do you want? Pax asked the demon queen pithily.
I want to offer you a way out, Suja said kindly. I can make this comet disappear by snapping my fingers if you will just enter my employment. I promise you will enjoy our work. I will pay you handsomely with anything you desire, and there are great benefits… even shares in the company.
Everything I desire is down there, Pax told her, gesturing at Earth, which was barely visible through the comet’s cloud of ice and dust.
Suja seemed skeptical. Is it worth sacrificing yourself to save those flawed, foolish humans?
Yes, Pax responded instantly. I know most of the time they trample their own kind, but on a day like today, you can see that they really care about each other. This threat has really united them; they’re standing together as one unit, as one people. The kinship is really affecting and poignant.
One day does not change their pathetic history, child. Suja smiled sadly. Humans are such a lamentable sort.
No. I am human, Pax said defensively. She frowned. I am mostly human, and I believe it is the best part of me.
Then I suppose I cannot change your mind. What a great loss you will be to this universe. Suja moved forward, pressing her lips against Pax’s cheek. I will miss you.
Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak Box Set (Books 1-3) Page 60