by Sammie Joyce
“Everyone out!” Jagger grabbed Asher and dragged him out. Several dragons picked up unconscious witches, and some witches levitated injured dragons out through the entrance.
Rose ran alongside everyone else. They made it out just in time. Someone threw up a shield to protect them from falling rocks, which was a good decision. Mace was already pulling Gavin’s body further away. No one spoke as they all hurried away from the mountain, getting their wounded along as fast as possible.
They only stopped when they were over a mile from the swiftly collapsing mountain. Rose wondered if they should return to the coven, worrying that the ground itself might start sinking in, but Maria called a halt.
There were a number of badly wounded people who needed to be tended to immediately. Though she knew it was hopeless, Rose couldn’t help grabbing Maria’s arm. “Please, Gavin needs help.”
Maria followed her to where Mace was gently straightening Gavin’s limbs. Maria pressed a hand to the side of his neck.
She looked up at Rose. “I’m sorry, Rose. There’s nothing I can do. He’s dead.” She squeezed Rose’s arm and hurried off.
Rose wanted to shout at Maria for being so callous about Gavin’s precious life, but she bit her tongue to hold her unfair words in. There were people who would die without Maria’s immediate help. Rose had no right to ask for comfort in her grief at the expense of others’ lives.
She fell to her knees at his side, wiping blood off his face with her sleeve. “Please, Gavin,” she whispered. “Please, don’t leave me. I need you.”
Mace put an arm around her, but Rose barely felt it. Jagger and Asher came to join them. Asher looked a little beaten up, but he didn’t appear to be seriously injured.
Rose knew she should be relieved that three of her four dragons were safe, but all she could feel was overwhelming pain and grief. Tears fell freely from her cheeks onto Gavin’s chest. She would give anything for his chest to rise, for him to live.
Her necklace started glowing.
Rose clutched at it, suddenly alive with hope. “Yes, please.” She gripped the necklace with the strength of all her desperation and despair. “Please, take me instead. Let him live. Take me.”
She was vaguely aware of Asher, Jagger, and Mace making vehement objections to her words, but Rose was lost in a world of her own. The necklace’s magic swirled around and through her. It tugged at her, as though wanting her to go somewhere, but she didn’t know where.
Rose gripped Gavin’s hand in two of hers. Take me wherever he is. Let me bring him back.
There was a flash of blinding white light. The last thing Rose was aware of was a hand on her shoulder, gripping her like a vice.
The world around her vanished. She could feel her necklace pulsing with warmth. It felt like she was flying, but not like when she was on one of her dragons’ backs. This was different—dangerous, uncontrolled. Rose couldn’t make out any of the passing scenery.
The fingers of the hand dug painfully into her shoulder, but she didn’t try to loosen them. She was glad for the connection. It was the one thing that felt real.
Rose’s feet slammed into the ground. She blinked a few times, trying to get her vision to work. She realized then that her vision was working just fine.
It was the world around her that was wrong.
Everything was set in different shades of gray. The sky and ground were a uniform dark gray. The ground lay flat and featureless before her, stretching on forever.
Rose turned to find Jagger behind her, his hand still gripping her shoulder. “I couldn’t let you go after him alone,” he said softly.
“Where are we?”
Jagger swallowed as he looked around. “I believe we are in the world of the dead.”
Chapter Fourteen
“What?”
“The world of the dead. Or at least, the world all dead pass through before going to their final place of resting.”
Rose knew there were witches who dedicated their lives to trying to figure out what happened when they died. She now wished she had taken more of an interest in their studies. “I don’t understand. We know hell exists, but this certainly isn’t it. It doesn’t look like heaven either. Are we supposed to be in purgatory?”
Jagger sighed, staring around. “That depends who you ask. I can tell you what our clan believes happens after death, if you’d like.”
“Please.”
“All people earn their place in the afterlife through their actions in the world of life. We believe that there are many halls of being after death. Some are akin to the human description of heaven, others more like hell, but most are somewhere in between. This is the place in between. Anyone who dies waits here for an emissary of death to decide their place and bring them there.”
“An emissary of death? Death doesn’t come himself?”
“Do you have any idea how many people die every day? That’s way too much work for one being to handle.”
In any other context, Rose would have laughed, but this quiet, creepy world didn’t exactly encourage laughter. “So we need to find Gavin before an emissary does?”
“I guess so.” Jagger stared around, looking as unnerved as Rose felt. “I’m not sure how much good it’ll do, though. Even if we find him, how are we supposed to get him out? This isn’t a place people return from.”
“It’s not somewhere the living generally come either,” Rose pointed out. “The necklace brought us here; I can’t believe it was so that we could die with Gavin. We’re supposed to save him.”
“It brought you here. I don’t think I was part of the plan. I just couldn’t let you go alone.”
Rose took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’d hate to be here without you.” She looked around again, but couldn’t see anything except the endless, flat, gray landscape. “I guess we should start walking?”
Jagger didn’t have any better suggestions, so the two of them took off at a brisk walk. Nothing about the land around them seemed to change. Rose didn’t see anyone—no sign of death’s emissaries, or of any other souls waiting to depart.
“Wait. This can’t be right.”
Jagger came to a halt beside her. “Nothing about this is right.”
“No, I mean, where is everyone? As you pointed out, huge numbers of people die every day. We should at least have been able to see a few souls by now.”
“This place is endless. We could walk for years and not see anyone.”
Rose hoped he was wrong about that. “What if we can’t see them because we’re alive, and they’re dead? We’re here, but we don’t really belong here. What if the dead are on a different plane than us?”
“That could well be true, but I’m not sure what we can do about it if it is.”
“I think we should stop moving and try to call Gavin to us.” Can you hear me?
Jagger started slightly. I can hear you. I didn’t think our mental voices would work in here.
Me neither, but I figured it was worth a try. Let’s call him.
Gavin! Brother, we’re here to bring you home.
Gavin, it’s me, Rose. If you can hear us, please give us a sign.
There was no response. The silence was eerie. Rose closed her eyes, focusing on her love for Gavin, and her pain that he wasn’t with her. She put her hand on her necklace, hoping that it would react to her emotions as it did before.
Gavin, where are you?
The necklace started glowing red. It was the only color in this world apart from Rose and Jagger themselves, which made it all the more beautiful.
You should leave here.
Rose practically leapt in excitement at Gavin’s mental voice. GAVIN! Where are you? I can’t see you.
She and Jagger spun around like idiots, but the world around them was just as empty as it had been a moment ago.
Take the necklace and go.
We’re not leaving without you, Jagger said firmly. Show yourself, Gavin.
The necklace gl
owed brighter, and a form started to take shape. Gavin was wearing gray robes, and his skin, eyes, and hair were just as colorless.
“Gavin!” Rose leapt forward and tried to hug him, but her arms went right through him. Jagger caught her before she overbalanced.
“You should leave.” Gavin’s expression was disturbing. He didn’t look sad or like he was in pain. He seemed completely at peace.
“We’ve come to rescue you.”
“I’m dead, Rose. I can’t be rescued. Soon, I’ll go to my place of eternal rest. I’ll see you again very soon. Time moves differently here. It’ll be but a few moments to me.”
“It won’t for me!” Rose bit back tears. “It’ll be a lifetime for me, Gavin! You surely can’t want to die?”
Gavin’s calm faltered as distress crossed his face. “In life, I hurt you, betrayed you. My brothers never did. You will be better off with them.”
Rose couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You can’t seriously believe that. I love you, Gavin! My life will be miserable without you.”
“Gavin. Gavin, look at me.”
Gavin refused to look at Jagger, keeping his eyes trained on Rose. “You should go.”
“Gavin! Can he not see me?”
“Gavin? You do realize Jagger is right in front of you, right?”
Finally, Gavin reluctantly turned his gaze to his brother. He seemed able to make eye contact only in brief bits, his eyes continuously flicking down to his knees. “I’m sorry.”
“About what? Leaving? We’ve already been over that.”
“You know what I did. I made an alliance with Hellith.”
“Rose explained that. It wasn’t your fault. She had you under a spell. The same would have happened to any of us.”
“No, it wouldn’t, because none of you would have left. This whole mess is all my fault. I put everyone in danger, and I got what I deserve for it. I know I’d never forgive anyone who hurt Rose the way I have.”
“That’s what you’re worried about? Gavin, I forgive you. You’re my brother. I was pissed when you left, but I love you. I’d forgive you anything.”
“Even if you do, Asher won’t,” Gavin mumbled to Jagger’s knees. He looked so dejected that Rose ached to comfort him, but she held herself back. This was why Jagger had come. There were some things that only a sibling could do. As much as she loved Gavin, she couldn’t convince him that his brothers would forgive him.
“I was there when you left, remember?” Jagger stepped closer, forcing Gavin to look at him. “He was mad, yes, but he missed you. Right now, he’s hurting more than he’s ever hurt in his life. So is Mace. They will forgive you. They love you too, you know, just as much as you love them.”
That, Rose realized, was the crux of the matter. Gavin didn’t believe that the people around him loved him as much as they loved others. If they couldn’t get him to believe it, they had no chance of convincing him to return with them.
Rose opened her mind to both Jagger and Gavin. Jagger caught on and did the same.
Feel us, Rose urged Gavin. What we feel for you is here, in our minds. I don’t know why you haven’t allowed yourself to delve this deep before, but if ever there was going to be a time to do it, it’s now.
Gavin hesitated. I don’t want to invade your privacy.
It’s not invading if I invite you in.
Rose seldom did this. It was a strange and slightly uncomfortable experience allowing people into the innermost workings of her mind. Mostly, her dragons skimmed through her thoughts and her most obvious emotions. Now, she had to get Gavin to go deeper.
In you go, brother. Jagger added the force of his mind, pulling Gavin further inward. The three of them spiraled downward, to the very core of their emotions.
Love. Rose could feel it from Jagger and Gavin, and she recognized it inside herself. In its purest, simplest form, she showed Gavin the love she had for him and his brothers. She saw the love Jagger had for his twin, and the knowledge that Mace and Asher loved Gavin the same.
Gavin tried to shy away, but Rose wouldn’t let him. She could feel his shock as he came face to face with just how loved and needed he was. Rose wished she’d realized sooner that he needed to see this, but she was just grateful that it wasn’t too late.
Slowly, the three of them separated back into their own minds. Rose found herself on the ground, wrapped up in a dual embrace with Jagger and Gavin. All of them had tears on their cheeks.
“I didn’t know.” Gavin gazed wonderingly between her and Jagger. “I had no idea.”
“Now you do. Now you know why you have to come back.”
“I do.” Gavin got to his feet, giving Rose and Jagger a hand up. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much trouble. I’ll do my best to make things right.”
“Coming back with us is all we need to set the record straight.” For once, Jagger didn’t have a joke to add. He just smiled at Gavin.
The three of them held hands. “Any idea how to get back, Rose?” Jagger asked.
“No, but—”
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence. The world abruptly started spinning. Colors and sounds crept in, almost overwhelming her after spending so long in that silent, colorless place.
Rose gasped as she slammed down onto the ground. Maria was leaning over her. “Rose? Are you back with us? You and Jagger just collapsed—we’ve been trying to rouse you for over an hour.”
Rose brushed away Maria’s cautioning hand as she sat up. “Gavin?” She scrambled over to him. He was lying so still… what if it hadn’t worked?
Rose pressed a hand to his chest.
Under her fingers, she could feel a steady heartbeat.
She fell forward, her arms around him, laughing in relief. “Gavin, it’s time to wake up now.”
Maria was looking at her as though she were insane, but Rose didn’t care. At the sound of her voice, Gavin stirred. “Rose?”
“I’m here.”
He opened his eyes and sat up with Rose’s help.
Maria fainted.
Everyone else cheered.
Mace, Jagger, and Asher crowded around Gavin. All five of them were caught up in a many-armed hug that Rose never wanted to end.
She kissed Gavin, then Jagger. She couldn’t believe they were back, that it had worked. Her necklace was cool against her skin. Rose was never going to let it out of her sight again.
The excited babbling of the witches and dragons around them finally broke through her bubble of bliss. Rose knew they would have questions, but she’d deal with those later. It turned out that going to the world of the dead and back was exhausting. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were in quite possibly unstable territory—the ground was tremoring slightly—she’d lie down and go to sleep right there.
“Is everyone okay?” Rose directed her question to Maria, who was propped up on an elbow, gaping at Gavin.
“Is… everyone…?’
Rose grinned at Maria’s disorientation. It wasn’t often that something threw her, but she supposed that a healer seeing someone come back from the dead was enough reason for confusion.
“Is everyone who was injured in the battle healed?”
“I—yes. We’re all good. I’ll have to do some follow-up healing on a couple of people in a few days once I’ve gained some strength back, but I don’t think any permanent harm has been done. Now that Gavin… how did you do it?”
“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I think the necklace did most of the work. I’ll tell you about it sometime. For now, I think we should get back to the coven. Can everyone fly?”
Most of the dragons nodded and spoke up that they could. Gavin insisted that he could fly, though Asher wisely didn’t let him take Rose on his back.
After flapping a drunken arc across the sky, Gavin crashed to the ground. Jagger was rolling on the ground laughing. Fortunately, Gavin wasn’t hurt, just exhausted. Jagger had been smart enough not to volunteer to fly, but it seemed Gavin still thought h
e had something to prove.
Rose knew that Gavin would win back his self-respect in time. He didn’t need to win Rose’s or his brothers’ love; at least he knew that now. It would take time for him to forgive himself, but Rose knew he could do it. She’d never really lost faith in him.
Rose rode on Mace’s back with Gavin. Asher had Jagger and wisely kept a large distance between himself and Mace. Jagger was teasing Gavin mercilessly about his nose dive. Gavin glared daggers at his twin, but Rose knew better than to take them seriously. She felt nothing but good-natured annoyance in Gavin’s mind.
They made it to the coven easily enough. Everyone was tired and filthy, but after a shower and some rest, they would all be as good as new.
There was no one to meet them at the gates, not even sentries. Rose sat up straighter, worried that Hellith somehow escaped their spell.
Don’t worry, Mace told her quickly, sensing her thoughts. There’s no one to meet us because everyone is here.
Everyone came to rescue me? Rose felt a lump rising in her throat. That so many people would risk their lives for her was both terrifying and achingly touching.
No one wanted to stay behind. I know we were supposed to leave a few people guarding the coven, but Asher wasn’t exactly arguing for the rescue party to be any smaller. Maria made a token objection, but she agreed within about fifteen seconds.
It wasn’t just you, you know. Asher’s voice was warm. We came for you too, Gavin. If Rose had been with us, we would have emptied the coven just the same.
Thank you. Gavin’s voice was thick, and Jagger wisely chose this moment to quit his teasing, at least for the moment.
They landed on the lawn, mostly not talking. There was plenty to say, but for now, everyone was tired.
“I’m glad each room has its own shower.” Rose slipped easily off Mace’s back, into Jagger’s arms. “Otherwise we’d be facing war worse than banishing Hellith for who gets to be the first to wash off.”
A number of people were covered in Hellith’s black, foul-smelling blood.
Jagger chuckled in agreement. “Good thing our shower is big enough for two. Though I suppose we’ll have to fight World War III to see who gets to share it with you.” He winked.