I laughed, and he led me inside his room and closed the door behind us.
"Here, um, why don't we sit on my bed." He led me and my IV cart back to his bed. I then noticed the pile of blankets folded on the floor before the footboard.
"Have you been sleeping on the floor?" I asked.
He grinned. "I didn't want to get tangled up in all your tubing."
"It's a California King."
He chuckled, then grabbed my elbows and held me before him, his gaze keeping me still. "Call me old fashioned, but I didn't feel comfortable sleeping with you without your consent."
"If you don't know by now that you invariably have my consent, I'm not sure what else to do."
His gaze fell to my mouth, and he brushed his fingertips against my lips. "I have a few ideas…" He grinned then gazed back into my eyes. "But right now, I believe I need to fill you in on the past month."
I grinned back. "Yes, that would be nice, too."
"I'll have the nurse remove your IV and catheter when she gets here in the morning." He held my tubes out of the way while I got comfortable on his bed.
"What time?"
"Ah, sometime between nine and ten." He sat across from me, one knee bent and the other leg stretched so that it rested against my knee. I was glad to see he needed to keep touching me as much as I needed to keep touching him.
"Where'd you find this, by the way?" I tugged at my sleeve.
"Stefan picked it out."
My hand froze and my heart lurched. "So it's true…? You've seen him? Stefan's really…alive?"
Alex smiled and nudged my side with his foot. "He's alive. He's here, too, though I imagine he's sleeping at the moment. He's staying in your old guest room."
I wanted to see Stefan immediately, but I didn't think he'd appreciate being jolted awake by me jumping on top of him. Assuming I didn't collapse on the way there. I looked down at my Victoria's Secret shirt again. "You said Stefan picked this out…?"
Alex chuckled. "Well, I'd asked Vera to grab something for you to sleep in and, well, she bought this…" He opened the drawer of his nightstand, and from its shallow depths, he pulled out a wad of black. It was very delicate, very tiny, and very see-through.
"Vera. Bought that. For me."
Alex set the black lingerie back in the drawer and closed it. "Stefan immediately went back and bought what you're wearing now."
Which was something very indelicate, very large, and very not see-through.
I laughed. "You didn't have him return the, uh, other thing, huh?"
Alex raised a brow at me with a funny look on his face, and I laughed again. And then I wondered how that conversation had gone between Alex and my brother. I was glad I hadn't been there.
"I mean…I can have her take it back…if you want," Alex hurried to add.
I smiled, but I didn't answer him. It was nice seeing him a little flustered for a change. He narrowed his eyes at me as if he'd read my mind, then shook his head with a grin.
"So." He cleared his throat, folded his fingers together, and wrapped them around his bent knee. "Back to what I wanted to talk with you about…"
"Because the topic of my sleepwear falls in the category of the 'few ideas you have that we'll discuss later'…?"
"Yes." He smiled up at me. "Definitely, yes." He raked a hand through his hair and a clump of it fell against his forehead. I desperately wanted to reach out and rub that clump of silky black hair between my fingers, but his expression turned so serious I resisted that urge.
"I'm not sure how to say this…" He hesitated. "But…Gaia is gone."
His words echoed in my mind until all I heard was his voice, saying gone gone gone. I knew I'd been the one to do it, with Nexus's help, but I hadn't really known it would work.
"As in…it no longer exists," I said.
A slow nod.
I inhaled slowly, trying to grasp what this meant. Gaia was gone. An entire world—destroyed. I didn't know how to feel about it, especially because I'd been involved.
Alex's eyes moved between mine, searching, digging. "You did it to stop Mortis from coming here, didn't you?"
"Yes…well, that was what I hoped. It did stop him, didn't it?"
"Yes."
I sighed, relieved. "Good."
"But…how did you know? That destroying the shield would destroy Mortis?"
I chewed on my bottom lip and rubbed my thumbs together. "I didn't…know for sure. But…when Eris was about to kill you, everything suddenly made sense. Remember the visions I told you about?"
He nodded.
"Well, at first I thought Gaia had been using her visions to tell me I needed to side with my uncle in order to save you. But then…then I remembered Fleck, and how he'd said he couldn't see the future. What you probably don't know—and I didn't have a chance to tell you with everything going on—was that Fleck had been concerned he couldn't see the future because there was none—at least not for Gaia. And in that throne room, I realized he'd been right. I realized that my visions had been trying to tell me I'd have to be prepared to destroy Gaia's world in order to stop Mortis. That was the only way to destroy Mortis's physical form. And I had to believe…I had to believe your warnings and Tran's warnings and…Danton's warnings got to the people in time. I had to believe the people were able to get out of Gaia—that you would be able to get out—but I also knew that if Mortis got any farther, you'd all be dead anyway."
I paused, thinking back on that moment. The pain, the despair. Alex kneeling before Eris, too weak to fight back. Nexus's dying voice in my mind. My throat clamped down. "I…saw what Mortis was doing to you and the others. He took away your will and your resolve. I knew the people of Earth wouldn't stand a chance, either. It was a terrible risk, but I also knew it was a necessary one. And…and Nexus helped me in the end. Just when I thought I had nothing left to give, just when I thought the power of the shield would burn me up, I heard his voice. He was dying, Alex. All alone. On the bottom of that cliff." I squeezed my eyes shut and a tear leaked out, leaving a cool trail along my cheek. "He was dying and he gave every last ounce of his strength to help me."
Alex grabbed my hand and squeezed it. The pain of Nexus's loss was like a vice around my chest, and my next breath shuddered against it.
"I'm so sorry," Alex whispered, rubbing his thumb over mine.
I sniffled, wiped my nose on my arm, and opened my eyes to find Alex watching me. I suddenly realized I had no idea what he thought or how he felt. His emotions were a blank to me, just as they were supposed to be—without magic. I'd expected to miss that, but it was actually kind of nice. I hadn't realized how loud and overwhelming everyone's emotions were until they were all suddenly quiet.
"I couldn't have done that," Alex said, threading his fingers through mine and staring down at our hands. "Even if I'd been able to wield the power of the shield—which I still have no idea how you managed it, even with Nexus's help—I couldn’t have destroyed Gaia."
"Yes, you could've," I said, studying his face, the strong lines and sharp angles. "By claiming your title as prince, you already sacrificed yourself to save the world. If you'd realized what needed to be done to stop Mortis, you would've done it. Even if that meant destroying a world you called home for so long."
He moved his hand to my cheek. I sighed against it and shut my eyes, feeling the pain of loss ebb and flow.
"I have a new home now," he said softly, rubbing his thumb along my cheek, "and that's with you. Here."
I opened my eyes again and found his. The past events had taken their toll on him, too. His eyes held so much love, but there was also an anguish there that ran deep into his very marrow. I didn't need my ability to sense him to see that.
I placed my hand over his. "Will you tell me what happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.
I dropped my hand back into my lap, thinking. "I remember…the shield disintegrating. I remember an earthquake, and then…waking up in your bed."
His gaze drifted down to my mouth as he slid his hand into my hair. "I thought you were gone, Daria. You weren't breathing and…your heart stopped." His eyes moved back to mine, and I could see how afraid he'd been. I knew that fear because I'd felt it for him when Eris was about to end his life. "I…Daria, I tried reviving you. Ehren had to pull me off of you so that Thaddeus and Vera could carry you out of the castle. Eris was gone. The shadowguard were gone, at least Eris's fabrications. The human shadowguard fled, and the dragons took care of the gargons, clearing a path for us to run, but…" He squinted, thinking back. "It was as if Gaia was helping us escape. The entire world exploded to bits, but a clear path ran straight to the portal. We ran for it…all of us—Gesh and the Arborennians and the Nords—and as far as I know, we all made it through. My mother was on the other side, waiting for us with your brother and Master Durus and Headmaster Ambrose."
I zeroed in on those names. Sonya was all right. Thank goodness. But…"So what Tran said was true? Headmaster Ambrose rescued my brother?"
"Yes. He and Master Antoni."
"Why? What's in it for Headmaster Ambrose?"
"I don't believe anything is in it for him. The headmaster…he's always been a bit elusive and complicated. But there's one thing he's always been loyal to—and even Tran will attest to this—and that is Gaia. Do I think the headmaster deceived your grandfather? Yes, many times. The headmaster did many things behind the scenes, more than any of us really know, but everything he did, he did it because he believed it was what was best for Gaia. He wasn't an initial supporter of your grandfather when your grandfather took the throne, from what I hear, which is why many people believe King Darius appointed him to his council so early on. To keep his enemies close, you know. While the headmaster may not have been loyal to King Darius, he was irrefutably loyal to Gaia, and he would do anything to make sure Gaia's will was done. From what I understand from Tran, he intended to work both angles, appearing to help Eris but working behind the scenes to make sure Eris didn't get out of control. His original plan was to take the shield away and hide it, but then Eris attacked Stefan and King Darius, and the headmaster started believing Gaia wanted something very different from what he'd originally thought."
"So did he think Gaia wanted him to save my brother? And why didn't he save my grandfather, too?"
"He didn't know if he could save Stefan. He thought they were both gone, but Eris charged him with…ah, disposing of the bodies. Headmaster Ambrose realized Stefan was still alive—though barely—and then he and Master Antoni brought Stefan to the underground tunnels. Their plan was to take him somewhere safe, once his health stabilized—somewhere he could hide until he had the strength to fight back, but then the world exploded, so they brought him to Earth, with Master Durus's help, and…that brings me to my mother."
He hesitated then squeezed my hand and stared at the comforter. "She's…having a difficult time."
"Because of your father," I whispered.
He nodded once.
My heart squeezed—for him, for Sonya. For myself. I hadn't known what had happened to Cicero—none of us really had, but it looked as though he'd been killed right after my grandfather. In my mind, Cicero smiled. In my heart, Cicero laughed, that big boom of a laugh. My father had always brought it out in him. And now they were both gone. My eyes burned as I held tight to Alex's hand, threading my fingers through his to let him know I was there. To let him know I would always be there, and that he could lean on me if he needed to.
"Did…did Headmaster Ambrose tell you?" I asked quietly.
His jaw clenched and unclenched and his eyes turned glassy. "Yes." The word barely fell out of his mouth. "None of…none of King Darius's men survived…except Stefan. If only…if only I'd been there, maybe he wouldn't…" His voice broke and he stopped talking.
I scooted closer to him and placed both of my hands on his face, lifting it so that he was forced to look at me. "Alex." I stared deep into his eyes, so close I saw the little flecks of brown around his pupils. "It is not your fault." My own voice cracked, my eyes brimming with tears. "Do you understand? There is nothing you could've done to stop Eris. Not then. Even if you'd tried, Eris would've killed you too. Your father…he is—was one of the greatest men I have ever known. He gave his life protecting the very thing he swore to give his life to protect. Don't regret that for him."
Alex's eyelids slid closed, his lashes dark against his cheeks. A tear spilled out of the corner of his eye and slid down his cheekbone to where it ran into my fingers. I leaned forward and kissed him gently on his forehead, but then I pressed my wet cheek to his forehead and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him close to me. He slid his arms around my waist and held me there, just held me. My own tears kept falling—for Cicero, and for Alex's pain at losing him. And then my tears weren't just for Cicero, but for Nexus, and Myez, and my grandfather and father, and for a world full of beauty and magic and life that no longer existed. We didn't speak for a long time, content in grieving with one another. His shoulders shook a little with each of his breaths, and sometimes I kissed his hair, and sometimes he squeezed my waist.
"I love you," he whispered against my neck.
"I love you, too," I said against his hair.
He pulled back and looked at me. His lashes were dark and clumped together, and his gaze moved over my face. He gently wiped away a stray tear from my cheek. "Thank you," he said softly, running his hand through my hair. "I've…I'm trying to be strong for my mother, but…it's hard, sometimes."
I placed my hand over his. "I know."
His shoulders rose with a full, resolved breath, and then he grabbed my hand from his face, threaded his fingers through mine, and pulled them into his lap. He waited another breath. "So. My mother. She left Karth with Master Durus and Arioch Prime. Arioch knew what had happened and brought them to the tunnels."
"Is that when she found out about your father?" I asked.
Alex winced at our hands. "Yes. She preoccupied herself with making sure Stefan healed, so she hasn't had much time to grieve until now." He paused and then looked straight into my eyes. "I wouldn't understand that kind of grief if I didn't know you."
I bit the insides of my cheeks, but another tear leaked out despite myself. He reached out and wiped it away, too.
"What about the rest of the world?" I whispered. "The people in the other territories?" This was a question I'd been almost too afraid to ask. The guilt I felt for what I'd done, for destroying a world so many people called home—it lingered at the edge of every thought, threatening to push me over the edge.
"I think most of them got out in time," Alex said to my overwhelming relief. "At least it seems that way, considering how many Gaians are being assimilated into the corresponding nations. Anyway, it's more than would've survived if you hadn't done what you did."
"What about…the other creatures?"
He exhaled slowly and looked down at our hands. "I don't think any of them made it. The creatures of Gaia…they were magical creatures, and they, too, were tied to Gaia's world, so while they may still exist here in spirit, their bodies seem to have disappeared with Gaia's world." His gaze lifted to mine. "That isn't to say that they won't ever exist here. Tran thinks they might in the future; they just don't exist now."
I thought of Grool. "Then…it's safe to say the dragons didn't come through, either."
He shook his head, and I felt a deep sense of loss and regret, knowing that Nexus's kin were gone. They'd sacrificed themselves for us, and I would never get the chance to let them know how grateful I was.
"Also…Myez didn't make it," he said.
"I saw," I whispered, my heart feeling even heavier.
Alex cupped my chin. "He wanted me to tell you thank you. And that you saved him."
This time, more tears spilled down my cheeks, landing on Alex's knee. He leaned forward and kissed me lightly on one of my tear-streaked cheeks. "He died a free man, Daria. Through you, he found forgiveness. He's in a
better place now, and probably with his family."
I nodded as he wiped away another tear from my face. He was right. I knew he was right, but I still hurt for Myez. And Cicero. And my grandfather, and everyone else we'd lost in this terrible, terrible war. Alex and I sat quietly another long grievous moment, and then I asked, "There were…three armies by the portal in Valdon. You're saying they all made it through into Yosemite?"
"Yes, at least all who survived the actual battle, which includes Tran, Fleck, Mercedes, and Hawk. And…" His brow knit together as he looked back down at our hands, thinking something over. "Danton was able to rescue most of Orindor."
"He was?" My heart filled with hope. Danton had followed through.
Alex nodded, rubbing his thumb over mine. "He came to see you, actually. While you were in a coma."
"He…did?" I could not picture Lord Danton Pontefract in all his medieval finery storming down the halls of a hospital, past stretchers and monitors and surgical carts. But truth be told, I was glad—relieved, even—that he was alive and okay.
Alex looked up at me. Talking about Danton was still hard for him even though he tried not letting it bother him. "Yes. He needed to see that you were all right. And then he left for Paris."
"Paris?" I didn't hide my surprise.
"Yes, well, he had a very valuable necklace to sell, and apparently the Louvre was the highest bidder."
My eyes widened. I knew immediately which necklace it was. "The Je Quai."
"The…what?"
"Ah…it's a necklace—a Pontefract heirloom. Danton gave it to me as a gift but, um, I sort of broke it when I found out what Eris did to my family."
"What do you mean, you broke it?"
"As in I ripped it from my neck, right before I attacked Danton."
Alex's lips broke into a small smile. He looked a little proud, and pleased.
"He must've sold the gems separately, then," I said, thinking. "The Estrella ruby was about the size of my palm. He could probably buy a small country with the profits of that thing alone. Actually, now that I think about it, where are all the Gaians? How is the media not all over this?"
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