The Keeper's Heart
Page 19
Instead of anger, she was shocked to see a patient kind of humor fill his face. “To have lived so long, you are still naïve. I’m sorry. I believe you misunderstood my proposal. If you agree and you succeed, then I will free you from your binds as a Keeper if you wish. You can choose to be human, and I will weave you the destiny that your heart wishes. However, you should know the power of the heart stone does not work on these creatures. You cannot simply drain them as you did Chiyo’s living form.”
Amara sat up, coming to full attention, “Okay. Okay. Let me get this straight. If I kill the twelve Reapers, you will turn me into a human again and give me a real destiny, one like every other plain old regular human?”
The amused look faded from the Creator’s face. “Think this over, Amara. You’ve only just discovered you have a fate, you have recently had to part with people you felt you loved, and you have been through a lot in these past few days. The challenge is not a simple one. Reapers are dangerous foes, as you well know. Some even hunt in packs. Do not accept my offer lightly.”
Looking him in the eye, Amara didn’t hesitate for an instant. “If it means I can have even a single day longer with them, I would risk anything. I accept.”
“I have contacted Morta, and the Parcae will arrive shortly to conduct the business of cleansing the Apollumi of any remaining vestiges of Cronus’s influence. You have three days to rest and prepare before you set out on your hunt. You may take along your humans and your Oracle if you so wish. However, be warned, if they should fall in battle, their blood will be on your hands and your hands alone.” Bending to kiss her cheek, the Creator smiled. “Good luck to you, the daughter of my soul. I hope you will earn all the things you have always longed for.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, and Amara, one more thing.” The Creator reached out his hand and touched the place over her heart stone with a single finger. Warmth spread through her, awakening her senses and bringing a calming peace. “For this journey, you will need more than heart, you will need love.”
He walked away, leaving her standing in the center of the room, her hands pressed over her heart. Love, more than she could have ever imagined, filled her mind, body, and soul. The emotions flowed in even waves as she thought of Marcus, Desiree, and Anthony. No longer did the feelings threaten to drown her, instead, she rode on the crest of all that was good.
Soon, Amara promised herself as she crawled into the walls and shut herself down. The presence of the ancient Keepers hidden away in the crevices with her offered comfort and a sense of security. Drained to the point of pure exhaustion, even the excitement of returning to the human world couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting closed.
Chapter 26
Three Days Later
Amara held two small clocks before her as she watched her wards. The ticking of the little golden hands kept beat with the human children’s hearts as they stood in the parking lot of an abandoned garage. Anthony’s face was pale and his hands shook as he stared at Desiree’s smiling face. Her long, ebony colored hair was pulled back, revealing the flush of color on her round cheeks. The girl turned her eyes on Anthony, two watery pools of blue fire, and as his heart skittered, so did the ticking hand on the clock that bore his name.
Desiree’s voice was a trembling and lyrical sound. “I never thought I’d feel safe again. I’m going to miss Amara so much, but I’m so thankful that she gave us another chance at our lives together. I feel as if she is still watching over us.”
His voice was steady, but thickly coated with love. “I bet she is. I wish she were here for this.”
Desiree looked at him, questions burning in her eyes. “For what?”
“I love you, Desiree. I promise to never jeopardize what we have ever again. Amara taught me many things, but the most important was that love is worth fighting for and worth sacrificing for.”
Desiree smiled up at him, not hesitating to step forward into his awaiting arms. The embrace was the catalyst that sealed their destinies together, a combination of murmured words, kisses, and tears for a friend they felt they had lost. No one in the sleepy little town would ever know their great contribution to saving human kind, but Amara had born witness.
Anthony pulled back to look into Desiree’s face. One hand reached into the pocket of his torn jeans. Bending down on one knee, he held up a simple gold band and smiled up into the face of the only girl he would ever love.
“Desiree will you marry, me?”
Something inside of Amara spun. She loved them, the two children. She had witnessed all of their firsts and had walked the hallways of Sheol with them by her side. Seeing the two lovers truly unite at last, she knew she would never see another union as pure as theirs for another thousand years.
Desiree’s exuberant voice, bounced off the brick building, “Yes, yes! Oh, Anthony! I love you.”
“I hope you plan on sending me an invitation.”
They turned as one, their joy magnified by the simple sound of her voice. “Amara!” Desiree ran, launching herself into her friend’s open arms.
The entire world came to a standstill as Anthony came to wrap his arms around them, and Amara felt almost whole once more. Together, the three of them laughed, cried, and hugged as Amara told them of the Creator and his precious gift. Only one piece to her puzzle was missing—Marcus.
“I had to come back one last time before I set off to find the Reapers. I had to see you all. I won’t ask you to come with me. I could never put you at risk like that again. But, I wanted you to know I was okay. I found my destiny, and someday, I will come back here to see you again.” Amara’s eyes filled with bittersweet tears as she said the words.
Anthony smiled, his contagious laid back style and quiet strength beaming out at her. “I think you’ve forgotten something, Amara.” He slung an arm over Desiree, gently urging her to take a step back from her friend.
“Oh?” Amara couldn’t imagine what he meant.
“Yeah, I think so too,” Marcus’s voice shot down her spine like an electric volt. “She seems to have forgotten we’re family now, and she isn’t going to get to run off to kick Reaper ass without the rest of us.”
Sapphire blue eyes, rimmed in dark lashes, met with hers. The smile on his lips was an invitation she couldn’t resist. Their tears mingled with their kisses as he held her, not a young girl, but a woman, for the first time. No imminent danger threatened their lives, and no dire consequences dangled above them like a thousand pound weight. For a brief moment, on a sunny day in a small town, she was a girl and he was a boy, and they were in love.
Finally coming up for air, Amara swelled with happiness as she looked at the three most important people in her life and asked, “Who’s ready for an adventure?”
Till We Meet Again