“Many of us,” Selena repeated breathlessly. “You?”
Badb blinked at her then turned her gray eyes toward the spiraling towers of the glass castle. “We can fail, Selena. If we don’t find the Unbreakable Sword, if Cameron has no one to go into battle at his side… we can all fail, Selena.”
Selena shook her head slowly as she watched Cameron’s beautiful dark eyes fill with fear, not for himself but the fate that could be hers if this prophecy was fulfilled.
“They won’t kill her, will they?” he asked. “They’ll enslave her because no one can heal like she can. Once I’m out of the way, they’ll just…”
Badb touched Cameron’s arm and inhaled another slow, deep breath. “We will both die to defend her, Cameron. But I can’t give up hope. Not yet. Just seeing what you were able to do as demigods… you are our future, Children. You are the hope of the Tuatha Dé. And I have faith in you to find the Unbreakable Sword and Nuada’s heir and save us all.”
“Man, I miss being a financial analyst,” Cameron muttered.
“I… actually miss the days when I was only running from Ukko and the New Pantheon,” Selena added.
Badb suddenly threw her arms around Selena and hugged her and Selena held on tightly. She didn’t need to be a goddess to understand Badb’s reaction, her fear that each time she said goodbye now could be the last. “I love you, Selena,” Badb whispered. “Don’t leave his side. Not for a second. Promise me.”
Selena thought back to her tragic mistake at the ATM in the hotel lobby, asking Cameron to hold the elevator while she grabbed their cash then Ninurta appearing behind her and kidnapping her. She peeked up at Cameron, and his dark eyes had filled with that terrifying and deadly anger and Selena guessed he was reliving the memory as well. She hugged Badb again and promised her, “Never again. I’ll never put either of you through that again.”
Badb let go of her and stepped back, her gray eyes damp from tears, and nodded toward the spear Cameron had placed on the ground. “We’ll guard Mjölnir here. Go back to Jasper and Anita now. And remember: I’ll never be far.”
Cameron picked up his spear then slipped his arm around Selena and pulled her closer to him. “The New Pantheon and the Norse thought I was a pain in the ass as a demigod. Just wait until they meet me now.”
The beauty of the Otherworld vanished as Cameron brought them back to Baton Rouge. The hunt for the Unbreakable Sword was on.
Cities of the Gods (The Unbreakable Sword Series Book 2) Page 18