by Kenna Bardot
I stood and pondered it a moment before standing on my toes. I used my other foot to feel the space that part of my foot had vacated. I felt nothing but air.
That meant, unless I was mistaken, that I could hop towards the exit. I could not be entirely sure though. I could jump and plunge towards my doom.
Of course, if I just stood there I would eventually die of exhaustion, starvation and thirst so it made sense to simply risk it.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I brought Tate's face to mind as he told me I was not allowed to die. I thought of Shep, Char, Ryle and Hollis.
Shep, who possessed me with such fervor I could not help but think he wanted no one else but me. Char, who would never smile but for very rare and special occasions.
Ryle, my boob man who was possessed of a sensitivity so deep one could not be blamed if they did not see it and finally Hollis, who had started it all - made me his attendant, nominated me for this challenge.
I did this challenge for me but as I jumped, all the bravery I felt, I claimed from them.
I landed, shaking, but still upright.
I let out a breath of relief and jumped again, carefully making sure to keep my balance as I knew I could probably still fall.
For what felt like hours, that's what I did - jump and rest to ensure I did not collapse from exhaustion until I reached the door and wrenched it open into the late afternoon sunlight and a great deal of noise.
I collapsed into the dusty, hard ground of the arena as I blinked against the brightness that had accosted my vision.
I blinked my eyes when I noticed a pair of feet had walked towards me. I looked up and raised my hand to block out the sun.
It was the Majele God, Lathyn, and he had a hand held out. "Mireyah Bolstad, stand. Stand and show yourself to Godsvail. For today, marks the end of your time as a human. Congratulations on winning the Final Challenge."
I grabbed his hand because it felt like that was the thing to do even as his words floated around in my head. The feeling would not sink down and the noise and cheers coming from the crowd did nothing to help me.
When I was standing upright, I looked straight into his deep blue eyes and asked, "I won?"
Rehan Sutre walked up, behind him the rest of the judges. He smiled and for the first time, there was no disgust in his face. "Indeed. The one to pass through this door before the sun could set is to be the winner. That was all we knew. We've been waiting. You cut it a little close. Less than an hour to go and there would have been no winner."
I heaved out a breath. "Thank you." I looked out towards the crowd and saw them. The pure joy on Tate's face and the happiness present in Char's. I knew the others were there as well, but my vision blurred from the tears that fell.
I had done what I had promised to do.
Chapter 33
Mireyah
The congratulatory remarks grew tiring. And the disbelief was even harder to survive after the emotional difficulties I'd gone through inside that solid white dome. I finally escaped, even from the men who I knew could join me in the happiness of my victory.
I was alive even as the blood of my competitors dried under my nails and all over my body and the clothes I wore.
I had won. Against all the odds, I had won. But I just wanted some time alone. I ran straight towards the stairs that would bring me towards the tallest Western tower and with it, a direct view of Demiorgo.
I ran as fast as I could, pushing through the exhaustion that begged me to lie down and sleep. Sleep until I felt whole and human for one of the last times.
I pushed open the door to the open area and walked out into the sun. I took a deep breath, felt the wind blow strongly from the mountains. I turned to the direction of my hometown, my Wintercairn and thought of how much farther the people I loved would be from me now that I was set to become a Sylfe.
A Sylfe.
An addition of at least fifty years to a century of life in youth, with the opportunity to Ascend and become a God with a sire bond.
It was more than I ever wanted. In fact, it was the very definition of what I had always thought I never wanted to be.
I looked down at the crusted blood on my hands and thought of all the people who had died in the journey that had ended up with me in that place.
I let the tears loose, let myself shout into the nothingness that I felt myself surrounded by and let myself fall, curling up into a ball as I let the nightmares come over me.
The nightmares that would come over me in my sleep and as I walked, for every single day of my life.
✽✽✽
The sun set before I found the energy to walk out of the Western Tower. Walked back down into Godsvail. I may have still occupied the body of a human but from the moment Lathyn had offered me a hand out of that solid white dome, my fate forward had been sealed.
I stopped, ten feet away from the guys' quarters. I was certain they'd been looking for me the moment I'd been declared the winner. And I had escaped, had needed time alone and away even from them.
I was certain they trusted and respected me enough to give me the time to myself, but I knew well enough that I could hurt them by going away and hiding away in my own space for far too long.
Such was the power of feelings I didn't want to put them through the worry and despair I knew they could feel for me.
It was the same I could feel for them.
"Hey!" I turned around at the voice and came face to face with Otis rushing towards me. Behind him were Mauve and Galina.
By the anger in their faces, I knew they weren't there to congratulate me on my victory.
When he reached me, he grabbed my shoulders and lifted me off the ground in anger, shaking me as he did so.
I let him - the sadness and mourning were obvious in a face ravaged by tears.
"Otis," I spoke carefully because I knew it was painful to see me walking around and knowing who had died so I may survive.
"You bitch. She died. She's gone because of you." He shook me again, but I didn't feel it. Whatever he said to me, was no worse than what I already felt deeply in my heart.
"Otis," I spoke again carefully and touched a hand on his arm. He dropped me like he had only just realized what he was doing.
I barely managed to land on my feet as he did so. Galina walked forward. "You don't deserve to win. To become a Sylfe."
I nodded at her. "Maybe not. It wasn’t my decision to make." I showed them my red-stained hands. "I had to wade through the blood of the people who died in this competition. The blood of the people I technically shed by winning. Nothing you say or do could equal whatever pain and horrors I experienced in that place. Trust me, nothing you do or say can top the heartache I feel in my heart and will continue to feel for the simple fact that the Gods thought I deserved to win over everyone else who did compete."
I stepped forward, towards them. Galina's eyes widened, and she took a step back from me. "Do you want to hit me? Would that help you and make you feel better about the loss of your friends?" I took Mauve's hand even as she struggled to pull free. I was stronger than her and laid it on my cheek. "Feel free to hit me there. Tell me I don't deserve it. You're free to do so."
Mauve sighed when I finally let her arm go. "I hope you live with that for the rest of your long life," she spat out bitterly. "Let's go," she snapped towards her friends and they turned and stalked away.
"Believe me, I will," I murmured quietly before heading towards Hollis' room.
I needed them.
✽✽✽
Hollis opened the door after just one knock and pulled me in. He drew me close to him and squeezed hard, hard enough for me to feel that I was alive.
That I was worthy.
He cupped my face in his hands and stared down at me. "Mireyah, you're here."
"Yes, I'm here." I looked up at him, a moment before looking around him to see the rest of them in the room, watching our scene with varying degrees of pride, worry and uncertainty.
"We were so scared as we waited for that door to open. Waited and hoped it would be you to step through it." He ran a hand down my hair and caressed under my eyes with his thumbs.
I was crying. When had I started crying? "I'm here. Only the thought of all of you kept me from going crazy. The thought of you got me to make it to that door and open it even when all I wanted was to curl up into a ball and give in, give up."
Tate pulled me from Hollis' grasp and wrapped his arms around me. "Thank you for keeping your promise. You didn't die."
I shook my head and laughed even as the tears fell. "No, I didn't. I won. I'm going to be a Sylfe. This time last year I was in Wintercairn, and I hated Godsvail, hated the Gods. Mind you, that part hasn't completely changed."
"Of course not," Ryle said with a laugh. "You wouldn't be Mireyah otherwise."
"That's true. But I also didn't have you all. And here, my life has changed so much and even with the additional life, vitality and youth, the best thing I've gotten is finding you. We went through shit, didn't we?"
"Well, suffice to say, we put you through shit is the better way of saying it," Shep corrected even as he pulled me to him and checked me over by running his hands over my body.
"Yes, you did." I reached down and ran my fingers through his blond hair, enjoying the way the purple streaks contrasted against my pale skin.
Char finally spoke, "Well we will do everything we can to ensure that we Ascend. Ascend and take you from Sylfeshire. Make you a God to join us in Demiorgo."
I smiled at him, and he smiled back. I ran over to him and hugged him. I had thought I would never be able to see his smile again. "I thought I'd never see your smile again. Then again, you never do so it's highly possible that's the last I see of it."
He slapped my ass and pinched my cheek. "Cheeky human."
"Not for long." I rubbed a hand over my face and turned, glimpsing myself in the mirror. "Oh Gods! I need a shower."
"We can join you," Hollis piped up from his position right beside the bathroom door.
I shook my head. "Nope. I want to get clean, not play water games. Don't worry, I won't be wearing any clothes when I come out."
I threw them all a naughty grin before grabbing the towel that Hollis held out and locking the door to take a shower in peace.
"Ten minutes, Mireyah. Then we're coming to get you," Shep's voice threatened from the other side.
I'd been right - they were all I needed to feel alive again.
Chapter 34
Mireyah
Colm Svadeni eyed me up and down and nodded his head in appreciation now and again. His bright cherry red eyes were alit with undisguised pleasure. "Yes, you will do very well. The Gods have made an amazing choice. I'm sure the thus unmarried inhabitants of Demiorgo will be well-pleased to visit you when you become a part of Sylfeshire and can mingle."
I had to bite back the sigh and the retort. I was scared that I would have to sleep with Gods I felt nothing for, but I imagined that alienating the God who held my fates in my hands was not the best thing to do.
Regardless that everything with Hollis and the others had ended well, I would not let my mouth say anything I didn't think hard about first.
Lesson learned.
"What will happen to my family?" I asked because there had been no mention about a salary, and I feared they would not be getting any support from me.
"Your family?" He looked blank for a moment before smiling. "Ah yes. No one ever asks this question, if you would believe. But we are not wholly heartless. We double the amount they are receiving from you from your servitude in Godsvail. However, they will have less opportunity to contact you."
I nodded, because I had figured that to be the case. "Yes, I assumed I would never see or speak with them again. I'm just glad that I bring comfort to their lives."
He nodded and the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Yes, indeed. I now understand why the Gods chose you. I have a feeling you won't be disappointing."
"I hope so." I bowed. "Is there anything else you wished from me, Sir?"
"Nothing more than to remind you that you will report to this room at the end of the week for your conversion to become a Sylfe. You will leave immediately after. Should there be anyone you want to see you off, they will need to do so from the front door as you can no longer go back inside once you are a Sylfe. Sylfes are only allowed in Sylfeshire and nowhere else."
"Thank you, that's understood."
He reached forward and gestured to my left hand. I placed my hand in his where he looked at the wire that encircled my wrist. "This will be removed on that day as well."
"Okay, sir, thank you." I could not wait, although I was certain I was only leaving one imprisonment to walk into another.
He smiled again. "I can see I am keeping you from something special. You may go."
I smiled widely at him, because I had been distracted. "Thank you!"
I rushed towards the door and down the hallways towards the arena, the site of all the horrors I had endured before winning the Challenge.
It was the guys' Arena battle, and Char and Shep were there, fighting for the right to Ascend. They’d started hours ago, and I could only hope that I would not be too late when I got there. The timing had been shit, I’d had things to settle for when I did finally become a Sylfe.
The noise was great, much like it had been on the days we'd had our challenges. I saw the lights flashing from the arena area as I scurried towards the part of the bleachers where I saw Hollis, Tate and Ryle were seated.
On the way there, I saw the glares turned my ways. Saw the way Descendants and humans alike leaned to one another to speak about me. Or I could be wrong, and they were talking about something else.
Pretty sure, I wasn't though.
The moment Ryle saw me, he held out a hand and pulled me towards him. He sat me down between him and Tate. I rubbed a hand over his knee and leaned over to whisper to him, "Are you still mad at him over this?"
His jaw tightened. "He could have been down there. There have been a fair few already eliminated, but it would have been a great honor to compete, regardless."
I patted his knee. "He doesn't want to leave you."
Ryle let loose an exasperated sigh. "I know. He was just being stupid. It's not like we won't be seeing each other again."
“I fully expect you will. I still want my sandwich." I just laughed at the look on his face. "I like my sandwiches."
Tate leaned over and kissed my cheek. "We can have one later."
I gave his silver hair a tug. "Fine. Now can we watch?"
I turned my attention to the arena, saw Shep and Char fighting back-to back. Shep had his hands out, controlling a tiny tornado and whipping it out towards anything or anyone that came near.
Char was standing still but everyone gave him a wide berth and anyone who dared venture nearer, doubled over and stopped being effective. He just looked at everyone with a tight-lipped smile.
Ashric Tovenaar stood at the other end of the arena, eliminating other Descendants from the battle with his army of the dead. It reminded me too much of how I'd swam through bones and blood, so I turned my attention back to watching Char and Shep.
Every so often, some other Descendants would get eliminated and be asked to leave the Arena, and I could see that Shep and Char grew exhausted.
I wondered when the end would be and was about to lean over and ask Tate, Ryle or Hollis when the earth rumbled, and a light flashed in the middle of the arena.
When the light abated, there Anselm stood with a big smile and his arms thrown out over them. "Halt."
They halted - Shep's tornado subsiding, Ashric's army burying themselves back into the ground.
"This concludes this year's Arena battle. The Gods have been impressed. The three of you will Ascend."
I stood up and clapped, my feet leaving the ground when Ryle picked me up and we celebrated the Ascension of two of us.
✽✽✽
I
rained kisses over Shep's face even as I held Char's hand in one of mine. "Congratulations, you two. I’m so happy and proud of you!"
"Mireyah," Char spoke up, grip tightening around my hand as he did so.
I looked over and smiled but the sober and serious look on his face put a damper on my mood. "Are you being a serious Sally again?"
"Mireyah, we will Ascend, so there will be someone who will come for you no matter what happens. However, we swore an Oath."
"I completely believe in your Oath. Share and share alike with each other. As long as it's for me." I pulled his hand to my lips and kissed.
Char moved in and brought our joined hands to his lips before kissing mine. "Completely. Only yours."
"Okay, good. Now can we celebrate?" I looked at the door, wondering where everyone else was.
He pulled my top off and dived in. I giggled even as the door opened, and the rest of the guys poured in. It was my last night with them as a human.
And I was terrified of what the future might hold.
✽✽✽
The Majele God, Lathyn, was there. I questioned his presence but apart from him and Colm Svadeni, the room was empty but for a small brown table with scars on the top.
On this table sat a solitary stoppered brown bottle.
"Are you ready, Mireyah?" Lathyn asked, and I could see the way his eyes lit with anticipation. If it was at the thought of my becoming a Sylfe, I could only assume.
"Yes, sir." I was even though my heart broke at the thought I was leaving a familiarity and comfort behind again. Why was it that whenever I found my happiness, fate always made things harder for me?
Colm Svadeni smiled and walked forward. He gestured towards Lathyn. "Please start it."
"Of course." He walked towards me and grabbed my left wrist. As he had before, the heat penetrated my skin and the wire band fell away. Unlike he had before, though, he didn't keep the band. Instead, he put it into his cupped hands, and it disappeared.