Authors: Cheryl McIntyre
“Oh my God. I die?”
“You don’t die,” Micah says quietly.
Lila sighs with a smile. It fades quickly. “Does anybody die?”
“I shouldn’t discuss this with you. You should sleep.”
Lila’s hand shoots out quickly, gripping his arm tightly. “I want to see it. Let me read the prophecy.”
Micah pries her fingers from his arm with little effort. “I can’t, Lila.”
“Don’t give me that. If I can fight, I can read it. I want to read it.”
“So do I,” Keely says suddenly.
“Yeah, me too,” Bryon adds.
Asmoday pushes himself off the wall he was quietly leaning against and steps forward. “It will not change anything. We all must p
lay our part
s regardless of the outcome
. There is
n
o
t one of us
who is
not sacrificing to be here. Because we all know what the higher cost is. Leave it be.” He turns and walks into the bedroom.
Lila
fo
llows him. She throws herself o
nto the bed closes
t
to the window as he sits on the edge of the other bed. “I don’t know
how you’
re doing this,” she murmurs.
Asmoday flinches as if she startled him. “What do you mean?”
“You
know how this will end for you
and you’re still here. I hate to admit it, but that’s pretty bad ass, Asmoday.”
He looks at the floral painting on the wall. “I love her,” he says as if that is all the explanation needed.
Lila rolls over so she isn’t facing him. “People have done crazier things in the name of love.”
Bryon and Nick come in and survey the room. “Nice digs,” Bryon utters. He lowers himself carefully to the bed next to Lila. “Mind if I share with you?”
“Nope, just don’t hog the blankets,” she says without looking at him.
“
It’s bad enough I have to be in the same room as him, but
I’m not sleeping
in the same bed
. He tried to kill me,”
Nick says as he glares at Asmoday.
“Well, come over here and snuggle with me
,
big boy,” Bryon teases. He pulls the blanket up offering a space for Nick.
“Don’t be a jerk,” Kee
ly says as she
brushes past him
. She plucks a pillow from behind Asmoday and
tosses it to Nick
. “You can sleep on the couch
and I’ll sleep here.”
Nick throws the pillow back on the bed. “I’m not sleeping on the couch and I’m not cool with you sleeping in the same bed as him.”
Keely snatche
s up the pillow. “I’
ll just sleep on the couch.”
She does an about face and slams the door behind her.
If she’s being honest with hers
elf, she’
s glad Nick is acting
like a jerk. It makes staying away from him a little easier.
She feels bad for leaving As
moday in there
, but what else is she supposed to do? Share the bed with both of them?
Why not all three of them?
At least this way she doesn’t have to choose.
The couch is huge
and re
ally comfortable. She sinks in
to
the
plush
cushions, snuggling to the pillow. Keely pinches her eyes closed as the bedroom door opens and closes quietly.
“Keel
y
? I’m sorry. I came with a peace offering,” Nick whispers. She opens her eyes and looks up at him. He stands over her holding a blanket and wearing a pitiful puppy dog look on his face. “Can I sleep with y
ou if I promise to keep my opinions to myself
?”
She nods and wiggles over. He sits beside her and drapes the blanket over them.
“I miss you,” he murmurs.
G
uilt weighs on Keely in a
smothering way. Guilt for what she is keeping from Nick. Guilt that she’s here with Nick while Asmoday is in the other room. Guilt for what she knows she has to do soon. How can she be lying here with Nick
, wasting
he
r
precious last minutes with Asmoday? How can sh
e crave Nick’s presence so much
and still want Asmoday?
Still think of Bryon.
What is wrong with her?
“I need some air,” she croaks as she pushes the blanket off of her. Nick tries to grab her arm, but she jerks away from his touch.
“Where are you going? You can’t just leave.”
“I can’t stay here either. I need to…” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what I need. There is so much going on inside of me, Nick. I can’t explain it. You can
’t understand it. I just need-
”
“Asmoday?” Nick closes his eyes. Places his thumb and first finger over them and presses. When he opens them again, there is so much pain staring back at Keely i
t causes her to take a step away
.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t
just love him as your brother. No, because he’s not your brother.
You’re
in love
with him?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you want him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well what do you know, Keely?” Nick’s voice rises unsteadily.
“I know in a little while
he and I are go
ing into the Cimmerian Stairway
and I’m the only one coming back. I know that he is choosing to do this. And I know that the cord binding him to
me will break
and I will die inside.
” She places her hand on
the door
knob
. “I know I don’t want to hurt anybody,
but I know I’m going to.” Opening the door, she
hopes Nick will not follow her.
**
*
The city is beautiful from the roof. The sun glares off the golden top of Mont Zion
,
hurting Keely’s eyes. It won’t be the last time that place will hurt her. She
can’t even begin to fathom how something so glorious can hold something so terrible inside for her. She thinks of how it houses the stairway that she will ascend. How it actually is a wonderful place that will bring peace. Her mind is aware of this fact, but her heart still sees the end of something magical before it had a chance to truly begin.
Hot tears run down Keely’s cheeks and she is furious. How can she feel sorry for herself?
Why is she standing on the roof having a pity party? Squeezing her hands into fists, she turns back to the door just as it opens.
“I know you want to be alone, but your Guardian d
id not think you should be
. I tend to agree with him
on this one
. I can wait in the stairwell if you prefer,” Asmoday says.
Keely shakes her head. Why doesn’t he know? How doesn’t he feel it? Can’t he sense how hard it is for her to not throw herself into his arms?
“Oh,” she mouths. She understands.
He doesn’t want her in his arms. Her stomach tightens sharply and she tries to turn away before she loses it. She doesn’t make it. With a pained gasp, Keely bursts into
fresh
tears.
Asmoday cringes against her overwhelming sadness. He rocks back, fighting against his need to go to her. To hug her, kiss her
,
and make her feel better. His heart hurts physically as it pounds against his ribs. Hands ache to reach for her. He turns on his heel.
Forces himself to walk away.
Makes it to the door, but can’t manage to walk through it. He stares at the door until it blurs into nothingness. His body quivers and suddenly he is in front of her, drawing her against his chest.
Asmoday wipes the tears from her face and presses his head against hers. “Do not do that. Do not ever doubt how much I love you. I th
ought it would be easier
if I pull
ed away now
instead of waiting until..
.
”
He slides his nose over hers and brushes his lips across her forehead.
“I just want the time we have left.”
“Then we should make the most of it,” he breathes. His lips move to hers lightly, savoring the warmth of her mouth.
He gives in to the de
sire he’s been fighting
and allows his hands to caress her skin. Fingers hungry and greedy as they explore the curves of her body. His mouth shadowing his hands, kissing, tasting. Keely shivers and sighs. Asmoday’s muscles tighten in response and though he wants to move quicker, he forces himself to slow down. To stretch this moment. He doesn’t want to rush. This will be his memory of her. The memory he will replay in his mind
as he meets whatever fate awaits him at sunset.
Keely’s fingers tremble as she slides them under Asmoday’s shirt. He knows she wants to memorize him as much as he does her. He pulls the back collar of his shirt up and over his head. The sun is warm on his skin, but
it
falls short in comparison with the heat coming off of Keely. She trails her hands down his stomach and he pulls her mo
u
th back to his. He has to remember her warmth. How right it makes him feel. How safe. How whole.
He moves to her neck, runni
ng his lips down the side. P
ulls the strap of her tan
k top off
her shoulder and kisses there. She shiver
s again and Asmoday forgets he’
s trying to take his time. Forgets he is supposed to be slowly appreciating each sensation. He picks her u
p and lowers her to the roof top. Hovers above her as he looks down at her. The way her hair fans out around her beautiful face. The way her green eyes look so vibrant in the sunlight.
He pushes her shirt halfway up her stomach and lips follow fingers once again. Keely’s stomach muscles go taut as she sits up just enough to remove her shirt and Asmoday’s hands travel over
the
new sights. His tongue moves over her belly button. Slides up her stomach. He brushes his lips
over her bra and
across her chest,
kisses her neck again.
Keely grabs his
hair and brings his mouth
to hers in a rush. They pant against each other
and she feels like she cannot take one second more or she will explode, but she doesn’t want to stop. She doesn’t even want to pause. She finds the butt
on on his pants and tugs. B
ites down on his tongue just hard enough to keep him in place as he tries to pull away. He groans loudly and rolls, bringing her with him so she lies on top of him. She sits
up,
straddling his hips. S
miles at him as she unbuttons her shorts.
“Are you sure?”
“Do you really need to ask?” She laughs and kisses him.
“I know you want to, I feel that. I only worry if this will make it more difficult for you.”
Keely goes still
. Stares down at his concerned face. “Nothing could make this more difficult for me, Asmoday. I don’t want to lose you. I
don’t want to leave you.
Not now. Not ever.”
Keely lowers herself so her head rests over his heart. “What if I were to stay down there with you?”
Asmoday pushes her off him harder than he intends. She f
alls back on her butt hard. “NO
!”
His anger is so intense it almost scares Keely. She gets to her feet quickly as his eyes blaze with furry. “I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself like that,” he spits. His eyes are slits as he glowers at her. “You are too important. You are everything.” He runs his hands through
his hair and exhales loudly. Tries to soften
his expression. “I can do my part as long as I know you live the life you were meant to.
What good will dying along side of me do?” He shakes his head sadly.
“You have to understand how that would torture my soul.” He meets her gaze. “Promise me. Give me your word right now that you will not abandon your purpose for me. For anyone.”
Keely picks up her shirt and puts it on as she walks toward the door. Asmoday blocks her path. “Keely, please promise me.”
She stands on the tip of her toes and kisses him deeply. She hugs herself to him. “I won’t,” she says and pulls away.
Keely gets through the door before Asmoday understands what she has said. He cuts her off on the steps, one hand on the railing, the other on the wall
so she can’t get past him. “You won’t what?”
Keely rolls her eyes. “We’re supposed to be sleeping. We should get back to the room.”