TWENTY

Ash

It started with Lucas and ended with Rayne.

The Eternal Bind wasn’t one couple or one Probability. It was a cluster of stars burning brightly in a diamond sky. Separate, they were beautiful in their blaze, but together they formed a brilliant constellation by which others found their way.

Rayne only came to see it as she’d experienced the lives of everyone in the galaxy with Celindria. Aegis and Tritan, Imminent and Shadow—They all formed the Eternal Bind.

And it wasn’t simply Nox and Rayne who’d uncomplicated the Probability Matrix.

It was their love for each other. It was healing a toxic wound which had infected billions of people from dozens of races across hundreds of generations. United in their efforts to redeem Celindria, Nox and Rayne had purified the blight of Imminent’s uncaring ways.

Every step, blow, and breath they took brought them to here.

Rayne stood in the Feast of Roses. She recognized it by Sagan’s descriptions, and it smelled like home. Rayne’s bedroom with her notebooks and pillow. Unfinished homework piled on the desk, and her mother’s love and concern poured into her cooking.

Homesickness knotted Rayne’s stomach and took her breath away.

“Hello, Rayne.”

Korac—no, Zero—stood on the second floor and peered down at her. He looked like a cosmic leader, with one hand idling on the balustrade and assessment in his eyes. But what was Zero measuring Rayne for? He said, “You remind me of your ancestor.”

“Where is Elden?” Rayne glanced around, but it seemed they were alone. “Is he safe?”

Zero dipped his chin in an appreciative nod. “Yes. He is saying his farewells to Silence.”

With a wave of Zero’s hand, the pool of Aegis blood shaped itself into a scene. In it, Elden, in his proper form, cupped Silence’s cheek. She held his hand to her face and leaned into it. Tears spilled from both their eyes.

Rayne hiccuped half a sob and gasped, “But why?”

With Korac’s hand still on the balustrade, Zero glided down the stairs. “The Source requires a guardian, and your endearing martyr volunteered. He and Midas.”

Smith?

A chill shot down Rayne’s spine at a terrible notion. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Is that what you want from me? To volunteer, too?”

Zero stopped halfway down and shook his head. “No.”

“We want to ask something of you, but not that, Rayne.” Lucas appeared on the opposite staircase, same position as his father. “I think, for a martyr, our question will prove more difficult for you to answer.”

Rayne needed to swallow to ask, “Why? Why do you need more from me? From Elden?”

“I volunteered, daughter.” The ancient deity appeared with Silence at his side. They stood across the pool from her, both their faces distraught and at peace all at once. While Elden peered down at Silence, he said, “There is no need of me in the Twelve Worlds, but there is need of me here. I will watch over you while Silence finds happiness with another.”

Kyle.

Empathy lanced through Rayne. A thought struck her. “But what about your sphere around Cinder?”

Elden’s smile was beautiful in its peace. “Fury has saved my world and my people. Daughter, this is not a sad occasion. There is no need for tears. You will see me again.”

Tears.

Rayne brushed her cheeks, and incandescent moisture evaporated from her hand. It left a glittering dust on her fingers. She shored herself up to smile at her ancestor as she said, “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Therein lies our concern, Rayne.” Tumu appeared beside the pool.

As Smith manifested on the other side with a smile, he said, “You don’t think of yourself enough.”

Zero finished gliding down the stairs and stood in front of Rayne. “Your sacrifice deserves a reward.”

Lucas flanked his father and gestured to the pool of Aegis blood. “Which one will you choose?”

Two scenes played in the yellow liquid. On the right, Xelan was performing chest compressions on Nox. On the left, Rayne was eating dinner with her parents and brother.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“Mom… dad…”

Rayne took a step toward the image on the left and peered into Michelle Callahan’s warm brown eyes. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Silence said, “In the Probability on the left, Nox didn’t invade Earth the second time. He and Celindria reconciled before she ended her pregnancy. With Xelan, they improved Elden’s Sphere and restored the Vittle crop, removing the need for another invasion. Much of everything is different—Oh, Rayne.”

As Rayne began to understand what they were asking of her, the scale of it cut her into tiny pieces. The Mother stepped around the pool and enveloped Rayne in her arms. Rayne buried her face in Silence’s shoulder and cried.

Tumu pressed on with the explanation. “If you choose the Probability where Nox is with Celindria, you will retain your knowledge of this life. This means you can stop yourself from dying in the terrible childhood accident Xelan prevented.”

Smith’s smile was sad as he said, “But if you choose to stay in your current Probability, you won’t have the foreknowledge and Xelan won’t be there to save you. You die at four years old, and your family carries on without you.”

Rayne melted down.

How could they ask this of her? Choose the Probability where her parents died and force her family to endure her death in another Probability. Or choose the Probability where Rayne never meets Nox and never becomes a warrior—A regular life.

It took everything in Rayne to ask, “What happens to my Probability if I choose my parents?”

They all exchanged glances before Elden said, “It will continue without you.”

Lucas placed his hand on Rayne’s back where Silence was still holding her. “Our goal was to simplify the Probability Matrix and seal the Source. If you and Celindria choose the same Probability, we will maintain the dominant one for balance.”

Rayne let Silence go and stepped toward the Probabilities. She could spend Eternity deciding. As Rayne peered at them, they simplified into two figures. The right was Xelan and Nox, and the left was Rayne’s mother and father. If she closed her eyes, she could hear both sides.

On the right, Xelan cried, “Nox! Nox! Don’t make me tell Rayne I let you die. Take my blood, Nox!”

On the left, Michelle asked, “Did you have a good day at school, Jack?”

Something slid into Rayne’s hand. She opened her eyes and peered down at the ribbon. It was tattered and soaked in so many shades of blood.

When Rayne looked up at Lucas, he smiled and said, “Celindria thought it would help you choose what you wanted, Rayne. What you fought for.”

“Which would you choose, One?” Rayne thought this was an obvious question to ask.

And, as predicted, Lucas wagged a finger at her. “This is about you. Besides, the Probabilities are my making. I crumbled the worlds together, smoothed it back out, and fell in love with the creases.” He pulled Rayne in for a hug and whispered against her ear, “They will be fine without you. I will see to it no matter which you choose. Be selfish, just this once, my unyielding storm.”

Rayne closed her eyes and chose with all her heart. No more conflicts. No more tears.

“It’s time to go,” Lucas said as he pulled away. He opened a conduit, and Rayne followed him through it. Surrounding faces gasped at her, but there wasn’t time.

With their heartbeat slowing, Rayne rushed to Nox’s side, pushing Xelan and Pablo away. Startled, they sat back from her as Rayne tore open a vein in her wrist and fed it to Nox. “Come back to me.”

Around them, the Shadow interrogated Lucas, Silence, and Tumu. Rayne tried to tune it out, but caught Jack asking, “But why does her hair look like that?”

She couldn’t deal with that right now, because Nox opened his eyes. Black and shining, they brimmed with tears when they found Rayne. Their heartbeat was still too slow.

“I’m here, Nox. Don’t leave me.” Not after Rayne chose him.

Inspired by Celindria, Rayne took a calming breath and willed her heart to pick up its tempo. Deep breath in, slow exhale out. Regulate.

Thump-thump.

It was working. The lesions in Nox’s skin re-knitted before Rayne’s eyes, and she sighed with relief as charred flesh renewed to fresh skin cells. Rayne breathed, “Thank Elden.” To everyone else, she shouted, “Is everyone okay?” Only after, she realized there was no need to shout.

The howling was gone.

Rayne spared a glance around her. Xelan and Pablo waited on standby to help with Nox. Both of them looked resolute in the task, with no conflict in their eyes. Tameka and Pax stayed back, and mother consoled her son, who despaired at his uncle’s distress. Kyle and Bethany stood off to the side, watching the commotion. Ross held Jack back. Rayne spared him a reassuring look. Devis, Andrius, T.a.o., Sagan, and Andrew waited at the cliff’s edge, peering out at the bridge.

Silence, Lucas, Tumu, and Korac stood on it from where they’d sealed the Source with Atheneum blood. Now Zero said goodbye to his oldest son. The conduit was still open, and Elden and Smith watched from inside the Seam.

While Rayne peered around, adrenaline high from—well, everything—a shock of white startled her. “Oh, my god. My hair!” Most of the length was white, intermixed here and there with her natural black color. “What—”

Fingers entwined with wavy strands, and Rayne nearly cried out in relief.

Nox had stopped drinking her blood and was peering at her hair with curiosity and wonder. He croaked, “It’s beautiful.”

Someone—Pablo—put a mirror in Rayne’s face. Her roots were black, and it faded into white.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that little side-effect. I think it suits you,” Lucas called from the bridge.

Smith shot her a thumbs-up through the conduit, and Rayne gave an incredulous sound. When Nox’s hand sought hers, her heart skipped a beat.

Now was the time.

Rayne kissed Nox’s knuckles and peered into his eyes as she confessed, “I think I’ve loved you since I took your hand in Enki, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I love you, Nox.”

Xelan tapped Pablo on the shoulder, and the two walked toward the bridge, giving the couple some privacy. It meant the world to Rayne.

Despite her fretting, Nox sat up, cupped her neck, and kissed her. She pulled away, and when he tried again, she put a finger to his lips. “It’s important I tell you this. The Aegis offered me the choice between a world where you and I never met and this one. I chose this one.”

Taken aback, Nox asked, “Voluntarily?!”

It was the same thing he’d said when Rayne resurrected him. She wasn’t sure if she should find Nox’s incredulity funny or sad. Rayne brushed her fingers through his hair and nodded. “Yes. I chose this life and you with it. Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No—Yes, but no.” Nox pressed their foreheads together and said, “I don’t know where my gratitude ends with you. If it ever does.”

Rayne said, “No offense, but I hope what’s between us never ends.”

“War King!”

That was definitely Korac. Rayne and Nox separated to peer over her shoulder.

The General, recovered and himself, winked. “Love the hair.”

Rayne and Nox laughed, almost too loud to hear the transaction in the conduit beside them.

Elden said, “I believe you owe me, Midas. Make good on the wager.”

Smith grumbled, “I was sure she’d choose the other Probability.”

“As if she would choose anything other than my handsome grandson.”

The conduit closed on Elden’s rich laughter, sounding so much like Nox.