“Then I guess it is time to release The Eternal.” The words seemed to echo in the open “throne room”. The gods present went into panic mode, even Blade for whom it could mean the return of his girlfriend (could I call her that?) didn’t seem happy. Okay, I know gods don’t really show emotion, but if anyone has learned to read between the lines, it’s me.
Kitty, for once, seemed speechless.
“I can’t do it alone, I am no longer sole anchor.”
“No, absolutely not.”
“But you’re bored,” was that me?
Kitty focused on me, eyes boring pinpricks into my skull, but she didn’t say anything. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest, “I’ll think about it.”
Prince left me alone the rest of the day. Has he really given up on me? Was I really sad about that?
“Come on,” Sam led me to the room he slept in, “You can stay here for now.”
I would have preferred to go back to the apartment but I figured that would be pushing my luck. And yes I checked to make sure the door wasn’t locked when Sam left. His room was smaller. A queen bed, a nightstand, desk, chair and a small bookcase, crammed with books, barely left room to move.
I pulled one of Sam’s t-shirts out of his closet, now a 2XL where he used to wear Mediums. It came down to my knees, at least it was perfect for sleeping.
I lay down, closed my eyes and heard breathing. I started awake looking into the darkness. Why was it so dark? Moonlight had streamed through the window when I lay down.
“You must be a lucky charm,” a voice came out of the dark.
I screamed but my voice cut short. The light came back on, Kitty stood in a corner of the room.
“Everyone around you gets what they want. The Prince got companionship and ended his time as sole anchor--”
“But I didn’t do anything,” I protested happy my voice was back.
“I got what I wanted, my position back.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I repeated.
“Now even Eternal, unchanging for a hundred thousand years, shall be released from his prison because of you.”
“I didn--” I started.
“Ethereal will receive her full powers back, the list just goes on,” Kitty spoke over me.
“I didn’t do ANYTHING,” I yelled.
Kitty sat on the bed beside me, raising her legs into a cross-legged position, “Yet nothing had changed before you came along,” she draped an arm around my shoulders, “You’re a lucky charm. I think I want you as my own pet.”
Great. “No,” I tried to make it sound final.
“Come on, you’ll have to choose anyway, otherwise Eternal will want you for his own, Prince will protest and then…you know what happens.”
There was a hole in this logic, “I thought you didn’t want Eternal released.”
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Her eyes gleamed, “I changed my mind. If they fight over you imagine the excitement. One of them may die,” she laughed, “I won’t be bored.”
I was right. Somehow that wasn’t comforting at all.
Still I suppose this was as much of a victory as I was going to get. At least Eternal wouldn’t torture me now.
Kitty still waited for my response. “I’ll think about it,” I said just to get her out.
She smiled that maniacal grin that threatened to split her face in two and disappeared.
Five minutes later Sam burst through the door, “It’s happening, we’re going to Mount Everest tomorrow morning. Princess changed her mind.”
I fell back on the bed. My life is never going to change, is it?
I woke in the white room, for once I didn’t land on the floor but sat on an armchair. Eternal sat across from me, all traces of humanity gone from his features.
Oh God, I squeezed the armchair handles till I felt my fingers would break.
“Your fear is natural,” his tone remained flat, his eyes staring into mine, “I am a god, a human life to me is the length of a fly’s to you.” The words echoed into silence.
He looked down, “I see where the confusion comes from. Because I threatened your life and am a god you think I am like them.”
Like them? My grip on the handles eased a bit, so he’s not going to torture me?
“I have no need to hurt you,” he answered my unspoken question, “Prince is determined and Princess is too bored to care. They may not remember why they went into hibernation 3000 years ago but I do.”
“Um, ok,” I didn’t understand, “Then why am I here?”
He looked up, “I could say as a final threat to make sure Prince keeps his end of the bargain but that isn’t why.”
I waited for him to continue but we just stared at each other.
“Soooo,” I said, trying to keep my sarcasm and impatience in check.
“You said we were stuck with each other,” Eternal locked eyes with me, “I simply believed you.” For a moment I fell into the depths of the darkness that stared into my eyes. His gaze felt infinite.
“Oh,” I blinked and looked away, “wait, what do you mean?”
Eternal sighed, that was new--exasperation. I was teaching these gods all sorts of new emotions. “You could have kept me company here,” he waved his hand to indicate the room.
“Oh,” I said again starting to panic.
“I am not going to kill you, calm down.” Gee, good thing his face never showed emotion, otherwise I wouldn’t get the pleasure of not knowing when he was serious. “It doesn’t matter now anyway,” he continued, “we shall soon meet in the real world.”
My eyes snapped open. I felt a weight next to me and jumped, barely stopping myself from screaming. Sam lay beside me, still asleep.
Of course he was. This was his room.
I forced my eyes to close.
Morning came, my limbs felt like lead, sinking into the bed. My eyelids too heavy to even lift.
“Wake up!”
I snapped awake, Kitty’s face floated inches above mine. I screamed, waking Sam who jerked awake and rose flailing his arms all at the same time.
Kitty moved out of the way while I got backhanded across the nose.
“Ow.”
“What the--Em?” Now actually awake he looked at me, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, are you okay?”
Kitty started laughing, still floating, like the Cheshire cat.
“Princess?” Sam looked from her to me in confusion.
Am I the only one not surprised by the levels of her insanity? I swung my legs over the side of the bed and walked past the still laughing god.
“I am not bored,” Kitty yelled after me in a singsong voice. Silence followed so I knew she left.
Sam stood in the bathroom doorway, “What was that about?”
I had the toothbrush in my mouth; not sure how to even begin to explain, I shrugged.
In the lobby it began to look like an actual expedition. The gods stood unchanging as always, the Worshippers coming with us packed supplies and rations. Ash was back in his charcoal duds, talking to Elizabeth. Something about the body language between the two made me smile. Maybe he’ll find happiness here after all.
I turned to find Prince beside me.
“You have forgiven him,” he stated.
I swallowed, “He wasn’t entirely at fault.”
He nodded, “I gave the order, it is unforgivable.”
I opened my mouth--to what? Protest? Disagree? But he was gone.
Ash came up to me still smiling. He had this sulfur smell whenever he looked like an active volcano.
“She’s cute,” I said.
His smile widened, “Yeah.”
“Are you going to ask her out?”
“So apparently we’re going to the peak of Mount Everest for this,” he ignored me, “Since you’re human again and we don’t have the proper equipment you will need to hold my hand at all times. I will transfer heat to you so you don’t freeze.”
I suppose it should have worried me more to put my life in danger, again. But all I said was, “Ok.”
Ash shook his head still smiling, “The old Emma would have at least asked why she had to be there at all.”
Would I have? I’m not sure I could remember the pre-god Emma anymore.