Fighting for Infinity (30 page)

UNTIL THE BITTER END

Maryah

“I can’t feel my limbs,” he muttered. “I’ve lost too much blood.”

“Shh.” I cradled his head in one hand while caressing his cheek. Krista would heal him. Krista would fix it. “It’ll be all right.”

“You don’t remember.” He placed his hand over mine and gasped for another breath. “But we’ve been through this many times. It’s part of the process.”

My lips trembled. I couldn’t relate to
the process
. “No. You’re not going to die.”

His eyes floated
aimlessly like he couldn’t see me anymore. “We’ll be together again.”

“No, I need you here right now.” We had overcome so much. I couldn’t lose him so soon.

His hand grew cold against mine. I grabbed his fingers, squeezing them, willing his blood to flow and make them warm again. Death was knocking at my boyfriend’s door, and it felt like he’d be ripped away from me forever.

“Nathan?”

The elemental walls closed in on us until I couldn’t breathe. The physical world shrank into darkness as Nathan slipped further through the veil of life and death.

“I’m always with you.” His last words were a whisper. “Then, now, and eternally.”

“No!” I curled myself around him, trying to be a barrier between him and death. I screamed for Krista again.

His heart wasn’t beating against my chest. His body went limp in my arms. I kept begging for it not to be true.

I felt the sky sigh and the mountains weep as his soul left his body.

Krista skidded to a stop above us. “No, not Nathan.”

“Save him,” I begged. “Save him! Hurry!”

Krista dropped to her knees. She placed one hand on his chest and the other on his forehead. Her nostrils flared, and she bit her bottom lip as she sucked in a breath.

“Do something!” I urged.

She stared into my eyes and held my face in her hands. Her lips moved mere inches from mine, but her voice sounded miles away. “He’s gone, Maryah.”

“No.” It was the only word that would form. “No!” I wailed, hugging his limp body tighter as if I could squeeze life back into him.

Louise hugged me from behind as I rocked back and forth, clinging to him.

“Please,” I begged to any gods, or magic stones, or supernatural beings in the worlds that could help, “Don’t take him away from me.”

I caressed his face and eyelids, willing them to open so I could see his shining eyes again. I ran my fingers through his hair and choked on another sob. I pressed my forehead against his. His head and body felt so heavy. How could there be no life inside?

The venom in my voice stung Krista. “What took you so long?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I was trying to save Dakota.” She touched my shoulder, but I shrugged her away. “We lost him too.”

I cried harder.

I cried for Dakota, who couldn’t cheat death a second time.

I cried for Krista, who I knew would always blame herself for being unable to save either of them.

And I cried for Nathan. I cried like I had never cried before. I cried because half of me—my soul mate, my hero, my first boyfriend and my last—was gone. I wept, and convulsed, and cursed the heavens.

Our kindrily stood staring down at us. Many of them were teary-eyed too. I looked away from them and back at Nathan’s perfect face. 

Without Nathan our circle was broken.

Sobs strangled me to the point that I was hiccupping.

Harmony crouched beside us. “Maryah—”

“No,” I growled. “Don’t you dare. You tell him he’s not allowed to say goodbye. Tell him to get back in his body.” My voice hitched with anguish. “Tell him he can’t leave me.”

Harmony’s chin dropped to her chest. “He can hear you.”

I frantically searched the empty space around us, begging his soul with everything I had. “Don’t do this, Nathan. Fight. Fight to stay alive. Fight to stay with me. I just found you.” My throat constricted as my tears fell onto Nathan’s chin and neck. “I can’t lose you too!”

Harmony embraced me. I tried wriggling out of her arms but she held tighter. “I know how bad it hurts, and I’m sorry.”

“Let go of me,” I whined the words but didn’t mean them. My heart was imploding. Harmony’s strong arms were the only thing keeping me from fracturing into broken, useless pieces. I gave in, collapsing against her, but still clutching Nathan’s shirt. “I love him. I love him so much.”

“I know.” Harmony stroked my hair. “Death will never change that.”

The world was spinning out of control and no matter who I held onto, or how hard, Nathan was slipping away from me.

Harmony loosened her grip on me as Rina squeezed in between Krista and me.

I glanced at Rina’s sad face staring down at Nathan. I hated how easily the truth slipped from my lips. “He’s gone.”

More tears fell. I was sure they’d never stop falling.

Rina lifted my chin. She wiped my cheeks several times before realizing there was no controlling the dam that had broken inside of me. Her hand fell away, but she stared at me so intently, it stifled my breath. Around her dark blue irises was the ring of green that matched Nathan’s. In her peacock feather gaze, I saw so much sadness, but then she smiled. “We did it. We stopped Dedrick.”

Nathan was dead, and she was still focused on Dedrick? My snot-filled voice came out gargled. “I don’t care.”

“It’s perfect,” she said quietly. “Now everything can be perfect.”

Anger rushed through me. “Nothing is perfect. Nathan is dead!”

“Death is temporary.”

“I need him with me now.”

She swayed forward then back again. “I know.”

In my grief and shock, I hadn’t noticed she was holding Krista’s and Nathan’s hands. For a few seconds, I just stared, and then it hit me. “Rina, no!”

The color was draining from her face, but her eyes seemed to be brightening. “It’s perfect.”

I tried prying her hand apart from Nathan’s. “No! You’ll die if you use Krista’s healing power to bring him back.”

“I know.”

I shrieked, “Then stop!”

My hand was closed around her entire wrist. She was so tiny and fragile, I was afraid I’d break her if I pulled any harder. She maintained her literal death grip. “You need him. And I need him. Trust me, it’s perfect.”

“How can you say that?
You’ll die!”

“I’ll return. And you can be my mother again. But this time you’ll remember me, and it will be the way it should be.” Her voice was weakening. “I’ll know what it’s like to have a real family.”

“You can’t do this. I can’t lose you!” Tears poured down my cheeks, but in some twisted way, my heart felt as if it were filling up.

The muscles in her wrist went slack. “It’s already done.”

Nathan arched his back and coughed. My heart leapt into my throat. His eyes opened. Rina toppled forward against Nathan’s chest. He sat up, cradling her head in his arms.

He and Rina stared at each other as the last of Rina’s life force drained out of her.

“Marina,” he whispered. “No.”

I couldn’t speak.

The pink beam of light pulsed blindingly bright then retracted up into the sky until it disappeared. The pulsing walls of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water fell around us in colorful crashing waves then receded back into the mountains and into their originating stones.

My tears did not recede.

I hugged Rina for so long that eventually Carson and Krista had to pry my hands free.

Rina—the beautiful, fear
less, heroic, lionhearted starstone—had returned to the heavens.

WITH THIS RING

Maryah

The stones were returned to their keepers.

The Nefariouns who were captured instead of killed had snapped free from Dedrick’s mind control the instant he died. They were returning to whatever semblance of life they had left. The bodies that could be identified were respectfully returned to their families. Those who were unidentifiable, or had no family, were buried at sea as we prayed for the tides to wash away their involuntary sins.

I stared at the koi swimming around my feet. Drops of water dripped onto my arm from the tail of Eightball’s toy alligator as he sat panting beside me.

Nathan whistled, and Eightball took off running, the tags on his collar jingling with each carefree gallop. In my next life, I wanted to be a dog. Their lives seemed so simple.

Nathan sat behind me, his legs stretched out on either side of me. He pushed my hair over one shoulder and kissed my neck.

His kisses soothed me and excited me all at the same time. I relaxed back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me.

“I miss her so much,” I said.

“I know. So do I. And
it’s been only two days.”

“It feels like forever.”

“Death always has that effect on the hearts left behind.” He laced his fingers with mine and pressed his cheek against the side of my head. “Will you come on a journey with me?”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Are we traversing?”

“Yes.”

I pulled his arms tighter around me. His biceps flexed, and then we traversed.

When I pulled away from him, we were standing in the foothills of a desert mountain. Two hot air balloons were lifting off the ground, and two more were floating high above them.

“Nineteen,” Nathan said. “Balloon Fiesta.”

My grin lifted higher than the balloons. “Albuquerque. Where we first met.”

“I took you up in a hot air balloon. You were wearing a green dress, and your curls were piled on top of your head with a jeweled clip that I didn’t care for very much.”

“What?” I thought back to our road trip for Nathan’s birthday. I had never worn a dress. And I didn’t curl my hair. “I don’t understand.”

“The clip had rhinestones glued to the plastic. It was gaudy, and it distracted from your beautiful eyes.” He leaned in and kissed me, picking me up and slowly spinning us in a circle. His kiss was so intoxicating that the world seemed to turn with us.

When I opened my eyes, the world had turned. We had traversed to somewhere that was the complete opposite of the desert. Rolling greens hills and lush trees framed an elegant but old stone bridge. The sun had almost set, but even in twilight, I could see the detailed architecture in the ceiling and pillars. “Are we in England?”

Nathan nodded. “Eighteen. Palladian Bridge. It looked a bit different because I lined every wall, ledge, and pathway with candles, but you loved these gardens. You said Mr. Darcy would have proposed to Elizabeth in a place such as this.”

“Proposed.” I clapped my hands to my chest. “These are the places you proposed to me?”

“Yes.”

I looked around, trying to take it all in. I ran my hands along the stone. “I love it. What a wonderful way to try jogging some memories.” Wait. My fingernails dug into the stone as a thought jolted my nerves. Was Nathan taking me on this tour because he was about to propose? I glanced down at my raggedy yoga pants and T-shirt. No, he would have warned me to dress for such a special occasion. Right?

I was stuck in place, staring at the water beneath the bridge. My heart raced at the idea that today, or tonight, depending where we ended up in the world, might be the moment that Nathan proposed to me.

He wrapped his arms around me and pried my finger free from my nail-splitting grip. He whispered into my ear, “Shall we continue?”

My world spun for a whole new reason.

“Seventeen,” he said before I opened my eyes.

I yearned to remember every location and every detail that he described, but I was useless. All I kept thinking was,
oh-my-freaking-god Nathan is going to ask me to marry him!

Every new place gave me déjà vu. Every word he said made me giddy. Every kiss made my stomach drop until I was so jittery with excitement and nerves I thought I might pass out.

He had counted down from nineteen. We traversed to every location of every proposal, until we ended up at number one. Our first lifetime together.

We stood on the roof of a building, gazing out at white-capped waves as they crashed below us in the dark. Around us, hundreds of candles burned, their flames flickering in the wind, but never blowing out. I didn’t know if it was luck or if someone had cast a spell to make sure they stayed lit. The glowing candles set a romantic vibe that left me shivering in a good way.

Nathan wrapped a blanket around me. “One. Isle of Man. This building wasn’t here yet, but we used to picnic on the hill where it was built. I can’t put into words how nervous I was.”

I giggled, trying to imagine him that way. He was so confident and sexy, and always in control of himself and every situation. I still couldn’t believe he was all mine. “I kind of remember this place.”

“You do?”

“I think so.” I walked to the edge and stared down. “It’s like a Post-It note in my memory that’s so faded I can barely read it, but it’s there.”

“Sheila lived here for decades. She loved the island’s energy.”

My eyes darted left and right. “Sheila.”

The Post-It note came into view as I backslid into a memory. I spun around. Nathan watched me silently. A pain slithered up my neck and into my head, but I welcomed it. I was remembering something.

My ring had sat upon my finger as I scrawled words onto a page. “A letter.”

Nathan’s brow rose, but he stayed quiet. Was I remembering more about writing in the book to Rina? I shook my head. No, it wasn’t the book. It was one piece of paper. A notecard.

“I wrote something here,” I said, “something important.”

Nathan encouraged me with his smile.

My eyes darted around the cement rooftop. “I put it in a box.”

He nodded. “A letterbox.”

“A mail box?”

“Not exactly. Letterboxing was a favorite hobby of Sheila’s. It’s like treasure hunting using notes.”

“I left a note for her. I hid it here on the island.”

He nodded again. “And as always, she found it. In return, she set up her own message for you to find. She gave the initial card to me not long before she passed. I was here, one floor below us, visiting her. The hunt led me all over the world, but the final message was here, full circle to where I started, hidden on this rooftop.”

“What was it?”

He held my hand and guided me to the lip of the roof made of old stones. He ran his hand across a section of them, pressing as he went, and then one stone slightly shifted. He pried it loose and stepped back.

I squatted down, reaching in and pulling out a rectangular box. “Have you opened it?”

He pursed his lips, trying to conceal his guilty grin. “I wasn’t completely honest about why I suspected your ring contained the starstone. I revealed as much as I could, but when you open that box you’ll understand why I couldn’t tell you the whole truth.”

I lifted the lid and found a single card stamped with an elaborate gold star.

Nathaniel,

Do not give it to her until the time is right. You will know without a doubt.

Love Always, Sheila.

I lifted it. Another card sat beneath it bearing the same gold stamp.

Sheila, my little star sweeper:

Keep it safe for me. When the time is right, give it to no one but Nathaniel. To me, it is more powerful and magical than its spurious replica.

My eternal love, Mary.

Besides those two cards, the box was empty. I turned to ask Nathan what my note meant. He was on one knee, holding a ring in his hand.

“Maryah, we’ve been through a lot in a very short period of time. We’ve endured exponentially more throughout the centuries, but through it all I loved you—and still love you—mind, body, and soul. If you’ll have me, I would be honored to be your husband. Again. And for the first time that you’ll remember. May I have the privilege of marrying you?”

A happy tear streamed down my cheek. “Yes! Yes times infinity.”

He slid the ring onto my thumb. It looked just like the one we had put in Rina’s folded hands when we buried her.

“I was going to have it resized,” he said, “but the way you wore the other one on your thumb suited you. I thought you might prefer this one to fit the same way.”

“It’s perfect.”

He cupped my face and kissed me. I squealed and danced in place. “We’re engaged!”

He smiled against my lips. “Yes, we are.”

“I have to tell Krista and Faith.”

“I’m pretty sure they suspected this day would arrive sooner than later. But there’s one more thing. We weren’t entirely alone during my proposal.” 

A stairway door opened. Harmony stepped out onto the roof and joined us. “Hola, lovebirds.”

“We’re engaged!” While hopping in place, I held up my hand to show her my ring.

She shook her head, but a smile cracked her lips. “Congratulations.”

I hugged her. I didn’t care whether or not she’d want me to. I was too excited and needed to share it with someone. Surprisingly, she hugged me back and even rocked me side to side a little.

“Okay, okay, enough.” She pulled away and smoothed away invisible wrinkles from her sweater. “I’m here to translate.”

“Translate?” My heart fluttered with even more joy. “Rina? She’s here? Did she see Nathan propose?”

“Yes and yes,” Harmony said. “She’s thrilled and says if you wed quickly, she could be there.” Harmony wiggled two fingers. “Before she crosses over.”

“She’s waiting on us?” I hated imagining Rina in limbo like my parents were.

“She really wants
to be at the wedding.”

I turned to Nathan. “How soon can we do it?”

“As soon as you want.”

“Tomorrow?”

He held my hand. “That doesn’t give us much time to plan.”

“We don’t need a big fancy wedding. I just want it to be us with our kindrily, on our cliffs, at sunset.”

Nathan kissed my thumb. My new engagement ring sparkled in the candlelight. “That would be brilliant.”