Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #4)

Chapter 73

C HAPTER 73

I stumble to my feet, using Nadir for support and scan our surroundings, noting we’re in the same room I visited last time. Soft sunlight streams from the high windows, and the air is still with the nothingness of this place.

“Thank you for what?” I ask, wiping sticky, sweat-soaked strands of hair out of my eyes.

“For killing Zerra,” the Empyrium says. I share a look with Nadir and then back.

“I don’t . . . understand.”

“We could not kill her ourselves,” the Empyrium says. “You were the only one with the power to do so.”

“I . . . What?”

“We’re sorry to have put you through that, but we let it slip to Zerra that you were to be her replacement, knowing she would come for you.”

I blink, unable to comprehend what I’m hearing. I’d wondered if they’d told her, but I couldn’t begin to imagine why they would do this to me.

“You mean, you used me?”

“It was necessary,” the Empyrium says.

“Why couldn’t you kill her? I almost died. Nadir almost died!”

“That was beyond our powers,” they say.

“But you’re gods!”

“We can only create, not destroy. It was why we were forced to banish Herric.”

“Banish? But you said he caused that.”

“He did in his own way. We couldn’t allow him to continue on his path of destruction and thus had to contain him. But we could only bind him to the Underworld, not kill him.”

“But he almost got out!”

They nod. “Yes, we did not realize that Zerra’s weakening meant he would be able to interact with those on the surface to that extent.”

“To that extent ? So you knew he was capable of this?”

“We did not imagine he would be able to get his hands on you. But you prevailed, nonetheless. Another thing for which we offer thanks. Zerra is gone and a new god will take her place, ensuring he is trapped once again.”

My mouth opens in disbelief. “Where were you?” I scream. “You could have helped us.”

“Once you were in his domain, you were beyond our reach. All we could do was wait. ”

“And you didn’t think to tell me any of this?” I ask, getting angrier. They used me to do their dirty work? I clutch Nadir’s arm as his hold tightens.

“Knowing would have changed nothing. It would have made no difference,” they say.

“Bullshit. It would have made a difference to me!”

The Empyrium turns and walks away as though they are done with this conversation. I’m about to follow and demand . . . something when a ripple in the air catches my attention.

I watch as it stretches and morphs into a dark blot, and then . . . Amya, Mael, and Willow stand across the room, blinking at us. They’re no longer dressed in the clothes they wore at the bonding ceremony, and it’s the first time I’ve really had a chance to think about how long we’ve been gone.

“Amya?” Nadir asks, and she gives us a bewildered look.

“Willow?” I ask, taking a step towards her before another ripple turns into Cedar and Elswyth, and then Tristan.

“Tris!” I yell.

“Lor!”

We all converge and embrace in the center of the room. I truly thought I’d never see any of them again.

“What happened to you?” Amya asks. “We were so worried.”

“You disappeared,” Tristan says, looking us over.

“Lor, we thought you were dead,” Willow says as we continue chattering.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Mael asks.

“Well—”

We’re interrupted by the appearance of several others. D’Arcy, Bronte, and Cyan all materialize out of thin air, along with Anemone and Linden. With Bronte and her bonded partner, Yael, is a young girl with silver hair, and next to D’Arcy stands a teenage male High Fae with her same dark eyes and long white hair.

A moment later, Tyr, Gabriel, and Erevan also appear.

We all stare at each other across the space. It takes everyone another moment to notice the Empyrium. They’ve all heard the story of my previous encounter, and they all understand immediately.

“Welcome,” the Empyrium says. “Zerra is dead, and the Third Age is upon us.”

They sweep out a hand towards me. “Your new goddess awaits.”

Every eye swings to me, and I shake my head.

“No. I don’t want this. Please.”

“Someone must control the magic of the Artefacts,” they say.

“But why me?” I ask.

“You are the right choice. You defeated the greatest evil in Ouranos.”

“No, I’m not. I have people I need to take care of, people who need me to restore the magic of Heart, and I don’t want this.”

I take Nadir’s hand. “I have a mate and a family I want to grow old with. Please don’t do this.”

They give me a hard look. They weren’t expecting me to refuse.

“You forced Zerra into this all those years ago, and look how that turned out,” I say .

“You are not Zerra,” they reply. “We chose better this time.”

“No! I don’t want this!” My voice pings around the room. “You won’t make me abandon my mate. You can’t make me!”

“But we can,” they say. “You are the best choice. Only a Primary or an ascended king or queen will be strong enough to control the magic. And you are without a home to rule.”

At that declaration, I feel everyone in the room go still.

“Lor?” Nadir asks. “Did you know that?”

I squeeze his hand. “I did, but I couldn’t tell any of you. I couldn’t ask any of you to shoulder this burden for me.”

Nadir’s jaw turns hard as he turns back to the Empyrium. “Take me,” he says.

My head snaps up. “No! Absolutely not. This is why I didn’t share this with you.”

The Empyrium fold their hands together and dip their chin. “As we understand it, you are no longer a Primary, Aurora Prince.”

Nadir huffs out an angry breath. I’m not sure if it’s directed at me or at them.

My gaze shoots to my brother, who looks like he’s about to speak.

“Don’t even think about it,” I snarl before he snaps his mouth shut.

Turning back to the Empyrium, I shake my head as tears coat my cheeks, panic swirling in my chest. “There must be another way. Please. I’m not the right choice. I just wanted to live the life I was born for. I want to be with my brother and sister. I want to be with Nadir. He just gave up everything for me so we could kill Zerra for you . I only want to be with him. The people of Heart need me.”

“Ouranos needs you more,” they say. “It will be the difference between some lives and all of them.”

“There has to be another way!”

“There is not,” they say.

“Then give me Nadir,” I say, desperate now. “Allow him to come with me, but let him keep his spirit.”

I shake my head. I’ve been talking a mile a minute and only now realize what I’ve just said.

“Sorry,” I say. “I . . . shouldn’t speak for you . . .”

“No,” he answers. “If there’s a way, then I accept it. I just want to be with her too.”

The Empyrium tips their head, and for the first time, they seem a bit sorry about all of this.

“If we could, we would,” they say, and that’s when I break down.

My stomach cramps, and I bend double, dropping to my knees. The Aurora King is gone. I have the Crown. I’m finally free, and I’m about to lose it all.

“No,” I sob. “Please. No.”

Nadir drops to the floor, wrapping me into him as we both cling to one another.

“Lor,” he whispers, his voice on the edge of cracking.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I tried. I tried so hard for us.”

“I know you did. This isn’t your fault.”

More arms circle us as Tristan, Willow, and Amya join our wretched little huddle. We weep together as I feel my spirit draining out. Already I feel detached from reality, like I’m not really here.

“I’ll do it,” comes a soft voice that, at first, I think I imagine.

It comes again, stronger this time. “Take me instead.”

It takes a moment for us to pull apart. I hiccup as I wipe my nose with the back of my hand.

Tyr stands at the other side of the circle, his back straight and his eyes clear with purpose.

“I’ll do it,” he repeats, and the vice around my heart releases an inch.

“Tyr,” Erevan says, coming up next to him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m doing something useful,” he says, then turns to Gabriel. I notice the absence of the golden tattoo on his neck, and my throat knots at the sight. “I’m sorry. I’m never going to be the king I was. No matter how much I want to, I can’t ever go back. It hurts too much. Those walls will always be a reminder of what I want to forget.”

So many emotions cross Gabriel’s face. Absently, he touches his throat where the golden lines of the Sun King once marked him as a prisoner.

Then his shoulders drop in resignation.

“I know,” he says softly. They bend their heads together as they each wrap a hand around the back of the other’s neck. They murmur soft words to one another I can’t make out.

Then Tyr releases Gabriel and turns to face me. “I will take this burden from you,” he says before looking to the Empyrium. “If you will have me. ”

The Empyrium says nothing for a moment, the various people of its form flickering in and out as if they’re having a discussion. I watch in hope while Nadir clings to me tighter.

“But you’ll be alone up here,” Erevan says. “You’ll have only this place. You already lived like that for a century.”

“I’ve been alone for so long,” Tyr replies. “When I sat in that tower, looking out over Aphelion, I could do nothing. But here, I can make a difference. I can be better than Zerra, and maybe everything that happened will have had a purpose.”

Tyr’s gaze meets mine, his eyes soft with conviction.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

He smiles and tips his head. “It’s the first thing I’ve been sure of in a very long time, Heart Queen.”

The Empyrium confer for another few seconds before they speak.

“The Sun King is pure of heart. If he chooses to relinquish his crown, then we accept his offer. Is the Primary ready to step into his place?”

Every eye turns to Erevan before he exchanges a long look with Gabriel. I hold my breath, waiting for my entire life to shift in one direction or the other.

Gabriel rests a hand on Erevan’s shoulder.

“This was inevitable, Erevan. You’ve resisted for as long as you could, but you understand it’s time,” he says. “Besides, after everything Aphelion did to Lor, it’s the least we can give her.”

He gestures towards me, and my eyes fill with tears again as he gives me a small smile that feels like I’ve just won a war I’ve been battling since the day he dragged me out of that hole in the Void.

Erevan lets out a long sigh. I watch as his shoulders droop like a giant weight has been set on top of them. He looks at me and then dips his chin.

“Very well,” he says. “I will accept my place.”

I expel a shaky breath as Nadir kisses my temple. I can hardly dare to believe this is real.

“Say your goodbyes,” the Empyrium says to Tyr. “Your life changes today.”

I watch as Tyr turns to Gabriel, and they stare at one another, both of them holding very still. I swear I can feel the moment they both accept that this is the end for them. The air around them seems to bend and then settle into another place, but maybe this is what they all need.

“I love you,” Gabriel says, choking on the words. “I’m sorry that I let you down so many times.”

Tyr shakes his head and then wraps his arms around Gabriel.

“You were the only light in my life during all those years. I would have died without you, Gabe. Never forget that. I love you too.”

They cling to one another as their tears flow and their shoulders shake.

“He will be able to visit you,” the Empyrium says gently. “From time to time.”

“I’ll come whenever I can,” Gabriel says, and Tyr nods. They squeeze each other’s hands, and Tyr kisses Gabriel’s knuckles .

“Be happy,” Tyr says. “Promise me you’ll stop blaming yourself. None of it was ever your fault.”

Gabriel blows out a long, slow breath. “I’ll try,” he says before Tyr then turns to Erevan. They exchange a few quiet words, and then Tyr faces the Empyrium. He straightens his posture and smooths down the front of his beige tunic. I’ve seen the Sun King only a few times, but already, he seems like a different person. Like someone who dragged himself back from the teetering edge.

“I’m ready,” he says, looking at me.

“Wait,” I call. I stand up, run across the room, and throw my arms around his neck. He stumbles from my weight but catches himself as he squeezes me back.

“Thank you,” I say. “Thank you for offering yourself.”

“It is not a burden,” he answers, a gentle hand settling on my back. “It will be my honor to stand in this place and allow you this life, Heart Queen. It was over for me. Perhaps I can find peace in this next one.”

I pull back and nod before he turns to the Empyrium. “Take me then.”

“It is done,” they say, and then in a flash of soft white light, our surroundings melt away.

A moment later, we all stand amongst the ruins of Heart, blinking at one another.

I sway on my feet, then fall to my knees and press my forehead to the hard stone, savoring the feel of solid ground and the unmistakable scent of roses.

Finally.

I am home.