I smiled sadly. “A gift.”
He nodded. “One I am taking back until the right time.”
“How will I know?”
“Trials and tribulations.” My grandfather joined us in all his shining glory. “We have served the Creator for centuries and he has served us as well. If he says this is what we must do, we do it.”
My hands shook as I held them out.
It didn’t take long.
My skin was gold and then everything felt lifeless, cold.
“I’m sorry.” My father wept as he pulled immortality from my veins. It was like watching my identity get stolen in front of my very eyes as the shimmery gold blood from the gods was pulled from my skin in a thick mist. It burned from the inside out. I wasn’t sure what was worse the pain or the knowledge that I was no longer myself. When he was done, he pressed it into a necklace shaped like the sun and handed it to my grandfather.
It pulsed as he wrapped it around my neck.
“One day…” Grandfather winked. “You will thank us, I only hope we are around to see that love shine in your eyes. You won’t walk this earth alone, for your soul is matched with another. His strength will sustain you until the right time. He will awaken you in ways you cannot imagine. You will both suffer horrible tragedies, but you will one day be whole. Praise be to the Creator, let that day be swift in its coming.”
“He is fair.” My father nodded. “I promise you this.” He smiled brightly. “Your journey will one day have an ending that turns into a marvelous beginning. Consider yourself blessed, daughter of Apollo, Keeper of Light. Balance to the dark.”
Grandfather kissed his thumb and forefinger then pressed them against my forehead and whispered. “Amen.”
Present Day
I gasped. Timber stared at me with a blinding smile, and then he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Doing some time travel or just remembering?"
“Remembering.” My throat hurt, tears burned my eyes. “I knew he took the essence of the gods from me, I just wasn’t sure why. I though he wanted me to live a normal life. Instead, they were told someone would use me.”
Timber stiffened. “Set.”
“Yes.” I knew it in my soul in the twisted way he looked at me. “I could have restored his power.”
“How?” Timber frowned.
I reached for my ever-present necklace, touched it with my fingertips. “Because I house the sun.”
Timber grabbed the necklace and jerked it from my neck. Then, without asking permission or even speaking, he pressed it between two fingers, crushing it into dust and blowing it into my face.
I sucked in a sharp breath as searing heat enveloped me.
It burned down my fingertips, made me feel simultaneously hot and cold.
“Welcome back.” Timber grinned. “Daughter of Apollo.”
TIMBER
“So everything just went… poof?” Mason motioned with his hands while Serenity started pouring wine. The sound of kids playing was like a balm to my soul—again I’d take that to my grave.
The love I felt for the wives.
For their children.
I would protect them with my dying breath.
We’d only just gotten back to Ethan’s house. I wasn’t sure why everything was incinerated, and even though I knew I would catch shit for a lifetime—I told them what happened.
“Yes.” I shrugged. “Everything turned to ash.”