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“FAITH.”
The heart-rending bellow of my name jars me from my peaceful sleep. I wake up and moan with pain, at the agony in my hand and the ice in my gut. Why am I not dead yet?
Someone grabs the front of my dress and hauls me in their arms.
“Faith,” a familiar voice pants, and then a big hand strokes my hair back from my face. “No, Faith. You can’t die on me now. I won’t allow it.”
Aron. My Aron.
I’m no longer mad at him because of Hedonism Aron’s actions. It’s all okay. He’s so upset at me dying that I know he loves me and only me. I smile. Or try to. It feels like my face won’t behave. “Hey…there.”
“Faith,” he growls, clutching me close against him in a way that hurts really bad, but I don’t mind. I just like that he’s holding me. He’s covered in blood and soot, and his mismatched eyes stare down at me with a wild expression. “You are not doing this. You are not. I will not allow it—”
“I was always going to die, Aron,” I manage. Man, it’s hard to talk. My lungs feel heavy, and my tongue slow. “Knew it. Spidae…knew it, too.” My vision grows fuzzy and I struggle to focus on his face, because he’s so beautiful, so perfect. Even if he’s the god of war, he’s just…lovely. I smile. “Had to make sure you were the last.”
Fuck that other Aron and his anchor.
“We’re getting you out of here,” he says, and the big, wonderful hand strokes my hair again. “You will live. I command it.”
I cry out as he touches the knife in my belly and everything hurts. “Don’t,” I manage, panting. “Hurts too much.”
I expect him to ignore me, to ignore it. Instead, his cool fingers touch my face again. “Very well.” He sounds…defeated.
That terrifies me. “Aron…dead? Bad Aron?”
“Dead,” he says. “Rest, Faith. I have you.” His voice is so tender, and he presses a kiss to my brow that makes me so, so happy. Oh, I love his kiss.
I saved him. I’m smiling inside, even if my lips are slow to respond. The ice in my belly feels like it’s creeping up my neck, so I watch Aron closely. I want to get one last good look at him before everything fades out. Already the black is creeping around my vision. It won’t be long now. I’ll die, and he’ll return to his fortress in the Aether, to rule as the just, firm, newly compassionate god of storms that he is. Maybe a little arrogant, but that’s ok. It’s just part of his charm.
“You…won’t forget me, will you?” The black fades a little more and all I can see is his mouth. His pretty, pretty mouth.
“Never forget you,” he rasps, and I barely feel him brush his lips over mine again. “Never, Faith. I love you.”
I know he’s saying that to me because he wants to make me feel better, but in this last moment, he needs to realize I’m okay with everything. It’s good. He doesn’t have to pretend. I love him enough for both of us. “Gods don’t love,” I remind him. “It’s…okay.”
And I’m smiling as I die.