Her eyes popped open to see a determined Arand bent over her. “Come back to me,” he commanded.
She heard a male voice yell, “No.” She recognized it as Hades and wondered what was happening. Then something hit Arand hard. His entire body jerked, suspended in midair for what seemed like forever before falling on top of her. Whatever Arand had been doing to her stopped, and Sabrina felt her life draining away from her again.
This wasn’t right, wasn’t fair. Arand deserved to live. She used the last of her strength to wrap her arms around him and hold him to her heart. At least they were together.
“Enough.” The purity and sheer power of the Lady’s voice froze all of them, including the other gods, in their tracks. She raised her hands, palms facing away from her, and aimed them toward Hades. His eyes widened and his lips parted on a silent scream.
Zeus dropped his hands and whirled toward the Lady, arms raised, ready to attack. The warriors moved into position to protect her.
“What are you doing?” the god demanded.
“What you could not.” She slowly lowered her hands. “I have drained much of Hades power. He is still a god, but he is weak. I would not do to him what he did to me. It is up to all of you to keep him contained from now on.”
Zeus squared his shoulders and looked down his nose at her. “You do not tell me what to do.” He looked ready to fight, and all her warriors tensed in anticipation.
“It was merely a suggestion.” The Lady glided forward, flowers and soft grass pushing up through the ground to cushion her every step. “Take your brother and go home, Zeus.”
Poseidon came up behind her, but she ignored him as she continued speaking to the King of the gods. “The world has changed and so have we. There is no need to battle and fight one another.”
Zeus glanced at the warriors and back at the Lady. “You have grown more powerful.” She could see his mind working to find a way to steal her power from her. Would these Greek gods never learn?
“I am no threat to you, as I was no threat to you five thousand years ago. Nature and the animals are my domain, and I am content to be among them. If they die so do the humans and any chance they might worship you again,” she pointed out. Zeus was nothing if not practical. “If Hades had his way, the sons and daughters of man would worship only him until all of you are nothing more than a faint footnote in history, totally defenseless against him.”
Zeus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You speak the truth. You are no threat to me. To us.” He raised his arms to encompass his fellow gods and they all inclined their heads in agreement. The Lady didn’t mind. She understood Zeus needed to save face if he was to leave in peace. She inclined her head slightly in deference.
“Come. Let us take our brother home.” Zeus motioned to two of the other gods.
The Lady thought one of them might have been Ares and the other Apollo. It had been so long and she’d never really paid much attention to them. And she should have. Her warriors were right about that, and they’d paid the price of her arrogance.
She watched and waited as Zeus opened a golden portal of light and stepped through it. The two dragging Hades by his arms entered behind Zeus. She could almost pity Hades. Almost. She hoped he learned from this defeat, but she doubted he would. He would regain power and begin plotting once again. But that would be decades, centuries in the future.
As the last of Hades’ power faded from this realm, the last remaining demon body turned to ash and was swept up by the wind. The demon remains formed a cloud and followed the last of the Greeks through the portal. It closed behind them, leaving her alone in the clearing with her warriors, their women and friends.
“Help me.” The woman’s sorrowful cry reminded the Lady there was yet another chore to take care of. Sabrina’s friend was kneeling beside Arand and his woman, tears rolling down her face.
The Lady hurried to the side of her downed warrior. Arand was draped across Sabrina and she had her arms wrapped around him. Even in death their connection was deep.
“Save them. Please save them.” The plea came not from the woman’s friend, but from Mordecai. Her serpent went down on his knees before her. “Take me if you must, but save Arand.”
She placed her hands on Mordecai’s head, letting her fingers sift through his long, black hair. “Do you still doubt me so much, my warrior?”
His entire body shuddered and he lowered his head, speaking no more.
Sighing, she released him and turned to face all her warriors. The three women who had freed her tiger, bear and wolf from the curse stood beside their mates. “Do the rest of you doubt me?”
Silence greeted her. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but there was no blame either, only a sense of anticipation. They were all loyal, her warriors, and she wanted only the best for them.
The Lady moved until she was standing over Arand and Sabrina. She held out her hands and felt immense power shift through her. After so many centuries of being weak, it was an odd but joyous sensation to feel like herself again.
Life-giving energy shifted through her. She was a goddess of creation, able to give life to the animals and the plants. But this was different. She had no dominion in the realm of humans. They had free will. The Lady only prayed that Sabrina would want to come back to be with Arand.
Her wolf stirred. His large body shuddered as the Lady’s life force healed him. He raised his head and stared up at her with tears in his dark eyes. “Save her.”
Although it broke her heart, she shook her head. “I cannot. Only you can save her. Share your life force with her and make her immortal as your brethren have done with their ladies.”
The Lady’s words beat in his brain and fired his heart. “Come back to me, Sabrina,” he whispered. He ruthlessly drove his healing power into her lifeless body. How much could a human body take? He didn’t know and prayed he wasn’t too late. He’d gotten one miracle when she’d revived the first time. Was it too much to expect a second one?
Sabrina had rescued him from his prison, saved him and brought him to life. She’d given freely of her body and her love, standing beside him, protecting him from a vengeful Hades.
She couldn’t be gone. She couldn’t.
Arand howled his sorrow when her body remained unresponsive. It wasn’t working. He was failing her once again.
“Give her a reason to come back,” the Lady instructed.
Arand could sense his fellow warriors around him, encouraging him. He was still shocked by the appearance of Stavros and Phoenix as well as the others. They were a miracle. And Arand needed another.
He leaned down and pressed his lips against Sabrina’s, ignoring how cool they were. He would warm her for the rest of their days if she came back to him. “I love you,” he whispered. Nothing. “I love you.” Louder this time. Still nothing.
Arand grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “I love you,” he yelled. “Come back to me. You must live. I don’t want to live without you.” He choked back the tears that threatened to unman him. “I can’t live without you.”
He heard several women sobbing and felt their despair crushing him. “No. It can’t end like this.” He shook Sabrina again. “I love you.”
Tilly sat across from him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He felt Jessica slide in beside him and gently touch his arm. “It’s too late, Arand. You must let her go.”
He turned on her, bared his teeth and snarled. “Never.”
He lifted Sabrina and held her to his chest, rocking her back and forth. “I need you. You must save me. I am in danger.” He leaned back and her head lolled against his left arm. “Do you hear me,” he yelled. “I am in danger. I need you.” He poured more of his essence into her and felt himself weakening. He didn’t care if it took every last drop of his power to save her.
He threw back his head and howled again, the mournful sound echoed by his fellow warriors as they shared in his grief.
He stilled. Had she moved? He watched her face, willing her to open her eyes and look at him. “You must save me. Wake,” he commanded.
Sabrina stirred in his arms. Excitement coursed through his veins as her eyelids fluttered open.
“What’s all the racket about? I have a splitting headache.”
