“Oh, it’s dark.
“Oh I’m scared.
“I want my mummy.
“I want my daddy.
“A constant whining. Until she finally faded out.”
“What do you mean faded out?” Sailor asks.
“Once you found the dagger, it woke up my powers and I was able to take over her completely. She died, Paradox. Keep up. And now you will see me in my true form, and you will kneel before the mighty Pestilence.”
I feel my mouth drop when right before my eyes, Jenny and the puppy are gone, replaced with Pestilence and his horse. Pestilence is a black, shadowy form with glowing red eyes. He sits on top of a beautiful white horse with flames for a mane and tail.
“Tell me, Paradox. What do you hope to achieve with all of this?” he asks. Jenny’s voice is gone, replaced with a deep, rumbling growl. “As if you, a little girl, can take down us, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
The horse is moving suddenly, springing toward us. We jump back, but not quickly enough. Pestilence reaches down and grabs Sailor by her throat, dragging her onto the horse with him. I grab for her, but I’m too late. Now he has Sailor and the dagger. I run forward, the team beside me. Pestilence just laughs. He waves his free hand and a powerful force hits me full in the face. I fly backwards, crashing to the ground. I try to get up, but I can’t move. All I can do is watch as he throws his head back and laughs.
“You are all paralyzed, no longer able to move or speak. But I shall permit you to watch as I slit the throat of your precious Paradox with the very dagger that she planned to use on me.”
I failed you, Sailor. I’m so sorry. I love you.
He raises the dagger closer to Sailor’s limp form. I see a flicker of movement as she opens one eye, watching the dagger. She waits until the last second and then she pulls her legs up to her chest and fires them out with a roar. They strike Pestilence in the chest and he goes flying off his horse. His hands grasp for purchase. They find none, and the dagger flies from his hand as he crashes to the ground. Sailor springs after him. She crouches and grabs the dagger without it even slowing her down. She pushes the tip into Pestilence’s chest. Her eyes are ablaze with fire as she looks down at him with disgust.
“You’re wasting your time, Paradox. I’ll be resurrected,” he taunts her.
“Yeah?” she says. “Well then I’ll get the pleasure of sending you straight back to hell.”
She plunges the dagger all the way into his chest. His body becomes a swirling blast of ashes as does the body of his horse. Sailor stands in the center of them, a determined look on her face. She has never looked sexier—strong, victorious. The Paradox.
As the horseman’s ashes float away on the breeze, I realize I can move again and I jump to my feet and run to Sailor. I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly as the others run to us and pile on, shouting and cheering and congratulating Sailor. Sailor stands quiet and ashen faced in the center of the group and we begin to release her.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I killed an innocent man,” she says. “Dr. Hill.”
“I know that feeling is hard, Sailor, but try not to focus on that. Focus on the fact you’re one step closer to saving all of humanity,” Aziza says.
Sailor nods and gives her a grateful smile.
“I will. But I should have seen it sooner. I felt a pull when I saw the two of them. Like the Paradox in me recognized the horseman. But I should have known it was Jenny. It was… I didn’t even consider it could be a child.”
“Do you remember when you first came to us, Sailor? You were forever saying you guys are actual gods and you don’t know this or that and yet you expect me to. You were shocked we would expect you to know stuff we didn’t,” Mel says.
Sailor nods.
“I remember. But—”
Mel cuts her off.
“No buts. We’re gods, and none of us suspected Jenny over Dr. Hill. There was no way you could have known.”
“Let’s get back to the cabin,” I say. “And let Nexus know it’s over.”
The team are on a high, skipping and running through the woods, laughing and shoving each other. I feel their elation, but I’m worried about Sailor and I hang back with her.
“You did it for Grace. Just keep telling yourself that and it’ll get easier, I promise,” I say.
She nods and smiles at me sadly. I take her hand in mine and we walk slowly behind the others.
“Why didn’t Jenny kill me the moment I accepted the rose?” Sailor asks, breaking the comfortable silence we had fallen into.
“It’s like Nexus said. The prophecy explains that until the Paradox has the weapon to kill the horseman, they are bound to not kill the Paradox directly. It’s nature’s way of balancing the fight.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Sailor says. “It means none of the others can come for me until I can kill them.”
“It is a good thing in the way you say. But it’s not all good. It also means you have to be extra wary of anyone who’s trying a little too hard to help you
