Page 145 of The Gods Forbid

There would never be any other option than to do whatever it took to make sure she was okay. Happy. Safe. Alive.

There wasn’t a price I wouldn’t pay, including my own life.

I opened my mouth to say the last thing I could think to leave her with.

The truth. That I loved her more than life itself.

But nothing came out. I was too weak, my voice abandoned while my body fought furiously to keep me alive. It was a losing battle, and my heart was about to surrender.

My mind went next, accepting the fact that I was about to die.

My only regret was that I wasn’t able to tell her I loved her.

Darkness crept into the corners of my vision, and I knew it was time. I had no choice but to give myself over to it.

It made sense that it would be like this. At night, as far away from the sun as I could get.

I blinked and my vision cleared, framing Persy’s face over me, her expression contorted with pain.

No, that wasn’t true. I had my sunlight.

She was right here, holding me like she loved me.

This is how it should be, I thought, right as my mind started to feel hazy, like my thoughts were too far away. Giving me one last piece of art before I left.

Chapter 36

Persy

Everything was telling me that Sebastian had just died in my arms.

I could see him, lying on my lap with his eyes closed.

I could feel his blood warming my thighs as it seeped out of him.

I could hear people screaming.

I could taste my tears on my tongue, more bitter than anything I’d ever eaten.

I could smell blood in the air, the iron twinge of it working it’s way up my nose.

Everything was telling me that he was dead, but my mind wouldn’t accept it.

He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead.

I was supposed to have another week with him. At the very least.

He said he’d stay. He asked me to come to Delphi with him.

We couldn’t do that if he was dead.

That’s too much blood. His eyes are closed. He isn’t breathing. He’s dead.

The words slammed into my mind, as true as anything I’d ever known. As if the god of truth had spoken them directly into my ear.

That wasn’t right though. I’d heard that voice in my own head. If the god of truth had spoken them, then that meant…

I felt it, then.