Blood Finale (God Wars #5) (30 page)

"Things are about to go down," Merrill nodded to his mirror image. "The god wars," he added.

"This is the time and the battlefield chosen. We need as much of an edge as we can get," Charles said. Adam from the past stared at him.

"Meet the Mighty Mind," Adam from the future made introductions.

It looked to be a standoff between Gavin of the past and Gavin of the future, with Lissa standing between them to prevent blows. Drake and Drew couldn't get over their doppelgangers; they'd already had a discussion with Lissa, who was pregnant in their timeline. She reassured them several times that Travis and Trent were fine.

"Stuff it, Gavin," I snapped, causing the old Gavin to swivel in my direction. Lissa began to laugh, and that caused the future Gavin to smile.

"I'd never have believed that, if I hadn't seen it for myself," Gavril stepped to my side.

"Hello," I said, holding out my hand. "How are you?"

"Good," he shrugged and took my hand. "I'd just like this to be over with."

"Ain't that the truth," I muttered.

"If you need help, let me know," he nodded toward his parents—Lissa and both his fathers, past and present. "Dad can be a bit testy, even in the best of times."

"I'm glad you said that and not me," I said. "I'm your Aunt Bree."

"I never knew I had an Aunt Bree."

"Your mother didn't know she had a living sister," I said. "It was a surprise for everybody."

"Have you met Tory and Ry?"

"Yeah. Earlier," I hedged.

"What the hell is Nissa doing here?" he asked. "And Toff and Trik, too? Man, I have to talk to them." Gavril stalked off, heading for the contingent from Grey House. I shook my head as he walked away—this was the Gavril I should have met in the beginning. The one Lissa loved. My shoulders sagged as I considered the damage that Acrimus, the General and all their followers had caused.

"If Dragon and Crane can get this bunch together, then they're miracle workers," Bill muttered beside me.

"Hi, honey," I put an arm around his waist. "Who knew it would be such a chore to get on the same page with yourself?"

"At least we weren't here before," he said with a nod. "We don't have to argue with Bill and Bree."

"I'm glad about that."

"I hear that more Larentii are coming, but there will only be one of each. Somehow, Kal has instructed only the ones from the future to appear, since they are stronger and more knowledgeable."

"That makes sense," I agreed.

* * *

Charles's Journal

"I know you're about to tell me that things will go as they will," Ashe sat beside me. I'd chosen a seat in the grass atop a small rise, watching those below with interest. We had a short time to convince everyone to work together. The rogue elf army would be engaged first, but the General wouldn't be far behind.

"Do you think the General has approached Naldill and Reldill already?" Ashe asked.

"Possibly."

"Will Naldill cooperate with him?"

"It matters not if Naldill doesn't want to—he can't deny the General."

"This is so messed up," Ashe muttered.

"An appropriate term. The Larentii shield," I nodded in the proper direction. "They're just on the other side of it."

"Yeah. I can see right through it," Ashe replied. "I don't see the General, but I don't know what he looks like anyway. Not really."

"You'll know him when he uses power," I said. "It vibrates the opposite of ours. If nothing else, it'll just feel wrong."

"Great."

"I'll be watching for him from the side," I offered. "Be prepared when the time comes." I stood and surveyed the field, making sure it was large enough to accommodate everyone and give them sufficient fighting room.

"What time?"

"You'll know," I said and folded away.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Old Gavin was skeptical. New Gavin was confounded. I never thought I'd see Gavin second guessing himself, but that's exactly what was happening. New Gavin couldn't understand why Old Gavin was so grumpy and uncooperative. I wanted to say, "Welcome to my world," but I didn't.

"Just keep in mind that you'll both do your best," I said. "No matter what. You've always done that," I soothed New Gavin. Actually, I preferred New Gavin to Old Gavin—by a very wide margin. I didn't say that, either. Breanne had worked wonders with him, and I didn't want to jinx any of it.

"How much longer?" Old Gavin whined.

The shields are coming down
, Pheligar's voice sounded in our minds.

* * *

"Farzi! Take your brothers through there," Gavril shouted. There was a path between roaring Ra'Ak, leading past the vanguard to the creatures standing behind them. Some of those might be vulnerable to lion snake poison, and the lion snakes might be difficult to see crawling through the grass. Farzi nodded and Norian, standing with him, joined Farzi and his brothers.

Kiarra's unicorns, both of them, led the charge of the Saa Thalarr, with dragons and giant birds flying overhead. The unicorns ran at the forefront with two giant snow leopards and two enormous black gryphons on either side.

Werewolves, many of them huge, raced closely behind. The enemy rushed forward, eager to join in the battle. Ry and Erland, with their former selves, led the contingent of warlocks and wizards, destroying the ground beneath the feet of minotaurs, kobolds, satyrs and cyclops.

Eight dragons landed upon the enemy in the center of the rogue army, coming to ground with a thump and a mighty roar. Dragon breathed fire, scorching any who dared approach him. He and his sons formed a ring that none dared breach as their circle widened to fight retreating enemies.

The great cats crashed into a line of enemy Copper Ra'Ak, and behind them came Maldak and Youon's armies. There was growling, hissing and screaming as the enemy died.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

We're beating them back
, Old Gavin shouted in my mind.

Shut up and keep fighting
, New Gavin snapped.
This is far from over
. He was right. I heard Faldill's mental scream as he fell. I knew he'd died in the first battle, but nobody prepared me for the hopelessness of it as others began to fall, filling our minds with their agony as they died.

Dragon, both of him, became infuriated. He and his sons, including Drake and Drew, went into a higher gear, crushing and burning anything they could reach. Power blew out around us—Ashe had joined the fight.

Still, the sounds of the dying could be heard in our heads. Wizards from Grey House screamed as they were burned alive by rogue High Demons. The battle was changing; the General made sure of it. When Li'Neruh Rath led Jayd and his High Demon army into the fray, he even stood above Kifirin, who fought at his side.

Another blast of power came from Ashe as I misted through the battlefield, relieving any enemy I encountered of their heads. There were so many, even at the blistering pace I set for myself there seemed to be no end to them.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

I followed Lissa's example and became mist, to relieve the enemy of their heads. It kept me busy while I contemplated where the General might be and whether he was merely toying with us, waiting for us to feel a bit more confident before employing power. That's when I heard it—Griffin—sending mindspeech. Calling my name.

"What?" I landed before him and Thurlow—they stood well back from the last of our army, and I still heard screams of the dying—on both sides in the battle behind me.

"I just wanted to explain," Griffin began. He looked guilty about something, and I didn't have time to hear him out. Too many needed my help. Lowering my shield, I read him.

Yes, it made sense. That didn't mean it didn't upset me. It did. And it confirmed some of my suspicions, but there wasn't time to dwell on any of it.

* * *

Ashe's Journal

A power opposed mine—whenever I sent out a power blast, it should have cleared the field before me. It didn't. Yes, many fell, but most of those rose again and began to fight anew. The General was certainly making his presence known. I suspected he might be toying with us, to make our suffering greater in the end, but I had plenty of power left. I loosed another power blast.

This time, it was answered. I didn't recognize the scream from my throat as I was hit and tossed backward, and didn't realize that my body might plow up earth as I slid backward from the force of the blow.

Somehow, Kay heard me. I wanted to shout at her to stop, but my voice wouldn't work. Kay, my precious girl, appeared in front of me as the General removed the shield about him. I blinked. He looked very much like someone I'd seen before. I attempted to shout again at Kay—to get out of his way. He'd come for me, not her.

Gathering her strength, she stood her ground and threw everything she had as one of the Bar'Mirha at the General.

He laughed. And then he raised a hand, sending a careless bolt against her. In slow motion, I watched her fall, tears coursing down my face as I wept soundlessly. Where were the others, who should have come to her aid? They fought their own battles, I realized. All of them fought for their lives, as Armageddon descended.

Now you,
the General's voice sounded in my head. He raised a hand the second time. I gasped, but it wasn't because he'd sent a killing blow against me.

No.

Time slowed. Something tugged at me. Just as my body was blasted to bits behind me, my essence was jerked away—pulled toward a destination I couldn't refuse. Yes, I might have screamed mentally in anger and anguish, but I made the unwelcome journey anyway.

* * *

Hank's Journal

What have you done?
escaped my mind as my spirit was jerked from my Thifilathi, leaving it behind to be destroyed by a horde of rogue Copper Ra'Ak. They had no care that they'd been dying by the hundreds as I battled them; they seized the opportunity now to destroy the body I'd left behind. How was this possible? I shouted again, but there was nobody to come to my aid.

* * *

Charles's Journal

I suspected it might happen, but there was no way to predict the time or the method. I only knew something would come. The General had achieved the unthinkable, and I marveled at the preparation to make this possible.

Kay—Kalia, had died at the General's hand, and I, along with others, were being pulled away, leaving our bodies behind to be destroyed. Still I marveled at the idea, as my spirit raced toward a destination I couldn't slow or prevent.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Lissa, it's time
, filtered into my mind. And then my energy was pulled away from my body. I recall hurtling toward a destination so fast, everything was a blur around me. Could I stop it?

No.

I wanted to weep. I had no eyes to cry as my body was destroyed behind me. Gavril and Gavin's voices sounded in my mind, screaming. Others took up the sound. Some died. I couldn't really say who.

* * *

Griffin's Journal

Screaming would do no good. This had been decreed long ago. I just had no idea how it might be manipulated to achieve the desired outcome. Yes, my daughter, the Mighty Heart, had read in me what Wisdom knew she'd find. That Thurlow and I had been sent out to worlds uncounted, not just to collect children, but to set spawn loose to devour populations.

We'd seen nearly a thousand worlds destroyed. Yes, these were worlds not worth saving or nearly so, but it was a wrench anyway. There was a purpose, he'd said. I knew there was. That didn't mean it wouldn't hurt, or bring everlasting grief to me. And to Thurlow.

I'd seen him weep. Had finally come to have sympathy for my old enemy. Discovered how he'd changed from the one I'd known.

We suffered together, now. And only the other of us might understand how and why.

Through tears, I watched as Charles, Ashe and Hank, who called himself Li'Neruh Rath, were pulled away from their physical bodies. I watched in sorrow and disbelief as their bodies were destroyed behind them.

The General grew at the center of the battlefield, and he laughed. He had no worries—he could destroy the powerful. He'd proved it by destroying Kay. She lay lifeless in the grass, until a kobold approached and ripped her torso in half.

Two of my daughters were still on the field. Where were they? I began to search frantically for them. They'd be destroyed, just as the others had been.

I watched Lissa fall. Wept harder when her body was crushed into a bloody mess beneath a giant's foot.

I found Breanne. She stood alone, watching as the General raised his fist in victory.

Chapter 18
 

Ashe's Journal

I only recalled this once before, and found that somewhat curious as my energy joined with that of Charles and Hank.

What the hell?

I heard Hank's mental message clearly, before we became one with Charles. Yes, he was the Mind. He would make the decisions. My consciousness fled.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Now I knew. I couldn't fathom the how of it, but it had been carefully planned. If not recently, then in a past I couldn't recall. Yes, it amazed me. No, I couldn't keep it from happening.

My energy slammed into Breanne. She became filled with what I had. I saw through her eyes. Could she see them?

Yes. She saw them clearly.

"So," the General turned. "The One appears. I have done nothing to provoke you." He turned his empty visage toward the combined energy of Charles, Ashe and Hank.

"You killed a Larentii," the One announced. I took a moment to marvel that Breanne hadn't been forced to join Ashe and Charles. Instead, Hank had been pulled in.

"I killed no Larentii."

"It may interest you to know," Breanne stepped forward, growing as she walked through trampled and bloody grass, "that the Larentii have named many as members of their race. They are Larentii, according to the laws of the Larentii."

"You think that matters to me? I can destroy all of you, should I choose. You don't have the power to defeat me."

To illustrate his statement, he killed thousands, ally and enemy alike, with barely a flick of a hand. They didn't even have time to scream before they died.

"I could do the same," Breanne shrugged. The deaths troubled her, though. I could feel it. "But that would be wrong," she added.

"You think I care about right or wrong?"

"No. You only care about yourself. Tell me, who are you? How did you come here? Where do you get the power you're so proud of?" she asked.

"Acrimus woke me, but I have always existed."

"Acrimus woke you, all right. But you didn't always exist."

"Then please, before I destroy you, tell me what I am." He waved a hand magnanimously, as if I—or any of us—didn't matter.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

Unfortunately, I recalled this same conversation from once before. I hoped this one would have a different ending.

"I'll be happy to tell you what you are. You're a construct. Acrimus fed the myth of you to the people. They began to believe. Their belief made you strong, and as more believed, you grew in power. Instead of giving them the idea of a benign god, however, Acrimus led them to believe in a vengeful one instead. All the ideas of a god who loved have been destroyed. You took over, fed by the fear, hate, cruelty, prejudice and above all, the belief that if they served you, you'd save them. Only that last part isn't true, is it?"

"I grow weary of your lies," the General snapped.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"And I grow weary of you." Breanne lifted our hand. Yes, for now, it was our hand. Breanne could connect one timeline to another. That was now common knowledge among the powerful.

What I didn't realize until now, was that she could also connect one bubble of the multiverse with another.

Now
, she said. At first, I didn't know what would happen.

I felt the tunnel open over us, however.

With a roar, the One, comprised of Hank, Charles and Ashe, pushed all their power at the General, who'd been weakened by the destruction of nearly a thousand worlds filled with believers.

With a scream, the General leveled the field around us, killing everyone there before he was shoved through the portal. He screamed again before the opening snapped shut behind him.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"I hoped you would come. I hoped your sister would come as well." Nefrigar helped me sit up. I recognized the Larentii Archives immediately. Nearby, Nefrigar's sons helped Hank, Ashe and Charles to sit up.

Breanne had found a use for the decoy bodies in the Archives. She'd also formed two others, if my guess was correct—one for me and one for Hank. Hers was missing.

"How long?" I asked.

"Only an hour, as Earth measured time," Nefrigar soothed. "You appeared here quickly. Your sister did not."

"We were right behind you," Ashe said. "I don't feel as weak as I did the last time," he added.

"You won't. Bree saw to that," Charles sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I can't believe she did that," Hank said. I watched as a thin curl of smoke escaped his nostrils.

"She had a plan, independent of ours," Charles muttered. "I don't know if she'll come back to us after, well, after she found out what I've been doing."

"I think she may have outgrown us," Ashe said.

Charles snorted, as if that were a given.

"Many are gone," Nefrigar reported.

He was right. Many were gone, including Kay and all my mates. All destroyed by hate, jealousy, lies and power gone wrong. I was too numb to cry.

"Archivist, come and see," Kalenegar appeared in the room with us.

"See? Kalenegar, you almost sound excited," Nefrigar blinked at him.

"I am. The worlds, they are reappearing."

* * *

Ashe's Journal

From SouthStar we watched it. The recreation of so many things. Le-Ath Veronis appeared on a holographic image that Hank set up.

"People are there," Lissa breathed, vibrating with excitement.

"Look, Tulgalan," Charles said.

One by one, they returned. Refizan. Falchan. Wyyld. Campiaa. Kifirin. And then Earth. Many of those destroyed by spawn were left empty, however. Worlds not worth saving.

"The populations aren't what they were," Charles pointed out as he studied many that had returned.

* * *

Love

So many of the General's believers trusted that he'd take them to their version of the afterlife one day—that they'd just be pulled away from the planet and relocated to a better place.

I decided to fulfill their desires. I removed them from their planets, once I recreated them. And then, I sent them to live in the universe the General now occupied. It had been empty before; there were none for him to destroy. I sent his followers to live with him.

As long as they could.

I also made sure there would be no young, once they arrived on virgin planets circling this sun or that.

They were sterile. No children would be born to perpetuate their beliefs. Once they died, the General would also die. I wouldn't miss him.

The only thing they had going for them, was that they'd be reborn. They'd have a chance to do things right another time.

The General couldn't be resurrected. He also couldn't create. Acrimus had only designed him to destroy. He had no knowledge of how to make something. He only knew how to bend to his will what had already been created.

Nobody would miss him. His myth would die when he did.

Reaching out with power, I recreated another world. It gave me joy to do it.

* * *

Hank's Journal

The Three were now the Four. Charles made the announcement, but Lissa and I already knew. When Breanne left us behind, she'd seen to that. Lissa and I had received a promotion, but there was little joy to be taken in it. We were now Wisdom, Strength, Hope and Wrath. Yes, I was named Wrath. Lissa laughed and said it was a pun. I knew Earth English well enough to recognize that. It gave me no joy.

Because I missed Breanne.

It hadn't taken long for the others who'd been taken away from us to reappear. I almost wept when Ashe was reunited with Kay. She held no memory of dying, and for that we were all grateful.

I marvel at the power it had taken to bring back worlds that had been obliterated. Charles had told me that I would be included when the One reformed, but Breanne was supposed to be with us, instead of Lissa.

Breanne had seen what Charles planned, and then formed her own plan, leaving the rest of us out of it. I couldn't argue with the results of her plan, I only grieved for her disappearance from the rest of us. I believe Charles might know the reason, but I didn't want to press him about it. He seemed to be grieving in private for Breanne's loss to us.

We'd all attempted mindspeech, but there had been no replies. We knew she was out there—things were being set right at a steady pace.

Lissa almost fainted when all her mates reappeared at once. That was a joyful reunion. Yes, some of her vampires and many other residents of Le-Ath Veronis weren't recreated with the planet, but I knew Breanne had a reason for that.

Ashe called it the reverse rapture. I'd had to
Look
to study the concept. And then I laughed at Breanne's logic. She'd given the recreated worlds to those who might deserve them, taking those who didn't away or leaving them dead. It didn't matter which, after all.

I just wanted her back.

Everybody else was reunited with those they loved. Except those who'd loved Breanne. Bill disappeared on most days. Nobody knew where he went. I didn't ask.

I forced myself to help Kifirin with the Dark Realm—oddly enough, many of the worlds were recreated and repopulated there, and it was our duty to see that the new residents understood that someone would be watching.

Jayd, Glinda and Garde were properly grateful that they had a world to return to. They thanked me. I told them to send their thanks to Love.

Love.

The reason we now exist.

It is fitting.

* * *

Ashe's Journal

A year has passed. Kay and I are together, and as happy as possible without Breanne. We both avoid that subject.

Sali and the rest of Breanne's mates still mourn her loss. No, she isn't dead. She just didn't come back to us. We miss her. Sali has almost become mute, only speaking when it is absolutely necessary. On the eve of the anniversary of the battle, I went looking for him.

"Sal?" I tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump. I'd folded in, so he hadn't heard me approach. He'd been sitting on the perimeter of the shield around the '57 Cadillac, staring wistfully at the classic vehicle.

"Ashe?" He stood gracefully, as only those trained by the Falchani might and blinked dark eyes at me.

"Sal, you said something to me once—mentioned something you'd like to do. We're about to do it."

"What's that?"

"Come on, man," I slapped him on the back.

Moments later, we were driving over the speed limit on South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi, the top down on the car and Sali's werewolf sitting in the passenger seat, his tongue lolling and the fur blowing back from his face. If a wolf can grin, he had the biggest grin on his face at that moment—we were doing something that neither of us might have thought possible—living a wish—or a dream. We'd had to travel to the past to do it, but it was more than worth it.

Forming a pair of Wayfarers in my hand with power, I slipped them on and pressed the accelerator, smiling as the waters of Corpus Christi Bay flew past us on our journey.

* * *

Reah's Journal

"Sweetheart?" He walked into the room. I'd been combing my hair at the mirror, and I watched him as he stepped behind me, lifting my comp-vid off the bedside table and examining it for a moment.

"Chash?" I turned to smile at him.

This was my gift from Breanne. Gavril had come back to me. He and Tybus now coexisted at the same time. Love had made that miracle for me. This wasn't Teeg; Teeg was gone. Gavril remembered all our exploits when we were young. He constantly worried about my comfort. Made sure I had anything I wanted.

He and Tybus. So different. And now, equally loved. I felt like weeping, I was so happy. "Want to sleep in my bed?" He smiled and slipped an arm around my shoulders as he sat beside me on my dressing bench.

"Is it as comfortable as mine?"

"I think so. Farzi and Nenzi are already there, waiting for us."

"Then we'll sleep in your bed." He leaned in to kiss me and folded us to his bedroom at the same time.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"Drake, we can't celebrate. Not without—you know." I shook my head at him.

"But we'd like to have another feast—like the one we had at SouthStar before the battle," he said. "Call it the Feast of Rebirth, or whatever you want to call it. To mark the General's destruction and the recreation of Le-Ath Veronis, Falchan and all those other worlds."

"Where?" I sighed.

"Here, Falchan, it doesn't matter," Perdil walked in and handed a comp-vid to me. I wanted to shake my head at what my sister had done—she'd given me a dwarf who loved me.