Gemini (33 page)

For the first time, he needed me. I couldn’t let him down.

"When is that? The Winter Solstice?"

"December twenty-first."
Less than forty-eight hours.

A single tear escaped. I vowed at that moment, it would be the last tear I shed.

I was rescuing my Gemini.

Tomorrow.

Cade

“Cade?”

Did I just hear? No, I couldn’t have.

For the briefest of moments, Zoe’s sweet voice called to me.

I’d officially lost my mind.

This cell was locked down like a cursed prison. With every passing day, my limbs grew weak, and my heart slowed its pace.

My life force was slipping away.

I could hardly move off this floor. My end was near. Soon, it would all be over. And I never got to tell Zoe goodbye.

“Cade?”

“Zoe?”

There it was again. Perhaps I was wrong.

I pried open my eyes and gazed about the dingy concrete dungeon. I was still alone, as I’d been for who knew how long. Yes, I was losing my mind.

“Cade Adams. Answer me…”

No, that was Zoe. I scanned the room. My heart began to pump again, slowly increasing its pace. My skin felt warmer, not so frigid and lifeless.

She was here.

I didn’t know how, had my eyes failed me? I didn’t see her, but her presence pulsated within me, waking me.

“Zoe.”

A renewed sense of faith brimmed. That my Chayah had not given up on me, had not forsaken our love and would rescue me.

"Cade?"

"I'm here, love." I managed to get out the words. Barely.

I remained still. Quiet, hoping to hear more, but I didn’t.

She was gone.

On the brink of death, I must have been hallucinating.

A speck of hope shone when Elijah came, and Zoe and I were able to have one precious moment together, however fleeting it had been. But Elijah left me with a spark of hope. That Zoe could find her way to me. Today, however, that hope had slipped away.

Zoe was healed now and partially Eternal, but she could not be fully Eternalized. We had not converged, and besides, I would know. Sense her. Unless this mystic holding cell was more powerful than I’d anticipated.

I learned not to underestimate Lilith, though.

Each incarnation, each attempt to end the Doctrine and take control of Aravot had brought Lilith closer to succeeding. The Council then became more up in arms, struggling to determine how to keep the Trees protected.

We once had an upper hand, but too many distractions crippled us. Raz’s once superior hold on the dark realm slipped further away as more Angels fell and more humans sought power and demonized.

The number of dark souls was growing, and we were still only eight. With a few extra Firstborns, but outnumbered, nonetheless.

The world we had once known was fading out, and with each incarnation, it became clearer we were heading to a much darker place.

One we weren’t sure we could control.

Zoe had expressed her concern to me the day before this incarnation had taken place. Expressed her fear of the visions that had been filling her head. That something more evil and ruthless would make it difficult to complete the Convergence, to save Aravot, but I didn’t follow up on her fears. I minimized them, taking them as the usual concerns she held.

I was so wrong. I would never again ignore the threats of her visions. I would take that lesson with me, if I ever got out of this cell. Ever held my Chayah again.

Elijah said she had Eternalized, so why did I not sense her? Why could I not heal? Why was I dying in this gods-forsaken cell?

We had received our blessings from Gabrielle and Michael. Perhaps it was due to the manner in which it took place. The astral plane. It was unconventional, as Elijah had said. Something never done before. Perhaps our Twin Souls could not unite until our physical beings were joined as one.

As it was, I had less hope with each passing day. The Winter Solstice was surly here. I would have to accept my fate.

This would be my final life here on earth. And these, my final days.

I never would have imagined this to be how it would end. I always believed if Zoe ever chose not to Converge, that I would find some way to be normal for the little bit of time I had left.

That I would finally spend time on earth, the realm Zoe loved, and get to know what had her so taken by humanity.

She was so in love with the human existence that it kept her sacrificing her soul every millennium. I never quite understood her love affair with this life, but I loved her. I respected her and yearned for her happiness.

At her best, Zoe was the kindest, most loving being I’d ever come to know in my five-thousand-year existence. The human she became during these incarnations was not the same person she was after our Convergence, but a wounded soul that needed to be healed. To be loved and protected, so she could trust in herself once more. Find her inner strength and recapture her soul. Always a daunting task, but never impossible.

Perhaps now, she could be happy, for whatever time she had left.

I rested my head against the cold wall. The rough and musty stone chafed against my cheek. I focused on Zoe. Her emerald eyes that shone so bright. Her full lips that puckered in amusement when I teased her. Her voice. Its angelic melody that brought me to life.

I missed her laugh. Her touch. Her kiss. The softness of her lips as they caressed my neck. All that was gone. And I needed her back.

What would take place without me? We never asked that question, because I never believed it could happen. We were Twin Souls, what if one died—did the other die, too? I didn't know and frankly, I wasn’t sure I cared to think of it.

I needed to fight for her. For our life together, but I had resolved this to be my final sacrifice.

And I would do it again. For her.

She had always been the one who gave up any consideration of her own needs for those of others—for humans to live. It was I who had been selfish, keeping her for myself.

“Cade?”

It came like a whisper in my head.

“Zoe.”

“You can hear me? Oh, please. I'm with you. I’m going to get you out of here. Trust me.”

Her voice echoed through the room. Perhaps she was here? She could project like Elijah, but could she have learned so soon?

“Zoe?”

"Cade, I'm here… Damn it, how do I do this?"

As quickly as my heartbeat raced at the sound of her voice, it began to slow. A tingling in my Gemini mark came and went, responding to her voice.

A light hovered above me, a pure shadow.

She was here.

But the light began to flicker, fading out above my head.

"Zoe. I love you."

The light materialized and then it was gone, dissipated into the air.

I willed myself to be strong. To stay alive for her. If she was planning to rescue me, it must not be too late. Zoe would come for me.

The warmth that filled me just moments ago brought a fleeting sense of life back—a renewed purpose. I must find the will to live for her.

It was all I had left.

~

Sometime later, a gush of wind roared in the corner or the room, waking me.

Lilith came barreling in, her usual smug grin gleaming.

"You aren't looking so well. Let me guess. You're dying. Isn't that what the prophecy said?
The Adam Kadmon will die, ushering in the darkness
."

"What are you spouting about, Lilith?"

"Oh, some stupid prophecy told by a crazy witch or something.” She waved her hands around in the air. “You know how these humans like to play gods and all. There are more prophecies of doom out there, but this one seems to have taken care of you, at least. Anyway, I really just came to pay my respects. Our ironclad holding cell has done its job. After five thousand years, I finally outsmarted Raziel and the Council. The only way in or out is through me. No human can penetrate it. That includes your lovely
Chayah
as you call her. Too bad. She can’t save you this time.”

Lilith leaned up against the wall and set her hands on her hips.

I dragged myself up off the floor. My heart attempted to beat stronger, but having little energy left, it was a poor attempt.

Lilith shook her head. "You're too much. Trying to be all tough. You really haven't changed, though. Still can't stand up for yourself."

"If only I had the energy."

"Awe, you always did fall to your women. Even in Aravot, you were weak. And I see you’re still a coward. You’d rather roll over and die than stand up and fight. You were a disappointment from the minute you were created."

Now she was just trying to agitate me. Just like she did all those years ago.

"Letting love guide you is not a weakness, Lilith. Fear. That’s your weakness."

“Fear? Of what?” Her eyes grew wide. “You?” She huffed. “No, I was angry.”

“You mean entitled.”

“Why shouldn’t I have been? You were. Everything was about you. You had no interest in equality, Adam. No interest in sharing what you had. Only in pushing me around.”

“You made your choice. I’ll admit, I made mistakes. We all did. It was part of our make-up, but you chose to leave. To seek power that wasn’t yours to have.”

“Sure, that’s why.” She scoffed, but she knew I was right.

"You were always so afraid of anything you couldn’t control. That’s what pushed you to leave Aravot, not me. The truth, Lilith, is it takes just as much courage to accept one's fate as it does to stand up and fight against it. There’s no shame in humility. But it's a lesson you’ll never understand. And that is your burden to bear."

She stared at me for a moment then shrugged.

"Huh. I got nothing." She crossed her arms over her chest and paced the room. "Well, I just came to say goodbye. Do you know what day it is, Cade?"

I refused to speak. I was done catering to her ego.

"The prophecy is about to be fulfilled." She smirked. "Your time has run out."

Zoe

It took every bit of strength in me not to fall apart.

Less than a day before I’d lose my Gemini for Eternity.

My nerves were a wreck. I even considered asking Raz to do his mood thing to settle me down and help me focus.

Eli and I had been practicing like crazy, and the Council had been coming up with their plan, but my insecurities were hard to let go.

Around nine that night, everyone returned to Cade’s apartment—everyone but Cade and Phoebe.

She’d gone back to school at Columbia. Remie seemed to be holding up okay, though I now knew how hollow he must felt without her.

Everyone remained quiet, mentally preparing for war. Even Micah and Julian kept to themselves while the Eternals prepped for their mission.

I sat at the piano, singing under my breath and plunking out a random melody when Sophie came and sat beside me.

"I’ve always loved your voice,” she said, her voice shaky. "Are you ready?" Sophie was never good at hiding her emotions, even when I was young and couldn't sense them like I do now.

"Almost.” I sighed.

"We’re all here for you.” She put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed. "Go clear your mind for a moment. Julian will come get you when it’s time to leave.”

Sophie knew me so well.

I got to Cade’s room and sat on his bed, trying to concentrate on him and the night that lay ahead of me. Hoping this was the last time I’d ever have to sleep in his bed alone.

Damn butterflies wouldn’t leave my belly. I exhaled and tried to release it all.

"Cade, I'm coming. I'll bring you home, I promise. I need you to be strong for me. I can't do this without you. Please. Be okay."

I pictured him as I had seen him last, lying on the floor, alone. I imagined myself pulling him into my arms, kissing his lips, bringing him back to life.

For a moment, I think I was there with him. I rubbed his arms and ran my hands through his dark hair. And when he smiled, his adorable dimple curved in.

I missed him.

A knock on the door pulled me back, and Cade was gone.

The door opened, and Julian came in. He scanned the room and pursed his lips, acknowledging the emptiness as much as I did.

"Time to go, boss lady."

"I know." I blew out a breath. "So what do you think, Julian? We gonna be able to pull this one off?"

He strolled over and sat beside me.

"You and me have been through tons of battles. You don't remember them yet, but I wish you did. Because then you’d see what the rest of us do—just how amazing you really are. You're one of the strongest people I've ever known and let's face it, I'm a thousand years old. I've known a lot of people." He laughed.

"I am?”

"I told you the night I jacked you from Lilith. You and me are mates. Been that way since the start. And you rock. Now, let's get out of here. I can't do the hook-up with Rainah until you and your man do the hook-up so—get busy."

I rolled my eyes. "You're gonna give Rainah a run for her money. Just be warned, she’s stubborn. Guess you haven't told her yet, huh?"

"Nah, there's enough going on now. But once things are settled with you? It's on." He set his hand on my shoulder. "We’ve got your back, boss lady. I promise, we'll get Cade home." He pinched my chin between his fingers. "Trust me."

He let go, got up, and sauntered out of the room.

When I got to the front room, everyone was waiting.

"When we get to Aravot, we'll head to a cabin on the outskirts of Eden. Everything we need is ready,” Raz said. “Gabrielle and Michael will be there, and we'll finalize our plans. Are you ready, Chayah?"

I nodded and scanned Cade's apartment. Full of life, yet still so empty.

"I will bring you home, Cade. I promise."

~

The sky was dark outside the Eternal City.

Although the Eternal realm didn’t have seasons or days and nights, night came once every millennium on the Winter Solstice: The Day of the Dead.