Golden Lights in a Dark Sky ✔

9. Together

"There is still time," she whispered into my ear. "The Cauldron, you can still make it."

"But I'm not powerful enough to control its powers, I'll disintegrate," I said back. A part of me still wanted to wait for Helion so we didn't have to do this. But Ash smiled up at me. Looking at her I almost knew what she was going to say.

"Together then," she said. I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.

"It'll kill you," I said. I knew it would kill both of us. Even with our power combined, we were no match for the power of the Caldron. "No Ash, no."

Ash put a hand on my cheek. I leaned into her touch, sobbing.

"I'd rather die together then be left in a world without you," she whispered to me. "Rae, we can end this now, our final stand."

I was sobbing but nodded. I put my hand over her and stared into her eyes again.

"Together," I said, pulling her into my arms one last time.

"Together," she whispered back, putting her arms around my neck. I held her against my chest and lifted us off the ground. We were both bleeding from wounds, and I was so tired I could barely carry her in my arms without falling.

But I stayed strong and approached the Caldron. I looked into the depths of the unknown void that existed within it. Ash stared too, still holding onto me. I stepped inside it, taking Ash with me. Then my vision went black and I lost all sense of space and time around me. There was just darkness.

✧ ✧ ✧

My eyes shot open. I was floating in a void. But something gently pushed against my back and set me on my feet. And while there was nothing underneath my feet, I felt like I was standing on solid ground once again. A few paces ahead of me stood Ash, who looked healed. I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her. Ash returned the hug, and we held onto each other.

"Where, where are we?" she asked, hesitant.

"I don't know," I said.

We looked around, pulling apart. But as soon as I felt her embrace, I felt like a piece of me was missing. So I took her hand in mine, Ash not hesitating to grip my hand tightly.

How cruel of the universe.

Ash and I startled, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Wha- what?" I asked, my voice shaking. Ash gripped my hand tighter.

The universe. While gods rule over each individual realm, there is a greater power that must watch those gods. How cruel of it, to make you two mates from two different worlds.

My mouth dropped open. I stared at Ash. How did I not realize it before? Every time I was with her, my heart skipped a beat and I felt like I was floating. When we were apart I felt as if a piece of me was missing. I had brushed it off as guilt and loneliness, when all this time it had been something more.

The mating bond.

And I was too clueless to notice it before. But it didn't look like I was the only one. Ash looked just as surprised as me.

"What are you?" Ash asked. "How did you know?"

I am the Caldron. I know many things about the world and the people in it. Plus, when you have two fae inside of yourself, it's easy to tell these things.

"So you know why we are here then," I said.

Yes.

"And you know we need your power to defeat the enemy," Ash said.