Salvation : Book 3

CHAPTER 38 : Heroes Rise

I sat cross legged under a bright blue sky, the sun warming my cheeks and my fingers trailing against the crystal blue surface of the lake. Birds sang in the distance and someone hummed softly beside me. I inhaled deeply, letting the fresh floral scented air fill my lungs.

  "I used to bring you here when you were a baby," a light soft voice spoke before a warm hand cupped my chin tilting my head so I was facing the person beside me. Her honest foggy grey eyes met my own. Her golden hair whipped in the air in wisps reflecting the sunlight making her it glow. She smiled at me and a familiar warmth filled my heart.

  "Mom?" I looked at her for a second, staring in amazement, she hadn't aged a day.

  "Honey," she rubbed her thumb against my cheeks, her hold gentle and comforting. It had me almost forgetting everything that had happened to me. The fight with Ashon and Geun, Ashon opening the door and then... He killed them. The God of of death killed them. Then he...

  "Where am I?" I looked around at the familiar lake. This was lake bounty, wasn't it? I'd been here before, with Adrian.

  "Marcus," my mother placed her hand over mine. "I'm so glad you're here," she said. "I don't know how long we have but I'm just so happy I get to see you again."

  "I'm proud of you," she said as she cupped my cheeks in her warm, soft hands. "I'm proud of the witch you've become, of the man you've become. I'm proud of all you've accomplished, how you've grown. Oh my, you've grown and I think that's so amazing. I knew you were going to be extraordinary, my little prince." She lightly pinched my cheek and my heart swelled.

   "I'm so glad I get to do this, to see you. I've missed you so much." She hugged me and tears welled up in my eyes.

   "I missed you too. I missed you so much," I told her, my voice hoarse and shaking. "How...? How are you here? Am I dead?"

   She smiled, it was warm but also sorrowful and I feared the worst but then she said,   "No honey, you're still very much alive."

    "Am I dreaming?" I asked as I tried to recall the last thing that had happened before I woke up here. The death god had been advancing towards me, I'd frozen and he'd reached for me. I feared the worst. I thought I was going to die but then... A bright light flooded the room and then everything went dark.

  "Marcus," sounded another female voice, this one coming from behind me. I rose to my feet and so did my mother before we both turned around. Her eyes were a light almost translucent periwinkle, her skin a deeply tanned and flawless caramel brown, her hair was black and it flowed down her back in thick curls. She stood in a flowing silver gown and a flower crown. She looked at me with a warm smile and instantly, somehow I knew who she was. I'd never met her before but I'd prayed to her countless times.

   "My sweet Marcus." She took several steps towards me, stopping when she was standing in front of me. She grabbed hold of my hands and held them in hers as she leaned down and kissed both my cheeks. "You've been so strong."

    She released my hands, then stroked my face with the back of her left hand. "You've suffered so much, for that, I'm sorry. I never meant for you to go through so much but I knew pain would be unavoidable," she spoke with an air of clarity and a tone of remorse. I stepped away from her, confusion reigning over my thoughts.

    "I don't understand," I told her. The assumption that I was dead returning to me.

    "Of course, this must all be quite confusing," she said turning away from me and suddenly the world around us rippled away and I found myself standing again in a green valley with a breeze blowing past me. This place still looked familiar to me but I couldn't place why.