A World Away

60. A game of choice (part 2)

Decision making. Eve had always prided hers, even if they hadn't led to the best outcomes. But this? This was ridiculous. Preposterous. The Cauldron had gone mad, and the Mother was an insane lady bent on making her life miserable, Eve decided- not that it helped her situation one bit.

One minute. The voice haunted her. A soft touch on her base of spine- but it did not help her, just urged her to make a choice and quickly.

Still sitting down, broken, she looked back to the scene she could see from the portal to Earth.

She stared and stared at the red flashes as the buses came and went by. The shoppers swung their bags, laughing as they walked down the street, their eyes darting to the 'sale' sign put up in bold letters in a vintage shop. A couple walked with their hands clasped in one another, blushing. The sounds of the honking, the crowd talking all at once, some song playing in the background, a passer by shouting at a car that had nearly taken them down....

Eve allowed herself to let a tear fall down her cheek as she said her goodbye. Her final goodbye to what once used to be her home.

Her career.

Her family.

Her human, mortal life.

Goodbye. Such a short word for something that carried such heavy weight of emotions. Yet, here she was, forced to do so under three minutes. How was she supposed to move on from this? Move on as her last hope came so near her grasp but went away just because she chose to choose another path.... If Mike had been here, then maybe she would have chosen differently, but, he wasn't here.

He was dead. Protecting people from this world. How could she possibly move on from that? She couldn't leave him behind.

So much had happened in the past few months, changing and moulding her into this.... This creature she had now become. She doubted she could survive if she went back now, Eve realized slowly as she watched how normal the people who walked on Earth looked compared to her.

30 seconds.

Eve wanted to cry out and tear this world apart herself.

She turned towards where Rhys was still sprawled with the High Lords now giving him a tiny minuscule of their power... but it would not be enough. It was on Eve to help in the end. And so, while still looking at her world, her past home which she would always love- she flung her energy towards Rhys.

10 seconds.

There will be no going back, a voice whispered into her ear.

"There was no going back the moment I stepped foot into this damned world," she replied bitterly, not faltering in her decision. She had made her choice and she hardened her heart.

Eve watched in slow motion as her power- her energy really, went and encircled the High Lord of the Night. He was on the brink of death- she could see as his soul started moving away from his body. With a deep breath, she flung more of her already depleted energy at him. She didn't know how she was able to do so, giving how exhausted she had been just minutes ago but, the hand on her back gave her energy to continue. And so, she did.

**********

Rhysand was almost dead. Near the brink. He could hear his mate calling out to him, crying for him and it broke his heart. He wished he could go back and soothe her, join her and live out a long life with his mate. His love. His High Lady. But, he did not regret his choice. He would have sacrificed himself again and again if it meant Feyre and his family were safe. He had no regrets except not being able to spend more time with his mate.

He was almost gone- a whisper in the wind when a force hit him with brutal energy. Instead of destroying him, it circled around him in hues of red and blue. Was this death? But, he felt alive. And then, amongst his confusion, the storm of energy broke apart just a bit to see Eve.

"Hold on," she told him, her voice strained as her power flowed around him. He looked at her wide-eyed but held on nevertheless. "Amren," she hissed. Rhys looked around in confusion before he saw the silver-eyed demon except.... She looked like a High Fae now. She looked around but stopped short when she saw him. Rhys extended his hand to her and after a second or two of contemplating the offer, she took it.

The Tempest parted once again, making Eve come into their line of vision. "Hold onto each other," she shouted as the energy around them got more hyper and started buzzing at an even higher rate. Rhys looked at Amren who nodded- no matter how this turn of events had come to pass, they trusted Eve and thus, did as she said. They held on.

Eve was now controlling the storm around them with both her hands. Now, the Mother commanded to her.

With tears rolling down her eyes, she did as instructed by the Mother. She acknowledged her bond with Rhys- her carranam now.

Rhys eyes widened into saucers as his right hand tingled and new swirls got added to it. Before he could say anything or inspect them, he stumbled as energy that wasn't his engulfed him- no, he took over it.

"GO BACK," Eve shouted at them, a similar tattoo appearing on her hand. Rhys stepped forward to question her but Amren stopped him. "Now, Rhys, do as she said," she told him quietly. He gulped and looked at her again.

"What about you?" he shouted at her, worry and dread filling him.

"Right behind you," she said back. And so, with one last look, he thrusted himself and Amren with all his power- and Eve's somehow- to come back to the world of the living. 

He came back to his mate and his family.

*******

Eve was so, so tired. She just wanted to sleep really. So much bloodshed, so much heartbreak, loneliness and homesickness.

She was so, so tired.

Almost there, just one last push for yourself. Do it for yourself. The soothing voice whispered to her. She tried- she really did. She tried standing onto her feet but she was too damn exhausted. 

Ahahahahaha Happy reading :)

XOXO,

the amazing author