Dark Passions at Death's Door

57 - The Pantheon

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  Wrath lightning poured down from the heavens of Limina Mortis. The remaining demigods were scalded to death, screeching agony. It mattered naught to her. All that mattered was death.

  Within seconds she scoured the realm. Every last entity not with her was ash. Then her mind snapped back into action. He's not dead, he's not!

She pumped her legs as fast as she could.

Get to him! Get to him!

She fell beside him. Phenїx crushed her reaper's body up to her. Every bone of her male was snapped. His organs had gone cold. "NO! Nonono... baby?!"

Nïx started pressing over his heart, pushing, feeling with her new powers. But it was cold.

She keened out a cry. Mother, Father, God, please... help me. He's mine, he's always been mine.

Nothing. No answer. Her parents, Byron's God, no one was answering. She pushed harder on his chest, beating. She howled out a moan.

"Why the fuck aren't you answering!?"

Did they even know? Her throat tightened, her eyes scalding from the grief. Then her mind opened and followed the arrow that jutted from her male's chest. She knew. The final arrow had been poisoned with a dieumort's curse, a finishing blow.

There was no way to bring him back.

She keened and reached to pull it out.

Riora appeared in a rush. Her hands flew over her mouth and she screamed, "What in all the ungodly fucking hells?!"

She yanked the arrow out, staring at the poison. No. It was a Banemen's arrow. Not good enough.

Nїx's soul crushed inwards.

It's happened. My fate's happened. I couldn't...

Riora was kneeling beside her, talking. Nїx couldn't hear her. Her reaper had pulled off the impossible. He'd kept her alive. But not like this... not like this.

Lamia arrived, looking around frantically. She sank beside Phenїx, shaking her, "Phenїx. What..."

The goddess saw who it was Nїx was holding. She swooned. Then she crumpled next to her, holding her, "No..."

Phenїx cradled the body, her limbs trembling. Her reaper was already cold. As if her male had been dead for a week. She rubbed over his cheeks, staring hard. Willing life back into him...

Not like this... it wasn't supposed to be like this.

They had broken the fate. They'd won. Why did this happen?

Her eyes caught sight of one of his scythes. She reached for it.

That one... that will do it.

Riora grasped hold of her from behind. She flung back a hand, "Leave!"

"Don't," her friend crushed her into her arms from behind. Grappling her tightly. "Phenїx, don't."

Lamia held onto her as well. Before she could get a hold of the haft, Eros laid a heavy paw on the scythe end. The young wyrm stared hard through one eye at her.

-Do not do this, Phenïx.-

"I said leave!"

Eros' eyes narrowed and his head tilted back in anguish at the sound. Wyrms were just as susceptible to sorrow as Valkyries... she sobbed heavily.