would come to us. I’d warded against gods, but he wasn’t just any god. He was part of this world, which allowed him to pass through barriers others couldn’t. I picked up my swords, helping Erie as she cornered him, intending to scissor her blades through his neck, but he vanished.
Erie turned, staring at me before she spoke low and clear. “He’s gone.”
I dropped to the floor, holding my stomach as I fought the need to howl with grief. Ciara opened the door to the nursery, exhaling her relief as she rushed inside. The nurse, who had been trying to get the children out of the room, turned, crying out in relief as I stood in the doorway bloodied, my cheek sliced open. I looked down at the floor, my pulse pounding in my ears, quieting the sound to nothing as my eyes slid over the dead bodies littering the room.
“Olivia, it’s okay,” I stated softly, hating the burning of my tears as they ran through the wound on my face. She held a sword in her hand, and Dristan lay over the top of her. She didn’t move. “Olivia, he’s gone. He can’t hurt you now.” I wiped the blood from my eyes and moved closer, pushing Dristan off of her, crying out as he fell to the floor in two pieces. “Oh, gods, no,” I sobbed violently, staring at Olivia’s sightless stare.
I stood up, backing away from them, everything inside of me screaming in denial at what my vision was telling me was true. Everyone stared at me, and I realized I was crying hysterically. Ciara held Sevrin, Lilith held Eliran, and everyone stared at Olivia’s lifeless body.
“No! No, this isn’t how it ends!” I screamed hoarsely. “I can save them. I can save them all,” I muttered, sitting down in front of Olivia, pushing power into her.
“Synthia, she’s gone,” Erie said.
“They can’t be gone. No, don’t you see,” I sobbed as tears rushed down my face. “No! No! Thanatos!” I screamed, watching as he emerged from the shadows. “You can’t take them all! I will fight you!”
“They’re not here anymore. Save the one you can,” Thanatos uttered with a look of pain in his cold blue eyes. “Save the one who has yet to breathe their first breath. It’s the only soul that remains.”
My hands glowed, ready to try again, and Erie grabbed me. I swung on her as I materialized blades, intending to fight her to save the dead.
“Don’t do this,” she warned. “It is forbidden!”
“Get out of my way,” I demanded, pulling my power to me.
“Pick a child, Synthia. Kahleena? Cade, or maybe Zander? Who will you let them take from you for trespassing against Death? Your mother gave her fucking life to bring you back! Don’t do this. You will allow Bilé to do what he came here to do! He is trying to make you trespass against the gods! Do not let him win!” Erie pleaded.
“But it’s my family!” I sobbed, holding my stomach as grief shook through me. “It’s my family, Erie. He took my family!”
“He hit your family because they are your weakness,” she whispered. “Save the life you can and let the others go in peace. They’re already gone. They are not here anymore because they didn’t want him to win. They called Thanatos. He can only be called by the wails of souls wishing to pass through him to know peace.”
“What life can I save? They’re all dead!” My gaze moved to Olivia, then lowered to her stomach. I shook my head, unable to even consider doing what they expected from me.
“You’re the Goddess of the Fae. Bring back the babe,” she whispered softly. “Only you can bless your people. Save the baby.”
I materialized a knife and stepped toward Olivia’s body. She’d want her child to live at all costs, even if that meant ruining her body after death. I dropped to my knees, shaking my head while the room held its breath. Breathing raggedly, I cut through her belly, dropping the blade when I’d gone deep