They say because it’s not as dependent on oxygen, the last part of the brain to die is the same part that stores autobiographical memories. This is why so many people report seeing their lives “flash before their eyes” during near-death experiences.
I couldn’t believe I was about to screw this up twice.
The first time I died, I dove in front of a spray of bullets to save Nathan McNamara’s life. As I lay bleeding to death on the battlefield, all that replayed in my mind was, “I can’t believe I’m dying so this motherf***** can have sex with my wife.”
Now this?
As I fell to the pit of Hell, all that replayed in my mind was…I’ll bet Gene Simmons can lick his elbow.
Profound, I know.
Lucky for me, right before I splashed down to my eternal death, an invisible force lassoed my waist. I stopped falling with so much force that it almost snapped my back.
Suspended nearly upside down, I saw Anya with her hands outstretched on the floor below me, and when I looked up, Reuel’s hands were extended from the platform above.
Fury leaned over the abyss and grabbed the collar of my shirt, yanking me back to safety. I landed on the floor with a thud.
Laughing like a madman, I rolled onto my back and pulled Fury’s head to my chest. “Oh my god, I thought I was a goner.” I raised a hand in the air. “Thanks, guys!”
Anya leaned down over me. “Is this how this relationship is going to go? Me saving your ass all the time?”
I was still panting on the floor. “God, I hope not.”
When I sat up, Reuel and Torman were coming down the stairs. Torman was clapping. “Nicely done, everyone.”
The map on the floor underneath me began to crumble at the edges. I got up, pulling Fury with me toward the door.
“Hannah!” she said, reaching for the soul of the little girl. Hannah’s eyes had cleared, and she was more alert. Poor thing was shaking uncontrollably, and Fury pulled her between us.
I put my hand on her head. “Hello, Hannah.”
She looked up at me. My heart broke. She couldn’t have been more than four or five years old.
“We’ll take care of you, OK?”
She nodded and reached for my hand.
“We don’t have much time,” Torman said, looking over the map. “Nulterra is falling apart.”
I nodded as more of the floor crumbled into the pit. “Let’s get the hell out of here. Torman, lead the way.”
Our group raced down the fortress steps that we’d come in, but the entire city now appeared deserted. When we reached the city wall, I fashioned a mask for Anya out of one my shirts, then she closed her eyes and let Reuel lead her across the osmium bridge.
Mountains in the distance to our right were collapsing. “We have to hurry!” Torman shouted.
I carried Hannah on my back as we ran through the wastelands of Ket Nhila, and when we crested the hill near the glowing purple horizon, everyone stopped dead in their tracks.
The mirror maze.
“Oh no. We’ll never make it through that in time,” Torman said.
“You’re an Angel of Knowledge. You can’t beat a mirror maze?” Anya asked.
Torman looked out toward the crumbling landscape. “Not before the edge of this world reaches us.”
“Can you smash the way through?” Fury asked me.
“I’m sure as hell going to try.” I passed Hannah to Reuel, then ran toward the mirrors with my sword, ready to start swinging.
“Stop!” Fury shouted.
I did. When I turned to look back at her, her eyes were fixed on the ground. She started walking toward me without looking up. “My god, she’s done it.”
“Who’s done what?” I asked as Fury walked past me. Her pace quickened to a jog. “It’s Sloan’s summoning power. She’s leading us out! Follow me.”
My face erupted into a smile so huge it hurt my face. Then we all ran, following Fury as she twisted and turned through the maze.
We were all out of breath when we reached the gate back to Earth, even the ones of us who didn’t need oxygen to stay alive. In the distance, I could hear the land falling apart.
“Everyone, come here,” I said at the bottom of the stone steps.
Torman tried to run past me to the gate, but I stopped him with my sword. “No, no, no. We are all in this together until the end.”
He took a step back to the rest of the group.
“Reuel, take Hannah through first. Then Torman will follow. Fury and Anya will go through one at a time after that. Reuel and Torman, you’ll have to get the blood-stone cuffs off them as quickly as possible. Understand?”
They both nodded. Torman more reluctantly than Reuel.
“Don’t forget, that cathedral on the other side is coated in osmium. Anya, keep your eyes closed and the mask on. There should be an extra gas mask in the rucksack we left there.”
Anya held up a thumb.
“Flint will follow Fury, and I will come last. I’ll put the sword through the stone as I cross through the gate. Any questions?”
“Nope.” Torman started up the steps again, and once more, I stopped him. He huffed.
“Reuel?” I stepped to the side and put my hand on his arm as he passed. “Keep her close until she can be sent into the spirit world.”
He nodded.
“And get those cuffs off Fury.”
He nodded again.
Then he disappeared through the gate. Torman bolted through after him so fast it made me roll my eyes. “Anya?” I said.
She paused in front of me. “See you on the other side.”
When she was gone, I reached for Fury. “Give her just a minute for Reuel to get the collar off her.”
She stepped close to me and put her arms around my neck. “We did it,” she breathed into my ear.
“Yeah. We sure did.” I pulled back and cupped her face in my hands, then I pressed my lips to hers in a long, slow, deep kiss. When I broke it, I rested my forehead against hers. “I love you, Allison.”
“Don’t.” She shook her head. “Don’t turn this into a goodbye.”
I forced a smile. “I’m not. I don’t even have a word for goodbye in my language anymore.”
She kissed me once more. “I love you too, Warren,” she whispered.
The ground rattled underneath us. I took a step back. “You need to go. Flint will be right behind you.”
She wiggled her fingers in a wave. “Cak vira.”
“See you soon,” I echoed with a smile.
Then she disappeared through the archway.
With a deep breath, I conjured my killing power into the sword. I offered it to Flint. “Mind holding this while you wait for Fury to get her cuffs off?”
“Of course.” He took hold of the sword and stepped to the side as I blasted the stone above the arch with fire. It turned from purple to red.
I climbed the steps to stand directly beneath it.
For this death experience, I was determined to make my last thoughts count. Iliana’s sweet little face was the first thing I thought of. Then her dancing with her butt in the air. And her scrunching her nose against my cheek.
Then I thought of Sloan and how proud I was of her. One more time, she’d saved us all. I wished I could tell her how much I’d always love her.
I even thought of Nathan, and how—aside from the sleeping with my wife part—he was, truly, my very best friend.
And then there was Fury. Unyielding and fearless. Dedicated and strong. The only woman to every truly break me. And the only one to make me whole again.
Maybe Cassiel was right about omniscience. Had the little boy lost in Chicago ever been told how much he’d be loved someday, that he’d someday fly, and would someday save the world, it’s not that he wouldn’t have acted—he would’ve never believed it to begin with.
I wished I could tell Cassiel thank you…
The stone turned from red to orange.
“All right, Flint. Your turn. When we get on the other side, I’ll take you back to Eden.”
“Son, I worked with your father for half a century. Don’t you think I can spot a bullshitter when I see one?” Flint walked up the steps beside me.
“What?”
“You. You just lied to my daughter. Now you’re lying to me. I saw your face when you held that stone of Cassiel’s.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking—”
“She told you someone would have to stay behind, didn’t she?”
The stone turned from orange to yellow.
“Flint, you need to go. I’m not sure how much longer the gate will stay open!” Its light had begun to flicker.
“Now you listen to me. All I’ve wanted my whole life is for those girls to be happy. To have a family. And to be loved. You won’t take that away from my Allison. Do you hear me?”
“Flint, you really have to—”
“Warren!”
The ground rumbled under us again.
He aimed the flaming sword at the center of my chest. “You either go back, or I’ll kill you as punishment for breaking my daughter’s heart. What shall it be?”
“Flint, you can’t—”
The stone turned blue.
“Take care of her for me.” Then he kicked me in the center of the chest and sent me flying back through the gate.