In All of Infinity (22 page)

“She’s—” he started.

“No. The Ancient Ones…
they said there was something more powerful that can save her…”
Isaac said as tears consumed him. He tried to think, but his mind
was clouded. He touched her face, wanted warmth to return to her
beautiful cheeks, but it wouldn’t.
Why?
Why?!

“There is something more powerful,” Emmanuel
said as he knelt, resting his hand on Isaac’s shoulder. The younger
man looked at him, realized he was back after death had come for
him. “In all of infinity, there is something far more powerful than
death. That… is love.”

“I love her. I do. I do love her!” he
exclaimed, aggravated while Emmanuel remained calm. “Doesn’t she
know that? I’ve come so far for her…” He stopped talking and looked
at her face, remembering all the time they’d spent together. Even
though he tried to convince himself, and her, that they had changed
too much to ever go back, he didn’t believe it. Not really. Love
didn’t know the meaning of time. “I thought she knew that I loved
her…”

Isaac remembered what
she’d told him once years ago, when she said they were too young to
know of love. Had he believed her even for a second? Did he truly
want to be “just friends” when he knew there was so much more to
his heartbeat? He wanted to devote himself to her completely, kiss
her until she no longer had doubts.
Everything passes in time. Everything. Everything.
Reverie’s words echoed in his mind, which tore
into his very core.

“Not everything,” he said.

With tears still streaming down his face, he
lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Isaac trembled when
he realized how cold her lips were, but continued kissing her. He
pulled away sadder than before, pressing his forehead to hers as he
ran his hands through her hair.

“Please… please… wake up… I love you,” he
pressed his lips to hers again. He realized his kiss was futile and
pulled away, sitting like a stone as he held her hand, tears
streaming down his face. He would hold it forever if he had to.

“Say that again… that you love me,” Reverie
said and opened her eyes. She looked into his soft brown eyes,
smiling, and began wiping away his tears.

Isaac felt his heartbeat escalating and
pulled her into his arms. “I’ll say it a million times if it keeps
you from ever leaving me,” he declared. He held her close while the
celebration of her life filled their ears. As her heart beat wildly
in her ears, he whispered, “I love you, Reverie. I always
have.”

She managed a feeble, “Me too,” and
succumbed to tears of happiness.

Reverie’s breath on his skin filled him with
desire. He pulled her away slightly, enough to see her eyes, to
kiss them. With her in his arms at last, he knew he no longer had
to search for an answer. He had the answer he was searching for.
With a smile, he pressed his lips to hers and she returned his
passion.

♥
Epilogue ♥

Throughout the kingdom, as balance became
restored, so did families that had been torn by darkness’s chaos.
During the end of the battle, before Windrew could deliver a fatal
stroke to his half brother, Thomas declared Kevnar was alive and
safe. Anekaya used her powers on Thomas and found that such was
true, tears streaming down her face. Their youngest was alive and
well, which meant more than any victory to her.

When Reverie left the temple and ascended
the steps, Isaac’s arm wrapped around her waist, she jumped
slightly as cheers surrounded her. Isaac kissed the top of her head
and looked at the strangers all around them. A short time ago, they
had been ready to kill each other, but now were joined in
celebrating the renewal of the continent.

Reverie looked over her shoulder at her
parents and her heart skipped a beat. She had rarely seen her
father so happy. As Esme stared at her daughter, they smiled
brightly at each other. After eighteen years, the Reagan family had
been reunited. Looking up at her sweet Manny, Esme knew that all
was right in the continent, even though she wished she hadn’t
missed out on so much time.

When they reached level ground, Kevnar
walked through the crowd towards them, soldiers twice his size
stepping out of his way. He was dressed in a white cloak that was
too large for him and his hair was slicked back. In his hands,
almost edible in appearance, was a small replica of the old
Victorian house. He approached Emmanuel and held it up to him. With
a gasp, Esme looked from it to her husband. The others of their
close circle didn’t understand, and their expressions revealed as
much.

“Emmanuel, when you, essentially, passed on,
your house became a portal for evil to use at their leisure. Since
you removed the protection years ago, placed there by both
Summoners, there was nothing keeping them from going in.”

Reverie looked at Kevnar with a raised brow,
but Isaac was the one to speak. “What are you saying? That Earth
is…”

“Draven Ovile has passed through with his
soldiers by using the blessing of the priests of Idenia. He did so
without the permission of Luella, which could only mean his powers
are greater than hers. Since the Ancient Ones have no control over
the balance of other planets, other galaxies, they are now the
strongest force on your planet.”

“We must go…” Emmanuel started.

Kevnar raised a hand, which made the older
man stop. “The priests are dead, and they are the only ones who can
allow you safe passage, since you are a Summoner. The same goes for
you, Esme. The only ones who can do anything to liberate your world
from chaos are those who have been there once before.”

Reverie and Isaac realized all eyes were on
them, and knew that they were the only ones who could save the
planet they once called home. They looked at each other, then
towards Kevnar. Even though he was the youngest one among them, his
eyes were filled with wisdom and they trusted him as well as each
other. They nodded.

Kevnar took the house from Emmanuel, and
released it so that it was floating in front of him. Reverie held
Isaac’s hand tight and they looked at each other briefly, ready for
the worst as long as they were together. Looking over her shoulder,
she smiled at her father, trying to release some of the anxiety he
was feeling. He smiled in return, even though she could still sense
his worry.

Kevnar took their free hands in his and
smiled at them, almost looking like an innocent child. As Anekaya
and Windrew looked on lovingly, holding each other close, the roof
of the model house turned into a typhoon and began pulling Reverie
and Isaac in.

“Here we go!” And, like Alice falling into
the rabbit hole, in they went…