Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)
Neither of us woke up the next day until around noon. Whitney wasn't in her crib, so I guessed that she had probably been crying and someone had come in to take care of her.
I moved to untangle myself from Kiernan, but it took about all of my strength just to do so and prop myself up against the back of the couch. There was no way I was going to be getting up and doing anything else today.
Kiernan woke up shortly after me, and pulled himself up to sit beside me. He had a little more strength than I did, but I could tell it was taking a lot out of him to move.
"I guess today is it." I whispered.
"I guess it is." Kiernan responded. "But we knew this was going to happen." He coughed, and there was black blood on the back of his hand. He wiped it off on his dark sweatpants.
"Are you in pain?" I asked quickly. "I think ambrosia would at least take away the pain, even if it can't help the poison."
"I'm fine, Lyric, really. I don't really feel it." He told me, grabbing my fidgeting hands. I don't think he wasn't lying.
Lydia came into the room a few minutes later, carrying Whitney. Seeing us awake, she brought her over and gave her to me to hold, rather than put her in the crib like she was likely going to do.
"You guys are finally awake." Lydia said lightheartedly.
"Yeah. But I don't know that I'll be able to do much more than be awake." I said quietly.
"I'll get everyone else." Lydia responded, tone gone quiet and sad.
Soon, everyone was in that little room with us, even Ben, though he tried to sulk and hide in the corner. Mom sat down beside me, Jay beside her as they faced me. Lydia was beside Kiernan, and everyone else was standing around the room. Except Orianne and Mason, who were sitting at the edge, not really understanding what was going on.
The silence was a bit unbearable, so I was about to say something, but there was a bright flash of light and Physis was standing beside the couch. "Mom." I said. I hadn't expected to see her. The demigods, except me and Kiernan, who were unable to, all bowed to her.
"Hello, Lyric." She said. Everyone else except for the demigods, Kiernan's father, and my mother were gaping at her. They might have believed about the Greek world, but they very likely hadn't expected to meet a Greek god. Well, she was a Primordial, but that was a technicality.
"You're a Greek goddess." Lydia said.
"Primordial, but what's in a title?" Mom answered.
"Wow." Maddie said.
My mother turned back to me. "After this, you'll both go to Elysium. Hades agrees that it is where you belong." She told me.
"Did he actually agree, or was he just too intimidated by you to say anything else? Because they were visibly afraid of you when we were up there, and Dionysus said that you can be quite intimidating." I asked. She laughed.
"I did not try to intimidate him. No, he truly believes it is where you should go. He believes you both deserve it, after everything you have done. You are both heroes." She said. I smiled.
I suddenly felt very weak, and I had to place Whitney down on my lap before I dropped her. She started wailing, somehow knowing what was happening. I smiled sadly down at her.
Then I looked up at Jay. "Make sure she gets the jewelry from my bag." I told him. He nodded. I had taken off the jewelry my mother had given me knowing I'd not need it anymore.
"I love you Mom. And you too, Jay, and all of my family." I said slowly. "And I love all of my friends. I hope you guys do great things."
I looked to Kiernan. "I love you." I told him. He slipped an arm around me as I looked down at my baby. "And I love you, too, Whit."
With that, I closed my eyes for the final time in my mortal life.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the underworld. I was standing on a beach in front of the River Styx. I looked around, completely unsure of what to do. I didn't see anyone or anything else, so I just sat down. I don't know how long I sat there, lost in thought.
I was eventually pulled out of my thoughts when a hand touched my shoulder. Well, a spirit's hand touched my spirit shoulder. I looked up to see Kiernan smiling at me. He held out a hand and I took it, pulling myself up into a standing position.
A small boat drifted down the river to rest in front of us, and the man at the front gestured for us to get on. We did so, and he took us downriver, finally stopping at the docks of a beautiful city. We got off and he pushed off without a word.
"So what do we do now?" I asked Kiernan, finally finding my voice. I realized we were still holding hands.
"We spend the rest of eternity together?" Kiernan suggested.
"You don't want to go for rebirth?" I asked him. I thought it was something he might want to do.
"Not unless you do." He told me.
"That's good, because I don't plan to for a very, very long time. I'd rather spend many lifetimes with you first." I told him, leaning forward and kissing him. He smiled against my lips, and I knew everything was going to be okay from here.
The End.
Epilogue next.
(The book I have now mentioned twice is The False Princess by Eilis O'Neil. It is a single novel, so don't worry, you only have to go through the emotional investment of a single book, and not a series. Now, if you want to go through the emotional investment of an entire series, read The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson. It's the first book of the Ascendance Trilogy. {Speaking of the Ascendance Trilogy, I got the idea for the boy name, Sage, from this series.})
Another book suggestion, because why not, I really like this one, too: A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. Look it up, it's great! (My school's library had a couple carts of books they were giving away, and I got this one. It's amazing.)
Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!