“We can do that?” Luke asks.
“We can try.”
The four of them look at one another and a flicker of agreement passes through them. Luke nods.
I exhale. “We have a truce then, for now, because I’m pretty sure as long as the key exists, and that temple is down there, someone is going to come try to open it. At least this way we don’t have to fight one another.”
We look at one another uneasily. The guys still don’t like Luke and I sure as hell don’t trust Marielle. The twins are crazy and only the gods know who else in this building has ideas about the Crusade.
What’s on the other side of that door is a ticking time bomb, one that is waiting to go off. Christensen is right, the gods aren’t done with this and they aren’t done with us. There are always consequences, we’ll just have to wait and see what they are.
The four of them walk off, a bit dazed and overwhelmed, and I sag against the wall. Miya is quick to hold me up. “You need the infirmary.”
“I think I do. And someone needs to check on Armin and Rupert.”
“We’ll do it,” Agis says. He and Marshal head up the stairs, and the professor follows.
Miya wraps his arm around my waist and slowly we climb the stairs. “You were very brave in there.”
“The sword and Morgan’s magic helped. I wasn’t alone.” We take a few more steps. My arm is killing me. Those claws are sharp. I look up at Miya’s handsome, stoic face. “Is it crazy to think we can stop this?”
“Probably.” He brushes my hair out of my eyes. “But I’ve seen a lot of things lately that make me think the impossible can happen.”
His eyes meet mine as he says it and a feeling of warmth runs through my body. He gives me a tight smile and holds onto me again, helping me up the stairs.
There are a few things I know for sure about the Immortals.
They’re strong.
They’re brave.
They’re loyal.
But they don’t have hope. That’s been lost for many years, but what Miya just said? It implies there’s a small piece of hope burning inside of him and he may be right.
Even trapped in a building full of children with the gates of the apocalypse below, the impossible may happen.
Epilogue
Hildi
The following week is a testimony of who we are as a group.
We came into the Academy expecting an epic, world-ending battle. Instead we found ourselves in a world of academia, surrounded by children tossed into a war by their greedy parents. We were not a unit—not officially. The Legion had one another. I had myself. In the end we came together, bonded, in surprising ways.
I walk into Rupert’s room a few days later. He’s sitting at the desk, books piled high. He and Christensen have a new task, figuring out if we can stop this thing entirely. Can we force the gods to stop toying with our lives?
“Feeling better?” I press the back of my fingers against his forehead. He’d been feverish since the night of his big vision.
“Yes,” he says, closing his eyes briefly. “I think the rest did me good. It’s possible I’d burned myself out a little bit, and my body couldn’t take the stress.”
“Taking care of yourself is important. We all have to keep up our training to stay on top of this,” I hold his eye, “mind, body, and spirit.”
I have no doubt what some of Rupert’s problem is. He needs to relax. He needs to let go. He needs to release some of that stress and shame he’s been carrying for so long. I’m hoping, eventually, he may let me help.
“Did you get a letter about meeting in the headmaster’s office this afternoon?”
He rummages around the pile of papers on his desk and pulls out the letter. “Yep. Any idea what it’s about?”