Finally, the gem was out. The Gardener dropped it on the Cave floor, letting it roll however it would like.
He held Gaya in his arms while she drew her last breath. As she moved closer to death, his chains glowed green and began to fade away.
“Oh my love, if only you had stayed in love with only me, it wouldn't have been this way.”
She smiled up at him, fighting to speak. “Many I may love, but you will always be my Moon.”
Fools.
Alaris thought at their display of stupid affection for each other. How could they be Iobe after everything they had done to each other?
The venom from the snake bite had only paralyzed him for that moment and done nothing more. He had recovered from the bite even before he had been tossed into the lake of lava and had hung on to the snake on his way down.
He had heard every single detail of their love story, and he didn't think any of that was worth dying for or grieving the death of another about.
