Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 88 – Come Back To Me

“There is an ocean of silence between us… and I am drowning in it.“–Ranata Suzuki

Kiya

I was free.

My gilded cage had rusted, and the chains of darkness crumbled to dust.

Osiris was gone.

I should be celebrating. I should be running into the arms of my parents, sobbing tears of joy, relishing in my newfound freedom.

Instead, screams of absolute sorrow tore through my throat and shattered the sunlit atmosphere. My world had darkened. Artemis‘ broken howls touched the stratosphere to where I was certain the angels of heaven could hear her.

My legs moved on their own accord, splitting earth with each stomp toward the body that should thrive with life. The body that should rejoice in my liberation with incandescent sapphires and ivory smiles. The body I cradled in my trembling arms once my naked knees dropped to the dirtied earth.

“N–Neron?” My voice came out as a pitiful whimper. Footsteps echoed around me, but I didn’t bother to look up. I glued my eyes to the Alpha’s lifeless face, drenched in sweat. The wound on his neck exposed flesh and muscle, nausea resting like a stone in my stomach. “Neron… wake up, please…”

I didn’t want this to happen.

I shook him lightly, hoping to get some inkling of life, but got nothing. His body weighed heavily with death, void of the weightless life that kept his soul afloat. I kept calling out his name, hoping that this was just the devil’s trick on my mind….

But he wouldn’t answer me.

“Mija…” Mom placed her loving hand on my shoulder. “Neron is…”

“Don’t say it.” I sniffled, tears threatening to spill over my eyes. “Please, don’t say it…”

“But Kiya… it’s true.” Abigail added, trying to soothe the wound in my chest with her gentle voice. “He’s gone.”

“No! He wasn’t supposed to do this! He wasn’t…” The blood on his arms swirled like galaxies around the droplets of my falling tears. On my skin, they burned like acid, searing through my flesh and bone. Neron kept his promise; he didn’t allow Osiris to hurt me anymore.

But at the cost of his life?

He should’ve… he could’ve…

The realization hit me like two freight trains colliding, especially when Diana fluttered on Neron’s chest, releasing a broken hoot with her golds reflecting deep sadness.

Chapter 88–Come Back To Me

I… I killed him.

A strong tremor split my body in two. Pain bubbled in my chest and gushed out of my mouth like a hot geyser as sobbing and screaming. My throat tightened like a leash, but it did nothing to stop my painful screams as I clutched Neron’s body closer to mine and buried my face in his chest, hiding my tears from the world. Apology after apology tumbled out of my mouth with reckless abandon, muffled through his cooling flesh.

I’m sorry for hurting you!

I’m sorry for giving you scars!

I’m sorry that you, time and time again, throw yourself in danger for me.

I’m sorry that I couldn’t give the way you do.

I’m sorry for taking and taking like a selfish woman..

I’m sorry, Neron! I’m sorry, Onyx! I’m so… so fucking sorry…

in the end, it was I who ended

Neron’s life. His death was avoidable! But every scenario ended with him jumping onto the path of danger to protect

To save me.

Neron was the shield. Osiris‘ fangs were meant to be in my throat; but Neron took the blow. And like a shield that’s been through hell and back, they fall

of rejoicing when we need to

occasional hiccup. Artemis‘ sorrow hurt the deepest. Because I knew

lap, cocooned in my arms. I couldn’t put him on the ground–that was where he took hist final breath. Every wall I put

folded on his knees. My eyes, red and blotchy, met my brother’s hazels, contemplative and worried. He expelled a massive sigh and tried to reach out. But some beastly instinct took over me and I gripped at Neron possessively, holding his head and body to my chest like he was a newborn baby, baring my teeth in

beastly side and my arms slowly relaxed, loosening my grip on the corpse. “Neron didn’t die in vain. He protected you until his

do that.” My hoarse whisper carried the pain my heart

Come Back

but he made his choice. He jumped in front of Osiris willingly,

to hurt himself…I hurt him

“You aren’t responsible for his death; don’t carry responsibilities that

my sobs starting up again. “I’m not worthy of his sacrifice, Tony! He had

my face in Neron’s hollow chest again, the heat of pure shame burning through me. “He wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t love you. I’ve watched this man consistently put you above himself through the amount of shit

much death…” I choked, constantly sniffling to hold

mourn the loss of Neron. It only made my chest heave harder and strengthen my sobs. How was any of this far? What about the people who cared about and loved Neron? Adonis

I lost… I lost…

chest, I watched my friends and family fade behind a wall of growing white. Fear died as quickly as it rose,

echoed, growing in volume the closer they

light in front of me haloed around the goddess I know and love as she took her place in front of me, on her knees. I relinquished my hold just a tad so that Neron could rest on her knees as well. His body grew colder, and I

“S–Selene…”

the slits of blood that stained her pallid palm.

widened as a hiccup jerked my

mean?”

She snapped her fingers and a faint red cord connecting my heart to Neron’s materialized between us. Selene cradled a loop in her palms. The red was flickering and fading to pale pink, becoming translucent to where I could see the ridges of the goddess‘ palms. “You always

confidence that exposed themselves under the blanket of sorrow.

the Moon Goddess. In minutes, both Neron and Onyx will arrive, leaving this vessel behind to return

“Me?”

you want Neron to return to the mortal realm, or proceed into the heavens to be with

sister?”

Neron and contemplated on all my choices. If I choose the latter, he’ll get to see his family again. Nuria and Lun–Auntie Essie would get to see him again. Neron will get his family

wake up surrounded by his friends and brother–in–arms, but he’ll be alone, walking the earth without a familial connection. My mind thought back to our date at the

to go to school. To travel the world. To make his mark on the planet that didn’t involve him

wanted to experience everything

received from my family. While I lived it up in Garnet Moon, he had to bend over backwards to make his father happy;

deserved to experience the joys of freedom without the

him to be

found Selene’s silver diamonds, and I nodded. “I want him back. I don’t want him

didn’t want to live in a

back on her heels. “You

sure you want to entrust me with this?” I asked my

mine is yours.” She shined a glittering ivory smile and rested her

this, I might

The red of the bond is now translucent, pallid pink.

hand and brushing away the stray strands that clung to his temple from sweat.

fingers through his

I’m bringing

flesh, mapping out every muscle fiber, artery, and vein within him. Rivers of white shimmered and mixed into a mosaic of healing magic. White strands of flesh and muscle began repairing, connecting like

my vision, but I ignored it and kept going. I kept pouring my energy into Neron, refusing to stop until I hear a groan or felt the jerk of a limb. My muscle strength

heart to

returning, but not fast enough for my liking. Patience has never been my strong suit. I