Page 58 of Emergence

“Well, stop. You finally let me come back. You can stop missing me now.”

I felt a tear drip from my eye, and even though I knew I had to be dreaming, the tears felt real.

“For real, Lysander, I miss you for real.”

“Open your eyes,” Lysander said, and it sounded like he was really in the room. I immediately jerked my eyes open and was shocked to see him sitting on the bed in front of me.

I jumped up, then a couple of seconds later, reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into my arms.

“You’re here. You’re really here.”

“Yeah, I’ve been here for, like, months, but you’re so ridiculously stubborn you wouldn’t let me… hell, you wouldn’t let anyone in. I take it back, you aren’t the king of wallowing, you’re the king of stubborn wallowing.”

I laughed and pulled him back into my embrace before I leaned in and kissed him.

“H-how?” I asked.

Lysander put his hand against my face and used his finger to wipe a tear that slid from my eyes.

“Honey, did you ever see me die? Did you see my body?” I shook my head. “Usually, when people die, there’s something left. Even with Bisbee, there were ashes. I never died. I just stopped being in corporeal form.”

I must have still looked confused, and he smiled, probably getting an idea of how to explain. “Do you remember when you evaporated on the island, you became the elements around you?” I nodded and waited for him to continue. “That’s what happened with me. I could’ve reformed any time, but unlike you, I couldn’t until youletme.”

“I don’t understand, but damn, I don’t care. If you’re here, that’s all that matters.”

He laughed. “I’m here, but… so are your powers. We have a lot of work to do. We know what we are now, or you will soon. There’s a reason for us to be here, Kaden, and we’ve got to find out what that is.”

I wiped at another tear and smiled. “Do we have to figure it out right now?”

Lysander looked at me strangely and shook his head. “No, notrightnow. Why?”

“This is why,” I said, pulling his shirt over the top of his head and kissing his neck.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good reason,” Lysander squeaked, and I was glad to see I still had that kind of influence on him. I had no idea why or how he’d come back to me, but now that he had, I wasn’t going to waste any time worrying about destinies, fates, or shit like that.

The next day Lysander rolled over, smiling at me. “Before we get up, I wanted to tell you I think I found your name.”

“What?” I asked dumbfounded, and still disoriented that Lysander was alive and with me.

“I think I figured out your best name. Potentia.”

I cocked my eyebrow, making Lysander chuckle. “Seriously, I had a lot of time to think and explore while waiting for you to stop being stubborn. Potentia is Latin for power, but it’s also the root word for potential. Both of those describe you, Kaden. You are powerful and full of potential. So, what do you think?”

I laughed and pulled Lysander into my embrace. “I think you’re amazing, and I’m happy with whatever you want to call me as long as I have you in my arms.”

Lysander kissed me. “I… um… have a name for us too. The two of us as a couple, a pair.”

I looked at him, my heart bursting with love. “And what would that be?” I asked.

“Emergence. We are an emergence of power and love.”

I kissed him again. “Whatever you want to call us is fine with me.”

And it was, as the world finally tilted back on its axis, I realized right now, the only thing that mattered was that Lysander was back in my arms, back in my life, and I intended to take full advantage of that!