by Bailey, G.
"You're drooling," Hali teases, and I glare at her as we walk through the glass doors that the guards shut behind us.
"Beautiful mate," Azi says, pulling me into his arms and kissing me like there isn't anyone watching.
"You don't look bad yourself," I reply as he lets me go but keeps our hands linked. Low music begins to play in the throne room, and the guards open the doors enough for Hali to walk in before the guards close them again. Azi walks me to stand in front of the doors, and I look up at him for a moment.
"Forever. We get forever now," I softly tell him, and he smiles like I said the best thing in the world.
"Forever, Vi. Now let's get the rest of the men you love officially in your life for good," he says, and I look back at the guards, nodding for them to open the door. They open the big white doors, and I get my first look at the throne room full of hundreds of people on each side of the path in the middle. The walls are filled with blue stained glass windows that stretch from the ceiling to the floor. In the glass are paintings of our past, both demon and Protector, and even some angels I can see. The floor is all glass, looking like millions of stars under our feet. The throne itself is perfect for us, everything I could have imagined and more. There are five thrones, and the middle one is white whereas the other two on either side of it are black. They are covered in runes on the back, rising high into the room.
Standing at the side of the throne is a row of keepers with Keeper Grey in the middle, but I only briefly look at him as I see my guys. They are stood proudly in front of their thrones, their eyes locked on me. I run my eyes over their suits, how perfectly handsome they look and how much I cannot wait to rip those suits off when this is all done. Azi slowly walks me down the aisle in the middle of my people; a mixture of both demons and Protectors sits in the seats to watch. I catch Keira stood near Seth and Cheri, and they all bow their heads with the rest of the crowd. I eventually see Hali, who stands to the other side of the thrones as my only family. I wish there was someone else to stand there with her, but nonetheless, I'm happy it's her. I smile at her, seeing how happy she looks as she smiles right back. Azi kisses my hand as Keeper Grey walks to us, and we stop in front of the thrones. Azi walks to his throne and stands tall.
"Welcome, Protectors and demons, to this joyous and unforgettable day. We have fought long and hard times to get to where we are today, to get to a time of peace that I hope stretches past many of our lives. Today marks the start of our future as our queen chooses her mates who will be her knights," he says, his voice echoing around the room.
"Thank you for everything," I whisper to Keeper Grey as he pulls out a dagger from his sleeve and holds his hand out. I slide my arm into his, and he very quickly cuts a tiny line across my black mark which stings.
"Choose your mates and your knights, Queen Evelina, and may the heavens bless your choices," he says, bowing his head as he hands me the dagger. I walk to Azi first as it makes sense to go in a line, and we are already mated by words. Azi holds his hand out to me, and I cut a line across his palm.
"I make you my knight," I whisper the words to him, wanting some part of this to be private. Azi places his cut hand against my black mark, and with a slam of magic, I feel our bond burst into life.
"I am yours, and you are mine," he says the ancient words. "I will protect you until I die."
"Maybe even longer than that," I whisper, making him smile before he sits down on the throne, and Keeper Grey announces him as my knight. I move to Connor next who cuts his hand, and before I can offer my arm out for him, he pulls me into a deep kiss that leaves me breathless and the crowd whispering.
"I love you, Blue," he cheekily tells me and places his hand on my arm as he holds me close. I sigh as Connor bonds with me, and I get a rush of his feelings and love. It's everything.
"I am yours, and you are mine," he whispers to me. "I will protect you until I die." Connor kisses me once more before leaving me in a bit of a daze as he sits down on his throne.
"Come here then, love," Nix calls me over as I shake my head and walk over to him. He lets me cut his hand and says the words before we even make the bond.
"I love you," I say to him as he places his hand on my arm, completing the bond. I know he loves me too, way before he can even return the words to me. Nix sits down on his throne, looking way too comfy as I move to Trex. Our relationship was chaotic at the start, and somehow perfect and everlasting now. I didn't know when I first met him that we would always be together, nor that we would be here now. I don't have the words to tell Trex, and I know he feels the same as I cut his hand, locking our eyes on each other as he covers my mark with his cut hand. A tear falls down my cheek as I feel his emotions, the pure concentrated love he has for me.
"I am yours, and you are mine," he says, his voice echoing around the throne room. "I will protect you until I die."
"And I will protect you all, too," I reply, knowing there isn't anything left to say. I can feel their love, each of my mates like a wave of love in my mind. I walk to my throne and sit down. The crowd cheers, standing up and clapping as Keeper Grey shouts into the crowd.
"May Queen Evelina Ravenwood and her knights rule long and true."
Chapter 26
"Congratulations once more, Queen Evelina," Keeper Grey says as he stands near the door, the last one to leave the party. Hali has gone to her room with Cheri who has moved into the city and is going to the new Protector and demon school with Hali. I'm glad Hali has such a good friend when she struggled all those years in human schools to even make one friend that didn't judge her.
"Thank you," I say, looking over my mates who are picking up empty cups and plates and throwing them into black bin bags. Who knew keepers and my friends could party and be as messy as they were?
"I wanted to ask a personal question," he says, looking like he really doesn’t want to ask.
"Go ahead," I say.
"Have you read the letter Erica left for you?" he asks. "I don't mean to pry, but I can't shake the look on her face as she gave me it. I wanted to make sure it was read."
"I actually forgot about it," I honestly tell him. "I will go and read it now though as I know where it is."
"Thank you. I know there is no love lost between you two, but the dead do not usually make wishes to be ignored," he says and bows his head before walking out my apartment. I shut the door, feeling my mates looking at me before I turn around.
"Erica left me a note to read, something she said couldn't be read until Cex is dead. Do you think I should read it?" I ask them.
"Yes," Azi is the first one to answer.
"It could give you the closure you need, Blue," Connor tells me. Trex and Nix nod in agreement, putting the bags down as I walk into the bedroom. I pull my wardrobe open, searching through my trousers that are hanging up until I find the one with the letter in it. I pull it out and go to the bed, sitting down as I break the seal.
"Read it out loud," Nix says, and we all look at him. "What? I'm curious what crazy pants had to say." I roll my eyes at Nix as I open the letter and start reading it out loud:
Dear Evelina,
Part of me wants to never tell anyone my darkest, deepest and most hidden secret, but if I am to tell anyone, it is family. As I write this, I hope to beat you in the test and become queen, and this letter will never be read. If you are reading this, I know the test chose you as queen and you have killed my love.
I grew up with family, and yet I missed out on my mother, and the keepers taught me how to be what I am today. I don't know if I am doing the right thing in my life, but for once, I'm going to do the most unselfish thing I can.
I had a daughter, a beautiful baby girl with white hair and blue eyes that remind me of yours. Her name is Eella Ravenwood, and she is hidden with a human foster parent at the address on the back of this letter. I named her after our mother because I hope it will make her good. She is not like me or Cex; she is pure and innocent. If you are queen, and Cex is dead, then Eella is
safe because the laws will be changed.
I do not like you, sister, but I cannot deny that Eella needs family like you. Please save her. For family.
And if Eella asks one day about me...tell her I loved her father so much that I could not see anyone else. No matter how Cex treated me, I loved him.
Erica Ravenwood, princess of the Protectors.
I drop the letter on my lap, completely speechless and shocked down to my very core. I have a niece out there, a little girl who has my mum’s name and my family blood.
"Go and get her. You know you want to," Nix says, sitting next to me on the bed and taking my hand.
"Bring Eella back to her family," Trex says.
"You grew up alone, never knowing who you were, and we both know you won't let Eella have the same fate," Connor replies.
"She is my niece, too, and belongs with us. We aren't like her parents, and we can show Eella how to be good," Azi explains his feelings to me.
"Are you all sure? It will change everything if we go and get her," I reply to them all. “I know I won’t have a princess brought up by just anyone. She would live with us.”
"What do you want?" Trex softly asks.
"To get my niece and bring her up," I say after a little pause. I thought all my biological relatives were dead, and I want to go and get her more than anything. I know what it is like to live alone out there.
"And we want the same as you. We love you, and it is the right thing to do," Connor says. I lift the letter and turn it over, seeing the address on the back. Some place in London that I don't know.
"I want to come with you, just in case there is trouble," Azi says as I stand up.
"Good idea," Nix replies. "We will get this place cleaned up and ready for a kid to come back to. Maybe we can call some of the drunk keepers to get some kids’ stuff."
"That will be funny," Connor replies with a grin, leaving the room with the others. I call a portal to the address, leaving the letter on the bed and taking Azi's hand as we walk through the portal to the other side. We come out onto the busy street, where there is rubbish littering the pavements, and the houses look like they are close to falling apart. There is a group of human teenagers at the end of the block of houses, on bikes and smoking as they laugh. One of them is blasting loud music from a speaker he is holding. Shit music at that.
"Erica is such a bitch to leave Eella, a goddamn royal princess, in a dump like this," I angrily mutter, knowing this is no place for any child.
"Agreed," Azi growls. I glance at the houses, seeing the one with a number four hanging off the door. We walk up the steps, and I lift my hand, knocking the door a few times. I knock again when no one answers right away, and finally the door opens, and an older teenage boy with scruffy hair answers.
"Is Eella here?" I ask, and the kid doesn’t even look at us really as he types on his phone.
"The foster kid? Yeah. I will get my mum," he says and leaves the door open. "Come in."
The boy runs off up the stairs of the messy house with its wallpaper falling off and no carpet on the wooden planks of the floor. Beer bottles are all over the sofa, and this place looks like shit.
Suddenly, a little three-, maybe four-year-old girl runs down the stairs. Her white hair is long, covering her body nearly as she is skinny and wearing old, ripped clothes. Her shoes look too big for her, causing her to nearly trip when she moves. When she stops at the bottom of the stairs, she lifts her face to look at me, her eyes are the very image of mine. Of my mum’s. Goddamn, she is beautiful and doesn’t look one thing like her parents but is the very image of my mum.
"Eella, right?" I ask, and she nervously looks away from me as a woman storms down the stairs. She roughly grabs Eella's arm, cutting her with her nails as she lifts her up like a doll.
"Did you set fire to your bed again, you little shit?" she demands an answer. Before I can even say a word, Azi is stepping forward.
"I suggest you let Eella go before I burn your arm off and feed you it, human," Azi threatens, and the woman jumps back, dropping a crying Eella on the floor. I run and pick her up into my arms, stepping back as the woman runs up the stairs screaming demon.
"I'm going to make a payment to shut her up," Azi says. I nod in agreement as I look at Eella in my arms. She is so light for her age.
"Can I see?" I ask her, nodding at her arm. She sobs as she shows me the cuts, and I rest my hand over her arm, calling my healing rune. Her sobs disappear as I heal her, and she looks up at me in shock.
"Who are you?" she quietly asks, not pronouncing all the words right, but I understand her.
"My name is Evie, and I'm your auntie. You are a Protector like me, Eella Ravenwood. Also, don't worry, I used to accidentally set fire to things at your age, too. It's nothing to be worried about," I kindly tell her. I instantly know I would do anything to protect her, like she is my own. She feels like my own as I hold her, staring into her small face.
"Didn’t mean to," she says and reaches out to touch my blue hair. "Blue."
"Don't worry about it, and you like my hair, huh?" I ask, and she shyly nods. "Do you want to come home with me? It's much better than here, and you will be with family."
"Ok," she says, still looking worried, but I don't expect much more yet. I kiss her forehead as I hold my other hand out and call a portal. It's time to take her home.
Epilogue
Several Years Later…
"Agreed and allowed," I reply to Keeper Grey, and he nods once, going to help the demon that came to us for help. I rest back in my throne, wishing it was a little more comfy with my bad back these days.
"You should be resting, Blue," Connor softly suggests, and I just shake my head at him. Azi, Trex and Nix are teaching at the demon and Protector school, as they do twice a week. Connor has taken his studies with the keepers again, and I know he loves learning. I've taken up bacon cooking in my spare time; it's the perfect hobby. Hali is off with her boyfriend, who I’ve not decided if I like or not yet.
"I'm eight months pregnant, and I can sit in a big chair," I reply, "though I'm pretty hungry," I add in. Connor chuckles and stands up, stretching from the two hours we have been stuck in this meeting we have once a month. It’s the only time the throne room is open to all, and anyone can come ask for help or for changes that need to be made. It has helped to keep peace these last five years.
The throne room opens again, and this time, Eella runs in, laughing as my son chases her. Eella’s long white hair is up in a ponytail, and she looks so happy as she looks after her brother. I don't remember what day it was that Eella sat down with us all and told us she wanted to call us mum and dad. I know it made me cry, and since that day, she is my daughter.
"No fireballs in the throne room!" Connor shouts, and Eella stops, pouting as she catches the fireball Danike just threw at her and makes it disappear.
"But, dad, we were having fun," Danike whines, crossing his tiny arms against his chest. Danike has black hair, dark blue eyes and a cheeky smile that's been there since he was born.
"Outside with the fireballs though. I know you think it's cool now you have your powers, but fire tends to burn people," I interject, and he purses his lips.
"Told you so," Eella adds in and smiles at me. "Sorry, dad. Sorry, mum," Eella and Danike say together, and I chuckle as Eella makes a small portal to what looks like the royal gardens before they both run through it.
"You might want to follow them. We don't need the royal gardens burning down. Again," I say, remembering how mad the keepers were the last time it happened.
"Shit," Connor mutters, calling a portal. "I got it." I laugh as he jumps through the portal, and the throne room is silent once again. I rest my hands on my bump, feeling my daughter moving around and kicking me. I can't wait to meet her, and my family will be complete in ways I never expected to have. I'm the assassin turned queen, who now has everything she has ever wanted.
Author Note
Hi! Thank you so much for reading A
Demon’s Fall Series! I will really miss Evie and her men, but Hali will be getting her own book soon. There will also be a series based on the Reapers in this world coming out soon.
Thank you for your continued support and if you have a little time to leave a review, it would be amazing.
A special thank you to my beautiful family, Helayna, Mads, Cora and everyone that has helped along the way!
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About the Author
G. Bailey is a USA Today bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures. Oh, and some swoon-worthy men that no girl could forget. G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children and three cheeky dogs. And, of course, the characters in her head that never really leave her, even as she writes them down for the world to read!
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