Almost.
“Let me,” Valance had said.
“No, me,” Azren had insisted.
They wanted to take the burden, just like Liana had done in the end. Her redemption had been short and painful. In the end, she’d acted like a mother.
Far below us, our armies were still at war, unaware that their queen was dead. We’d stopped the amplification of the spell, but the only way to end the war was to end the source of the lies. The only way to prompt Elora’s Draconi and Shedim to lay down their weapons was to strip away the original enchantment and force them to see the truth.
The silver-haired child lay on the ground before me like a sacrifice. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, brushing it off her forehead and drying it almost immediately.
She opened her violet eyes and stared into my soul. “Can it be over now?” she asked. Her sweet, innocent voice tore at my heart just as my dagger would tear at hers.
I gripped the blade in my hand, tears dripping down my face over the monstrous thing that I was about to do. An act that would taint me forever. She gazed at the blade, her smile beatific, almost welcoming.
“Don’t cry,” she said. “Give me the blade. It is time for me to go home.”
She gently pried my fingers from the hilt and gripped the weapon, pressing the point to her heart.
“I’m sorry.” My voice was a choked whisper.
“Don’t be sorry, Wila. I will tell tales of your bravery, and one day we will meet again.” Her mouth parted on the final word, eyes glazing over then dimming.
She’d done what I’d feared to do. She’d taken the burden, and below us the fires began to go out.
***
Noir, Sebastian, and I materialized in the kitchen, charred and bedraggled but alive. Noir pressed his lips to the top of my head and then released me. Sebastian stumbled against the table, grabbing a chair to stabilize himself. I broke away from Noir and grabbed my ether-kindred, wrapping my arms around his chest and inhaling his charred aroma. My eyes burned and pricked. I’d almost lost him. Oh, God. It had been so close and there was still so much to do. This was merely a pit stop to pick up the others and get back to Draconi territory. Valance, Azren, Tay, and Gilbert were keeping the peace, gathering the Draconi and Shedim, calming the masses the best they could now that the truth was out, but I needed to be there too. We needed to establish a new status quo and quick.
“I need to call this in,” Noir said.
Yes. The Institute needed to know we’d succeeded. They needed to call off the bomb.
Sebastian’s body trembled against mine. “Wila … I thought …”
“I know. So did I, but it’s fine. You’re fine.”
He buried his nose in my hair. “I thought I had enough strength in me to help you with the fallout, but … I need to drift, but I’ll be back.”
I lifted my face to his and smiled, my vision blurring. “I know you will.”
His lips brushed mine, and then he was gone.
Noir strode back into the room. “It’s done. They’re standing down, but they want a meeting.”
“Yeah, well, I want a fucking cheeseburger, but there isn’t time. They can fucking wait. We have enough on our plate right now.”
“Yes. I told them that.”
I headed for the basement door. “Let’s get the others and get back.”
The basement was silent—too silent—and a prickle of unease skittered up my spine as we descended the stairs. Daria came into view first, propped up against the wall. She glanced up and saw me. Her jaw tightened, and I noted the tear tracks on her face. A hollow pit opened inside my stomach.
I clambered down the rest of the steps and froze. Amber sat in the middle of the floor, and cradled in her arms was a silent, unmoving Trevor. His eyes were closed, his tiny face peaceful.
Amber slowly raised her head, her eyes red and puffy. Her bottom lip trembled. “He wanted to stay. He wanted to say goodbye.”
Gone … he was gone. I took a step into the room, then another, and then my legs gave way and my knees hit the dirt. Amber shifted, sliding Trevor into my lap. His body was still warm. Not long … He hadn’t been gone long, but I’d been late. Too late. I gathered him to my chest and pressed my face to his soft fur. The dam inside me broke, and the hot tears I’d been holding at bay flooded my heart.
“Thank you, Trevor. Thank you for being my friend. I love you. I’ll never forget you.”
Amber wrapped her arms around me, and then Noir’s cologne enveloped us. We remained locked like that for long minutes, saying goodbye to the warrior we’d lost. He might be gone, but he’d always be with me. A voice in my head chiding me when I went off the rails or doubted myself. And right now, he’d be telling me to get off my arse and get to work. Get your arse back to the Draconi territory and fix the mess that the bitch Elora made, he’d say, and he’d be right, as usual.
I raised my head and looked at Noir. “Take us back, babe. We’ve got a shitload of work to do.”
Chapter 29
EPILOGUE
4 years later
Seb slipped out of our bed with the first flush of dawn and padded naked into my ensuite bathroom. “Taylem’s back tonight,” he said. “I’ll probably drift.”
“You don’t need to do that, babe. I can sleep in his room.”
“It’s fine. I need to recharge anyway. Especially after last night.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. Seb and I had come far over the past few years. The darkness had all but melted away, and his moods were stable now. He spent most nights in my room, either on the lounger or in my bed.
The guys and I had discussed sleeping arrangements when moving into the Keep and agreed that we’d all like our personal space. I mean, the Keep was certainly big enough. Noir and Amber had their own quarters. Taylem had rooms on the west side of the Keep, and Valance had taken over his old chambers in the north wing. Azren had taken over training of our troops, a mixture of Draconi and Shedim, and was rarely in his rooms. When he did stagger home, sweaty and exhausted, he’d find his way to my chambers and into my huge bath, where I’d usually join him for some soapy fun.
Quinn was gone. After our fresh treaty with the Institute had been signed, after he’d been officially taken off their hit list, he’d packed up and set off to see the world. Turned out they’d kindly provided him with the gene to enable him to move from pocket to pocket.
We received postcards every so often, little notes to tell us what he was up to, what he was seeing. Maybe he’d come home one day, or maybe he’d find a new home.
“Are you inner monologuing again?” Seb asked.
Trevor’s words. Those were Trevor’s words, and a sharp, nostalgic pain settled in my heart. My canine friend had slipped away while we’d been gone, while we’d been fighting Elora. He’d fallen asleep in Amber’s arms and breathed his last breath. She’d told us it had been painless, silent, and peaceful. The curse had died and had taken him with it. But his soul was free, and I couldn’t be mad about that. Even though there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of him, miss him, and wish he could see me now, see what we had achieved.
Seb ambled out of the bathroom, hair damp from a shower he didn’t need to take. Water skated down hard abs that begged to be licked.
I sighed. “Do you want to spend the rest of the day in bed?”
He arched a brow. “Are you seriously asking me that question?” He stalked toward the bed, and I threw back the covers and leapt out.
“No. Uh-uh. I have shitloads to do today. Being queen isn’t just about looking good, you know?” I flapped my hands at him. “Clothes. Please.”
My willpower was non-existent when it came to my guys.
He shrugged, and in the next moment, was fully dressed, hair dry, eyes sparkling with mirth, and then his head whipped up. “Valance is here. I’ll see you at dinner.”
He winked out, and I slumped into the dresser seat just as there was a knock at the door and Valance
strode in.
“Fucking Arcana.” He fell onto the chaise longue by the window. “I need a drink.”
“What happened?”
“They want to renegotiate the terms of the treaty we signed four years ago.”
“And? What do they want?”
“A seat on our privy council. They say it’s only fair as we have an ambassador on their council.”
“You think they want to spy?”
“I think they’re always going to be looking for ways to gain an upper hand. It’s not enough for them that we have peace, that we have no intention of fighting for more of Arcana City. They’re nervous because our troops are so large.”
“Agree to the new terms.”
He sat up. “What?”
I smiled. “We have nothing to hide.” I walked over to him and sat on his lap; his arms came up to encircle me. “I missed you.”
His electric blue eyes darkened. “How much?”
I leaned in and captured his mouth with mine in a lingering kiss that spiked my blood with heat. When I pulled back, his pupils were obsidian pools of desire.
“I was just about to take my dawn bath ...”
His grip on me tightened, and he stood, taking me with him. “You know what. I’m feeling real dirty too.”
My laughter echoed around the chamber as he walked us into the bathroom and slammed the door.
***
It was mid-morning by the time I made it out of my chambers. It was time to make myself available to my people. A chance for them to come to me with their woes and issues. Granted, it wasn’t so busy anymore. We’d made some huge changes in the territory—better housing, more jobs through farming. Yeah, with Noir and his Arcana connections, we’d managed to create fertile land to grow our own crops. The Others were no longer treated as slaves. There was respect and equality among the races, and the wealth ... Yeah, that had been redistributed to create more of a balance. But the Draconi hadn’t been as upset about it as I’d expected. In fact, they’d been more than willing to put my fresh ideas into motion.
My boots clipped on stone as I made my way down the corridor toward the throne room.
“Wila!” Amber came careening around the corner up ahead. “They’re at it again.”
“Already?”
“Yes. You need to come right now.” She turned and ran back the way she’d come, and I broke into a run right behind her. We barreled up a flight of steps onto the nursery wing just as an ear-splitting scream echoed down the corridor followed by a crack like lightning.
“Stop it! You’re such a baby!” Ethan shouted.
“Not a baby! Not!” April screamed back.
Oh, shit. I stepped into the playroom just as a table went flying through the air and hit the wall on the opposite side.
April, my two-and-a-half-year-old, stood, chest heaving, on the far side of the room, while Ethan, my four-year-old, stood in the center of the room wreathed in blue Arcane magic.
“April, how many times have I told you not to throw furniture?” I strode toward her.
April’s bottom lip quivered at the sight of me, and then she burst into tears. Dammit, how could I tell her off while she was sobbing like this. I cradled her in my arms, making all the appropriate soothing noises.
“She started it,” Ethan said. “I just told her Arcane magic was better than troll blood strength.”
“Tisn’t.” April sobbed.
Oh, God. Where had this come from? I sat down in the rocker by the window, April on my lap, and held out an arm to Ethan. He hesitated for a moment, and then walked over and tucked himself into my side.
“Listen to me, the both of you, we wouldn’t be here today if Arcana and troll strength hadn’t worked together. If we all hadn’t pooled our resources to fight the bad guys.”
Ethan stared at me wide-eyed. “You and our daddies?”
“Yes. Mummy and daddies all fought together; we pooled our power into one and that is how we won. We couldn’t do it alone. So, you guys need to stick together. You need to work together and protect each other.”
Ethan reached out to April and ran a hand over her hair. “I’m sorry, April. I didn’t mean to make you mad. I love you.”
April lifted her head and sniffed. “I love you too.”
They hugged, and my heart squeezed painfully in my chest. “Hey, how would you two like to come to work with mummy for the day?”
“In the throne room?” Ethan perked up.
April clapped her hands. “We can help.”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
Amber bit back a smile. “How about I get you two dressed, and we’ll meet mummy there.”
April scrambled off my lap. “I want to wear my pink tutu.”
Ethan rolled his eyes behind her back, and in that moment, he looked so much like his father it hurt.
The kids ran off through an adjoining door to find their perfect outfits for the throne room.
Amber hovered. “He’ll be back in a few days.”
“I know, I just ... I hate it when we’re all not here, you know?”
“Taylem is back tonight, isn’t he?”
“Yes. We’re having a special dinner.”
Taylem was building alliances with the troll bloods. The knell was dying, and the troll bloods were desperate for a way to control their trolls. Taylem had become a kind of figurehead for the troll community, and his outreach work was mainly conducted in Arcana City. It meant he was away a lot, but when he returned … Yeah ... Mmmmm.
Noir was still Arcana, and the Institute had made it a point to request his presence on a regular basis. Goodness knew what they needed him for, but there was always something it seemed. Once all my guys were back under the same roof, the knot in my chest would ease a little.
***
Taylem hadn’t made it home in time for dinner, and little April and Ethan had stayed up as late as possible, eager to welcome their daddy home. Even though Taylem was biologically only April’s dad, we’d decided, as a family, that our kids would be ours, all of ours. Of course, as they grew up they’d realize who their biological fathers were, but they’d always have five dads. They were tucked up in the nursery now fast asleep.
I pulled the pins from my hair and slipped into my pink sleep shirt. The door to my bedchamber opened and Azren strode in, slick with sweat, all bare torso and taut thighs. He dropped his weapons belt and bridged the gap between us, lifting me off my feet and carrying me toward the bed.
“Bath?”
“Fuck.”
“Okay.”
***
Tay’s need, his hunger, pulled me from sleep. I slipped from the bed, leaving Azren in a tangle of sheets, and pulled on my robe before exiting my chamber.
Taylem’s quarters were a floor below mine, and his bedchamber was directly below me. Light spilled out from beneath his door. I pushed it open and stepped into his room, sparse and minimalist with the biggest bed I’d ever seen. He lay sprawled naked across the sheets. His hand gripped his cock, pumping leisurely, and my blood heated.
He knew I was here, it was in the spike of awareness that jumped between us. He lifted his hips off the bed, pumping faster.
Hell, no. Not without me.
I dropped the robe, stripped off my sleep shirt, and climbed up onto the bed.
***
The throne room was silent today. It seemed that no one needed assistance. The kids were out with Taylem for a trip to the farm, and so I’d had Bartelby, my Draconi assistant, bring in the TV and DVD player, and I popped some popcorn and put my feet up to watch some slayer action.
“Mind if I join you?” Gilbert asked.
“You’re back?” I sat up. “How was the trip?”
“Good.” He took the seat by the throne, his official advisor seat. “The coast is beautiful. We should take the kids soon.”
“A family vacation?”
“Why not?”
Why not indeed.
We’d grown closer over the
past four years, and his knowledge and wisdom had been invaluable to me in building this new world. If only Elora had waited a day before exacting her plan to kill him, then none of this would have had to happen.
How different life would have been, because it turned out that Ivan had listened to Elora all those years ago when she’d come to him about the prophecy. Although he had dismissed it at first, he’d changed his mind and approached the djinn child. He’d seen the prophecy for himself except he’d seen more, he’d seen the machines that had taken over the world, and he’d seen the Shedim that had fought against them. But he’d never had the chance to tell Elora. She’d murdered him in his sleep that night.
Elora had unwittingly set in motion the very events that would lead to our demise. She’d given Kelter access to the Arcane, she’d allowed him access to djinn magic and Draconi magic, and he’d taken it and run. There was no sign of the man. The Institute had taken over all his business holdings. Kelter Enterprises no longer existed. But he was out there. And while he lived, he was still a threat.
But where there was life, there was still hope. And with the Institute on our side, with the Draconi and the Shedim working together, we’d track down Kelter and put a stop to his plans before—
“Wila?” Gilbert nudged me.
The scent of a familiar cologne drifted toward us.
Noir strode toward me, his expression somber, and the spike of joy at seeing him was overshadowed by concern.
I stood slowly. “What is it? What’s happened?”
“The turnaround forest just vanished,” he said.
What the fuck? “What do you mean it vanished? Forests just don’t vanish.”
“This one has. And in its place, we have a city.” Noir reached down and picked up my boots. “The Institute is activating clause 5, paragraph 3.1 of the treaty.”
“Okay ... remind me what that is again?”
“The clause where we act as defense,” Gilbert said. “They want us to investigate and determine whether there is a threat, and then—"
Chronicles of Arcana (The complete collection books 1-4) Page 74
