Scarlet Forest

by Jennifer Ann Reed

  The twin trees groaned and the beam of magic pulsed brighter until an explosion sounded. The trees were uprooted and slung into the air. Before they fell, they met the same fate as the leaves. The magic receded back into the stone and we dropped the gem onto the ground. Lira picked it up with the velvet and replaced it on her hip.

  “Is it over?” Allie called from the bottom of the hill. “Is the gate gone?”

  “Only one way to find out.” Lilly passed me a dagger. “Hybrid blood was the key to unlock it. If it’s gone, your blood won’t affect the area.”

  I took the knife and walked to the area between the torn ground. I pricked the tip of my finger and one drop of blood escaped the tiny wound. I moved my finger over the open area and where the trees once stood, but nothing happened. We’d actually done it.

  Cheers erupted among the crowd and Aerolynn made her way to us. “Don’t wipe your finger.” I furrowed my brows when she reached for my hand. “The gate was spelled to open for hybrid blood, but the Order which criminalized a hybrid’s birth needs their blood for it to be destroyed.”

  “How ironic.” I watched her slide my injured digit over the enchanted orange seal.

  The scroll unwound and fissures covered its surface. The paper sparked and disintegrated in our hands. Silence hung over the field. I stared at the empty space and then glanced back at my friends. Tears shone in Allie’s eyes and Austin tucked Gwen under his arm, kissing the top of her head.

  “Our deal is fulfilled, Kitra Frost.” She held her hand out for me to shake. “Where can I contact you if the Council needs your assistance.”

  I looked back at my true mate and I knew where I was supposed to be. “I’m staying in Serenade Falls.”

  “I’ll be in touch.” Aerolynn turned, and the Council departed from us.

  A new life sparkled on the horizon.

  Chapter 26

  Caden

  C ELEBRATIONS ROARED AND COUPLES kissed, but I didn’t partake in the revelry. I studied my true mate while she glanced out at the crowd. A sad smile stretched her lips and her head fell. She gazed at Ryn’s fallen body and I wished it was me under that blue cloth.

  Aerolynn had been right. I had betrayed Kitra. It didn’t matter if I was led to believe I’d lost her. I should have trusted our bond. When she chose me, Ryn felt the pain of her loss. I never experienced that because she was always with me.

  Why didn’t I listen to my soul? Bile rose in my throat. I had trouble swallowing it back down and spat the bitter liquid from my mouth. My thoughts quickly changed when I saw her walking towards me.

  My chest expanded until I thought it’d rupture. Kitra was a diamond among rocks. She was selfless to a fault, courageous, and compassionate. She saw our potential even when we didn’t. She was the fiber that stitched us together.

  She caught me looking at her, and one side of her mouth quirked. My breath hitched. She didn’t know how stunning she truly was.

  After all my transgressions, the way I had treated her when she first arrived, and even how I reacted over her relationship with Ryn, she still chose me. I knew I didn’t deserve her. I wanted to pull away and give her the space she needed to heal, but I couldn’t. Not after Ryn’s sacrifice for her happiness.

  Kitra deserved all the best life could give her. I’d fulfill my promise to Ryn. Kitra would never get hurt again. I’d protect her until my dying breath. I’d be the man she needed me to be and would never betray her again because I loved her.

  Chapter 27

  Kitra

  My bedroom didn’t feel the same after I returned to Frost Manor last night. The house was too quiet after so many had lived inside its walls. I missed all of us being together under one roof. Even though Uncle Kalen said we could close up the Manor and move to Moon Stone Ranch, it wouldn’t be the same as when we lived here.

  Everything had changed, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to go back to normal. Being a Luna and Queen came with many responsibilities, but the one I hated the most was telling families they lost a loved one. Nothing healed the empty pit in my soul because I knew I called their loved one to war. I was responsible for their deaths and each one carved a new mark into my bones.

  I’d been to several funerals over the past two days, but the two today knotted my stomach. I glanced at my reflection. I picked a black knee-length dress with a lace overlay. My eyes glassed over as the air was sucked out of the room. Uncle Kalen didn’t think I knew why he wanted us to stay here last night. He wanted to give me some private time to come to terms with Ryn’s death without everyone’s attention, especially Caden’s.

  What he didn’t realize was that I’d never come to terms with it. How could I ever get over ripping Ryn’s mate mark from him moments before he died? What type of person did that make me?

  I’d heard Allie’s question from a while ago in my head. She’d asked which one I couldn’t live without, and when Caden was under Aelfric’s control, I knew my answer. Caden reminded me of everything I loved in this world. The life I lost and the future I could have. However, I did love Ryn in my own way. He was the newness I found in myself when I learned who I truly was, but he wasn’t my home. Even if Ryn stayed in the human realm, he wouldn’t have been happy and would’ve longed for Faerie.

  I knew I had no power over life and death, but I’d try to live each day to the fullest. In time, I knew the guilt would ease because Caden was my heart’s only choice.

  Phobos and Austin tried to ease my suffering, but I blocked my emotions.

  I heard Uncle Kalen and Aunt Mauve talking at the bottom of the stairs and then the front door opened. Allie’s voice flitted in the air and she and Gwen walked towards my bedroom.

  “Good morning, Phobos.” Allie patted his head and paused outside the door. “How is she?”

  I heard his gruff whispers and took a deep breath when they walked in the door.

  “Do you need anything?” Gwen wrapped me in a hug.

  “No, I’m okay.” I moved away from the empty vanity. “I’m almost ready.” I slipped on a pair of black ballet flats.

  “I see you’ve packed up.” Allie glanced at the stacked boxes. “Did you get any sleep last night?” She examined my face when I shook my head.

  I didn’t cover my dark circles and kept my face clear of any makeup. I wasn’t hiding behind a mask today. Uncle Kalen called up to us and we descended the stairs.

  Once we arrived at the ranch, my Guardians stood like sentinels across the front porch. I climbed out of the Range Rover and met Caden at the door. He kissed my forehead and tucked me under his arm. Dannick, Moonbeam, Hattie, and the Seelie bishop waited in the living room inside.

  “My Queen.” Dannick and the others bowed. “Preparations have been made.” He told me after the battle that in Faerie, the dead rested in tombs or were buried on their family lands.

  “Are you sure this would be what he wanted?” I pictured the mausoleum created by fairy magic in the meadow beyond the training grounds. “He loved Faerie. He’d want to go home.”

  “But he loved you more.” Dannick dipped his head. “You were his home.”

  I wasn’t able to disguise my sniffles and the dam over my lashes broke. Tears filled everyone else’s eyes and Caden held me until I stopped shaking.

  “You can do this.” Caden’s lips touched my ear. “I’ll help you.”

  Caden led me out the back door and past the training field. A circular tomb made of white stone from Faerie sparkled in the sunlight. Tall columns stretched up to support the crystal-clear glass roof. Ralodi was engraved into the face of the stone above the silver grated doors. Caden pulled the door open and let me pass in front of him.

  My breath caught in my throat. Colors reflected over the walls from the ceiling above. In the center, a dais with a sarcophagus made of the same stone carved into Ryn’s likeness was open. Behind the dais, a stained-glass window depicting a grassy knoll let more colorful light inside. Below the window, a blue flame was suspended above a smaller
dais with a round bowl.

  Then, soldiers of the Royal Guard played a mournful song on Faerie horns while Dannick and my other Guardians carried Ryn’s remains inside. They lowered the silver bed into the sarcophagus and turned to me. Caden and I walked to the side, and I peered in at the white linen.

  “When I first met Ryn, I didn’t know what to think about him. Then, when we found out Kitra was our soulmate, he became my adversary.” Caden’s hand squeezed mine, and he blew out a heavy sigh. “But in the end, he was a friend… a brother who died saving my life. It was an honor to know him and to fight alongside him.” Caden gripped the side of the dais.

  “Ryn taught me so many things.” My voice wavered. “To be strong no matter what I faced. He believed in me.” I nodded to the others. “I know his decisions came from a good place.” My grip tightened on Caden’s arm. “He was a protector and fought to the very end to prove it.” I stared at the white linen. “I do love you. I couldn’t see it then, but I did. I won’t ever forget you.”

  More music played and Dannick walked to the blue orb. He laid a floral crown at its base and crossed two Royal Guard swords below it.

  “Bretton Asher was a friend.” I touched the floral crown. “I didn’t have enough time to get to know him better, but I trusted him with my life. He will be remembered for his sacrifice.”

  After everyone had time to speak and say goodbye, we closed up the mausoleum and went back inside the main house. I released a deep breath and walked into the office with Caden right behind me.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” Caden caressed my cheek. “You can still change your mind.”

  “I’m sure.” I cupped his face and kissed his lips. “I want to be here. I want to be with you.”

  Uncle Kalen knocked on the door and walked in. Aunt Mauve, Dannick, Moonbeam, Hattie, and the bishop followed him into the room. Caden and I moved around the desk while the bishop took a seat in front of us. He produced the paperwork I’d asked for and passed it to me to go over. I signed my name under the proclamation and an enchanted seal flared to life. Then, I signed another document and looked up at the others.

  “Dannick has been named as my heir to the Seelie throne.” The burly soldier coughed, and his brows pulled together. “I’ve also named Hattie as a royal advisor until she chooses otherwise.”

  “My Queen.” Dannick moved next to the bishop and bowed. “Your future children are your heirs to all of Faerie. I only held your place while you were away.”

  “My distant future children will be part of the pack, Dannick.” His cheeks turned pink. “I trust you to be a great leader.” I picked up the other document. “And this is my abdication to the Seelie throne. I will remain in Serenade Falls as Luna of the Dire Wolf pack.”

  “But, my Queen.” Dannick’s face paled. “I… I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can.” I pointed at a grinning Hattie. “It’s why I made her a royal advisor. She knows the Seelie Court and actions better than anyone. “You’re in good hands if you’ll have her.”

  “She’s not leaving her position. She’s too valuable to the crown.” Dannick nodded and signed his name to the document making him a king.

  “Since, I also inherited the Unseelie throne upon Roland and Aelfric’s death.” I glanced at Moonbeam. “And a certain individual has cleaned up the Court, Moonbeam is heir to it.” Moonbeam’s ebony skin flushed. “Ryn trusted you, so I do too.”

  Moonbeam signed her document, and the bishop declared them royals. Once the thrones were settled, Dannick and Moonbeam signed treaties with one another and with the Dire Wolves. After peace in Faerie was secure, Caden and I worked on more alliances with the other Supernaturals if we would ever need them and vice versa. Soon, the sun settled, and our friends went home.

  Until Brannon dealt with his pack, Lilly and Gwen decided to stay with us. I glanced at the room and peace settled over me.

  “You know you couldn’t get rid of us.” Allie slung an arm around me. “Austin and I like the human world.” We laughed, but she pulled me aside. “I have to show everyone something. I didn’t want anyone to see it on the battlefield and kept it secret until now.”

  Everyone watched Allie pull a piece of fabric from her bag. She uncovered a small sliver of burnt wood and we gasped.

  “It wasn’t completely destroyed.” Lilly pulled Gwen down in a seat next to her. “What do we do?”

  “We can’t tell the Council.” I took the fabric from Allie. “We hide and protect it. Only the people in this room know of its existence. This doesn’t go beyond us.” Everyone agreed, and I passed it to Uncle Kalen.

  “I’ll take care of this.” He stood.

  Phobos shifted into his shadow form and blocked the door. “I also have something to discuss.” Uncle Kalen sat back down. “I want to learn everything I can about this world. I want to take a final form.”

  “Phobos, you can tell us anything.” I walked near his shadow. “You are family. Don’t be afraid to confide in us.”

  “I… I want to take a human form.” He paced in front of us. “My lifespan will be a lot longer than most of yours and I think I should start a little younger than the other Guardians.”

  “How young are we talking?” Linc crossed his arms. “I refuse to change diapers.”

  “I also want to use the Guardian’s appearances for the shift, including Bretton and Ryn.” Phobos’s shadow paused. “I want to resemble my new family.”

  “I think it’s a great idea.” Tears welled in my eyes.

  Slowly, the tall shadow shrank. In its place, a boy around the age of thirteen appeared. The boy was a raven-haired Viking with forest green eyes. His lips stretched into a grin and I was reminded of Linc’s smirk. I even noticed Curtis, Zander, and Austin in his other features. The only difference I noticed was his light violet crescent moon still on his forehead which resembled a birthmark. He was the perfect mix of our friends and those who we had lost. I fought the spring forming behind my lashes and wiped my nose.

  “That’s perfect!” Allie clapped her hands and giggled, breaking the heaviness of his reveal. “You picked their best parts.” Pillows were thrown at her.

  “Thanks.” Phobos’s cheeks warmed when his voice pitched higher. “What’s wrong with my voice?”

  “That, my friend, is called puberty.” Linc clutched his stomach as he laughed.

  “You ready to raise another teenager?” Aunt Mauve elbowed Uncle Kalen.

  “Only if you are.” My uncle looked between Phobos and me. “Welcome to the family, Phobos Frost.”

  This was what my life was supposed to be. It was complete.

  Epilogue

  Kitra… six years later

  I sat in my old bedroom at Frost Manor and looked in the mirror. Since defeating Aelfric and destroying the Gate of Aramath, evil was still out there. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe we had gotten rid of it entirely. One day, another power-hungry entity was bound to surface, and we’d be called on again to defend our people. Until then, Caden and I chose to fight human evil. Two weeks ago, I graduated with a degree in Forensic Science and Caden was running for Sheriff after rising in the ranks of Serenade Falls Special Task Force.

  The smiling faces of my parents caught my eye, and I examined the photo wedged into the corner of the mirror. My finger traced their faces. I had been forced to make decisions no teenager should ever have to make, but I’ve matured a lot since then. I was proud of the woman I had become, and I was positive they would have been as well. I missed them and wished they were here.

  My life was going to change again. I stood and smoothed the slit in my flowing white silk skirt and turned to appreciate the floating lace straps which scooped around my arms and exposed most of my back. Lace and beadwork continued over the V-neck of my wedding gown. My chestnut locks were expertly curled and arranged on top of my head with a sheer veil.

  I turned when someone knocked on the door. Elder Dylan’s hair was more salt and pepper these days, but his curl
s stayed messy and his style didn’t change. Today, he wore a black three-piece suit with a blue tie. Ever since Caden asked me to marry him last year, Elder Dylan searched for answers to my questions.

  “Did you find out anything?” I took his hands in mine and he smiled.

  “I did, Luna.” He pulled me in for a hug. “But not in the way we thought. The Creator spoke to me.”

  “And?” I pulled back for the Elder.

  “Even if your life and the others’ lives were to end, the weapon will still live on.” My brows drew together. “Your children, Kitra.”

  “My children?” I sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Yes, each of them will carry the essence of the weapon like you do. If and when they’re needed, the essence will be activated, and they will meet their own Guardians.” Elder Dylan sat beside me. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but the Creator’s dream was reassuring. Don’t start second-guessing him now. Your mother never did.”

  “I won’t.” I couldn’t help the worry in the back of my mind. It was unfair to pass this burden on, but what could I do.

  “Kit Kat.” Phobos began calling me by the nickname Uncle Kalen used when he became a part of the family. Actually, he adapted to being human quite well and even had the annoying little brother act down. “It’s time to go.”

  Phobos helped me downstairs since Allie picked out another pair of heels for me to wear again. You’d think I would have gotten through college and this wedding without the death traps, but not on Allie’s watch. On the road, Phobos chatted with Elder Dylan and Uncle Kalen while Aunt Mauve held my hand. When we arrived at the park, we walked down the gravel path until the pond and jungle gym came into view. On the other side of the tree with mine and Caden’s initials, the area had been transformed. Hand-carved wooden chairs lined a white aisle runner. Above the seats, strings of lights glowed, and lavender, bellflowers, and baby’s breath created a stunning canopy. Around the tree, logs were covered in mason jars with lit candles inside.