by Sarra Cannon
Lark's mother, Mayor Chen, put an arm around her daughter.
"As soon as the portal becomes active, we'll begin the reversal ritual down below," I said. "We have no idea how quickly Priestess Winter or any of her followers will get here, but we need to be ready from the minute the ritual starts."
Nervous energy buzzed through the crowd.
"The most important thing is that we are able to get through the entire ritual," I said. "If it works, we'll have set all the demons free and no matter what happens from that moment forward, the world will be a different place. Even if Priestess Winter defeats us, all it takes is one person to spread the word about what we accomplished."
I straightened, my pulse racing.
"Tomorrow will be one of the most important days in the history of both our worlds," I said. "If we're successful, it will only be the beginning. We may start a war that will take decades to fight and practically a miracle to win. But I promise you, we will never give up until every demon and every witch is free."
I lowered my head for a moment, wanting to find the perfect words.
"My whole life, I thought I had nothing to lose. I thought I was completely alone in this world, and that I always would be." I turned to Jackson and took his hand. "When I moved to Peachville, I realized for the first time just how powerful it could be to love someone. And to be loved. There isn't a human or demon here who hasn't had something or someone they love stolen from them by the Order of Shadows. It's time we started taking it back."
This One Night
I couldn't sleep.
I tossed and turned for hours before finally giving up and heading down to sit on the front porch steps. I stared out across the crow village. Zara's flower lights had long been turned off and there was only the soft light of the moon streaming through the clouds.
I wondered if we would ever make it back to this place. I'd given so much thought to the ritual and the battle, I hadn't really taken time to think about what might happen after all that. Jackson's brother might be free. I might be free.
Where would we go? Would Jackson want to go back to his home in the Northern Kingdom? Or would we stay here in Peachville?
If the ritual didn't work, everything would fall apart. The Resistance would go ahead with their plan, killing hundreds of primas and their covens. So many would die in an instant. How would the Order hide that from the world? So far, they'd found clever ways to manipulate memory or provide explanations for why an entire community of women died together. How would they explain a hundred towns all losing their most powerful women in a single day of carnage?
And what would happen when Andros realized Lea hadn't killed me? Would he send someone else after me?
I pulled my knees tight to my chest.
My whole life I'd felt like the world was against me, but never before had it been so true. I was grateful for my friends and for those I loved and trusted, but would it be enough? Were we strong enough to win?
There would no doubt be losses on both sides. The thought of losing any of the people I loved brought tears to my eyes.
The wood creaked behind me. I turned to see Jackson standing in the open doorway. The sight of him took my breath away.
I will die if I lose him.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked with a yawn. "Come back to bed."
"I can't sleep," I said.
He joined me on the steps. "You need to try to get some rest," he said. "What are you down here thinking about?"
I leaned against him, his body warm and solid.
"I can't seem to turn my mind off," I said. "I keep going over all the possible outcomes in my head."
"I know what you mean," he said. "On one hand, I could see my brother again for the first time in over a hundred years. But on the other, I could watch the last real hope of freeing him slip away."
His words created an ache in my chest.
Jackson angled his body toward mine, then gently caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers. "What's really got you up this late?" he asked.
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes stung. "What if this is the last night we ever have together?" I asked in a whisper, afraid if I said it too loud, it might actually come true.
"Tomorrow has never been certain," he said, wiping away a tear that escaped down my cheek. "Not for any of us. All we can do is love each other as much as possible every single moment we do have."
I lifted my eyes to his. "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't," he said. "We're a part of each other now. Down to the core of our souls. Even death can't erase that."
His lips brushed against mine, soft and gentle. I put my hand against his chest, wanting to feel every breath as it entered his lungs. Every beat of his heart. To know that he was alive and no matter what tomorrow may bring, we had this one night, this one moment, together.
My lips parted, drawing him closer. Deeper.
I let myself live inside his kiss, all my worries and fears forgotten for the sake of loving him with my purest self.
Jackson stood, lifted me into his arms, then carried me through the doorway to the old gray house.
Not A Day For Fear
I woke with a start.
Today's the day everything changes.
The realization hit me like a truck. Everything had been leading us to this day. This one thing. Would we be able to set Aerden free? Or would we lose him forever?
Would we survive?
Jackson put his hand on my arm. "What is it?" he asked, his voice sleepy as he sat up.
I leaned against him. "I don't suppose you have a drawing that shows us how this all turns out?" I asked.
"I wish it could be that easy," he said. "But we're going to have to find out as we go."
I closed my eyes and took in a slow breath. "I'm scared," I whispered. It wasn't the kind of thing a leader was supposed to confess, but he was the only one I could bare my soul to. He was the only one who would understand how I could be afraid and confident at the same time.
Jackson kissed my shoulder and put his arms around me, his body still warm from sleep. "Me too."
We sat there together for a long time, watching as the sun come up outside our window.
I let my fears wash over me. I faced them with honesty, raw and real, understanding that this could be the last calm moment of my life. My last chance to show any weakness.
When I'd admitted them all to myself, I set my darkest fears aside. I got out of bed and settled on the floor of the bedroom, crossing my legs, palms up. I connected with the power deep inside my soul. I drew my strength into myself and held onto it with iron fists.
Today was not a day for fear.
No Turning Back
The morning was a flurry of activity. Everyone spent their time talking through their plans, sharpening their weapons, and practicing for the battle ahead.
I knew Piotrek, Liroth and the other guards would be getting ready for battle on their side of the portal. Jackson told me they had not hesitated to volunteer for the job of protecting the ring. In fact, he said they were proud to live in service to their princess.
I had no idea how I would ever repay them. I simply prayed I would someday have the chance to thank them in person.
The Sullivan women took off around noon.
"Nature seems to be working in our favor," Eloise said. "It's rainy and overcast already. All we have to do is add some heavier rain and some bad winds. It should look very natural."
She lowered her head for a moment, then reached out to take my hand.
"My mother always told me it was an honor to be named after one of the original priestesses of the Order," she said. "It doesn't feel like much of an honor now."
I squeezed her hand. I hadn't even thought of the connection and how similar their names were. "It's not our names that determine who we are," I told her. "It's the choices we make. You're nothing like Priestess Winter and you never will be."
She pulled me into an embrace
and Caroline and Meredith joined in.
"Just promise me you'll get out of town as fast as you can if anything goes wrong. I don't want Priestess Winter to take her anger out on you or the witches in your town."
"We promise," Caroline said.
The three of them left together, and as I watched them go, I felt the pressure of the coming hours. Had we thrown this together too fast? I wished we'd had more time to plan, but with the demon Resistance planning to assassinate over a hundred primas tomorrow, we had no choice but to act now.
When it was time, the rest of our large group gathered near the entrance.
I stood looking over the faces of my friends. My heart beat fast, but I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. This was it. There was no turning back now.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. What did you say to a group of people who were heading into a battle they might not survive? How did I thank them for all they were about to do?
In the end, I said nothing. I knew there were no words strong enough to say what we all felt in our hearts.
I Am Not Your Enemy
The rain poured down as we reached the ritual circle.
I was relieved to find that there were no witches waiting for us. No sign of Priestess Winter. The woods were quiet except for the sound of the rain on the leaves.
Everyone immediately got to work on their preparations. Lea walked around the circle creating traps. I recognized her archers with their purple flames, bows drawn in anticipation. I'd faced them myself once before, what felt like a lifetime ago.
Zara worked her way around the inside of the traps, erecting protection spells that shimmered in the light of the purple flames. I knew this would be no match for someone as powerful as Priestess Winter, but I hoped it might slow her down. Her or anyone else who came to fight against us.
Essex and Jackson stood near the demon statue, discussing their defensive plans.
With everything under control up above, I descended the stone steps leading into the ritual room. Mary Anne, Courtney and Angela sat on the floor going over the ritual chants one last time. My eyes widened.
"Where's Lark?"
Courtney shook her head. "She left the village early this morning," she said. "She told me she had to get something from home before the fight."
I wiped the rain from my face. Without Lark, we wouldn't be able to even attempt the ritual. It had to be getting close to three. We needed to start exactly on time for the spell to work. Where could she be? No one was supposed to leave the group. What could she possibly have needed to do back home?
I ran back up the steps to look for her and stopped cold at the sight that greeted me. A gust of wind whipped violently at my wet hair.
Andros stood in the center of the circle dressed in red and black, the tip of his sword pressed against Lea's throat.
I felt the color drain from my face. What the hell was he doing here?
I glanced around and saw a small army of Resistance fighters gathered in formation near the edge of the ritual circle. They stood at attention, their eyes trained on their leader.
"I knew I couldn't trust you," Andros said through clenched teeth. His eyes focused on Lea with an anger so intense it made even Lea look nervous. "She stole the man you love away from you, yet you still couldn't end her life."
"I still have a day before the assassinations," Lea said.
Andros lifted his upper lip in a snarl. "You were never going to hurt her," he said. "I should have known that. I came here to check on you. To make sure you were going to go through with it, but here you are. Working side-by-side with these witches. Did you ever really care about our cause?"
Despite the small stream of blood trickling down her neck, Lea stood her ground, not taking even a single step backward. "Of course I care, but if we murder all those witches, how does that make us any better than the Order?" she said. "Besides, Jackson deserves a chance to try to free his brother before you would have him killed. He's our friend for god's sake. Can't you just let them try?"
Andros looked around, taking his eyes off Lea for the first time. "Who do you think gave them the diary in the first place?" he said. "Is it my fault they waited so long to come back here?"
"What's happened to you?" Jackson shouted, stepping into the circle toward Andros. "You used to believe in fighting for good, not evil."
Andros swung his sword in Jackson's direction. "They tried to kill my little girl," he said, his eyes wild. He gripped his hair with his fist and pulled, his face contorting into an angry scream. "Why can't you realize my way is the only way? Freeing the ones who were taken is impossible. Everyone knows that. The only way we can truly fight against the Order is to kill everyone associated with them, including your precious prima."
He turned the sword at me now, the blade swinging dangerously close to my cheek.
"You're one of them," he said. "Maybe not by choice, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a part of the Order."
Fury surged through me. I connected to my energy and created a shield around my hand. I reached up and grasped his blade. I pulled it down, away from my face. Andros' eyes narrowed and he tried to wrench it from my hold, but I wasn't giving it back.
"How dare you come here and threaten me." I said, the sky darkening as thunder clapped in the distance. "Yes, the Order tried to kill your little girl. They tried to kill me too. We've all lost someone important to us, but that doesn't justify what you're doing. It doesn't make it right to murder innocent people."
With all my strength, I pulled the sword from his hand and flung it into the grass.
"These women aren't innocent," he said. ""They chose to be a part of the Order."
"Some, yes. But not all of them," I said. "I never chose this for myself. Most girls who join the Order have no idea what they're getting into. They have no clue about the demons or the evil their leaders are capable of. So many witches are victims too, unable to leave the Order for fear of being killed or turned into a hunter. Would you really rather kill them than find another way?"
I gathered my power in my hands, standing tall.
"There is no other way," Andros said. He turned around in a circle, his hands shaking at his side. "No matter how hard or how long we fight, their numbers only grow. Don't you see? The only way to fight them is to kill them."
"No," I said. "Not if killing them also means killing the innocent. Your plan means killing demons too. How do you justify that?"
"You think I want to kill demons?" he shouted, pointing at himself, his expression exaggerated. "This is war, Prima, sometimes the innocent have to die for the cause."
Something about the way he called me prima, the way his voice was drenched in judgment and hatred, started to piss me off.
"I don't expect someone like you to understand," he said. "You're one of them. You're the enemy."
His words were the final straw for me. As he stepped toward me, I shifted into smoke, whipping around behind him and coiling my power around his neck. I forced him to the ground. He gasped, his eyes bulging as he stared at my empty spot on the grass.
I returned to human form, but kept my smoky chains around him. Not enough to cut off his air, but just enough to let him know I was in control. I leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I am not your enemy," I said. "I may be a human prima, but I am also a demon like you. I'm innocent in this. Caught between a history I can't control and a future I have to fight for every day. Don't tell me I don't understand."
I released him and pushed him down to the ground. He fell against his palms, his head lowered and body shivering in the cool afternoon air.
"I didn't know," he said, his voice weak and trembling. He raised his eyes as I came around in front of him. "How?"
"My father is a demon. The King of the South." I crouched low to meet him at his level. "Can't you see? We're fighting against the same enemy here. The Order of Shadows has taken so much from all of us. But the lines between good and evil aren't as cut and dry as demon versus
human. And I refuse to kill anyone there might be the slightest chance we can save."
Andros' eyes filled with tears.
I offered my hand to him. "Fight with us," I said. "Help us complete this ritual and free someone we love."
He stared at my hand, his face wrinkled with doubt. "Do you really think it will work?" he asked. "The ritual from the journal?"
"Yes," I said, believing it with all of my soul. "It will work."
I waited, my heart beating fast in my chest. If he didn't want to work with us, I knew we would have to fight to stop him. And we were running out of time.
Slowly, he raised his hand to mine.
The End Of It
Lark finally arrived at ten minutes to three.
"Thank god. Where have you been?" I asked, pulling her into a huge hug. "I was worried something had happened to you."
I glanced around to see if her mother had decided to join us, finally spotting Mayor Chen in the center group near Lea. I sighed with relief.
"I'm sorry. I had some last minute things I needed to take care of," she said. "My grandmother can be very demanding."
I tilted my head. "Your grandmother? Is she visiting or something?"
"You could say that," she said, her smile forced. "I'll fill you in later."
I eyed her. Something was off about Lark tonight. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but she was acting strange. Distracted. Was she just nervous?
I didn't have time to worry about it. We needed to begin the ritual exactly at three in the afternoon. We had to get down there and into place before it was too late. I looked around the ritual circle one last time before descending the stairs. Across the grass, near the demon statue, Jackson's eyes met mine.
I lifted my fingers to my lips in a kiss, then turned my palm toward him, sending my love through the space between us. His lips parted slightly, love and worry and hope mixed in his expression.
