"We'll find out," he promised. "The arbiters said the time before the Separation, when immortal beasts sometimes came through, was where some of your old human legends came from, right? The barrier might be more permeable at different times of the year, according to the scholars. And today, I feel the magic of the barrier slipping and pulling me toward it. I think we might as well try." He raised his arms in the center of the circle of trees as if trying to sense something. I shivered as a breeze kicked up. His hand reached for mine. I took it, and he pulled me against him.
Something pooled in my stomach. Like a great ship shifting beneath us, the ground gave way. I held on to Dorian as my body warmed with a sudden sensation of tiny, prickling needles.
"Hold on," he whispered in my ear. The light was different from the rainbows that Ruk had made, but the sensation was similar. Suddenly, we were tumbling through space, holding tightly to one another. The smell of the Immortal Plane greeted me first.
"It—it worked," I said, as we stumbled onto the land. The familiar sight of dark soil greeted me. Dorian grinned down at me.
"Watch this."
I gasped as he wrenched us back and forth. We saw fireworks exploding in the Mortal Plane sky, and then suddenly, we were back in the Immortal Plane where soul lights drifted in the darkness. We tipped back to the Mortal Plane again, the lights shooting between the stars as someone set off more fireworks. It was a glorious whirlwind of sensations.
He stopped underneath the spray of fireworks. "This means we can always be together, wherever we want," he said, looking lovingly down at me. My heart broke open with the first joy it had felt in some time. Tears poured down my face. I felt as if all I did was cry lately, but these were happy tears. I threw my arms around his neck.
"My home is your home," I told him, and kissed him fiercely.
There was no curse to haunt us, only love surrounding us as the fireworks exploded overhead.
41
Lyra
Life had a strange way of working out. The barriers were like great oceans that we could cross at the right spot, at the right time. It was a full moon in the Mortal Plane, making the gates easily traversable for tonight's festivities. The February air was crisp and fresh when we left it, giving way to the Immortal Plane's natural tartness. I found that I no longer minded it. It had become a second home faster than I thought possible. Funny, considering I used to think returning to the Immortal Plane would be impossible after our final battle.
I brought an overnight bag for our trip. Granted, I’d learned to carry around everything I needed on my person—a good knife, Lanzon's stone, and Dorian himself. I didn’t want to think about the other thing I carried around… grief followed me. It was part of me, now. I had lost so much. We all had.
I stood with Dorian in a large crowd teeming with those we’d left behind in the Immortal Plane and several others who had returned to it for the occasion. The beautiful glade around us was lush with deep emerald greenery. It was the most beautiful spot I'd seen in this plane, and I suspected the wildlings had cultivated the space for days in preparation for tonight. There were no wayward vines with thorns trying to grow out of shadowy places, only the soul-light above us shining brighter than I remembered. It's like the sky has healed, too. A steady stream of souls lazily swam overhead. I told them inwardly to send my love to the other spirits, including Zach and Lanzon, resting peacefully in the afterlife. It was only possible thanks to them and the others. Life and death, the souls represented everything we came here for today.
Royal-purple vines wrapped around the trees, blooming with amber flowers. The colors represented the vampires' idea of balance in the soul. Wildlings stood all around the edge of the glade. Sometimes, I saw their hands flicker out from beneath their grassy fur to beckon a new amber flower from a vine. Their decorating was truly gorgeous, not overdone. They had achieved a somber yet beautiful effect.
I looked over the crowd, delighted to see so many vampires in one place. I easily picked out familiar faces among them. Laini smiled as Juneau fussed over her gown, which he'd prepared for this occasion. My eyes flitted from person to person. Bravi, Neo, Oz, Kono. My heart welled up with the warmth of seeing them safe in this recovered space. Their eyes stared ahead, watching Reshi and Charrek set up a platform for the speakers tonight. It was wonderful to see a mixture of vampires, makers, and wildlings alike.
More than that… I caught the ghostly sight of harvesters on the outskirts of the circle. They worked with the wildlings to deliver flower crowns to the crowd, deftly weaving the stems of the amber flowers. The harvester children delivered them dutifully to unsuspecting guests, nearly invisible and gone before the recipient noticed the weight of their new crown. Roxy had informed me that they were, in fact, children and not small adults. My heart hurt for the redhead, knowing that she was truly broken up about Kane. She refused to mourn him yet, citing his stubbornness and a desire to seek out proof of his demise for herself. I suspected she secretly hoped to find him. If anyone can do it, it’s Roxy.
Roxy stood watching the harvester children with a small smile. She already wore three crowns on her head, and when they tried to offer her another, she pointed out that Bryce and Morag were still crown-less. Bryce accepted one, but Morag shook her head, claiming that her hair was too wild for such a thing. Clemmins stood next to her, his eyes staring warily at the Immortal Plane.
"It's working," Reshi announced about the microphone. She and Charrek stepped away from the small dais of polished wood. Behind the podium, a slab of stone had been sitting in the soul-light. A microphone of sorts sat on the edge of the dais, ready for the elders. The podium sat next to stout plinths made of rock, where Mox, Echen, and Pyma sat. Mox easily slid off her stone seat and approached the podium.
"Friends and new allies, we are gathered here today for a momentous occasion," Mox announced. Her voice carried like a bird's song throughout the clearing, ringing loud and clear thanks to the makers' work. Vampire families bunched together, hugging one another. There were so many; I still couldn't believe the sight. Their presence and Dorian's warmth beside me would comfort me through the speech. I knew it was going to be hard. On my other side, Gina smiled bravely at me, preparing herself as well.
Mox continued. "Historically, this day marks an important vampire celebration, the Day of Rest, where we honor those who have passed on. We remember those who have fallen in the wars against vampires and those who fought to save our culture. I ask everyone to bow their heads three times. Once, to represent birth. Second, to represent life. Third, to represent rest. Think of the strength our warriors showed as you picture their faces. Love them fiercely."
At her command, I bent my head forward. Tears warmed my eyes, but they didn't fall. I thought of Zach, of course, but of Lanzon, too. There were so many fallen in combat, especially for the vampires. They had almost been wiped out. Almost. I clung to that thought and vowed that we would never allow another evil like Irrikus or Alan to rise. The moment of silence stretched on. It felt like eternity, yet it still wasn't enough.
"You may lift your heads and regard the stone of remembrance."
I opened my eyes. The stone behind the podium gleamed with a cold beauty. Reshi told me that they had dug deep into the mountains of Vanim to pull the stone out, chiseling it from its deep prison and refining it to serve as a testament to our fallen allies.
"This is for everyone we mourn. We had our disagreements over the past year—" Pyma let out a tiny grunt, and a chuckle erupted through the crowd. Mox sent him a sharp look and smirked. "Come, Pyma. Tell them. The others, too. Speak your thanks to the ones who saved us." Pyma dragged himself up to the podium, actually looking abashed. We hadn’t wanted to disobey the Hive elders, but they’d left us no choice. And we saved the world, so, you know… we're even.
To my surprise, he gently unfolded a poem and read it for us. It spoke of forgiveness and strength, and of elders being humbled by the wisdom of youth. Very soft applause followed, so as to be
respectful. Echen, my favorite vampire scholar, and Linus, the neurotic, passionate vampire researcher from the Hive, went up together to give their thanks. They were joined by wildlings, who merely gave a rough grunt of thanks and sang a song that sounded like rocks tumbling over one another. This song was well received by all the wildlings.
Everyone's trying their best. Despite my sadness, I couldn't help the smile that worked its way to my face. It was wonderful to see all the cultures and castes mixing together. We were a quilt of strangeness patched together. The future of the Immortal Plane, though tense and uncertain, had a good chance in these hands.
"We thank everyone for their contributions in keeping vampire culture alive, despite our disagreements," Mox said, taking the stand again to resume her speech. "You have ended the oppression and terror of Irrikus. My thanks to the warriors who fell, but also to all the fighters who stand with us today." She sucked in a breath. Her eyes brimmed with glassy tears. "My thanks to the Coalition, who forged a new path when my peers and I couldn't see the way forward. Every maker, wildling, and harvester made this possible. None of us could be here without each other. I also want to extend a special thanks to Dorian and his brave group, who first broached an alliance with humans in the Mortal Plane. And to the humans themselves, for sacrificing so much despite our complicated history."
Dorian prodded me forward along with him. I hadn't seen Pyma beckon us. I stood with him, Bravi, Laini, Roxy, Gina, and Bryce. A harvester child threw petals at us, earning laughter from the crowd. Dorian pulled a petal from his hair with a smile.
"Thank you for believing in yourselves when we weren’t there to lend you our trust or faith," Mox said hoarsely, her voice overtaken with sadness and shame. "It is my honor to pay respect to those you lost." She turned to the crowd. "And to all of you."
Gina accepted another flower crown, despite the fact that she had one already. The harvester children were desperate to be a part of this. Roxy shooed them off playfully, calling some of them by name. I raised a curious brow at her, and she gave me a defiant look, as if to say, Try me, Sloane.
We were a merry band of misfits all gathered together, but we would work to get the world back on track. Reshi said a few words as everyone whispered their thanks for her incredible machinery. It was the first time I'd ever seen her cheeks darken under so much praise. How long had she spent underneath the thumbs of rulers who failed to recognize or appreciate her true genius?
"I built everything because I needed to believe in hope," Reshi said, and bowed her head. "May we use that technology to honor those who sacrificed their lives in order to show kindness, and to seek justice for those once considered monsters or servants." From this, a resounding low hum came from the wildlings, makers, and harvesters. It was the closest thing to a cheer that our group could produce in an event mixed with such heavy and light emotions.
I traced my journey all the way back to the beginning. My fingers brushed against Dorian’s. Kidnapping was a hell of a way to start a romance, but somehow it had worked. I looked to Dorian, who, to my surprise, was staring right back. He smiled softly at me. I wouldn't change our story for anything. We melted back into the crowd to join the others.
Mox's bright cerulean eyes shimmered as she took up her mantle again. "There is much warmth to go around today. We were fortunate to find a close bond with one another, which will help us heal our wounds. We can finally rebuild. We've called this gathering not only to honor the dead, but to start anew in this strange world. I declare this site to be the location of our new vampire city. We will welcome all castes who are peaceful and agree to be governed by the laws of vampires. Construction will begin soon, and we have Reshi and the makers to thank for their technology, which will allow us to build swiftly. I will remind everyone that nobody is required to stay and build with us, but the invitation is here. Everyone is welcome."
The response was a round of applause louder than anything I’d heard so far. Someone in the back, a vampire woman, stifled a sob. It was all so much. They'd seen Vanim fall to their enemies, and now they had a new chance at life with the help of the other castes.
Mox turned a sharp but pleased glance toward Dorian and me. "Of course, we also have other new beginnings to recognize. Today, we celebrate a wedding. Lyra and Dorian, a human and a vampire, have fought their way to peace in the universe and love for one another." If Zach had been here, he would've hooted into the air. I shut my eyes and cleared my mind, trying to live in the present moment. When I opened them again, I could feel love and approval coming from everyone. It wasn't Zach, but it was something.
Someone let out a loud trumpeting sound. I turned to see Arlonne, who had nabbed a wildling's horn, grinning cheerfully at us. The wildling was fitfully trying to grab it back from her, but she was too tall. It was the best blessing I could've asked for. Bryce's gaze softened on her. I couldn’t help smiling, returning my attention to Dorian and Mox.
Mox cleared her throat primly, but there was a ghost of amusement beneath her reserved expression.
"This is an unusual union. It is something new, and nobody knows what such a union is heading for—much like the fate of this world after the meld. Everything has changed. We cooperate with one another now, and in that spirit, the Coalition has officially sanctioned their marriage. They have worked tirelessly for the peace and salvation of vampires, and considering that the curse has lifted for now, we see no reason to keep them apart. They have our approval, and we wish them luck. Since they have no blood kin present to witness their act, we call upon all of you to recognize their love today."
Butterflies erupted in my stomach as Dorian and I again walked to the front. The wildlings pushed the vines to form a wedding arch of purple vines and amber flowers. We stepped beneath it. I wore Lanzon's stone around my throat, alongside the necklace from the arbiters. I tried to take the arbiter necklace off just to experiment, but it seemed to be permanently affixed to my neck. Dorian wore a flower the shade of an eggplant, scavenged from Vanim that morning by Oz, the expert scout.
I stared into Dorian's icy eyes, knowing that there was nothing but affection for me in them. We'd fought so hard to be together.
"If you have vows, you may say them," Mox told us.
"I do," I ventured softly. Dorian's eyebrow quirked upward. We had planned all of this so fast that we hadn't even discussed this part. Our idea was to do the ceremony quickly, before the elders could change their minds. "I vow to love you and keep you safe no matter what. Thank you for loving me and all my flaws, including charging ahead without always knowing where I'm going."
I could hear Bravi's soft, affectionate whisper to Laini. "Oh, I think they share that trait."
Dorian brushed my hair to the side. I'd wanted it up. Laini had fixed it so that it was a gorgeous braided thing that I never could've accomplished myself. One strand fell from the crown she'd made of my own hair. I wore a simple but elegant white dress that Juneau himself had demanded to make.
Dorian tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"I will love you until my last breath. I promise," Dorian whispered.
"Kiss already," Roxy shouted with a whoop.
We kissed, and the wedding arch shone with light. I looked up, delighted to see that the amber flowers had bloomed and released a flurry of immortal insects resembling fireflies. They flew around us like a flurry of tiny soul-lanterns and took off for the sky. To have and to hold forever. I held Dorian's hand as the festivities went on. The world kept turning, and so did we.
After the wedding ceremony, the stone awaited. A wave of melancholy grabbed me fiercely as I stared at its blank surface, knowing I would carve my own brother's name onto it. We bowed our heads and carved the names of our loved ones into the testament stone. Gina and I worked lovingly to get Zach's full name into the stone, each of us shedding tears along the way. Laini and Dorian worked beside us to include Lanzon, and then Laini's family members lost in Vanim.
I let tears slide down my face. Th
is was a time for mourning and celebration. It's finally okay to cry, now that the danger has passed. For now, I was content with this bittersweet moment among Dorian and the others. My brother was safe for the moment, under the protection of the Coalition in his preserved state, and he would come home to rest soon.
Laini and Dorian embraced tightly after they finished carving. Two families ripped apart, leaving a grieving sibling and a lover behind. I had always feared what Dorian and Laini had gone through, but now I knew their pain firsthand; Gina and I shared a chapter of the same story. We knew what it was like to lose the person most precious in life.
I brushed away the tears that sprang to my eyes when I remembered that my parents weren't here either. It was a long, difficult decision, but in the end we’d decided not to wait on them for this simple ceremony. If we found them—my parents and Dorian's parents—we would have another ceremony. In the meantime, I wanted to marry with the hope that they were all still alive, instead of the knowledge that they weren’t. We needed this hope to guide us through when our first mission arrived after this beautiful day. My hand formed a determined fist at my side, brushing away a flower petal that had fallen on my skirt. I would find my parents.
Until then… I would form my own family to forge ahead in this world. It was the only way to get through the pain. I rested my head for a moment against Dorian's chest, taking comfort in his steady heartbeat. We retreated back into the crowd to help set up for the party. It was easy to sink into logistical necessities. They brought me comfort. Helping arrange tables and serve food made me happy. I felt like a soldier falling back into routine to propel me through the present moment. Occasionally, my eyes met Dorian's warm gaze, and a rush of love hit me like a fire consuming me. Husband. The word was new and fragile, and I couldn’t resist poking at it like a loose tooth.
A feast was served, and a band of vampire musicians got out their instruments to serenade us with the soft, elegant twangs of their strange violins and drums. It reminded me of Ruk’s memories of the early vampires. I missed him more than I ever thought possible.
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