by Tricia Barr
“Look for the good?” Kol couldn’t think of a single thing that could be described that way.
“I found my family,” he said. “By being sent away, I found my dear Serilda’s family.”
“The gryphons.”
Oberon nodded. “I’m sorry we didn’t arrive sooner. And it may feel like a small thing to you that I found my family because of your father’s actions, but I will be forever grateful to him for it.”
“Look for the good,” Kol said, but didn’t feel it. He couldn’t see how Oberon finding his long lost family justified what happened tonight.
“Exactly.” Oberon paused. “I am truly sorry for the loss of your father, and your friend.”
“Thank you,” he muttered, but didn’t feel the sincerity in his own words.
They sat in silence for several moments.
“Look, we are grieving as a people,” Oberon said as if something occurred to him. “We’ve lost some teachers and students today and I know you have recently joined the shifter military, but under the circumstances I wonder if your superiors would allow you to come back to the school for a few years as a sort of instructor?”
“You want me to teach? Does that mean you’re the director again?”
“The battle just ended, Kol, it has not been decided who will lead the school, but I think it would help if you returned to the place you are familiar with—to your home—as we all heal. It would also help the other students if you could teach your exceptional skills.” A small smile lifted the corner of Oberon’s mouth. “As a teacher’s assistant.”
Teacher’s assistant. He was only seventeen and had really only joined the military early in order to save Myreen. It would be good to return to the walls he was familiar with. To the people, the teachers and students, he’d spent the past several years with. Char would be disappointed, but it wouldn’t be forever. And though he still didn’t have answers about Myreen, he’d be near her, too.
Kol nodded. “Look for the good.”
Oberon clapped a hand on his shoulder in response and stood, then helped Kol to his feet.
He offered a smile himself. “I’d better find my mom.”
“She was in one of the greenhouses, last I heard.”
“Thanks,” Kol said and rounded the main building to head toward the greenhouses.
Several students, teachers and military nodded at Kol as he passed, but he hardly acknowledged any of them.
One of the greenhouses was smashed, but Kol didn’t know if that was from Myreen’s ursa rampage or the battle. He found his mom tending to some orchids, of all things, in the back corner of the furthest greenhouse. The only one that looked fully intact. Why they felt the need to grow orchids in the Dome was beyond him, but they were his mother’s favorite so he mouthed ‘thanks’ to whoever decided they were worth the space.
“Mom,” he said, his steps slowing as he neared her.
“Kol,” she said. Smiling. And he knew it was a real smile because it reached her eyes.
Kol’s mouth hung open. Those smiles were the rare kind and he never thought he’d see one ever again. Especially after losing Eduard. He clamped his mouth shut again. “I called Tatiana,” he said, but paused and wondered if she knew about his dad.
“How?” she asked. “I have your phone here.” She handed it to him.
He noticed several missed calls and messages from his sister. Tatiana told him to delete them. He’d listen to them first, but they could wait.
“Char had a phone,” he explained and pocketed his phone.
“Oh good, did you tell her about your father?”
He nodded and walked closer to her, taking both of her hands in his and looked down at her amber eyes that matched his. The only physical feature he inherited from her. “Are you okay?” he asked and noted the redness around her eyes. She had been crying, she just wasn’t now. “You don’t have to be brave for me.”
She reached up to touch his cheek with her hand. “I’m not.” Her eyes welled with tears, proving his words. “But you have no idea how things have been these past few weeks.”
Kol immediately went into defensive mode. “He didn’t hurt you—?”
“No, no!” She interrupted, putting the other hand on his opposite cheek so she held his face between them. “I think he somehow...” Now her smile was giddy. She removed her hands and placed a palm on her forehead.
“What? What did he do?”
“Malkolm, he somehow... I don’t know... was stubborn enough that he broke through the curse?” Her laugh was incredulous. “Like it didn’t affect him anymore.”
Kol’s eyes widened. Not because he was surprised—he knew the curse was broken—but because he never thought he’d ever see his mother so happy. Especially hours after his father’s passing.
“Yes!” She laugh-sobbed. “Your father has been more loving, more kind, these past few weeks—” her voice caught as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I am sad that he’s gone. I really am. But if I had to choose, I would take those few precious weeks any day and lose him like we did, rather than live the rest of my life with a man who didn’t love me.”
Kol wrapped his arms around his mom and rested his chin on the top of her head. His mother was happy. It was everything he’d ever wanted for her. To be happy. And to be loved by the man she loved. She thought that in Eduard’s stubbornness and overbearing personality that he’d somehow given a big middle finger to the curse and said to hell with it, I’m not abiding by it and decided to love her anyway.
She didn’t know the curse was actually broken for all of the Draculs, not just her and Eduard. Kol almost opened his mouth to correct her, but he liked her version better. He’d let her believe her version and tell her he was able to ‘break the curse’ in a few days so she could continue to believe it. Kenzie’s family probably wouldn’t mind if they fudged the date in the event anyone cared to ask.
“How about you?” Victoria asked, pushing him away to look at him. “How are you doing?”
He attempted a shrug and smile, but it failed as tears welled. “I’m sad about dad, of course,” he said. “But glad you had that time with him.”
“And he saved you too,” she added.
“Yes, and for that—for sacrificing himself for you and for me—I am beyond proud to be a Dracul.” He stood straighter as he spoke.
“But...?”
“But... Nik died to save me too,” he said, his voice cracking.
She pulled him into her arms again briefly before aiming a stoic face. “Let’s go offer our condolences to the Candida’s.”
Kol nodded and they walked toward the exit arm in arm.
“How are things with Myreen?” she asked.
“She turned into a hybrid to defeat Draven.”
“I know. And how do you feel about that?”
“Like I don’t want to think about it right now.”
She nodded beside him. “Can I say one thing?”
“Of course.”
“That girl is a keeper. I hope that you can get past that sacrifice she had to make.”
Kol didn’t answer. He wasn’t so sure he could. It felt like he would be betraying his dad if he even entertained the idea.
“And if it’s the curse you’re worried about,” she continued. “I’ve only talked with her a handful of times, but she seems like the type to say to hell with the curse too.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said, but didn’t say anything else as they pushed the door open to leave the greenhouse.
***
Kol was nowhere near ready to face the Candida’s. Or Brett. Or Juliet. But he was more ready for that than he was for the conversation he needed to have with Myreen and so welcomed his mom’s suggestion to find them.
They entered the grand hall where the still-alive-but-injured were congregated en masse. Some lying on the floor, others propped against the walls. More blood than he’d ever seen. Harpies flitted up and down rows, looking bedraggled from using so much of their energy to hea
l. The room was dark, but it only took a split second for Kol to figure out why. He’d seen enough harpy magic lately.
He conjured a fire-ball, growing it to the size of the chandelier that hung in the center and pushed it to hover next to it. Maya Heather shot him a grateful look and pulled light from it to heal a large gash in the arm of a small mer.
Victoria created an identical orb of flame and hovered it next to Kol's. It was enough for several more healings at least. She approached the harpy teacher. “We’ll send more dragons or phoenixes to bring you more light,” Victoria said quietly. Then, “Where have they taken the dead?”
Miss Heather pushed a lock of hair from her face, covering an emotion close to the surface. “To the defense room. Away from young and sensitive eyes.”
Victoria nodded. “We are looking for Nikolai Candida.”
Miss Heather looked at Kol. He lowered his eyes and didn’t see her face when she said, “I believe they took Nik to Malachai Quinn’s office.”
“Thank you,” she said and linked arms with Kol again as they walked to Juliet’s dad’s office.
Kol took a ragged breath before entering the crammed office. Nik’s body was laid on the desk. If it weren’t for the grayness of his coloring, it almost looked as if Nik was asleep. But then Mrs. Candida and the Lieutenant General moved to greet Kol and his mother, and Kol saw the gaping wound where Nik’s heart should have been.
The damned ice didn’t even have the decency to stick around and admire its work, Kol thought bitterly. It was the perfect killing weapon. He still had no clue where it had come from.
Brett approached from the right and slapped a hand on Kol’s back. Kol returned the gesture, but when they broke apart, Brett wouldn’t meet his eyes and moved back to the wall he’d been holding up.
He didn’t have to look at the two figures clutching each other on the left-side to know who they were. Small. Female. Juliet, the fiery phoenix who’d helped save Char and his mother along with Brett. And Myreen.
Kol resisted looking at her with as much self-control as he could muster, but he was tired. He couldn’t help but give in. Their eyes locked. She asked a silent question. He looked away.
But not quickly enough to see the tear-stained cheeks of both her and Juliet.
Another person entered the room and cleared her throat.
“Myreen?” Miss Heather asked quietly. “I hate to ask, but we could use the help—”
“Of course. I’m coming,” Myreen interrupted, squeezing Juliet tightly before meeting Miss Heather near the doorway.
When she brushed past Kol, he gripped Myreen’s arm to stop her. She looked up at his eyes. He closed them and let go, then turned away back toward Nik.
When they didn’t leave right away, everyone in the room looked at them. Miss Heather’s face was a mixture of determination and excitement. Of magic and concentration. Victoria and Kol moved out of her way as she approached Nik’s body.
“What—” Brett started, but Juliet shushed him sharply from across the room. All eyes trained on the harpy teacher as she hovered her hands over Nik’s body.
There’s no way, Kol thought. It’s impossible. Nik’s dead, not injured. Even a harpy—
“Fire? Please?” Miss Heather asked the room.
Five fire-balls of varying colors simultaneously appeared above Nik. Brett’s was a deep orange, Victoria’s near-blinding white, Nik’s dad’s was brilliant green, and Juliet’s was pink. Kol conjured one that looked almost gold and positioned it between Juliet’s and the colonel’s before they began to spin slowly in a circle.
Myreen walked to Mrs. Candida, wrapping one arm around her and holding her hand with the other.
The room collectively held their breath. Juliet silently sobbed, but her fire didn’t waver or become destructive and took the shape of a heart.
The distraction of Juliet’s heart hovering for all to see momentarily peeled Kol’s eyes away from the light Miss Heather weaved, but when he looked back, he watched her pull bright strands from each ball of fire and twisted it together. Then, she positioned it downward into Nik’s mortal wound. It glowed brightly in the sickening cavity, blinding all who looked at it, but also shielding everyone from being able to see what it was doing.
Miss Heather pulled and pulled from the fire balls until they slowly unraveled and shrunk in size. Kol moved to make another one, to fuel the light for Miss Heather, but Victoria placed a hand on his.
He looked at Nik’s face. His eyes were still closed, he still looked asleep. Or dead. But his face was a healthy pink. It was no longer gray.
Miss Heather collapsed before anyone could catch her. Victoria and Myreen instantly rushed to her aid, but Kol remained watching his friend’s face. Willing his eyes to open. Willing his chest—now whole—to rise in breath.
Kol felt like he had in battle right after the kraken had crushed his lungs and spots invaded his vision and was unable to catch his breath. He looked up at the ceiling. Ten seconds. Just ten seconds and he’d get the oxygen he needed to return to the battle. To reality.
Ten... nine... eight...
Juliet choked out another sob.
Seven... six... five...
“Miss Heather!” Myreen cried, quietly, but an edge of panic in her voice. “Miss Heather!”
Four... three... two...
“Let’s get Miss Heather to the other harpies,” Victoria said.
One.
Kol lowered his gaze, ready to face reality, but fully expecting to see his still-dead best friend lying on the desk.
But Nik’s eyes were open.
Kol smiled. No one else looked at him in their concern for Miss Heather. “Do you have any idea what it would have done to me, Nik?” he teased. “That my best friend not only took a dagger of ice for me, but died doing it?”
Nik matched his smirk. “Then we’re even,” he croaked.
Several of the women gasped. Juliet threw herself into Nik’s arms and sobbed harder. The entire room converged on the now-alive Nikolai Candida. Back from the dead.
Kol’s mom, Nik’s dad and Myreen rushed Miss Heather to get help right away, but Myreen said she hadn’t regained consciousness when she returned to report.
The next half hour was chaos, but the good sort of chaos that only happens when a loved one magically returns back to life.
When everyone settled, and Mrs. Candida was convinced that her son was okay, she left to check on Miss Heather, leaving the five teenagers to stare at each other in a strange sense of awe.
Juliet sat on the desk next to a now-sitting Nik. One of his arms wrapped around her and she nestled with her head leaning against him. Myreen sat on the other side of Juliet and clutched her hand tightly. Kol leaned against the wall next to Brett and stared at the floor with a smile on his face that was mostly genuine.
“Alright, guys,” Nik said. “Spill.”
All eyes turned to him.
“The battle must be over? And at least some of the Dome is still intact?” he gestured at the small office.
Brett cleared his throat. “Yeah, that siren chick over there ripped Draven’s head off.” He chuckled. “Like literally. The battle is over.”
Kol expected to see Myreen’s face color, but figured it was her vampire nature that prevented it.
“Okay...” Nik said when the room fell silent again. “What else did I miss?”
Myreen jumped from the desk. “I should go see if I can help,” she said. “With Miss Heather unconscious, they could probably use another harpy.”
Juliet shot Kol a look like he should follow her. He kept his expression neutral. He wasn’t ready.
When she put her hand on the door handle, Myreen paused and turned to him. “Could we talk for a minute, Kol?” she asked, inclining her head toward the door. Indicating that she wanted to speak alone.
Kol gestured at Nik as if that was not a good time to talk privately.
“Lord Dracul was eaten by the kraken,” Brett said, siding with Kol that they
weren’t finished filling Nik in. At least Brett had the decency to cringe after the words left his mouth so tactlessly.
“Kol, I’m sorry...” Nik said. “Do you think—”
“I don’t think any harpy could bring him back,” Kol interrupted. “Not even Miss Heather.”
“Delphine and Kendall died too,” Myreen said softly. “But the other harpies said they can’t risk falling unconscious to bring back the dead. They don’t think they could do it even if they weren’t needed to help the injured. What Miss Heather did was... incredible.”
Nik didn’t seem to have more questions and leaned his cheek against the top of Juliet’s head with his eyes closed.
“Please, Kol?” Myreen whispered.
Kol pushed from the wall and slowly followed her.
“Well, I’m out,” Brett said following him. “I’m not about to be the third wheel in here.” He pointed at Juliet and Nik. “But I do take credit for you two.”
Everyone turned to look at Brett.
His face was one of astonishment. “What? Don’t you remember, Nik? I told you to ask Juliet out months ago.”
Kol laughed and crossed his arms.
“You did not,” Nik said. “Why would you tell me to ask her out?”
“No, he’s right, Nik,” Kol said. “But he didn’t tell you, he dared you to ask her out.”
Juliet pulled away from Nik with a hurt look. “Why would Brett dare you to ask me out?”
“Because you’re a phoenix,” Kol said. “And Nik’s a dragon.”
“So what?” Juliet argued. “You’re a dragon, and Myreen is a mer-harpy-ursa-vampire-hybrid whatever.” She smiled and rolled her eyes as she said it.
Kol didn’t look at her face, but could feel Myreen stiffen next to him.
“Exactly,” Nik said, pulling Juliet close to him and kissing her. “After what we’ve been through. It doesn’t matter that you’re a phoenix and I’m a dragon.”
Juliet smiled and kissed him again.
“See you guys later,” Brett said as he exited, pushing past Myreen and Kol.
“Wait... did you say Myreen was a vampire-hybrid?” Nik said when Myreen and Kol followed Brett.