Marion sat next to Lucas, joined by Avril and Heron. I hadn’t noticed them, either. There were so many people in the sanctuary now that I couldn’t process the whole scene or recognize everyone—though I was certain I knew most of them. Pain blinded me in ways I’d never thought possible, tearing me out of my reality and keeping me isolated in my suffering.
“We asked the Hermessi for help, and this is what they gave us.” Marion sighed, shaking her head. She leaned down and kissed Lucas’s forehead. Avril fought back tears as she caressed her father’s cheek. “As much as I hate to say this, I’d rather they all stayed dead than all of us ending up on the wrong end of Death.”
The statement felt like a claw hammer rammed into my stomach, but its truth could not be ignored. As much as I wanted it all to go back to normal, as desperate as I was to see my Vesta alive and breathing again, I had to admit, I didn’t want it to come at the cost of another apocalypse. We’d had enough of those, from both Ta’Zan and Brendel. The circle had to break. The pattern needed to stop.
“You would not owe Death anything.” A male voice came through.
I froze, recognizing his attire. The black suit and shirt, the dapper look and eyes filled with galaxies and darkness. A Reaper. This wasn’t Vesta’s, though. No, that one was hiding from sight, much like the rest of them. I hadn’t dared to call out to him after he’d vanished, after the slew of curse words I’d thrown at him for not showing her to me after she’d passed. I hadn’t dared to hope that her spirit was still around, either. Deluding myself would’ve been the last step prior to an unavoidable descent into madness, and I needed my wits about me for the near future.
“Who are you?” I asked, struggling to keep my temper. The mere sight of a Reaper was enough to piss me off, reminding me of their stupid rules and regulations. I couldn’t hate them too much, though. Rudolph had given me the chance to say goodbye, at least.
“Seeley,” he said, standing in front of Vesta and me. He’d appeared out of nowhere, but I was too tired to be startled. “I’m sorry we have to meet in such circumstances,” he added, giving me a grave look before he turned to look at Marion and the others. “But I felt the need to correct you. Death wants nothing in return. For all the good that Taeral and his crew have done, this is the least she could do to thank him, to thank you all for your resistance, for your opposition to the Hermessi.”
“What… What are you trying to say?” River replied. This was the first time she sounded coherent, since she’d been brought here. Her demeanor had done a 180 in a split second.
“This is a one-time only measure,” Seeley said. “I must add the disclaimer. Do not expect us to just come in and fix things whenever someone dies, going forward. We are not friends. We are not partners. Chances are we shall never see each other again after I’m done here.”
“After you’re done here doing what, exactly?” Sofia asked. Her lower lip quivered, and I could almost feel the conflict brewing inside her, between grim reality and that little inkling of hope I knew she’d held on to.
“Five million fae have perished unnaturally. The universe is out of balance. Therefore, the Hermessi’s error must be corrected,” Seeley declared. “The wounds they caused may never heal, but the world will move on. It will continue to grow, no longer tarnished by mindless rituals and elementals with a god complex. That is done and over with.”
His scythe lit up white as he raised it over his head. His lips moved, but I couldn’t hear him. I could, however, feel the chill leaving Vesta’s body. An invisible current jolted through every fae in the sanctuary, bursting outward like a draft. Silence and dust settled around us. Seeley seemed to be waiting for something.
My soul ached, temporarily seduced by the same flicker of hope I’d seen in Sofia’s eyes. Fearful that I might find myself disappointed, I squashed it quickly. But Vesta’s eyes opened, and she sucked in a wheezing breath, and relief washed over me like a violent avalanche.
“Vesta!” I gasped.
She wasn’t the only one, either! One by one, the fae came back to life! Ben, Grace, Caia, Vita… then Lucas and Kailyn. The GASP agents. The diplomats. The visitors from the Fire Star and Zephyr. Every single fae in the sanctuary, even Crane, had been revived. River’s shriek made my skin tingle—it wasn’t grief, though, that had fueled it. It was relief. It was joy. It was the complete opposite of everything that had tormented her until now.
For a moment, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. But Bijarki scooped Vita up in an ardent embrace, and Blaze kissed Caia a thousand times, crying and laughing at once. River sobbed as Ben smiled at her, and she wrapped her arms around him. Grace and Lawrence hugged and kissed first, before they reunited with Ben and River. The Novaks piled up on one another in a feverish group hug, arms reaching, souls swelling, tears flowing, as life had been breathed back into half of them. I worried once more that River might faint, but for different reasons.
Lucas hugged his wife and daughter. He even grabbed Heron by his face and kissed him on the forehead, laughing maniacally as he realized he’d just gotten a third chance at life. Derek hugged his brother, laughing and crying at the same time.
“You lucky son of a…” Derek managed. “You lucky… lucky bastard!”
“Good to be back… again.” Lucas chuckled hoarsely. He reached an arm out for Vivienne to join them, and she did not hesitate. The Novak siblings were together again, and all the torment they’d endured until now had completely evaporated. I did not wish to use the word lightly, but I couldn’t help it.
“It’s a miracle,” I whispered.
“Zeriel,” Vesta said, prompting me to look down. I realized then that my entire body was shaking, and I didn’t know how to cope with this—the very thing I’d prayed for but hadn’t thought I’d ever see. “Are you okay?”
I must’ve looked like crap. Losing her had damaged me in so many ways. “I’m okay. I’m better now, actually.”
“Might it have something to do with me being alive again?” she asked, slightly amused and remarkably calm. Her eyes were glassy with tears, but she held them back, and I loved her all the more for it.
“Probably.”
I shuddered, and she brought her arms up, locked them around my neck, and pulled herself closer, her lips now inches from mine. “I’ve watched you cry for the better part of an hour, baby. But there’s no need for tears anymore. I hoped they’d bring us back. I’m here. Please, don’t cry.”
“I… I can’t help myself.”
Her face crinkled. “If you cry, I’ll cry. And I’m not sure I can stop once I get started.”
I kissed her deeply and lost myself in her embrace. Our bodies melted and came together, like strings of clay tangled on a wet pottery wheel. Spinning, we were reunited, our souls tighter than ever, our hearts forever bound.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you,” Seeley said. For a moment, I’d forgotten all about him, though I had good reason. My love had come back to me…
Vesta tried to get up, but her legs were still weak, so I put her arms around my neck and helped her into a standing position. She took a moment or two to gain some footing, as Seeley moved in closer, smiling gently. “At least you didn’t leave without saying goodbye!” she replied, beaming at him. Her eyes were glazed with tears of pure happiness. “Thank you… Thank you so much…”
“I did promise I’d do everything in my power to help you.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more… or sooner, for that matter.”
“It’s better than nothing,” I said, giving him a thankful nod.
“I can’t stay anymore,” he replied, his gaze shifting between us. “But I didn’t want to leave without thanking you…”
“Thanking me? For what?” Vesta asked. “You brought me back, dude!”
“For being yourself,” he answered. “For your relentlessness and determination. I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to rebel against the rules, at least once in a while. It makes everything more fun.”<
br />
Vesta giggled, her body glued to mine. I was still wrapping my head around this new reality of ours. My heart ached from the trauma of losing her, in the first place. I doubted the sensation would go away soon.
“I got lucky,” she said. “I got the cool and rebellious Reaper.”
“Stay safe, Vesta,” he replied, preparing to bid us farewell. Too many people around us were looking at him, eager to come up and hug him, to thank him. I had a feeling he wasn’t that much into this part of the process. “Don’t change who you are. Always question everything, and you might just live a very long life, before we meet again.”
“Let me guess. You plan on being the one who reaps me?” she chuckled, and he nodded in return. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I hoped that wouldn’t happen for a long, long time. “It’ll be an honor when that day comes,” she added. “Just make sure you don’t rush back over here, okay? I’ve got plans.”
“I promise,” he said, then looked at me. “And you… You’d better cherish her until your last breath, or you’ll answer to me.”
“I’m inclined to take you seriously,” I shot back, slightly amused but also quite chilled, down to the bone. I knew he’d meant it.
The crowd gasped, disappointed when Seeley disappeared, likely joining the other Reapers in their otherworldly plane. No one could even see beyond the sanctuary at this point. Derek and Sofia were brought back together, their family whole again. Vesta and I stayed close, laughing and crying at the same time. We felt Kailani, Hunter, and a few others hug us, but we couldn’t even look away from each other.
Kailani smiled at Vesta. “Your parents are on their way. All the fae have been released from quarantine.”
It made Vesta light up, almost glowing on the inside, as she braced herself for what was bound to be a teary reunion.
I heard the Novaks whispering sweet words to one another. Soulmates returned. Love was reaffirmed. Parents got their children back. Husbands got their wives back. The world made sense again, and the sanctuary burst into waves of laughter and tears of joy. Every inch of this place was bathed in a milky white moonlight and the relief from hundreds of creatures who’d been spared by Death.
The future was bright again. The future was there, once more, for us to reach out to and build. My fiancée had been returned to me, and I couldn’t even breathe from all the happiness.
“I worry my heart is going to explode,” I managed, running my fingers through her hair, thankful to feel its silky texture against my skin. She kissed me again, her lips as sweet and as soft as honey. I tasted her, I devoured her, and she exhaled sharply when her palm settled on my chest.
“Oh, wow, you’re actually right,” she said, giving me a worried glance. “Take a few deep breaths, honey, or you’ll hyperventilate and pass out.”
I laughed, throwing my head back in sheer delight. “Then let me pass out. It would be for the most wonderful of reasons.”
The Novaks surrounded us, laughing and cheering. The life had returned to River’s face, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief. She deserved every second of this. We were all back together again, but our emotional wounds would take a long time to heal. For a short while, we’d all lost the people we loved most in this world. It could not be deleted by Death’s resurrection order. It made it all better, yes, but it did not erase what happened.
For now, we rode the wave of joy and love. Tomorrow, we’d all have to wake up and face what we went through. The grief would take a while to fade away, and the memory of our losses would never disappear. I had a feeling we’d all remember this for as long as we lived.
When we were all sated by the sudden influx of glee and reassurance, the prospect of fallout from this entire incident began to rear its ugly head. There was no rest for us yet. Several issues needed to be addressed, including the immediate aftermath of the ritual.
“What do we do next?” Kailani asked.
Rose was glued to her brother, much like River and Sofia. She sighed deeply. “We’ll have to check every world in the GASP federation,” she said. “See if there were any victims besides the fae who might’ve gotten hurt by the ritual’s final stage. You know, before Tae canceled it.”
Derek nodded in agreement. “We’ll need to do a tally of Hermessi cult members, as well. They’re likely to still be loyal, indoctrinated into this idea of an end of days.”
“I say jail for life is definitely an option for those bastards,” Lucas grumbled, his arms locked around Avril and Marion’s necks. He stopped to drop kisses on their foreheads once in a while, as if just to make sure that they were real. That this was all real. Not that I could blame him, since I, too, occasionally squeezed Vesta in my arms for the same reason. “They did this willingly. They were well aware of what the plan was, the kind of damage it would do.”
“I agree,” Sofia replied. “We cannot show mercy to these people, not after what they helped the Hermessi do. Five million fae literally died because of them, and the fact that Death brought our people back does not lessen the cultists’ crimes.”
“Where’s Nuriya? She was here earlier,” Ben said. He wobbled a bit as he looked around curiously, still taking some time to get reacquainted with his own body. He’d been held up by his wife and daughter and granddaughters in their hugs, until now, but he’d moved back a bit to stand on his own. Technically speaking, it wasn’t even his original body. He’d gotten it from the fae during his first brush with the ghostly afterlife. I figured he’d gotten attached to it in the meantime.
“I think she went back to Sherus,” I replied. “He came back too, just now, just like the rest of you.” I could only imagine the joy in her heart over this. From the moment the fae had drawn their first breaths here, Nuriya must’ve zapped herself right back to the glass house.
“Good. That’s really good… And regarding the cults, I think they will die out, eventually,” Ben said. “Of course, I do agree that they need to spend the rest of their lives in jail, but we should also be aware of the fact that we didn’t succeed in catching them all. There are plenty of cultists still out there.”
“But you’re right, they’ll die out,” River replied. “There’s no ritual for them to work toward.”
“And no Hermessi for them to reach out to,” Derek added. “I’m rather certain that this complete undoing of the ritual has thrown the elementals back, as well. They no longer have the five million fae’s energy to feed on.”
I nodded slowly, briefly glancing at Vesta. There was relief in her blue eyes. We both knew it would take a while to make sense of everything and fully recover, but it was going to be okay. As long as we had each other, we’d all push through and find our way back to a certain sense of balance in time.
After the Hermessi’s involvement, I understood that the world would never be the same again. We certainly wouldn’t be, as we were now aware of entities that existed beyond death, beyond our otherwise supernatural existence. There were Reapers and ghouls, the latter already known to us. Then, there was Death herself and the world of the dead, which we knew nothing about—frankly, at this stage in my life, I didn’t want to know anything, anyway. Then there was the Word and its swamp witches. The elementals and the pink waters. Sheesh, there was so much more to the universe than I’d thought.
And so much left to uncover… to explore.
This was as close as we’d get to a happy ending. Just us, being thankful for each breath, for another chance at building bigger, brighter futures. The world was not exactly our oyster anymore, but we were part of it anyway. We just needed to learn how to navigate it without disrupting the natural balance of things.
The last thing I wanted was to meet another Reaper anytime soon.
Harper
As soon as we saw what happened in the sanctuary, Caspian and I took Benedict, Yelena and little Sophia through the Calliope portal straight to Neraka. There, confusion had been quickly replaced by joy and cheers, as the local fae had also been brought back to life. The daemons ha
d burst onto the surface, screaming and howling, thrilled to have survived this.
We found Fiona and Zane quickly, right outside the entrance to Infernis. Night had settled over the land, the moons glowing gleefully in the sky, and stars twinkling and smiling down at us. The Imen were already pouring back out, as well, joined by the Manticores—they’d all been moving through the daemons’ tunnels, looking to evacuate the area.
Many were still coming back, and they would need time to readjust to their lives, but at least they’d made it. They lived, and that was all that mattered.
Fiona burst into tears when she saw us coming, her arms wide open as Benedict and Yelena brought Sophia back to her. “I’m sorry… mom, dad… my sweet little baby… I’m so sorry,” she said, as she held her daughter again.
I could only imagine what was going through her head. She’d thought she would never see Sophia again. She’d braced herself for death, and yet, she was here, holding her baby once more. The universe could seem like a cruel place at times, but, by the stars, it sure knew how to reward us.
Caspian chuckled when Zane moved closer, his red eyes wide and glimmering with fatherly tears. He couldn’t even speak, his big arms wrapped around Fiona and baby Sophia. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his daughter’s forehead. Sophia cooed, drool bubbling in the corner of her pink little mouth.
I was crying, too, though I’d only realized this now, upon hearing my own sniffing. Caspian held me close, while Benedict and Yelena joined Fiona and Zane’s tight hug. Fiona’s cheeks were red with shame as she looked at her parents.
“I’m sorry… I really am,” she said.
“Don’t you ever do that again,” Benedict said.
“Honey, we have to understand her. It’s her kingdom, too,” Yelena cajoled him.
“But she’s our daughter!” he shot back, unwilling to let go of the grief and sorrow he’d experienced upon thinking Fiona would die here.
A Shade of Vampire 77: A Fate of Time Page 23