"What?" Odion grumbled.
"You're super shy, aren't you?" Finn revealed.
Odion didn't reply but reached out and tugged on Orion's sleeve. Orion gave him a look and Odion shuffled and turned Orion to face Finn and hid behind him.
"He's too honest," Odion mumbled, his face completely red but was hidden behind Orion. Orion smiled and lifted his hand back to pet Odion's head.
"My brother's shy with new people. It'll take some getting used to. Just be nice." Orion defended his brother with a smile.
"Of course!" Caio and Cairus said together.
"I'm cool with him. He did protect Celestia after all," Theo replied.
"He's good in my book," Finn said with a grin.
"So accepting," Odion whispered, poking out from behind Orion.
I reached out and slipped my hand in Odion's and he squeezed it.
The appreciation that glistened in his expression made me smile and I glanced back at the others who appeared just as pleased and accepting.
My gaze scanned the group, looking for Hunter. "Where did Hunter go?"
"Oh, he went to go make sure Arielle didn't burn your pile of sweatpants he just washed," Finn replied, and the other chuckled.
"Let's go back to the gates. I'm starving. I can finally eat." Finn sighed in relief.
"You weren't eating?" I asked.
"It's difficult to eat when we don't know if our Blessed Love is truly okay, Cutie Pie," Finn admitted.
"Have to agree," Orion replied.
"True." Theo nodded.
"We're famished," Caio and Cairus added.
"Hmm. Do you guys have cake?"
We all looked at Odion who had asked the question and he glanced away.
"My friend always talks about cake… I don't remember eating some..." Odion mumbled.
Cairus and Caio exchanged looks. "Let's bake Odion and Celestia a welcome back cake!"
They didn't even wait for us to reply, the two of them rushing back towards the gate of Alpha Pure.
"Guess that's a yes." Theo sighed but smiled. "I'll go help them out so we're not waiting too long. Nice to meet you, Odion." Theo went off to chase after the Sun twins.
"You forgot to tell them if you wanted chocolate or vanilla," Finn pointed out.
"I don't know," Odion replied.
"Chocolate is nice… but vanilla is good too." Orion appeared deep in thought. Finn and I exchanged looks and we ended up laughing.
Orion and Odion looked at us with confused expressions. "What?"
"Nothing," I replied, and Finn laughed.
"I'm glad you two are all happy brothers again. Having the both of you together is intriguing to watch."
"We're not your entertainment," Odion grumbled.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you all his secrets to use against him when he least expects it." Orion grinned and Odion looked pleased.
"Excellent."
"Oh no! You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Finn snapped.
"He's my loving, adorable, twin brother. I can't possibly hold such sacred information back from him," Orion said dramatically and began to walk away.
"Come back here dammit!" Finn huffed. He turned to Odion and reached out to pat his shoulder.
"Seriously, though. Thanks for protecting Celestia and helping us on multiple occasions. We appreciate it."
Finn turned around and raced off to begin arguing with Orion who brushed him off. I shifted to face Odion who was fidgeting in his spot.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Ya. It's just… a little overwhelming. I didn't expect them to be nice. They didn't give me dirty looks or anything. Even when I was a bit mean."
"You weren't mean. They know you meant well. You did a really good job." I leaned up and kissed him.
He pressed his forehead against mine. "Is Hunter coming back for sure?"
"Ya, I think so," I replied and glanced back to see the brown-haired phoenix shifter walking our way.
He looked relieved and I let go of Odion's hand to give Hunter a hug.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," I replied, knowing we didn't need to say much. From the way he held me against him and breathed deeply, I could tell he was happy I was back.
"Don't leave us for that long again. I don't think I can stand another night listening to Finn cry into his pillow."
"Was it that bad?" I asked and pulled back to see his appalled face.
"Horrible."
I gave him a remorseful look and he kissed me before I could do the same. "Welcome back."
"Thank you." I kissed him one last time and pulled back to look at Odion who was staring at Hunter.
"I wonder why it took me so long to see the resemblance?" Odion pondered.
"Resemblance? To whom?" Hunter asked. "And wow. You really do look like Orion."
"We're twins," Odion replied.
"I know."
"Identical twins."
"I also know that."
"Then it's obvious."
"Do you get all combative when you're nervous?" Hunter asked and someone else snickered in the bushes which made me sigh.
"You're ruining the surprise, shh!" I huffed at the voice.
"Surprise who’s hiding?" Hunter asked. "What surprise? For who?”
"For you," I whispered.
"Why? It's not my birthday or anything," Hunter defended, not following what was going on.
"You're gonna freak out, just a little," I warned.
"Okay?" Hunter replied, looking a bit nervous.
"Arielle explained generally how people get through to the Dark World, right?" I inquired. He nodded.
"Yes. It happens in a number of ways, but essentially, it’s when they're in a tainted area or place and if their will to live is strong enough and they survive the transition into the Dark World, they can live there until peace is restored. Some can go in and out like what Momo did, but they have to make sure their level of darkness is in intact. Arielle gave us a lot of info."
I nodded and whispered, "Aaron, you can come out now."
"Wait, what? Celestia, how do you know..." Hunter trailed off and his eyes grew wide in shock when Aaron walked out of his hiding place and smiled.
"I guess fate wouldn't let me rest until I knew my brother got a good girl in his life to marry." Aaron had a sheepish grin on his face, and I could tell he was fighting tears as he blinked rapidly.
Hunter’s eyes, on the other hand, filled with tears in seconds as he stared at Aaron in shock. His amber gaze trailed up and down and I let go of his hand so he could take slow, steady steps toward Aaron who remained in place.
"This… can't be real," Hunter whispered and Aaron gave him a sad smile.
"If I were in your shoes, I'd think the same thing. I didn't know you were going to Aslan… or I would have tried to find you somehow. When I died… you were a short, scrawny kid who loved to learn and do great things. Now you're a man and a part of something bigger than anything imaginable. If fate had planned all of this… I'd die again and again to feel the sense of pride I'm experiencing right now, Hunter."
Aaron opened his arms and whispered. "I'm real, brother. Now, stop calculating how this is possible and come to give me a hug."
Hunter took the last steps between them and practically tackled Aaron, who wrapped his arms around him.
"Brother… you're alive? You're real." Hunter began to sob, and Aaron smiled and rubbed his back, resting his head on Hunter's shoulder.
"I'm alive, Hunter, and I've never been prouder. Damn, I've missed you."
I quietly wept, and Odion's arms wrapped around my waist as he rested his head on my shoulder.
"I'm glad we met you, Celestia," Odion whispered.
"Why?" I asked.
"You're the reason why we're all a little stronger. Like the connector between all of us who somehow manages to bring happiness and hope into our lives, either through your love you have for us or the actions you take that lead to moments like this. You're the reas
on I'm on good terms with my brother again. Now Aaron has his younger brother back, and I know you haven't gotten to learn much about him yet, but he's really grateful," Odion admitted.
He hugged me tighter and kissed my cheek.
"Thanks for being our light. "
I never imagined we'd reach this moment in our lives. Starting out as strangers to reuniting with loved ones and bonding to the point we could trust each other with our lives.
I could feel this final fight would be a hard one, but I knew in my heart that Mother Nature had bigger plans and wouldn't let us down.
It was time to face the final mountain blocking us from peace: The High Council.
"CELESTIA!!!"
It's funny how I never understood the phrase "It happened so fast."
I'd read it in stories or watched it in movies and TV shows, but it never dawned to me how 'fast' things could change.
And fail.
Our goal to have one final week to plan and prepare for the big battle to reclaim the peace that was lost long ago, turned into one day of preparation thanks to a leak. One we had stopped before it screwed everything up.
Who could have possibly snuck out before their spell of secrecy was placed on them, you may ask?
A familiar bully who must not have learned his lesson at Aslan.
Oh right, he didn't remember.
Vincent had almost fucked up our plans, trying to take the glory of being the biggest snitch in the history of Aslan by attempting to speak to the High Council by himself.
You think he'd let anyone else join him in taking full credit when he could claim all the glory?
Faelia had received a last-minute vision, seeing everything occur and the ultimate damage it would cause if we delayed even a day longer. Everything went right into gear, with Faelia and her men ambushing the Fae with the regenerating potions.
That was now a crucial part because the three lines of defense we’d expected was down to one because many of the shifters who'd offered to help didn’t have time to arrive. A good chunk of them lived far away and would take a full day to reach the planned battle site.
It would be too late by then.
Thankfully, our armor was all set and, before we knew it, the battle had begun.
The High Council was nothing like I'd imagined. I assumed they were kind looking individuals like Othello or Esme, both of them who gave off the impression that they wanted to spread positive change across our lands and bring peace.
The men who had arrived to claim the rainbow crown held a dark aura, one so full of personal greed and power hunger that even I couldn't purify.
They were as tainted as a group of Forsaken, and as we began to fight them, I realized an army of Forsaken would have been the better choice.
The person that was showing the most resistance and was currently the one being held back by our combined attacks and barrier techniques was Martz himself.
Even when Faelia's potion was beginning to have an effect, he fought the hardest.
We'd gotten Martz to his knees, the only task now was to wait for my mom and dads to do the final combined spell to render Martz completely useless, but that was when everything went horribly wrong, starting with the sudden wave of darkness that was intended to swallow all of us.
But I wouldn't dare allow my men to be taken captive by darkness as fearsome as his.
Before the blast hit me, I had enough time to create a barrier around the two of us, leaving all seven of my men out of it.
I knew that I could summon Odion if I really needed him, but I was scared that even he wouldn't be able to handle this.
It’s a decision made somewhere deep within my mind, and I'd take the scolding from my men after. Well… if I survive.
When the blast hit me, I was covered in a bubble of darkness. It wasn't like in the Dark World where I felt confident being in the pitch dark. It was bone trembling cold, and the heavy feeling that weighed on my body and mind was almost torturous itself.
"You are wise to protect those pathetic men. Their minds would shatter in just a few minutes. Just like yours will."
I slowly stood, gritting my teeth as I fought the increased level of gravity that wanted to keep me down. "You know… for a what? 300? 400-year-old man, you sure are cocky."
"You won't be talking smack for long. See, I'm a very patient individual, and even with that silly tainted potion, it did very little to bring me down as you'd predicted. All of you underestimated my power, which only makes me laugh." Martz chuckled and shook his head.
"Now. Give up the crown so I can be on my way. I'll make sure you die a quick death and will spare you the shame I'd bring to your life if I allowed you to live."
"Still cocky… and talking shit," I mumbled, finally standing up straight.
"First off, I don't have the crown you speak of. If you caught on to the potions, I would have assumed you would have caught on to that by now. Guess you aren't very smart in the 'using your brain' department. As for dying, I have a familiar and seven lovers to return to. Not missing out on wine and cake because of some old man who can't let go and die."
I took a few breaths and grinned. "Second of all, it's about time you let it sink into that thick skull of yours that today will be the last day you remain alive. I may be delusional, but Mother Nature wouldn't let us lose."
Martz began to laugh cynically.
"Mother Nature wouldn't let you all lose? Mother Nature is a snake! She favors the creations she makes that do her bidding and praise her like some god. You worship a being who can control whether your dimension lives or crumbles, and yet you put your hopes and dreams in a being who sits and watches her children perish? I've lived centuries where shifters just like you beg to be saved, and I've killed them with my bare hands."
The weight of gravity doubled, and I cursed as I fell to my hands and knees. I bit my lip and held off a scream, my mind feeling like it was going to explode while I struggled to breathe.
"Do you not think I know who you are, Sia..."
I couldn't answer, and he returned to his laughing fit. I could hear his approaching footsteps, each step that sank into the rich brown soil could be heard through the ringing in my ears.
Martz's feet reached my line of vision and he knelt on one knee, his hand lifting my head up to meet his pure black eyes.
"Did you believe I'd bow down to you again? When I had to witness your funeral and deal with all the townspeople mourning your death, I had to try not to laugh. How pleasing it was to realize that all our plans had worked, and with it, your pathetic men one by one, killing themselves because their sweet beloved was dead."
I growled, feeling the light within me want to fight back, but it was being overpowered by the darkness, and only brought satisfaction to Martz's eyes as he noticed my struggle.
"You all talk about how light is better than darkness. That it conquers all and will come out victorious no matter what. That is all bullshit."
His grin was now borderline crazy, and he sighed.
"Poor Lucian. To put his hope in you was a sad mistake. To believe the reincarnation of his beloved Queen would be able to save this universe was foolish. He could have joined me. Be on the same page in letting life run its course. You believe shifters of various races can live in harmony? You think peace out rules power? Fights happen because one shifter proves to the competitor and fellow peers, that they are worthy of their praise and fellowship."
He shook his head and gave me a sad smile.
"To be a Queen, you must be powerful. To gain power, you must work endlessly because anyone can take your throne. Mother Nature, your apparent savior, chose a child to be Queen. A rainbow unicorn she'd created to adapt to all types of your dying blessed race, and yet here you are, down on your knees because of me."
His hand left my chin and went for my throat, lifting me with ease. I glared at him as my throat began to constrict from his hold, but a scream escaped me when something speared through my chest.
"
When Lucian's dark tendrils went through your body over and over again, it must have been painful." He smirked at my wide eyes and continued. "You think I didn't see what was going on? Hear what Charlotte and your adorable dads were planning? I see everything, child. The darkness hides patiently to strike its prey down. It could take months or years, but if it leads to this moment of satisfaction… it's so worth it."
Another scream escaped me when I felt something go through my stomach.
"Did you know I was the reason Charlotte couldn't bear a child?" he whispered and walked around me. I couldn't answer, another item going through me, but this time I held back my cries of agony. Gritting my teeth and shutting my eyes, I continued to endure blow after blow, and when I started to cough up blood, that was when I noticed what was piercing me was like thick threads of a spider web.
My blood slowly escaped my body, dripping and bleeding into the black threads that pierced and held me up.
"I wonder, if I left you barely breathing, would those men still want you? Or love you? A shifter who can't bear one of her own. Wouldn't that be sad, Sia? To die before you could enjoy what you've wanted the most and now, after being reincarnated again, losing that same privilege. Oh, the joy it would bring me to see how shattered your heart would be. To watch your men leave your side. A Queen who can't produce an heir is useless. Might as well allow someone like me to continue to do my job and let the people decide their fate. Only the strongest shifters may survive the plague of darkness upon us, and sadly, that isn't you, Sia."
"Stop calling… me… Sia," I muttered, struggling to breathe as the crippling pain tried to consume me. "It's Celestia."
"It doesn't matter, Ce.le.stia. No one will remember you after I kill you. That name will be forbidden after I drag it through the dirt and wrap those fools’ minds with lies they easily fall for. You will be nothing and will succumb to the darkness I've poisoned you with. You have already failed."
A loud sound came from my left side, like something hitting against a wall and shattering. Martz laughed.
"I guess your parents have arrived. Wouldn't it be nice to see their reactions to your current predicament?"
I whimpered and choked on the blood in my mouth as threads began to pierce through me at a rapid rate, so quickly I had no voice to scream with.
CELESTIA (Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Book 4) Page 15