I felt one last surge of Azaren’s magic, and then I was falling. I hardly noticed the ground rush up at me, or the scent of ash that reminded me so much of my vampire. All I knew was the frigid cold, and the darkness that wanted to pull me under.
But as the last breath squeezed from my lungs, a hand slammed over my heart. Power crackled through me, like lightning was zapping through my body, lighting my every nerve on fire.
I gasped, my chest heaving as my fire reignited, warmth racing through my body and chasing away the cold. My eyes burst open, and Cara was above me, one hand on me while the other rested on Prince Azaren. Twin red gems adorned both of her hands, and she sobbed at the sight of me. “Thank the goddess.”
She wobbled, but I lifted, holding her in my arms.
Prince Azaren lifted onto his elbows, his pink lips forming a smile.
“You saved us,” I whispered in disbelief. I stared down at my smooth wrists that had not a single mark on them.
“No,yousaved us,” she answered with a smile. “And once I felt the curse change, I knew it wasn’t too late for me to save you in return.”
She gestured with her head to where I’d last seen my monsters, and I followed her gaze to see they were no longer being afflicted by black flames and the magic Xander had unleashed. My mates scrambled to get to me, and when Prince Azaren laughed, Cara and I laughed with him, feeling lighter than we’d ever felt.
“Raine,” Locke croaked as my mates fell to the ground around me. And then their lips were on me, their kisses on my skin, and their noses burying into my hair as they held me tight.
“Never again,” Kade rasped, his voice deep with emotion.
“Never again,” I agreed. Asher’s tail curled possessively around my waist, and Locke’s wings flared, covering our group like he was determined to keep me there. Darian pressed his forehead against mine, and he let out a long breath, like for a moment there he thought he might never be able to breathe again.
My monsters were whole. And alive. But…
I frowned at Cara and Prince Azaren who were still laughing and holding each other as they watched us. “We’re still monsters,” I said in surprise. I could feel my inner dragon, preening at all of the attention she was getting from her mates. My eyes met Cara’s.
Prince Azaren answered casually, “The magic in this land is a part of Katakin now, the curse couldn’t be taken away.”
I stared at my mates. The monsters who had captured my heart just the way they were.
“But we changed the curse,” Prince Azaren continued to explain. “We removed the magic Xander had unleashed, and instead of those in Katakin being tied to the curse, the curse is only tied to the land.”
“So, what you’re saying is…” Darian began, his blue eyes sparkling.
“You all now have a choice. Instead of dying when you’re away from Katakin and the magic for too long, you can leave Katakin indefinitely if you wish,” Prince Azaren responded. “And if you do, you’ll become human again while you’re away. You’re not cursed. Only this land is. Or you could say it’s blessed, depending on how you want to look at it. You won’t die after you’ve been away from the magic for a long while. You’ll merely become mortal.”
“Human?” Locke said softly, folding his wings back behind him.
Around us, the monsters and fae were all getting to their feet, staring at each other uncertainly, but with less hatred and wariness than they had before.
The Forgotten Fae watched on. Xander still held the book in his hands, but his expression was empty, defeated. My mates lifted to their feet, still protectively shielding me as they watched him carefully. Like nothing and no one could ever try to take me from them again.
Prince Azaren lifted from the ground and rose to his full height as he strode over to the Forgotten Fae. Soldiers from the fae army jogged over to stand with him.
The Forgotten Fae warriors lowered their weapons as he approached and bowed their heads in respect.
Xander stood awkwardly, his expression lost. He’d seen it all.Feltit all. Just as we all had.
Prince Azaren spoke loudly, “There are many things my father did that I don’t agree with. If you’re willing, I propose to work together with the Forgotten Fae to mend the rift amongst our kind. Maybe then we can all get the peace we desire.”
Xander was silent for a long moment, the weight of over a thousand gazes upon him. The soldiers around Prince Azaren tensed like they were preparing to defend him, but slowly, Xander closed the book. His gaze went to Cara before finding the prince again. “It won’t be easy...” he responded as he passed the book to Prince Azaren.
The prince gripped the leather-bound tome and tucked it against his chest. “I never said it would be.”
At that moment, the sun began to peek over the horizon, a beautiful display of yellow, and orange staining the sky. Darian smiled as he took my hand and lifted me to my feet. And as the first rays of sunlight washed over us, my siren began to sing, his powerful notes ringing out over the battlefield. Cordelia and the sirens from the House of Saceris crested over a hill, and as they moved forward, they joined the sacred song. They were still battered and wet, butalive,and their melodic voices weaved together in a perfect harmony sending magic humming through the air.
I began singing as well, something I hadn’t done since Cara had been taken. My first notes were shaky and probably out of key, but I didn’t care. Darian’s eyes glowed so bright as he sang, like he’d been waiting for me to join him. Locke, Kade, and Asher crowded around us, each adding their voices to ours, and Cara began to sing as well. Soon all of the Katakin monsters and fae were joining in. Some sang, some clapped, some let out roars and howls, and a few drummed their feet on the ground. The monsters and fae laughed and cheered, their weapons long forgotten, and despite the bloodshed, hope spread across the battlefield. Because we knew our worlds would never be the same.
CHAPTER 36
