Jarron then turns to Bea. “And you.” He nods in acceptance, once to Bea and then to his brother. “Thank you for all you’ve done to aid us.”
“All I did was reverse the damage I’d already done.”
“Not all of it,” Jarron says, motioning to Liz. “There is some damage that can never be undone.”
I examine my sister. The way she holds herself. The way her eyes cast to the ground. While Jarron, Bea, and Trevor chat quietly, I approach her and pull her into my arms.
“You’re free now,” I whisper in her ear. “I know it’s not that easy, but things can change.”
She nods into my neck, tears wetting my shirt. She’s quiet for a few moments before I pull back and look her in the eye.
“What?” I whisper. “What is it?” There’s something on the edge of her tongue. Something in the tension of her shoulders.
“I’m not really free,” she says.
It takes me a moment to realize what she means. I look down at the ring on my finger and stare at the silver design for several moments before ripping it off. I would never intend to use this power against her, but that isn’t the point.
Just the fact that I have that power would always hang over her head.
“What are you—”
I take her hand and force the ring onto her forefinger. “I hereby select you as my successor on the Cosmic Council. Do you accept?”
“Candice,” she whispers.
“Trust me.”
“I—I accept.”
There’s a jolt as the magic passes from me to her, the same as it did when Bea passed her spot to me.
“You are now the master of yourself,” I tell her. “We should go collect the other rings and maybe boil them down to dust. Only you could transfer the power to anyone new, so the risk is minimal, but just in case.”
Her bottom lip trembles.
“You’re free now,” I whisper. “Fully. Entirely.”
Tears well in her eyes. “Thank you.”
It’s not enough, I realize. It’s not enough that she’s physically outside of their control. The damage that’s been done to her mind and heart will linger for a long, long time. She will remain the jinn, maybe forever, unless we find another way to end the magic of the games for good. Just like mitigating the damage the rebellion had on the planet of Oriziah will take time, so will my sister’s healing.
“I will always fight for you,” I tell her, squeezing her upper arms. “Always.”
Epilog
With the glass doors wide open, the warm breeze feels immaculate as it caresses my skin and blows through Jarron’s room at Shadow Hills. Spring has finally arrived.
The sun is setting, making the view beyond the balcony incredibly beautiful.
I try to let the beauty fill me up, but there’s still a prickle of uncertainty on the edges of my mind.
It’s hard to let go of the fear and anxiety, even when everything is perfect. Like you have to consistently remind yourself that everything is okay now.
We’re safe.
Me, Liz and Jarron are all safe now. My friends are safe. My parents. Jarron’s world.
There will always be more conflict to deal with, but nothing like what we’ve experienced in the past.
