Fairydale: A Dark Gothic Fantasy Romance

Turning off the water, I step out of the shower and I dry my body before putting on a purple formal dress and making myself presentable.

‘You’re staring,’ I chuckle, finding Amon in his cat form perched on my vanity.

I can’t help it, lass. You look spectacular, he speaks in my mind.

‘Why, thank you,’ I flutter my lashes at him before laying a kiss on the white tuft of hair on his head.

Selaaa!

‘Please don’t tell me you’re jealous of a cat now, Amon,’ I chide softly.

I don’t appreciate your lips anywhere but on me, he grumbles, clearly put off.

I shake my head in amusement. Of course he would take issue with that since theoretically it’s not his body—he’s just borrowing it. Despite being so jealous of Caleb, he’d taken it in stride because it had still been him who’d been by my side and touched me. But now, he’s merely inserting his consciousness into Mr. Meow’s body.

‘You need to behave today. Everyone will be present for the dinner.’

The time has come for the entire coven to reunite at the Hale manor to go over the details of the ritual approaching in just a couple of days. And with them here, I will likely have to be more careful about my actions and my words so that we won’t be found out—especially now that I am not just Darcy.

Since Amon is more knowledgeable about the coven due to Lydia’s influence, I’d asked him to become Mr. Meow again temporarily so that we may work together outside of his prison while still making sure he isn’t hurt for leaving it.

This has proved to be a good loophole so far. But there is still the matter of all the other coven members that would be present and whose abilities are yet unknown. As such, we must tread very carefully.

I apply some light make-up and perfume, before I head downstairs. Mr. Meow follows behind, but not in a conspicuous manner.

‘Darcy! There you are!’ Rhiannon exclaims as she sees me come down the stairs. ‘The dining room has just been finished. Come and take a look.’

I give her a bright smile.

‘Of course. I know you’ve been working very hard to give everyone the best welcome.’

‘Bah,’ she waves her hand. ‘We hired a catering firm from Ipswich to do everything. At my age, I can only oversee things now. I’m not quite as sprightly as I was in the past.’

‘Yes, but you still thought of everything. I’m sure our guests will appreciate everything. Has anyone seen the house before?’

She shakes her head.

‘I’ve met some of the members of the last generation of the six. But this new generation is much younger and more modern. I doubt the house will be to their liking.’

‘Nonsense. Anyone would be able to appreciate the architectural wonder that is the Hale manor. Especially if they see the gallery with the priceless art works. Even youngsters should be impressed by such a collection.’

‘They should, shouldn’t they?’ she nods pensively. ‘But I’m afraid we’ll have little time for an extensive tour of the house or other frivolities, my dear. We’ll have dinner, after which we’ll all convene to discuss our next steps. Matters have become quite dire,’ she adds in a severe tone.

‘What do you mean?’ I frown.

‘I know you’ve been quite cut off from the outside world here, which is for the best. But some…things have happened in town. Terrible things,’ she purses her lips.

‘I don’t follow.’

‘Maybe you felt the earthquake a couple of days ago? It was focused in this region.’

Earthquake? I hadn’t felt anything of the kind.

Because you were part of it, my love, Amon speaks in my mind. It must have happened when I fucked you.

My eyes flare in shock just as my cheeks redden when I realize he is right.

‘Oh, that earthquake.’

‘It’s not even the worst. We went into town yesterday and it was…’ she takes a deep breath as she stops in her tracks. ‘More than half the town is dead, Darcy. When we first discovered the bodies, we went from house to house to check on everyone.’

‘What? What happened?’ I feign shock.

”Twas just like in eighteen five. The plague is back. Everyone had simply exploded, and only some organic matter remained behind. Horrible. Truly, truly horrible.’

‘But why didn’t you tell me sooner if it’s so bad?’

‘I didn’t want to alarm you. But everyone will find out about it soon enough so I wanted you to hear it from me first.

‘I can’t believe this,’ I gasp. ‘It’s him, isn’t it? Amon.’

She nods grimly.

‘I knew the stories from before, but I never quite imagined it would be this bad,’ she takes a deep breath. ‘Their bodies had simply liquified into this grime. It was inconceivable, but it opened my eyes to just how strong Amon has grown. If he’s able to kill half a town while still being trapped, I can’t imagine what he will do if he goes free.’

‘Does anyone else know? The other residents? The police? What are they saying?’ I ask, knowing this would be expected of Darcy to inquire about. She is, after all, not entirely accustomed to the more occult ways of life.

Rhiannon shakes her head.

‘Kress and Finn helped us clean the mess. They are both strong telepaths and they erased the memories of the other residents.’

‘That simple?’

‘It’s not simple. The two of them have been working day and night to do it when they shouldn’t have. Just like those people shouldn’t have died,’ she adds vehemently.

‘You’re right, I’m sorry if I misspoke. It’s just that I’m not familiar with the protocol.’

‘It is what the coven must do to ensure the rest of the world is oblivious to the dangers that loom.’

‘So whenever you have a…paranormal encounter, you erase people’s memories?’

She grunts.

‘What about other demons? I’m curious how others have been defeated.’

‘Via the regular way, which unfortunately did not work on Amon. Kress and Finn were right that he must be a very powerful archdemon to be capable of withstanding the power of six elders and still survive.’

Well, considering Amon is not actually a demon, of course their tactics would fail.

‘Have you personally met other demons?’

‘What is with this line of questioning, Darcy?’ she comes to a halt as she turns to face me.

I shrug.

‘I think it’s nerves,’ I purse my lips as I confess. ‘The day of the ritual approaches fast and I’m a little afraid if I’m honest. It’s a habit of mine to ask for as much information as possible before undertaking a task.’

She makes a tsk sound.

‘You need to get over your nerves, Darcy. We’re dealing with a beast that has no qualms killing thousands of people to make a statement.’

‘I understand,’ I nod.

‘Of course, sometimes there are some good side-effects, too. Archibald has died as well. At least we’re quite sure of it. We haven’t been able to track him down, but the rest of his friends and relatives are all dead. Vaughan and the Pierces, too.’

Of course Amon wouldn’t have spared them since he knew they were involved in Abel’s schemes. Everyone in his circle must be dead by now.

‘How did you track Archibald?’

‘With magic,’ she rolls her eyes, clearly put out with me for asking so many questions.

I nod sympathetically.

‘That would be so good. One less danger, no?’

‘Precisely.’

We head to the dining room, and the doors open to reveal footmen dressed in finery tending to every aspect of the room.

It’s almost like going back to my life as Elizabeth and the parties I would attend in England during my season.

‘This is wonderful, Rhiannon,’ I praise, noting the smile that tugs at her lips. ‘The guests will certainly be impressed.’

‘Thank you. I rather think the room has never looked more perfect.’

Can I kill her, too, darlin’? She ruined our dining room! Amon complains.

You can’t kill her, no. That would only raise suspicions since I doubt she would be easy to take down. I tell him.

Finee, he sighs audibly in my head.

Now behave, I warn playfully.

Of course, my love, he immediately acquiesces.

One glance to the corner and I note Mr. Meow hiding under a table as he assesses everything with shrewd eyes.

‘There was one more thing I’d like to ask of you, Rhiannon,’ I smile sweetly.

She raises her brows as she regards me.

‘When you have time, could I take a look at the codex? I’d like to read up on some defense spells just in case. You can never be prepared enough, right?’

Rhiannon narrows her eyes at me.

‘I suppose you’re right,’ she eventually nods. ‘I can’t have you head blindly into danger like that. Why don’t you see me tomorrow morning in my living quarters and I shall let you take a look at it. It’s in Latin, of course, but I could help guide you through it.’

‘That’s very generous of you, thank you.’

Except I happen to be quite fluent in Latin thanks to my returned memories—different dialects even. I would probably be able to read the codex better than her. But of course I don’t say that. For now, I need to embody the vulnerable, at times skittish and confused Darcy.

We discuss the details of the dinner as Rhiannon tells me all about the menu and the rooms she’d opened up for our guests on the first floor.

‘Naturally, the Creed is locked so it will only be the other wing.’

‘That sounds perfect,’ I murmur.

When the clock strikes one at noon, both Rhiannon and I take our place in the grand hallway, ready to greet everyone who arrives.

Though I would have expected Connor and Thomasa Hale to be present, too, Rhiannon had told me that they would stay out of this since they do not officially belong to the coven, nor do they have any abilities.

It is my understanding that I am quite a big exception to the rule because of my background. Usually, people require an initiation within the coven before they can attend official meetings, take part in discussions pertaining sensitive topics or have any type of access to the codices.

Kress and Finn are the first to arrive. They are both dressed in evening wear as they take their positions by our sides.

‘Kress and Finn will be in charge of guarding the codices,’ Rhiannon explains. ‘Every family will bring their own codex with them and entrust it to them until the ritual in two days.’

‘That sounds sensible,’ I give her a smile.

Of course, I am quite certain they will be taking this chance to look for another spell they could use against Amon. When else would they get access to all six codices at the same time?

Even now, as they stand by our side, I can feel them probing inside my mind, trying to read my thoughts. Kress, in particular, keeps trying to tumble my mental barriers.

Yet he is in for a big surprise. If as Darcy I’d been able to block his attacks, now I can do better.

Pretending that my bracelet falls to the ground, I bend to pick it up and feel his renewed attempt at reading my mind. It’s just like feeling his essence trying to pry into mine—something utterly disgusting for anyone but my mate.

I use just a little strength as I hone in on his presence just outside of my consciousness, and I give him a hard kick.

‘Agh,’ he yelps in pain just as my fingers brush over my bracelet.

My lips tremble in amusement but I quickly get a grip on myself.

‘Is everything alright?’ Rhiannon asks.

‘Yes,’ he croaks, rubbing at his temples.

‘Good. Our first guests are here.’

Rhiannon and I are standing by one side of the stair case, one next to another, while Kress and Finn are on the other.

A footman opens the front doors, inviting inside an elderly Japanese couple.

‘Hana and Kaito Ito,’ the footman reads their names as they step towards us.

Hana is wearing a sparkling silver long dress while Kaito is dressed in a black tuxedo.

‘So good to see you again, Hana,’ Rhiannon exclaims, greeting the other woman and her husband. ‘If I may present to you my granddaughter, Darcy.’

I pay my respects as we make small talk. Kaito hands Kress a suitcase that contains the codex before the couple are shown to the drawing room for tea while the rest of the guests are still arriving.

Another couple arrives from France, a Mr. and Mrs. Toussaint whom Rhiannon had met before. The Toussaint family is the first one I meet that has magic passed down through the male line.

‘Of course the youngsters would be the ones to arrive later,’ Rhiannon grumbles as she watches the hands of the clock with intense precision.

She’s usually a stickler for rules, but she also seems to be quite prejudiced when it comes to things she does not know or understand. The fact that she’s never questioned anything she’s been told is in itself a red flag.

‘Amadi,’ the footman announces, and a young Ethiopian man comes in.

He hands his suitcase to Kress before coming to our side.

‘Good day, Miss Hale,’ he inclines his head.

‘Good day to you, too, Mr. Amadi,’ Rhiannon greets back. ‘May I present you my granddaughter, Darcy O’Sullivan?’

‘Pleased to meet you, Miss,’ he takes my hand to lay a kiss on my knuckles. His eyes sparkle at me as he gives me a light wink.

A loud meow echoes in the hall, and I refrain from physically wincing since I know the source of the sound very well.

‘The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Amadi.’

‘Just Amadi,’ he corrects, still holding my hand.

He continues to look at me even though Rhiannon clears her throat a couple of times.

‘The footman will show you to the drawing room where the other arrivals are,’ she states in a stern tone.

Smiling, he nods at her, following the footman.

‘You’re not here to flirt with the guests, Darcy,’ she leans in to whisper in my ear, her tone clearly scandalized.

‘I was not flirting,’ I reply.

‘I may be old, dear, but I am not blind. Mr. Amadi was making sweet eyes at you,’ she continues. ‘You are not to engage in behavior that would shame our family in any way. Is that understood?’

I don’t know why she’s so vehement about this when I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I simply agree to appease her.

Isabella Pérez arrives next, looking absolutely stunning in a black velvet gown.

She is around Darcy’s age from what I can tell, but she has such beautiful features, I find it hard not to stare.

Curiously enough, Kress and Finn seem to have the same problem as they barely remove their eyes from her. It also doesn’t escape me that Kress purposefully brushes his hand against hers when he receives her suitcase with the codex.

Interesting. So they aren’t just mindless warriors out to get my Amon. They are still capable of baser emotions.

Isabella greets Rhiannon before she gives me a hug, surprising me with her forwardness.

‘I am so happy to meet you, Darcy. I hear we’re of the same age so we need to find a moment to chat. I haven’t ever had a friend within the coven,’ she says enthusiastically.

I give her a warm smile, liking her energy.

‘Of course. I’d love to do that.’

As Isabella is led to the drawing room as well, Rhiannon gives me another warning glance.

It seems that in her view, I am not to interact with any of these people outside of coven business—which is absolutely ludicrous.

Yet as we await for the next guest, it seems he is late.

‘Who is the last one?’ I ask Rhiannon when I see her get increasingly annoyed with her eyes on the clock.

‘A Mr. Aleksander Chernenko. I hope he won’t keep us waiting too long.’

It’s about ten minutes later that the doors open for one last time, and Aleksander Chernenko walks inside the house.

Except that is not Aleksander Chernenko.

My eyes narrow at him. It seems my plan has been all in vain if he continues to do things like these, not even caring for his well-being.

He’s changed his appearance again, looking as he had when he’d been Caleb, with his dark hair and even darker eyes. He’s wearing a tuxedo as well for the occasion, but it’s a little too tight on him—because it’s not his.

A casual smile on his lips, he steps in front of Kress and hands him the suitcase with the codex before coming to our side to greet us.

My eyes are still on Kress and Finn as I track their reactions to him, but so far I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. They just seem glad to be done with the entire ordeal.

‘We’ll go lock the codices before joining you for dinner, Miss Hale,’ Kress tells Rhiannon, after which they go up the stairs.

I assume the place they will lock the codices in has to be Rhiannon’s sleeping quarters.

But I don’t get to dwell on that as Amon stops in front of us.

‘Miss Hale. You’re just as beautiful as I’d heard,’ he drawls in a seductive voice, his words accented and making seem like the ultimate rogue.

My eyes widen as I note that Rhiannon is not chiding him. She’s…blushing?

Gods, that is something I’d never thought I’d see.

But then again, this same male charmed Fiona, someone who’d hated him as much as Rhiannon currently hates Amon.

‘And Miss Darcy,’ he murmurs thickly as he kisses my knuckles, his lips lingering a moment too long.

What are you doing here? I demand as I stare in his eyes.

Guarding your virtue, he answers smoothly.

I assure you my virtue is long gone, and you’re the one to blame for that, I reply drily. You’re jeopardizing everything.

I will behave. As long as all those damn men behave, too. Don’t think I didn’t see that man kiss your hand, he warns lightly.

Amon, Amon, what am I going to do with you?

Let me kill him? he asks hopefully

Behave! No killing anyone until I get my hands on those codices.

Fine, fine. But at least now you have me here, too, he murmurs lovingly just as his eyes turn softer towards me. I missed you.

That’s all it takes for me to melt.

Three words and his lovesick expression.

I missed you too, I sigh. Meet me in the bathroom after tea for blood.

Darlin’, you know your way to a man’s heart, he groans, almost audibly.

Rhiannon is already watching us like a hawk and I have to pull my hand from his and pretend nothing is wrong while he continues to smile at us.

‘Right, let us all head to the drawing room for tea,’ Rhiannon finally says.

Amon and I walk a distance apart, but his presence is still clogging my senses.

Wicked male. He couldn’t sit this one out and let me deal with everything, could he?

As we get inside, tea is served while introductions are being made. Though not everyone has met in person before, they’ve communicated one way or another, or at least their parents had.

Yet as the topic veers from the mundane to the matter at hand, it’s Isabella who speaks first.

‘You’re all aware that this could end with our deaths, no? The last time the coven attempted something like this, the spell killed the Elders performing it.’

‘We’ll be fine,’ Amadi replies, stretching in his seat. ‘The spell feeds on energy. This is just a case of the previous Elders not having enough energy to sustain it until it could actually kill the demon.’

‘And you’re saying we all have more energy than they did?’ Isabella raises a brow.

‘Miss Pérez is right. The Elders who entrapped Amon were legendary in their own right. What makes us any different from them?’ Mrs. Ito intervenes.

‘Because we have her,’ Rhiannon intervenes as she points to me. ‘We have her and they didn’t. We already know that my grandmother predicted everything. Trust me that it shall all be fine.’

‘Lydia Hale was famous for her predictions,’ Mr. Toussaint mentions. ‘I met her once, too, in her later years. Wonderful woman.’

My smile deepens at his words.

‘We’ve come here because you asked us to, Miss Hale,’ Isabella continues. ‘But you’ve given us little else but Lydia Hale’s predictions. Why her? What makes her so special? This is my life we’re talking about and I’m not about to risk it on an uncertainty.’

‘Miss Pérez,’ Rhiannon grits her teeth. ‘You’re a member of the six families, an Elder in your own right despite your…young age. You’d embarrass your family by stepping down when the alternative is letting this demon walk free? Destroy this entire world, perhaps?’

‘If I may,’ Amon interjects, looking quite at home as he leans back in his seat, his legs crossed, his fingers on the cup of tea that he brings to his lips.

Everyone stares at him expectantly.

‘Maybe everyone’s worries would be more assuaged if Miss Hale and the Holy See explain to us in detail what the plan is for the big day. We have two days to spare until the ritual. Why don’t we give her the opportunity to convince us?’

Rhiannon sputters as her eyes widen.

‘Convince you?’ she repeats in horror. ‘I shouldn’t have to convince you of anything! You’re all part of the coven and your duty is to exterminate evil. How could you say that you do not want to do it because you’re afraid it’s too dangerous? Might I remind you of the oath you all took?’

‘Rhiannon,’ Mr. Toussaint addresses her. ‘I don’t think the issue is that we aren’t ready to give our lives to the cause. Rather, it’s that we’re not sure it’s going to work even if we do it. Is it worth it for the lives of six Elders just to fail?’

‘I see that scum of Archibald reached out to you, did he not? He tried to sow distrust.’

‘That is not what we are discussing. It is true that I’m familiar with Archibald, but at present this has nothing to do with him.’

‘Well, it should, considering he is dead,’ Rhiannon says, her lips curling up when four people react with awe—potentially all who’d been in contact with him.

Damn you, Abel, but you really couldn’t curb your greed, could you?

‘Archibald is dead. As is half of this town.’

Everyone gasps.

‘By the hands of that demon.’

‘Great,’ Isabella rolls her eyes. ‘So you’re now telling us he can kill half the town while imprisoned? That certainly bodes well for us.’

‘And what exactly do you propose we do then, Miss Pérez? Let him escape his prison and kill all of us?’

‘Do you think he would?’ Amon inquires casually. ‘I’ve been studying this demon of yours.’

‘It’s not mine,’ Rhiannon says through gritted teeth, but Amon ignores her.

‘Well, you’re certainly the one emotionally involved with this, though I can’t quite figure out why.’

‘Because he is a goddamn demon who’s going to destroy the world! It’s more alarming you are not involved in this,’ Rhiannon cries out as she looks around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes.

‘Regardless of semantics,’ Amon continues, disregarding Rhiannon’s outburst. ‘I am skeptical about your claims. Mostly because it seems he’s been striking out when he was hurt by our people instead of doing it out of pure malice.’

Everyone is quiet.

My own eyes widen as I stare at him.

What are you doing?

Sowing dissent, he murmurs in my mind. And what better way to do it than show everyone the truth?

But… Are you sure you want to do this?

I’ll show them just enough so they question everything. Trust me?

Always.

‘Mrs. Ito, I’m told you have a very peculiar gift.’

‘Define peculiar,’ she frowns.

‘You’re able to glean the history of an object with just one touch, are you not?’

‘Yes. That is correct,’ she nods.

‘Then could I bother you to read the history of this?’ Amon says as he removes the necklace without its jewel from his pocket.

‘What is that?’ Rhiannon asks.

‘It’s something I’ve come into possession of only recently, but something I’m told is priceless. It belonged to Elizabeth Montford.’

‘Elizabeth Montford, you mean…’

‘The lady who was, allegedly, killed by the demon. Killed, abused, groomed, raped… he allegedly did a lot of things.’

‘But how…’

‘I’ll do it,’ Mrs. Ito nods, taking the necklace from Amon.

Settling back in her seat, she places it within her spread palms as she closes her eyes.

Energy pulsates in the air as a faint light surrounds her.

‘So? What do you see?’ Isabella asks after a few minutes.

‘I see Elizabeth and…’ she trails off. ‘The demon,’ she clears her throat.

Suddenly, she opens her eyes again, her gaze connecting with Rhiannon’s.

‘You never told anyone the demon was Mr. Creed, or that Elizabeth and Amon were the adoptive parents of Lydia Hale,’ she states in a clear voice.

‘I…’ Rhiannon’s eyes widen. ‘I didn’t know…’

‘You? You didn’t know?’ Isabella asks. ‘You’re living in their house and you didn’t know?’

Rhiannon shakes her head in dismay, looking so thoroughly alarmed it can’t be an act. She hadn’t known… But how? I had seen Amon’s portrait in the Creed suites. Except… Has Rhiannon ever been there? Has anyone?

No, Amon answers in my mind. No one’s been in our rooms but us, darlin’. Do you think I would risk anyone seeing the paintings I did of you—of us? To everyone else, the doors are sealed. Only to you were they open.

I bite my lip as I give him a small nod, relieved to hear that despite the fact that it might have helped clean his reputation.

‘Did you also not know that Amon didn’t kill Elizabeth?’

‘What?’ This time, Rhiannon rises up in indignation, her hand instantly searching for her cane when her legs become wobbly. ‘Blasphemy. I saw it myself. You, too,’ she points at Toussaint. ‘It’s been recorded in the collective history.’

Mrs. Ito shakes her head.

‘It must have been fabricated. This is not at all what I see.’

‘Then what are you seeing?’ Amadi asks.

‘Elizabeth was killed by her adoptive son, Abel, Lydia’s brother. And he killed his brother, Abraham. He…’ her lips tremble. ‘He stole the necklace. There was a stone here,’ she points to the empty spot. ‘He stole that and he gained immense powers.’

Everyone is now listening with rapt attention.

‘Abel is the man you know as Archibald,’ she suddenly says.

Rhiannon pales, her wrinkles seemingly more pronounced than ever.

‘That… That can’t be true…’ she croaks.

I almost feel bad for her because she’s just now realizing that the person who raped her was related to her.

But right as she’s about to say something else, Kress and Finn appear in the doorway, their features darkening as they note what’s happening.

‘Did you know?’ Rhiannon turns to them. ‘Did you know that the collective memory is fabricated?’

Of course they did. If I’m right, they worked with Abel to fabricate it together.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Tell us if you knew,’ Isabella rises as she pushes her chin up in defiance.

More voices erupt as everyone has questions for the Holy See.

Right at that moment, Amon winks at me before taking his leave as we’d discussed.

I wait for a moment after he exits the room, and when I see that Kress and Finn are entirely too busy being mobbed by angry and confused witches, I leave, too, going straight for the bathroom near the conservatory.

I only just open the door before Amon pulls me inside, caging me in.

The space is crammed as this is a one person bathroom. And with Amon’s significant size, we barely have any breathing room.

‘I can see why you were such a good general,’ I murmur when he rests his head in the crook of my neck, breathing harshly.

‘Is that so?’ he drawls. His lips skim my collarbone as he licks his way up my neck.

‘You like strife—confusing your enemy and turning them against each other.’

‘Mhm… Can we talk about this later? Now I…’ he trails off as he sinks his teeth in my neck just as his hand reaches under my dress to touch me.

‘Amon I…’

My words are cut off as he makes me come with the minimal touch of his fingers.

‘There, that’s better,’ he leans back as he arranges my dress back in place and wipes the blood off his mouth and off my skin.

‘You’re feeling alright?’

He nods.

‘I couldn’t let you face this alone,’ he smiles. ‘Doesn’t matter how strong I know you are.’

‘So, is this really your plan? Confuse them?’

‘I’ve been thinking about the best way to approach this with the minimal damage. Truth to be told, our quarrel isn’t with the coven. Especially the younger generation. I’m still half of a mind to cut Rhiannon to pieces for daring to risk your life,’ he grumbles. ‘But at the end of the day, our goal is to get me out of my prison, and find a way to neutralize the shield that’s protecting Kress and Finn.’

‘I agree. I quite like the coven,’ I nod. ‘I wouldn’t want them to be hurt when they’re reluctant about this in the first place.’

‘Precisely my thoughts. If they find out the truth, they are not likely to help Kress and Finn. See, I don’t kill indiscriminately as some people say about me,’ he pouts.

‘Only sometimes,’ I raise a brow.

‘Fair enough. I might have been impulsive on occasion. But only when you were harmed, Sela mina,’ he murmurs. ‘You’re my only limit.’

‘I know,’ I sigh. ‘And I’m actually glad that people are seeing the past for what it was—that they see who was the source of all evil. If only they could see it with Kress and Finn, too…’

‘We’d need an object that ties us to them,’ Amon mentions just as his eyes sparkle with hidden knowledge.

‘What is it?’

‘The sword,’ he states. ‘The rhodium sword they offered to Fiona. If Mrs. Ito can see its history, she will realize it was never sanctified by the pope and will likely find out about Arkgor and the fact that Kress and Finn have been around for centuries.’

‘But where is the sword?’

Amon smiles.

‘In the unlikeliest of places,’ he chuckles. ‘Above the fireplace in the dining room.’

My eyes widen.

‘You’re joking,’ I whisper.

‘No,’ he shakes his head, his lips quirking up. ‘They offered it to Lydia to safeguard for the future when you would be born, and she placed it in plain sight,’ he chuckles. ‘I can wager a guess that Kress would have wanted you to use it against me. Theoretically, it would have been the perfect revenge to have my mate be the one to kill me. Except they didn’t count on our resourcefulness.’

‘They didn’t count on many things. Kress might have been a friend to you in the past, Amon, but he never truly knew you.’

He grunts, his lips tightening in a firm line.

‘And maybe that’s my fault too. I didn’t know how to open up. I was always hiding for fear someone would find out about my Reva heritage so I barely interacted with people. Kress became my friend because he was also my direct subordinate and right hand.’

‘Now I can say I’m glad for your trust issues,’ I chuckle. ‘Otherwise they would have had a great deal more information to use to their advantage.’

‘Minx,’ he leans in to lay a kiss on my lips.

‘How come they didn’t recognize you when you came in?’ I ask what had been baffling me from the beginning.

‘A simple spell from our daughter. It masks power signatures. She said I would need it at some point. I think she meant now,’ he chuckles.

‘I’ll never stop being in awe of our daughter,’ I shake my head as I smile. ‘She really thought of everything, didn’t she?’

‘She did,’ he smiles fondly.

I lean into him, taking advantage of this moment to absorb his body heat.

‘We need to get a look at the combined codices for a spell. But when?’

‘Tonight,’ Amon states. ‘During dinner. We’ll go there and search for the spell.’

‘Are you sure you’re up for it? You’re not too weak, no?’

He shakes his head, a sad smile playing on his lips.

‘It’s the last stretch, Sela. I can do this.’

I purse my lips, unable to not worry about him.

‘When we find the spell, I can do it by myself,’ I assure him. ‘With my energy levels, I should be able to perform any spell.’

‘See, that I don’t doubt. As Darcy, I would have been scared to let you do anything on your own because you didn’t have your energy back. But now? The stage is yours, Sela mina. And I know you’re going to make me the proudest mate.’

He kisses me again before he leaves first.

I stay in the bathroom for a while longer to fix my dress and hair, before I join everyone else in the drawing room.

‘Then tell us why she looks exactly like Elizabeth Montford,’ Mrs. Ito suddenly points at me when I’m in the doorway.

My eyes widen for a moment, but seeing Amon shake his head, I take a deep breath and focus on what’s going on.

‘You’re all jumping the gun. So what if he didn’t kill Elizabeth? He’s still a dangerous demon,’ Kress says through gritted teeth.

‘But don’t you see? Someone tampered with the collective memory!’ Isabella gets to her feet. ‘How can we trust anything that’s happening knowing that someone could do that? It doesn’t give us much confidence in the Holy See.’

‘So you’d rather trust an old lady than the Supreme Authority?’ Finn fires.

‘You just confirmed he didn’t kill Elizabeth, thereby saying not to trust the Supreme Authority. Really, Finn?’ Amon raises a brow.

Both Kress and Finn look as if they’re about to explode. Everyone continues to question them and whether the ritual is truly safe to perform.

‘Quiet,’ Rhiannon screams as she taps her cane to the floor. ‘I know you all have doubts, but we’re talking about someone who caused a plague and killed thousands of people with just the power of his mind. Do we really care about some minor details?’

‘Miss Hale, it’s clear that we’re not going to settle this just yet. We need to know from the Holy See exactly what the spell entails and what will be required of us,’ Amadi mentions.

‘Then let us all head to the dinner and our guests of honor,’ she motions towards Kress and Finn, ‘will walk us through everything that will happen.’

Kress nods in agreement.

‘Shall we?’ Rhiannon regards everyone as she nods to the door.

This time, they refrain from commenting as they walk towards the door.

I wait until everyone leaves for the dining hall before I approach Rhiannon.

‘This is bad,’ I whisper. ‘What if someone pulls out? We won’t be able to do the spell.’

‘We will do it,’ she grits her teeth. ‘I don’t care what I have to do, but that spell will be performed as we’ve convened.’

My, but she is quite determined.

I have to agree with Amon that she seems too invested in this, and I wonder why.

Because she made it her life’s purpose, Amon replies in my mind. After Abel attacked her, this was the only way she could justify what happened to her. Because if her assault resulted in Lizette, which later resulted in you and you would fulfill the prophecy, then all her pain would not be for nothing. I might not like Rhiannon for her fanaticism, but it makes sense why she would pour all of herself into his mission. For her, there is simply no other way of life.

My eyes slightly widen at his explanation because it makes too much sense.

I sneak a glance at Rhiannon. Her lips are tight, her features filled with determination.

You’re right. I don’t know how I didn’t see that before. Rhiannon worships Lydia because of her predictions. It makes sense because that’s the only thing that gave her purpose. She’s been training her entire life for this moment. That is just…sad, and pitiful.

She’s yet another victim of Abel’s. Gods, I can’t believe he was capable of such evil…

But why would Lydia allow it? Surely she could have changed that.

I don’t think she could, he adds on a sigh. I told you before, love. Lydia saw many versions of the future, but only one in which we prevailed. That meant…

She had to make sacrifices, so I fill in the gaps.

It doesn’t escape me that to get to where we are now, people have had to suffer—innocent people—and my heart hurts for it. Ultimately, this might make me a bad person, but I do not regret anything.

Not when I’m one step closer to freeing my love.

Not when happiness is within our reach for the first time in forever.

Even in the past, we’d been plagued by too many issues to truly be happy—my infertility, Amon’s worries about the Arkgor, and the fact that we’ve been chased around from one end of this world to the other by the Empire’s scouts. There were beautiful years, too, but our happiness was always marred by constant worries.

This time, though, I will make sure things change.

As we enter the dining room, we are all shown to our seats.

To my surprise, I end up seated across from Amon, who gives me a brilliant smile and a wink. Mrs. Ito is seated to my right while Isabel is to my left.

Rhiannon takes her role as hostess seriously, sitting at the end of the table to be able to see everyone. Kress and Finn are by her side, each on one side.

As soon as everyone has taken their seats, she instructs the servers to come in with the food.

The first few courses are served and people eat slowly, without much conflict. That doesn’t mean the tension isn’t high. Suddenly, it seems that everyone regards everyone with suspicion and animosity.

Amon had certainly succeeded in his goal.

With the way everyone is behaving, I doubt there will be any ritual.

At the first break, Rhiannon rises with a glass of wine, proposing a toast before going into a very odd explanation.

‘As you all know, Lydia Hale made a prediction that Darcy O’Sullivan, my granddaughter, would one day either help exterminate the demon or free him. My granddaughter isn’t one to go around freeing demons, so that option is out of the question. It can still happen, however, if we fail to perform the spell.’

‘But why is she so special?’ Isabel complains. ‘You keep telling us she is the key to everything, but you don’t tell us why.’

‘Because she is Elizabeth Montford,’ Rhiannon states.

My eyes flare open in shock—that she would know and share it with everyone—while gasps erupt all around the table.

‘That can’t be…’

‘It’s why they look the same, is it not?’ Mrs. Ito asks.

‘Indeed,’ Rhiannon nods. ‘And it’s her gift and connection to the demon that makes her so special.’

‘Her gift?’ Mr. Toussaint frowns.

It seems to me that Rhiannon hasn’t shared too much with her coven.

‘Show them, Darcy,’ Rhiannon addresses me. ‘Show them your gift.’

I give her an odd look as I’m trying to piece together what she means to do. But with everyone staring at me, I have no option but to stand up and do a small demonstration.

But before anything, I sneak a glance to Amon to see if he’s thinking what I am thinking.

A small smile curves along his lips as he inclines his head at me.

Getting out of my seat, I go to the fireplace, reaching out for the rhodium sword.

Kress makes a choked sound when he realizes what I’m about to do.

‘Oh, perfect choice, Darcy!’ Rhiannon clasps her hands in happiness.

Giving them a small smile, I bring the sword over my hand, cutting my wrist in one smooth stroke.

‘What…’

‘What are you doing?’

Everyone is initially baffled until my arm starts to regenerate, the fallen one on the ground disappearing.

‘But how? How is that possible?’

‘I think Mrs. Ito might be able to tell us that,’ I murmur as I move forward, laying the sword in front of her.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Kress rises from his seat to stop me, Finn closely behind her.

‘That sword is priceless and you’re letting others handle it?’ Finn grits out as he snatches it from before Mrs. Ito.

The elderly woman frowns, narrowing her eyes.

‘I did not plan on using it. Only reading its energy,’ she states slowly—the implication clear.

‘This will be instrumental in killing the demon. We can’t have you wield it around carelessly.’

‘But she can?’ Isabella fires back. ‘Or is it that you’re hiding something? Again.’

They start fighting anew and I note Amon slipping out of the room and heading for the stairs.

Make sure you’re not detected when you leave, he whispers in my mind.

I await a few more moments as the arguments become increasingly heated. The coven is pointing fingers at Kress and Finn, demanding to know what they are hiding and becoming increasingly more paranoid about the entire event and Rhiannon.

When someone accuses Rhiannon of using the coven’s abilities for her own benefit, I use the distraction to get out of the room, too.

Luckily, it seems people are too busy arguing to pay any mind to me, despite being the one who’d started it this time.

Knowing I have no time to waste, I hurry up the stairs to the second floor, heading straight for Rhiannon’s living quarters.

Just as I reach the door, Amon opens it for me, a grim expression on his face.

‘The codices are in the back. But there is a shield all around them,’ he says. ‘We don’t have much time, darlin’, we need to think of something.’

Taking my hand, he leads me to the area where the codices are.

Surprisingly, the suitcases haven’t been opened. They are all stacked up one on top of the other.

But there is one other thing.

There are only five of them.

‘Rhiannon’s isn’t here,’ Amon says.

‘It should be,’ I frown. ‘Maybe not in plain sight but…’

I pivot, walking around and remembering the last time I was in here. As I reach the middle of the room, I spot an empty table that is nonetheless spotless—no trace of dust or dirt.

Frowning, I reach with my hand, grasping at the empty air.

‘Here. I think it’s here,’ I murmur, my eyes narrowed as I study the space.

Before I can overthink it, however, I randomly try something.

‘Revelare,‘ I whisper.

Slowly, the codex is revealed. Just as Fiona had kept hers, Rhiannon has a glass case covering it.

‘Good job,’ Amon kisses my cheek. ‘Now five left.’

‘Do you think the spell Lydia left us might work?’ I ask as we both stare at the five suitcases.

‘I’d be willing to bet it would,’ Amon answers.

‘Walk me through it,’ I give him a smile.

He nods, threading his fingers through mine as we focus on the barrier surrounding the codices.

Amon starts chanting the barrier spell Lydia had left behind and I echo his words, imbuing my energy in my voice.

With our combined energies, the barrier breaks, a whooshing sound reverberating in the room.

Tentatively, I reach out, a big smile spreading across my face when I realize it worked.

‘Oh, Amon. We’re so close,’ I whisper as tears of joy stab at my eyes.

It’s not the time to be sentimental, though. We both make quick work of opening the suitcases and spreading out the codices on the ground.

‘Do you remember how the initial spell went?’

‘Yes. Let me see if I can find it,’ he says as he shifts through each manuscript to find the beginning of the spell.

‘This one,’ he suddenly breathes out, his features shining with excitement.

I look at the page he’s pointing out, checking the title and location before going to each codex and turning the page to the spell.

Every codex has a few paragraphs of continuation, and though we have them all open at the same spell, now it’s a matter of seeing the order of the verses.

Amon scrunches his face in concentration as he tries hard to remember the spell.

Taking hold of one codex at a time, he orders them around.

‘I think this is the order they go in,’ he tells me, still deep in concentration.

‘We can only try and see if it works. At this point, anything is better than waiting around. Every moment is too precious.’

‘Alright. Let’s do this.’

I take a deep breath as I go to the beginning of the spell.

Each of the forbidden spells have both an offensive spell and a defensive one—the offensive had been used to trap Amon while the defensive would work to undo the initial spell.

Channeling my energy to the surface, I focus on the words as I say them out loud, following Amon’s cue as he points to the next codex, and then the next.

As I say the words, I feel pressure mounting inside of me before being released in the open.

Amon’s eyes are wide open as he stretches his arms and legs, his strength slowly coming back

A small whirlpool of energy surrounds him, tearing at his clothes just as his appearance changes back to his original one. His long white hair flows down his back just as his jacket and shirt are ripped to pieces, leaving his torso naked.

More injuries appear on his body, his skin tearing with the power of the currents.

‘Amon,’ I whisper, worried.

‘No,’ he shakes his head. ‘Keep going,’ he urges as he grits his teeth in pain.

Trusting him, I continue chanting, moving from codex to codex as the spell uses up more and more of my energy.

Strong winds envelop Amon, the air cutting at his skin and punishing him just as the prison had for his brief escapes.

‘Go on,’ he squeezes his eyes shut.

I focus all the power within me into the spell and as I say the last words, a loud noise resounds in the house just as the ground starts to shake.

‘Amon… What’s happening?’

Yet as I turn to look at him, I find him fully in his Reva form, his eyes wholly black as he stares at me.

‘Did it… Did it work?’ I ask as I swallow in uncertainty.

He gives me a brief nod just as he extends his hand towards me.

I take it, catapulted in his arms as he gives me a big hug.

‘My strength is coming back,’ he whispers in my hair. ‘I can feel it filling every cell of my body. Gods… I haven’t felt like this in forever.’

‘Do you need to heal? The wounds…’

‘No,’ he shakes his head. ‘I’m perfectly fine.’

And to prove to me that he is, he returns to his original form, his skin flawless.

‘No wound,’ I blink in surprise. ‘But how…’

‘I don’t know, but it’s done, darlin’. You did it,’ he smiles at me. ‘You fucking saved me.’

Tears pour down my cheeks as I continue to hold onto him.

He’s only wearing his pants—or what’s left of them. The rest of his clothes have been torn to pieces. But I don’t mind it as I take in the warmth of his skin and his sheer presence.

‘Can you travel out of Fairydale?’ I inquire softly, somehow still skeptical.

I barely ask the question and he disappears from my side only to return a moment later.

‘Yes. I can. I was just in England so it’s safe to say I’m not a prisoner anymore.’

I breathe out in relief.

‘We need to search for a spell to neutralize Kress and Finn’s shield,’ I suddenly remember. ‘While there’s time.’

I don’t wait for him to agree with me as I lower myself to the ground to pore over the manuscripts. Amon helps, too as he flips the pages rapidly, his eyes taking in all the words.

Where I might be a little slow with memorization, he is my opposite, able to retain everything in the blink of an eye.

‘Here,’ he calls out, pointing to the spell.

Yet just as I’m about to align the other manuscripts to the same location, Amon rises to his feet, his eyes narrowing towards the door.

‘They’re coming,’ he purses his lips. ‘I’ll hold everyone off while you search for that spell. Until you find it, I doubt I’ll be able to lay a blow on them.’

I nod just as the door bursts open.

Kress and Finn are the first ones to come inside while the coven is not far behind him.

‘Hello to you, too, Kress. Long time no see, no?’ Amon clicks his tongue as he regards the two with amusement.

‘Darcy! What are you doing?’ Rhiannon comes forward, her eyes fluttering between Amon and me. ‘The demon…he’s…’

‘He’s not a demon, Rhiannon,’ I tell her. ‘Just as I am not Darcy.’

‘W-what?’ she sputters.

‘I gather you didn’t touch the sword, Mrs. Ito?’ I call out to the elderly woman in the back.

‘I did.’

‘And what did you see?’

She purses her lips.

‘Something that can’t possibly be true.’

‘Ah, so you decided not to share that information? Pity,’ I give her a mocking smile. ‘You see, for thousands of years your coven has thought itself the ultimate moral authority, but when you take away all the lies, a dire truth remains.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Isabella frowns.

Just at that moment, Amon disappears, with Kress and Finn on his tracks, undoubtedly moving the fight away from here.

Good luck, my mate. I’ll find you that spell.

‘All the history you know is wrong,’ I say as I pull down my neckline to reveal my unblemished skin.

Rhiannon gasps.

‘The mark…’

‘It was never a birthmark. It was an empty spot for something that was stolen from me. Something the Elder Ambrosius took from me, after which he blamed Amon for something that wasn’t his fault.’

‘She’s lying,’ Rhiannon spits at me viciously, already preparing to attack. It seems the coven, too, are calling on to their energies, directing them towards me.

All but Mrs. Ito, who is still trying to make sense of everything.

‘You want to fight?’ I laugh. ‘So that’s it, only your version of the past can be the truth.’

‘The Supreme Authority would never allow something like this,’ Mr. Toussaint declares.

‘Of course. They are oh, so saintly, aren’t they?’ I roll my eyes. ‘Fine. If you want to fight, I will fight you. But if you lose…’ I trail off as I zero in on Rhiannon. ‘I want the spell that can neutralize Kress and Finn’s shields.’

‘You dare ask something of me?’ Rhiannon bursts out just as she taps her cane to the floor, energy rolling off it.

‘If you’re as honorable and true as you claim, you will,’ I state matter-of-factly.

‘I won’t make any deals with the likes of you,’ she grits out before she charges at me.

‘Then I might have to get it out of you,’ I release a weary breath, stepping aside to avoid her blast.

But just as she steps forward to deliver more blows, so do the others, each using their abilities and spells to charge at me.

Creating a shield with my energy, I use it to absorb all their blows before hitting back with milder blasts. I don’t want them to die, after all.

‘It’s useless to fight against me,’ I warn. ‘And I truly don’t want to kill any of you.’

I don’t get to speak more as Amadi comes forward, his speed similar to Amon’s as he aims to lay a blow on my body.

Closing my eyes, I call forth my tendrils of electricity, letting them coil all around the surface of my skin. When he finally hits me, instead of harming me, he harms himself as shocks claim his body.

He falls to the ground, not yet dead, but not far from it.

‘Are you really going to keep this up?’ I raise a brow as I send the tendrils of electricity towards them, wrapping them around each and everyone. ‘If I triggered them right now, you’d be fried. Is that what you want?’

‘Stop,’ Mrs. Ito cries out. ‘I think she’s telling the truth.’

‘Which truth?’ Rhiannon asks, her lip twitching in distaste as she finds herself caught.

‘Amon isn’t a demon. She’s not one either. They are…from another world.’

‘What?’ Everyone gasps at the revelation, and I let Mrs. Ito continue.

‘I saw it when I touched the sword. I saw their world, Arkgor. Kress and Finn are from there, too. They aren’t part of the coven, nor do they work with the Supreme Authority.’

‘That’s preposterous!’

‘Is it? I saw them hundreds of years ago and they looked the same. No witch, despite our advanced lifespans, can live that long.’

‘Then what are they doing here?’ Isabella asks.

‘They’re after Amon. They’ve been after him from the beginning. And they took advantage of the only weakness he has,’ she pauses as she raises her eyes at me. ‘Her.‘

Mrs. Ito starts to recount everything she’s seen when she touched the sword—from Arkgor to what happened in the past and how Kress and Finn had become fanatical in their quest for Amon.

‘In their world, Amon was a legendary warrior and an honorable man,’ she finally says.

‘You don’t believe that,’ Mr. Toussaint complains.

‘I do,’ Isabella says. ‘Why would Mrs. Ito lie? About this?’

‘No… That can’t be true,’ Rhiannon mutters, too shocked by what she’d heard.

Seeing that everyone is starting to think about the probability that this could be true, I release them.

‘Will you help me?’ I ask after a few moments. ‘I know Kress and Finn are protected by a shield, but I don’t know what spell could neutralize it.’

No one speaks.

Minutes on end pass as they simply stare at me before Mrs. Ito takes a step forward.

‘I’ll help.’

The others don’t speak, merely watching as both Mrs. Ito and I get on our knees on the ground as we sift through the spells.

One by one, the others join us, too—all but Rhiannon.

We look through the codices and we find several spells that could work in this context.

‘I guess I’ll try all of them,’ I sigh as I pick up a pencil and a sheet of paper to copy them in their entirety.

There are about five spells, and it takes me a good chunk of time to transfer them onto the new piece of paper.

All the while, loud noises are coming from the outside where the fight is in full swing.

‘Can we help?’ Mrs. Ito asks as I get up to leave.

‘If you want,’ I shrug.

They can do whatever they want. As long as they aren’t my enemies, I no longer care. I can save my mate on my own.

‘You’re really not Darcy?’ Rhiannon finally asks.

I shake my head.

‘My name is Sela.’

‘Sela…’ she nods slowly. ‘Why… How…’

‘There was one spell in the original codex that Amon used. I was dying and he managed to save me. I came back as Elizabeth, and now as Darcy. But I’m still…Sela.’

‘I see,’ she swallows hard. ‘Is it really true then? He’s not…a demon?’

I give her a tight smile, realizing that all her hopes and dreams are crumbling at this moment. Her entire life’s purpose turned out to be one big lie perpetuated for the personal gain of Kress and Finn.

‘There are demons in this world, Rhiannon, but my mate is not one. Sometimes, humans can be just as demonic as those biblical hellish creatures. Just look at Ambrosius or Archibald. Just look at everyone who was so ready to crucify us for merely existing or being different.’

‘But he killed people… He…’

‘My Amon has never killed without a reason—without being provoked. He’s never killed out of malice. Yes, he is dangerous, just as he is deadly. But if you are good to him, he will be good to you.’

Her lips tremble as she digests my words.

‘Then go save your mate,’ she inclines her head, surprising me with her words.

I nod, hurrying out of the house and to the front lawn where Amon and the other two are engaged in a fierce fight.

Amon is breathing hard, clearly tired, but he is still in his original form. That tells me he still has plenty of strength to spare before tapping into his Reva powers.

Keeping out of sight, I turn my attention to the spells I’d transcribed, focusing my energy on Kress and Finn as I say the words.

The first one doesn’t work, as they are still resisting Amon’s blows.

On to the second one. And the third.

Yet as I start on the fourth, Kress suddenly sees me, dashing towards me with his sword.

Seeing he’s aiming for me, I call on a shield of my own, using pure electricity to keep him out. And as he makes contact with my shield, he reels back, his own protective barriers activated to keep him from getting burned to death.

‘You really have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you?’ I smile as I nod towards Amon.

Just Kress’ intention of going after me is enough to make him lose his mind. It doesn’t matter that I can take care of myself or that nothing can hurt me.

The intention is more than enough to sign his death sentence.

Amon’s muscles ripple as his skin turns black, his white hair a stark contrast to his dark skin. His size is absolutely terrifying and both Kress and Finn pale at the sight.

‘That’s…’ Kress mutters as his eyes widen.

‘A Reva,’ I add from behind him. ‘And if you’ve never encountered one before, then I feel sorry for you.’

The moment Kress goes after Amon, I continue on with the fifth and last spell, hoping from the bottom of my heart that it will work.

I chant the words fast, all the while imbuing them with all the strength I can muster.

Please work.

As I finish the last word, I look up, afraid this one hadn’t worked either.

But as I see Finn try to lay a blow on Amon, my mate swipes his claws at him, tearing off the entire skin off his face.

‘It worked,’ I whisper.

Right at that moment, the coven exits the house too, their eyes bulging in their head as they look upon my deadly mate.

Granted, in his Reva form, I don’t doubt anyone would think him a demon from the depths of hell.

Finn falls to the ground, groaning in pain.

Amon doesn’t give him a moment to recover before he’s on him. His big hand covers Finn’s head just as he squeezes tightly, his skull exploding under the immense pressure.

Bits of bone and brain and other bodily fluids paint Amon from head to toe as he drops the dead body at his feet before setting his sights on Kress.

Whereas before he’d been so confident about Amon, now he looks as if he doesn’t know whether to keep fighting or simply run.

Well, I guess he chooses the latter as he tries to get away.

I shake my head at him.

In this state, not even a Vissirian army could defeat Amon, and he thinks he stands a chance?

In just a second, Amon is in front of him, his claws sinking deep into his gut before he uses his other hand to decapitate him.

The head falls to the ground just as Amon withdraws his bloody claws.

He’s breathing hard, his chest rising and falling with the residual adrenaline. But when he sees me rush towards him, he sheds his Reva form in favor of his humanoid appearance, drawing me to his chest and giving me a tight hug.

‘We made it,’ he whispers. ‘One hundred and fifty years and I get to hold you in my arms again as a free man. One thousand four hundred and fifteen years and I get to hold you as my Sela again. I love you, darlin’.’

Tears course down my cheeks as I tighten my hold on him, burying my face in his chest.

‘We made it,’ I echo. ‘We’re finally free.’