As for Phoenix, I was speechless. Despite his struggle and his vulnerable connection to the Daughter, Phoenix had pushed ahead, always onward and upward, never looking back unless it had to do with visions of the past. He was part of the glue that kept us together. He would’ve done a lot more, had he been able to leave the mansion’s protective shield, but he’d sure made up for it once he was out. I was unbelievably proud to have him as a brother.
Yeah. We’d done The Shade proud and then some!
Serena
Shortly after the portal connection was permanently established between Calliope and The Shade, and after we all hugged and kissed and expressed our joy and relief at seeing one another again, we gathered in the middle of the throne room for an actual briefing.
We introduced our Shade family to our new friends and allies, including Jax and Heron, Hansa and Grezzi, Jasmine, Zeriel, Patrik, the Bajang twins, and all the young Druids. There was a common feeling floating around the room, coming from both Shadians and Eritopians—a mixture of wonder and curiosity, particularly between the Maras and our vampires. It would take some time for us to study one another, but, fortunately, time was the one commodity we finally had plenty of, following Azazel’s death.
Draven stood by my side, while Sofia and Derek moved closer, accompanied by our alliance and our families, drawn in a tight semicircle as the throne towered behind us, dark and covered in red silks. I glanced over my shoulder and crinkled my nose at the sight of it, looking forward to seeing the throne room completely redecorated.
I took my time explaining everything that had happened in full detail, while the Daughters stood to our right, listening quietly. While we’d already given our parents some sense of what had happened, there were a lot of blanks to fill in, so I followed a chronological order of events—from the night we’d celebrated the birth of Sherus and Nuriya’s baby on the fae star, to the moment our parents had walked through the portal.
Draven occasionally took over, as he was better equipped to explain what specific Eritopian species could do in the alliance, and why. He understood their culture and motivations best, and, as the only appointed leader of an Eritopian planet relaying information to GASP, I needed him to have his voice heard.
About an hour had passed by the time I was done telling our story, including answering questions from our Shadian audience about our circumstances, the enemies, and the differences between swamp witch and Druid spells. I took a deep breath, while secretly looking forward to gulping down a few liters of fresh water. My throat was parched.
“You’ve all been through so much,” my mom finally said. “All because you were given Oracle powers…”
“I could kill that Nevertide Oracle,” my father said, gritting his teeth.
“Dad, no,” Phoenix said with a frown. “She was trying to help. Not just Eritopia, but us, too. She gave us abilities we hated at first, but once we got the hang of them, they saved our lives.”
“It was thanks to our visions that we were able to eventually destroy Azazel,” Vita chimed in. “And we saved an entire galaxy in the process.”
“I honestly felt like our lives were quite small compared to the millions we saved in Eritopia.” Aida sighed. “I mean, sure, I hated our predicament, but once I saw what Azazel was doing to so many innocent creatures I… I couldn’t stand by anymore. I had to do something.”
“We all did,” Field added. “And we won because we all came together. Eritopians and Shadians alike, united by our willingness to bring down mountains if it meant destroying Azazel.”
Dad nodded slowly, accepting our reasoning and biting the inside of his cheek.
“And the Nevertide Oracle? Wasn’t she up there with you?” Victoria asked.
“Yeah, but she’s up in the infirmary now,” I replied. “Her name’s Abrille, by the way. I think she’ll be okay, but she’s really weak and needs to recover.”
“Can’t say I blame her after what she’s been put through, just because she was born an Oracle.” My grandmother Rose shook her head in disgust.
Derek then stepped forward, looking at Draven and me.
“What about the other kingdoms of Eritopia, then?” he asked.
“We’ll rebuild our society,” Draven replied. “It will take some time, and there will be anarchists who had genuinely sided with Azazel to quash, but we’ll get there eventually. The majority of Eritopians want peace and the Master Druid Council restored.”
“They’ll get through their actual Master Druid ranks retroactively,” I added. “Since none of the surviving Druids had achieved the Hundredth Circle before Azazel took over.”
“And Asherak?” Sofia came to Derek’s side, eyeing us curiously.
“Gone,” Rubia spoke from the side. “His soul sits at the bottom of Mount Agrith, where it will never be reached again.”
“I would like to suggest something,” Derek then said, tapping an index finger against his lips in a pensive pose. “You clearly will need all the help you can get here, and given our Shadian kids’ attachment and devotion to this world, maybe we could support Eritopia. We could open a GASP base here, to maintain an open line of communication between The Shade and the galaxy, and support the Druids and the Daughters in restoring peace and order on all twenty planets.”
I, for one, immediately wanted to scream “Yes, let’s do this!” and put myself up for a position in the GASP base. I’d already kissed a career in journalism goodbye. I’d found my calling during my trials in Eritopia. I felt complete, and was eager to do more for a world that needed good leaders and law enforcers. But I waited quietly and patiently as Draven and the Daughters carefully weighed my great-grandfather’s proposal.
“We have excellent fighters and researchers. We can assist on many administrative and enforcement levels,” Xavier added. “We can help the Eritopian societies grow and progress.”
“You’ve already underestimated our capabilities.” Derek finally hit the nail on the head, reminding me that GASP had grown strong, powerful, and capable of changing entire worlds if challenged. It prompted Draven to frown. “Had you notified us earlier, had you reached out instead of abducting our children and hiding them beneath this memory-wiping shroud, we would’ve raised hell against Azazel.”
I glanced at the Daughters, whose lips had become thin, flat lines, while Draven slowly lowered his head. Deep down I knew that Grandpa Derek had a point, but, at the same time, even the Daughters had been unable to destroy Azazel once he’d merged his soul with Asherak. The destruction required to kill Azazel would have probably obliterated the entire planet.
“We have a network of allies, and warfare knowledge spanning millennia,” Derek continued. “We could have helped.”
“Forgive us.” Viola stepped forward on behalf of the Daughters. “My sisters were confident that this problem could be resolved without dragging in anyone else. And so did Draven, mostly because Azazel had fused his soul with Asherak and had generated horrific amounts of dark power. Had we not approached him the way we did, many more innocent creatures would have died, including your GASP members. There was so much evil, such poisonous energy inside Azazel, it could have done a lot more damage if it had been unleashed and taken head on.”
“I like her.” Mom nudged Phoenix with a grin. “She’s quite the… demi-goddess…”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” He longingly gazed at Viola, most likely looking forward to spending some time alone with her, after everything they’d been through and especially after their separation.
“Despite our shortcomings on the matter,” Rubia said, taking a step forward. “We are able to recognize that our world would be an even better and safer place with GASP in it. While we commit to taking better care of Eritopia, we all agree that opening a GASP base on each of our planets would help.”
Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd, prompting Hansa to move to the front, one hand resting on her broadsword’s handle.
“It would also give our best fighters
the opportunity to do more with their lives and skills, I presume,” she said. “I’m guessing you’d be open to exploratory missions throughout the In-Between, too? I’ve heard great things about GASP from Serena.”
“Indeed.” Derek nodded with a polite smile. “We would be open to expanding diplomatic ties and alliances across the In-Between.”
“Count me in, then,” Hansa replied, then glanced at Anjani, who seemed confused. “It’s time for you to take the lead, little sister. Jovi has already said he’d be more than happy to help you, and I plan to take him at his word.”
Both Anjani and Jovi looked stunned—Hansa had previously been opposed to a long-term relationship between them, as she’d feared it would interfere with her Red Tribe duties as a future chief. Seeing her come around like this was a relief and definitely a reason to celebrate. It also made me wonder what had made Hansa decide to leave her position as a tribe chief. It was a conversation best saved for later.
“Excellent, then.” Derek clapped his hands once, then turned to address the Shadians and Eritopians in the throne room. “We will return to The Shade shortly, to begin the GASP opening procedures in Eritopia. We will set up a main base here, on Calliope, and small subsidiaries in the other nineteen kingdoms. We’ll deploy members from our existing Shade base to begin with, to assist with building and setting everything up, as well as training and assisting the Eritopians who will wish to join GASP.”
“We’re pleased to welcome new allies into the fold,” Grandma Sofia added, offering the Daughters and Draven a curt nod. “We can now focus on strengthening this world and repairing the damage left behind by Asherak and Azazel’s dark magic.”
“And we can also make sure that such evil never surfaces again,” Derek continued. “You have my solemn promise that the Eritopian GASP base will be assigned to strong and experienced agents.”
Jovi then came forward, swiftly joined by Field, Aida, Vita, and Phoenix.
“What about us?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Derek crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to one side with a pensive expression, while Sofia let out a long sigh. She could see it in our eyes. It was all over our faces. Even our parents knew where we stood, despite the sadness that came with this realization.
“What are you trying to say, Jovi?” Derek asked.
“For a vampire as ancient as you, Derek, I thought you wouldn’t even have to ask.” Lucas spoke up, rolling his eyes. “They’re not coming back to The Shade, Brother, unless it’s for the occasional family gathering or Shadian celebration. Am I right?” He glanced at us, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“They’re already home, Derek,” Sofia added in a soft tone.
It took Grandpa Derek a couple of seconds to notice it. He nodded slowly, then ran his fingers through his dark hair, as if processing the whole situation. He sucked in a lungful of air, then exhaled and planted his hands on his hips, while we all watched and waited for his reaction.
“Oh, hell,” he said. “Although this has certainly been a traumatic experience for us all, I must admit that it has also brought out the best in you kids. You’re all more than worthy of high-ranking GASP positions sooner rather than later, and we might as well assign you to the new Eritopian base here, since you’re more familiar with the locals than we are. You can also help to train the recruits coming in from The Shade.”
Mom was the first to burst into tears, her emotions a mixture of joy and sadness. Dad put his arm around her shoulders and held her close, while Phoenix and I quickly moved to hug and kiss her.
“My babies have found true love and meaningful lives here, and I… It would be cruel to take them away from here,” Mom said between hiccups. “I’m so proud of you.”
“We are who we are because of you and Dad,” I replied gently, wiping her tears. “So thank you both. And let’s not forget, we’re only a portal away!”
I ended on a positive note, as Aida, Vita, and Field’s parents were also getting increasingly emotional, at an alarming rate.
“You’ve all matured faster than other Shadian supernaturals, anyway,” Derek proudly added. “You’re all more than fit to do this. Oh, and Field?”
The Hawk’s head shot up from Aida’s, blinking nervously fast.
“I think you’d make a fine commander of the Eritopian GASP base here on Calliope,” Derek said with a smirk. Field’s eyes nearly popped out of their orbits, and Aida couldn’t help but gasp with surprise. “You’re the eldest and most experienced of your group. You’ll be able to assign positions to your team members according to their skills and abilities. You’ve fought a war with them, after all.”
“Thank you, Derek,” Field croaked, overwhelmed with emotion. “I… I will not let you down.”
“Of course, he won’t,” River interjected, hugging her son. “He’s a Novak, after all!”
Another wave of cheers and laughter erupted as we were all once again hugged and congratulated by our Shadians for everything we’d accomplished after what had simply started as a fae ball gone horribly wrong. I found myself exhilarated by the notion of having a sister and my whole family back.
Despite Eritopia being my new home, I knew that it would never truly replace The Shade in my heart. And I was definitely looking forward to spending time there and catching up with the rest of the Shadians. I figured that twenty years had brought new supernaturals and recruits into GASP.
“The portal between The Shade and Calliope will never close,” Rubia reiterated, as her sisters gathered behind her. “We will take our leave now, people of The Shade.”
“Nineteen kingdoms are awaiting news of Azazel and their liberation,” Safira added.
“And it will be our pleasure to deliver it,” Chana concluded with a nod, then winked at Viola, who’d kept herself close to Phoenix. “You can stay, little sister. We’ll handle this.”
Viola smiled at them, while Derek and Sofia gave them a curt nod. The Daughters then vanished into wisps of shimmering pink dust, leaving us with our families and friends.
“So what now?” Mom asked, looking at Phoenix and me.
“I was hoping you’d cook.” My brother’s adorable bluntness made us all laugh, until Mom cleared her throat.
“After all the time you’ve spent here, you’re willing to try one of your mother’s home-cooked meals for a change?” she asked with a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
“We might as well.” I shrugged, pretending it was no big deal. “Not that the food here is bad, but I am literally starving for some loaded pies à la Mom… That is, of course, if you’ll have us.”
That was as rhetorical as it could get, but it was enough to bring out the brightest smiles on Mom and Dad’s faces. I heard footsteps coming toward me and turned my head to see Hansa approaching. She reached me so fast, I didn’t even have time to react when she took me in her arms, hugging me tight enough to knock the air out of my lungs.
“You go, Serena,” she said, relentless in her grip. “We’ll take care of things here. Go be with your family for a while.”
As soon as she let go, I gave her a warm smile.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” I replied, then glanced at Draven, taking his hand in mine. “Would you like to join us?”
His eyes flickered black as his gaze darted from me to my parents and my siblings, then nodded.
“It would be an honor,” he said.
“And a pleasure, trust me.” Phoenix winked. “Mom’s one hell of a cook.”
Draven smiled, and I swooned, seeing him genuinely happy after everything he’d endured. I caught a glimpse of movement at the corner of my eye and noticed Jax sauntering toward us, his jade eyes carefully analyzing us.
“Would it be possible for me to join you as well?” he asked. “I’d like to learn more about your kind, vampires. I understand The Shade is always dark.”
“It is, yes,” my dad said. “You’re more than welcome to join us, Jax. I must admit we’re also curious about the Ma
ras and our similarities as species.”
“Excellent, thank you. I’ll consider it a vacation, without a sliver of sunlight for a minimum of forty-eight hours.”
“Oh, yeah, you won’t have to wear this suit whenever you go out. You look like an angry dominatrix in it.” Phoenix smirked, pointing at Jax’s black leather uniform and stainless-steel plates.
“I don’t know what a dominatrix is, but if you wanted to wear my battle gear, all you had to do was ask, hot stuff,” Jax shot back, making me and Harper roar with laughter.
Draven held me close, and I relaxed in his arms, relishing every second spent with a family complete and even bigger than I’d left it. Phoenix was right, though: I’d missed Mom’s cooking, too. I couldn’t wait for that morning French toast and hot coffee smell greeting us in the kitchen of our treehouse.
Serena
We spent five days in The Shade before returning to Eritopia. We caught up with everyone in our big supernatural family. Harper and I got to know each other a little better, as did Vita and Caia, as well as Jovi, Aida, and Dmitri. It thrilled us to introduce Draven, Anjani, and Viola to everyone, and we spent one of the afternoons in the Sanctuary, where Draven, Ibrahim, and Horatio had a hilarious back and forth about magical abilities.
I obviously welcomed every moment I had with Mom and Dad as they brought me up to speed on the last twenty-something years of their lives without me and Phoenix. With a better understanding of Harper and the kind of person she was, I realized she’d come out a little different from me, reminding me more of Draven, surprisingly, with her quiet nature and combative fierceness. She tended to keep an emotional distance from people, but was ready to bring the entire planet down for those she loved. I found myself fascinated by her and flattered by the fact that she was all smiles when we were together.