A Battle of Souls Read online

  “And you. If you make this girl cry anything other than tears of joy, I will beat you into a pulp and then some, you hear me?” he muttered.

  I nodded vehemently. “Yes, sir!”

  He then smiled and took both Caia and me in his arms, keeping us close. We laughed, as he refused to let us go. Caia giggled, looking up at him.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said softly. “I do love your son, you know…”

  “I know you do. And call me Heath. Only he gets to call me ‘sir’,” he replied, nodding at me.

  It felt good to have that celibacy oath off my plate. I’d come to Neraka thinking I’d be okay with it. But the closer I’d gotten to Caia, the more difficult it had become for me to envision myself making it to twenty-three without being able to make love to her.

  Eloping to New Zealand suddenly became the next thing on my to-do list.

  Just me, Caia, and the colorful volcanic lakes of Rotorua… I was going to spend the rest of my life loving her and making her happy. And she looked more than ready to do the same.

  Avril

  For the first time since we’d brought the Neraka madness to an end, Heron and I actually got to go on a first, proper date, prior to going back to Calliope. We’d held off on leaving Neraka sooner, so we could help the locals get all their ducks in a row. It was worth it, too. We were leaving a better world behind.

  The new Palisade had a gorgeous restaurant on the ground floor, complete with an open-air terrace. At night, it was simply stunning, surrounded by flowers and flickering oil lamps. Heron and I sipped on our spiced blood flutes, thrilled to have this moment all to ourselves, after everything we’d been through.

  Every moment I spent with him simply reinforced the fact that we were meant to be together. We couldn’t get enough of each other.

  “No sign of Ramin, huh?” Heron asked, his hand covering mine on the table.

  The white linen tablecloth felt soft and smooth against my fingertips. Heron’s skin came on top like silk. Each of these little details made life an absolute pleasure—and Heron was at the very center of it all.

  I shook my head. “Nope. Harper hasn’t seen him since Shaytan kicked the bucket,” I replied. “But still, it’s good to know he exists. That the Hermessi exist.”

  “Yeah, Neraka does need some supernatural oversight, in a way,” he muttered. “If anything ever goes wrong again, the Hermessi may be able to intervene.”

  “Do you think they’d be responsive, though?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. They haven’t manifested since Shaytan died. They could be like the Daughters used to be in Eritopia. Distant but ever-present. What matters is that the people believe in them. As long as they believe, the Hermessi will gain enough power to manifest. Neraka’s special because it’s got powerful Hermessi to begin with.”

  I nodded slowly. “I wonder if we would ever be able to reach out to the Hermessi on Calliope. Or Earth. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”

  “Well, according to what Ramin said to Harper, they exist everywhere. They’re universal entities, and they fuel the fae. I’m inclined to believe that fae planets definitely have stronger Hermessi,” Heron mused, then smiled. “It would be pretty cool to try to reach out to them, now that we know they exist.”

  “You heard Harper. If you believe in them, chances are they’ll manifest,” I said. “We should totally try this when we go back to Calliope. You never know, right?”

  He sighed, gazing at me as if I were the single most precious thing in his life. He’d already made that clear, verbally, but it was nice to see it written all over his face, too.

  “Stay with me,” he croaked, his voice trembling. “In White City.”

  I blinked several times, surprised by the sudden turn in our conversation.

  “Wait… What?” I managed. “You want me to move in with you, in White City?”

  Be still, my beating heart.

  He nodded. “Yes. I love you, Avril. I want to be with you. That counts for something, right?”

  “Of course.” I chuckled, suddenly loving him even more.

  “I mean, even Blaze had enough balls to tell his dad that he’s with Caia, celibacy oath be damned. Scarlett’s parents are adjusting to the idea of Patrik. Yelena is still sobbing about Fiona staying here, but… Anyway, point is, I’d like to make this official. With your parents.”

  “Oh, wow,” I murmured, my eyes widening. “I am genuinely impressed. You know my dad’s a serious badass and will tear you to shreds if you screw this up, right?”

  Heron’s lips stretched into a grin. “I’m aware, yes. I’d be the lowest of life forms if I hurt you, anyway. I’d definitely have it coming if it came to pass,” he replied. “Avril, I… I love you. I do. I’m a reckless, foot-in-mouth pretty-boy with a penchant for disasters, and there’s a lot I should probably fix about myself. But you, you’re the only thing I got right. And… I want to be with you. Always.”

  Tears stung my eyes as I pressed my lips together, then exhaled sharply.

  “I love you, too, Heron,” I breathed. “You stomped your way into my life and then refused to get out, and now… Well, now I’m hopelessly head over heels with a reckless, foot-in-mouth pretty-boy with a penchant for disasters.”

  He chuckled softly, then leaned in to kiss me. Our lips met and, as always, so did our souls.

  “Although, I disagree with you having a lot to fix about yourself,” I said, smiling. “You could improve the timing for some of your jokes, maybe, but I hardly think it’s a requirement. You’re you, and that’s what I love about you, anyway.”

  Heron moved to kiss me again, then stilled, his lips inches from mine. He groaned, then rolled his eyes. It suddenly got unseasonably chilly.

  “Son of a—” Heron muttered, looking down.

  I followed his gaze and burst into laughter. Dhaxanian frost had covered him, all the way up to his waist.

  “My apologies,” Nevis said from the other side of the terrace. “There’s only so much sweetness I can put up with before I start gagging. And the food here is phenomenal; I would hate to regurgitate it.”

  “Dude, seriously,” Heron grumbled, leaning back in his chair. “Cut it out.”

  “I figured it was the best way to help you… cool off,” Nevis replied with a shrug, then waved the Dhaxanian frost away. It disintegrated into a thousand snowflakes, each sparkling and unique.

  I gave Nevis a half smile. “I see you’re doing better.”

  “Absolutely. It’s amazing what having a complete soul can do for a Dhaxanian.” He sighed. “Not that I’m apologizing for interrupting your dinner, but I wanted to talk to you before I head back to Athelathan tomorrow.”

  I motioned for him to take a seat at our table. He gave Heron a brief nod, then joined us.

  “What’s up?” I asked, holding Heron’s hand under the table. We had trouble staying away from each other, in general. Even the slightest touch was enough to keep us grounded when we were together.

  “I’ve already expressed interest in joining the Nerakian GASP branch,” Nevis replied. “But I would like you to put a request in for me when you get a chance. I think it will carry more weight if it comes from you.”

  I frowned slightly, somewhat confused. “I can try.”

  “Well, it’s simple. I’m open to taking foreign missions,” he said.

  That came as a surprise for both Heron and me. Nevis wasn’t the type to even leave the Athelathan Mountains—it had been a miracle to have him assist us against Shaytan and the Mara Lords in the first place. The guy was a hermit to the core.

  “You. You want to get off the planet,” Heron replied dryly.

  “Yes. I may not look like it, but I am a curious and independent soul,” Nevis said. “I didn’t get out much over the past ten thousand years because I had a mountain to protect from daemons. The circumstances have changed now. The In-Between is vast and full of mysteries. I mean, what’s the point of living for as long as I will, if I don’t get ou
t and see the world?”

  I smiled. “That makes sense,” I replied. “I’ll talk to Derek, I promise.”

  “Thank you,” Nevis said. “I appreciate it.”

  “You’ll owe me a favor, though,” I shot back.

  Nevis’s forehead smoothed. “What do you want?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I’ll figure something out,” I said, offering my hand, to shake on it.

  He thought about it for a minute, then nodded and squeezed my hand in his.

  “I’m curious, though,” I added. “Why come to me with this? Why not go directly to Derek? He would have no problem with your request whatsoever.”

  Nevis exhaled sharply, then tucked a lock of his long white hair behind his ear.

  “It’s common courtesy, I think. I don’t know Derek as well as I know you,” he replied. “Besides, you’re the best person I could think of for a reference.”

  “Aww.” I giggled. “Well, count on me, Nevis. I’ll put in a good word for you. I’d love to see you more often after we go back to Calliope. You’re cool.”

  Nevis smirked. He gave Heron a brief glance, then looked at me again. “You know, there are a couple of beautiful places to consider for your honeymoon here, on Neraka. There’s a beach down south I’m sure you will—”

  “Wait, what honeymoon?” I cut him off, chuckling. “Heron just asked me to move in with him. We haven’t discussed marriage yet. I mean, I appreciate the suggestions either way. We could both use a vacation after all this.”

  Nevis froze, then frowned at Heron. I followed his gaze and noticed the look on Heron’s face. He was paler than usual, his eyes wide and glassy, as if he was stuck in a slasher movie and he was next in line to get slaughtered.

  “You asked her to move in with you?” Nevis muttered.

  When Heron didn’t answer, I felt the need to intervene.

  “Heron, what’s wrong?”

  “He’s been rehearsing a proposal for days now,” Nevis retorted, somewhat irritated. “Building up the courage to ask you to marry him. He even got a ring and—”

  “Whoa!” I gasped. “How did you know?” I asked, then looked at Heron. “Is he telling the truth?”

  Nevis scoffed. “I don’t lie,” he shot back. “I found him talking to himself the other night, in front of a mirror.”

  “And you promised you’d keep your trap shut!” Heron hissed, now blushing like a peony.

  I was stunned. My face caught fire. My pulse went on the rush of the century, making me a little lightheaded.

  “Heron…” I murmured, struggling to formulate a full sentence, a response of any kind.

  “I thought you’d proposed already!” Nevis replied, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “I figured that’s why you were both smooching and tearing up.”

  “Which makes your interruption even worse,” Heron retorted. “Imagine I’d proposed, only to have you troll me with your frost!”

  “Guys!” I raised my voice. “Shut up!”

  I took several deep breaths, staring at them both.

  Heron opened his mouth to say something, but I shushed him.

  “Let me see the ring,” I said.

  Heron blinked several times, then produced a small velvet box. Inside was a gorgeous meranium band, encrusted with diamonds and red garnet flakes. It was beautiful, and it made my heart swell. I could hardly breathe.

  “I mean… Will you?” Heron mumbled, giving me a worried look.

  “Will I what?” I managed.

  “Oh, for the love of—” Nevis blurted, then stopped himself halfway through and exhaled sharply.

  “See? You ruined it!” Heron reprimanded him.

  “Fine, I’ll fix it,” Nevis replied, and gave me a stern look. “Avril, if you don’t accept his marriage proposal, then you are not as smart as I thought. I would be thoroughly disappointed if you were unable to see what an extraordinary creature he is. After all, you rejected my affections in favor of this guy. At least commit. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  Heron sighed. “Divorce.”

  “Shush!” I snapped, then put my hand forward, no longer able to control myself. My heart was galloping at full speed, filled with the kind of love I knew I wouldn’t find anywhere else in this universe. “Yes. Okay? Yes, Heron.”

  “Yes what?” he murmured, as if lost in space. I scowled at him for a second, enough to make him understand that this was real, that it was happening. “You will?”

  I nodded. “I’ll marry you. And don’t even think of divorce. If you screw this up, you won’t live to see a divorce,” I replied.

  Heron was beside himself. I could almost see the concerns wafting away like a dark cloud blown off by the evening breeze. He lit up like a Christmas tree as he slipped the ring on my finger with a trembling hand, then jumped to his feet and took me in his arms.

  We both heard Nevis groan with feigned disgust, but we didn’t care. We kissed, deeply, as we looked past our differences and embraced the future together. We’d been through quite a challenge already. We’d both nearly died and lost one another. We’d experienced joy, fear, and anger. We’d fought by each other’s side and—good grief, we made one hell of a team.

  We didn’t have to tie the knot anytime soon. I knew that. Heron would never pressure me. Clearly, he’d asked me to move in with him first because he didn’t want to rush me. But we had an eternity ahead, anyway. And we were bound, body and soul. I was thrilled by the prospect of a lifetime with Heron.

  Let’s hope Dad takes it just as well.

  Sofia

  Our family was once again reunited. Our new friends were safe. Neraka was now seeing better days, defined by peace and progress. There were deep wounds that needed time to heal, of course, but the Nerakians were ready to move forward. The Imen, in particular, were willing to forgive.

  Three of the fire dragons and the auxiliary troops we brought from Calliope were temporarily assigned to Neraka, along with Arwen and Shayla. The witches took it upon themselves to build the new GASP base where Ragnar Peak had once stood, while the fighters were there to ensure that all peace treaties were followed to the letter. Even Zane was aware that some of his daemons may be tempted to stray off the path, and he’d actually insisted that there be dragons present.

  Fiona was going to stay with him, as well. Benedict and Yelena were quite sad about it, but, at the same time, they were proud and thrilled to see their daughter happy and in love. She’d decided to support Zane. Soon enough, she was going to marry the daemon king and become queen herself. I welcomed the idea—after all, other than Tejus, we didn’t have any other royalty in our family tree!

  We gathered on the main terrace of the city’s seventh level, ready to bid our new allies goodbye, and to go back to Calliope and The Shade. Derek was going to nominate a senior GASP agent to take over the Nerakian branch within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we could all get back to business.

  Neha and Pheng-Pheng, Hundurr, Nevis, and Wyrran came to say goodbye, along with Zane and Fiona. Chances were that Wyrran was going to be the next leader of the Imen—preliminary polls spoke in his favor. He’d already agreed with Demios that they would support each other, no matter what the election results would be.

  The Daughters stood on the edge, while Viola prepared the interplanetary spell. We’d left the capsule in the field for the locals to use in case of emergency. Our way back was straightforward and no longer required the vessel, anyway.

  Harper and Caspian, Heron and Avril, Caia and Blaze, Jax and Hansa, and Patrik and Scarlett took turns hugging everyone they were going to leave behind. They promised they would visit as often as they could. Nevis was due for a chat with Derek, anyway, sometime in the next few months, to discuss his involvement in Eritopian and other In-Between missions.

  Lumi said goodbye to the Nerakians as well, leaving another armful of spell scrolls with Wyrran.

  “These are for you,” she said. “Just some fertility and protection spel
ls. I think you’ll find them useful.”

  “Thank you,” Wyrran replied, smiling. “You’ve already done so much.”

  “It’s the least I can do for all the spells I was forced to surrender to Shaytan and the Mara Lords. They all hurt you. It’s just my way of making some amends,” she said.

  “What will you do next, Lumi?” Derek asked, standing by my side.

  Lumi shrugged. “I’m the last of my kind, for the time being,” she answered. “First thing I’m going to do is find a cozy spot to live on Calliope, followed by a long, hot bath. After that, I’ll take on new disciples and rebuild the swamp witches’ coven. We’re still needed.”

  “I agree,” Corrine replied. “Your magic is truly exceptional; it would be a shame for it to go away. In all fairness, that triple-tome is great, but you’ve clearly been holding out on all the good stuff.”

  Lumi chuckled softly. “That’s true. Well, let’s hope I find some good disciples to work with. They’re not easy to come by these days. The power of the Word must continue to transcend, and I will do everything that I can to make sure of that.”

  “Okay, everybody ready?” Viola joined us.

  The interplanetary spell was ready. We all huddled in the middle of the massive pentagram—our children and their parents, our friends and new couples, including Tobiah and Sienna.

  “We’ll prepare the prisoner and Mara refugee transports for tomorrow,” Wyrran said. “Rowan, Farrah, and all the other fiends will get to you first. The Maras for White City will follow.”

  “Thank you, Wyrran,” Derek replied. “I shall see you again soon enough!”

  We’d already established a Telluris link between the Nerakian leaders, Draven, and Field, as part of a constant connection to Eritopia. If anything happened, if anything came up, GASP was ready to come to their aid, one way or another.

  With an ever-growing network of friends, partners, and long-term allies across the In-Between, I looked forward to the future. As we all came together while Viola muttered the travel spell incantation, I felt Derek’s hand gently brushing against mine. I looked at him and found myself in awe of what we’d accomplished—not just ourselves, but our offspring, as well. We’d come a long way from those first dark and cold days in The Shade.