I knew why we were acting like this. Why we’d chosen to joke and laugh about this, instead of allowing the grief to further consume us. Our son was watching, and so were the other fae we’d vowed to protect. They deserved some hopefulness from us—if not for ourselves, at least for them.

“Come on, let’s go,” Claudia said. “The others are waiting.”

We bid Arwen and Shayla farewell, promising to see them again soon. I had one last look at our beloved fae and joined Derek and the rest of our group. We linked hands, and Ibrahim teleported us to the top of Luceria. The sun was out and bright, but we’d already pulled our hoods and masks on. The platform had been cleared of all sun-protection screens to make room for our shuttle—it would be engulfed by the interplanetary spell, which Kafei had already prepared.

The shuttle itself was relatively small, big enough to fit about four hundred people. It was shaped and fitted like a high-speed cruiser and was powered by serium tanks in case the interplanetary spell failed, for whatever reason. The life-support system was a combination of magic and technology, and it allowed us to be on board for an unlimited period of time. In case of disaster, the shuttle was able to sustain us indefinitely. It was, by far, one of our greatest achievements in GASP, and, even though it was only the first prototype, it paved the way for a new exploration fleet in the future. Provided we saved our future from the Hermessi, first.

Draven and Serena welcomed us, and the rest of our crew was patiently waiting, geared up and ready to tackle this mission to Yahwen. Most of them had already boarded the ship, but a few stayed outside, keeping Kafei, Draven, and Serena company.

I hugged my great-granddaughter with all my strength, breathing in her natural scent and hoping it would stay with me throughout this journey.

“Everyone ready?” she asked, glancing around at us.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Derek replied.

“I’ve even plucked my eyebrows,” Claudia said, wearing a sly grin.

Draven smiled. “Good. You have your coordinates and everything you need, right?”

“We do. Our Telluris connections are set, and the comms system is on, should we need it. Phoenix is online, ready to assist us with whatever we may require, as far as our destination is concerned,” Derek said.

“What about entry points?” Serena asked.

“Phoenix studied the planet through the telescopes, based on Tebir’s knowledge,” Ibrahim replied, careful not to mention Yahwen by name. “We’ve got a pretty good idea as to where we’ll go through. There’s always the possibility that what Tebir knew when he first told us might’ve changed in the meantime. The Hermessi aren’t linear in their behavior, and since it’s a known fact that a rebel like Ramin was there, deep within their Yahwen territory, Brendel might’ve worked up some additional security. Of course, it’s all theoretical until we get there, but it’s better than nothing.”

I noticed Kafei staring up at the sky. She was watching something in particular. “Kafei, what is it?” I murmured, worried something might go wrong a little too early in the game for my comfort.

She pointed at a distant light. The air rippled around it. “Something is coming,” she said.

Derek and the others followed our gaze, and I could feel the concern growing among us. It seemed like the wrong time and place for something to come down from the sky.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Claudia said.

Serena pressed a button on her earpiece. “Phoenix, come in. There’s something coming toward Luceria, some unidentified object. Can you see it?”

Phoenix, Dmitri, and Jovi had worked with the witches to put together a surveillance system for Calliope’s skies. The idea had been for us to be prepared if other hostile Hermessi were headed for this planet. The Daughters had made themselves busy with managing the telescopes and preparing to react, in case one or more Hermessi did come through. While Wei had not specifically forbidden them from interfering, they still took the possibility into account. They’d promised to defend Calliope and the rest of Eritopia as best as they could and as much as Wei, Calliope’s Earth Hermessi and their creator, would allow it.

“The radar I put together with Viola is registering the heat signature, but it’s definitely not one of our vessels. It’s a Fire Hermessi, I think.” Phoenix’s voice came through our group comms line.

“Wait, it’s just one?” Derek asked, visibly surprised as he looked at me. “If they were mounting an offensive against us, assuming they found out what we’re up to, wouldn’t they send the local Hermessi after us, first?”

“Also, why would they be sending just one?” I added, equally confused.

The fireball grew larger in the clear sky, but its speed reduced. Corrine squeezed Ibrahim’s hand. “Get the others ready to teleport out of here, if needed,” she said.

“You don’t think we should all leave now, while we still have a chance?” Claudia asked.

“No, Derek and Sofia are right. If the Hermessi were after us, we’d have more than one of them on our case right now,” Corrine replied. “Something tells me we might not be dealing with a hostile, but it’s good to be prepared, just in case.”

Ibrahim rushed into the ship, which had its boarding ramp down. Meanwhile, we kept our eyes on the sky as the fireball began its slow descent toward Luceria. Instinctively, we moved closer together, along with Draven and Serena.

The Fire Hermessi revealed its humanoid form as it reached the platform. It landed smoothly, and its brightness was muted, almost contained. Certainly not as bright as I’d seen in Tebir, for example.

“Harper mentioned you’d be here,” he said, and I instantly recognized him.

“Ramin? Are you crazy?!” I croaked.

“What are you doing here?” Derek asked. “You are wanted badly by your brethren, including the Calliope Hermessi! You shouldn’t have come!”

“I’m coming with you, so you might want to hurry up with that interplanetary spell of yours, before the others sense my presence here,” Ramin replied.

We all stared at him for the better part of a minute, trying to wrap our heads around how we’d come to this point. “I don’t get it,” Claudia said.

“He’s coming with us.” Yuri repeated Ramin’s words. “And we need to take off, fast.”

“Then why are we still standing here?!” Claudia shot back. Without waiting for a response, she briefly kissed Serena’s cheek and took Yuri’s hand as they darted up the boarding ramp. Corrine wasn’t far behind them, followed by the remaining crew members who had joined us in the sanctuary.

“You’ll need my help to get through the safest entry point,” Ramin said, then motioned to the shuttle. “Please, go in. We’ll talk once we’re off Calliope.”

Kafei began her chant for the interplanetary spell. The pentagram had been drawn prior to the shuttle’s landing, and she’d already positioned all the minerals and herbs required for the swamp witch magic to work.

Derek and I hugged Serena and made our way into the shuttle, as well, joined by Ramin.

“Be careful out there!” Serena called after us.

“We’ll talk once we’re on our way back,” Derek replied.

Draven and Serena watched us go inside. Kafei continued her chant as she came up the ramp last. By the time it was closed and the shuttle was sealed and running, the young swamp witch apprentice had completed the interplanetary spell.

The crew watched us nervously as we introduced Ramin as a friend and ally. “He’ll be coming with us,” I added, offering them a reassuring smile.

We could see the world shift around us through the massive space-resistant windows. The light bubble swallowed the ship whole, and Draven and Serena moved back, as the spell took off. I held my husband’s hand. The others were strapped into their seats, neatly lined along both sides of the vessel.

“Here’s to a safe takeoff,” Kafei said, assuming her position at the front, with a full view of Calliope through the gigantic windshield as we got higher and higher. Computer systems were displayed in the corners, glimmering yellow across the glass and giving us real-time data on oxygen levels and other crucial information.

Much to our relief, none of Calliope’s Hermessi came after us. The spell ascended and eventually pierced through the atmosphere. Suddenly, we were in open space, and cosmos unraveled around us. Eritopia stretched on both sides in a soft arc, with clouds of pink stardust sprinkled along the outer border of the solar system.

Stars shone brightly, millions of light-years away. Below, Calliope shrank into a colorful marble with streaks of white and blue. I breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Ramin.

“Okay, we’re off Calliope now,” I said. “Tell us everything.”

The Fire Hermessi nodded, his flames crackling excitedly. He’d shocked us all with his involvement, but his assistance was more than welcome. He’d been to Yahwen, and he’d seen what sort of security Brendel had set up there.

If anyone could get us safely to the Hermessi children, it was Ramin. Fortunately, fate had finally dealt us a better hand.

Derek

Ramin stayed in the middle of the shuttle, far enough from everyone to avoid accidental burns. After all, he was made entirely out of fire—the purest in existence. The ship itself was made of thermo-resistant materials, every inch of it enhanced and strengthened by magic. But the people, whether witches or warlocks or jinn or vampires, were still vulnerable if not careful. And we were all saving our strength and energy for the mission.