Despite the dread that had been tugging at my senses, I was truthful in my statement. Whether I’d actually succeed with these intentions… well, that was a different matter. Time had taught me to avoid overconfidence, for it could easily become my undoing.
“I know. I think we’re on the same page, here,” he said.
“And Ben, Grace, Caia, Vita, Lucas, Kailyn, Vesta, and every other fae in this place and in all the sanctuaries will live to see another day, too,” I added. “Our son will have a future. Lawrence will get to hug his wife. Chantal will have both parents in her life. Caia will get back to Blaze, and maybe Heath will be lucky enough to be a grandfather not only to Jericho, but to who-knows-how-many-other dragon-fae grandkids. Zeriel will finally marry Vesta, and…”
I stopped, my eyes stinging. Tears had come up and knots had twisted in my throat, making it difficult for me to speak. Derek took my hand in his and kissed it, one knuckle at a time.
“We’ll do this, Sofia,” he said softly. “We’ll get to see it all unfold, just like you said. The day will come when we’ll be able to get back to what we were doing before the Hermessi started their war against us.”
“Which is always a pleasure to hear, coming from you,” Yuri cut in. “You’re usually the gloomy one, Derek. Good to see that’s changed.”
Derek shot him a glare. “Come on, I wasn’t that bad.”
“Oh, really, Mr. I’m-Doomed-To-Be-A-Vampire-Pity-Me-Please?” Ibrahim joined us, equally amused. They made me laugh, and the tension was suddenly released.
Wiping my tears, I squeezed my husband’s hand. “Don’t be so hard on him, boys. He’s always a work in progress.”
“Et tu, Brute?” Derek gave me a fake-shock stare. “I can’t believe this!”
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!”
