"Brendel didn't count on us screwing with her plans as much as we did, including stealing the Hermessi children back from her," Amane explained. "The ritual, as she knows and dreams it to be, might not do as much damage if there are enough rebels to oppose it. Unfortunately, it isn't a guarantee that Strava or other planets with a rebel predominance will survive. I just wanted to tell you, hoping it would at least make you feel better."
"Our Hermessi allies haven't given up on us," Derek concluded. "That's good."
Like Amane had said, it didn't mean Neraka or the other planets would survive, but it proved that, even in the face of such adversity, entities like the Hermessi could still stand their ground and rise against their evil, obsessed majority.
Knowing that Brendel was still desperately hunting Taeral had also encouraged me. It meant that, even with Death missing, there was still a chance that he might find a way to stop the ritual. As long as Brendel was on her chase, we all had a shot at survival, in The Shade and beyond.
So maybe, just maybe, by tomorrow's nightfall, we'd all look back on this moment and blush, thankful for not having to go through with all this. And if the end did come at the Hermessi's hands, at least those of us who remained would fight them until our dying breath. That was the GASP way, after all.
Nuriya
I was barely holding myself together, much too tired to even bother to hide it. The last couple of days had taken a monstrous toll on me. If, by some miracle, we all survived this—my husband included—I'd need years to recover from all the pain and anguish that had torn through me like raging thunderstorms.
With the GASP evacuation process keeping most of the lead officers busy, I was left alone with Sherus in the glass house. His skin was pale, having lost its amber glow in death, but I took comfort in knowing he was too far away from the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension to do any damage if the ritual weaponized the five million fae bodies, as would happen according to its lore. The ritual itself was not meant to be a one-off power spurt from a fixed number of influenced fae, though. The mass destruction through their bodies was merely the beginning. Then, the power surge would come, where all the Hermessi would be powerful enough to breach the Earthly Dimension. It also made them impossible to kill, even with Thieron—or that had been my understanding from the last conversations we'd had with Taeral and his crew.
I needed my boy back here, now more than ever, but I limited my communications with him, knowing that he had to keep his head in the game, fully focused on what came next. Death was missing, and that made his mission all the more difficult.
Fortunately, I had a dead husband keeping me company. For now, Sherus's soul was still with us, but I wasn't sure for how much longer. I did hope Taeral's endeavors might convince Death to spare Sherus from dying and to bring him back… but if she was nowhere to be found, how would we even get to ask her?
"I'd say penny for your thoughts, but I'm pretty sure I know what's on your mind," Sherus said, his voice low and soothing as he sat on the floor in front of my armchair. He'd kept himself remarkably calm, given his condition. Then again, Sherus had never been one to succumb to panic or despair. That seemed to apply in death, as well.
"I'm just wondering how this will pan out," I murmured.
"Whatever happens, we both know we've done everything in our power to save our people and protect our loved ones," Sherus replied.
A bitter smile tested my lips. "Aisha and Horatio had to sneak back into The Shade. Not even GASP fae are allowed back, not to mention the Fire Star people. We've left our kingdom behind, my love. The very kingdom we've sworn to protect."
"It's not as simple as that, my darling, and you know it," Sherus said. "Even I am ready to accept that. It breaks my heart, too, but there was nothing left to be done for the fae, considering their connection to the Hermessi."
"If the ritual is completed, it means we'll have left them to die out there."
"As long as some people survive the ritual, it doesn't matter what species they belong to. What matters is that, if the Hermessi succeed in their plans and wipe out two dimensions, you and the whole of GASP must find a way to survive and protect the Earthly Dimension from Brendel and her cohorts," he replied. "Think about it this way: without the Hermessi children, she has no one to topple this part of the universe with. We've already crippled her mission. And if we succeeded in that, we can damn well make sure we keep her out of this marvelous world."
Looking at him, I couldn't help but smile. Even in death, my husband sought to observe and analyze the bigger picture. In a sense, he was right. There wasn't anything else we could do for the Fire Star. Derek and Sofia had also been fair in their assessment: either we got all the civilians off the planets marked for the Hermessi's wipeout, or we got none of them. It was rough, but as honest a judgment as we could pass in these troubled times.
Sherus was also right. The odds weren't all in Brendel's favor. Not anymore. She'd kickstarted the ritual thinking she'd get little to no resistance from us. She hadn’t expected us to investigate, especially after Brann's rebellion and desperate attempt to bring the issue to our attention. Brendel had thought she could crush us before we could put up a fight, but we'd proved her wrong, rather consistently, all the way up to the Yahwen mission.
Stripping her of the Hermessi children had significantly set her back. Even with a First Tenner's help, I knew Brendel's victory would not come easy. We still had a shot at this.
"You know, Derek and Sofia have already assigned an evacuation mission for the Hermessi children," I said after a long pause.
Sherus's spirit form lit up with delight. "Really? That's great! The farther we get them from Earth, the better our chances to keep them out of Brendel's reach."
"Yeah. Victoria, Bastien, Liana, Cameron, and several of The Shade's White Witches are coordinating for this. The plan is to send a shuttle with the children into one of the neighboring galaxies. There are several Earth-like planets where they can be stationed temporarily. I mean, we've used magi-tech combinations to travel through the Supernatural Dimension and the In-Between quite frequently. We can use them out here, too."
"Of course, these are all worst-case scenarios," Sherus reminded me. "Evacuating GASP officers, dispatching the Hermessi children from Earth… The worst has not yet come to pass."
"It's just around the corner." I sighed. "Only a matter of time now."
"Frankly, and despite my current condition, I find it difficult to give up hope," he said. "I love you and our son too much to let you go. Most importantly, I believe in Taeral more than anything and anyone else."
I chuckled softly. "He's relentless, isn't he? Who'd have thought he'd turn out like this?"
"With a mother like you? I certainly did."
My cheeks felt warm. "You give me too much credit."
"I don't give you enough, my love," Sherus said, a flicker of anguish clouding his gaze. "But I trust Taeral on this. He will leave no stone unturned. He will go to the ends of the world to find Death."
"Heavens, it nearly killed him to take Phyla and the rest of Thieron straight to Mortis," I mumbled, leaning back into the chair. Outside the glass house, I caught glimpses of Amelia's parents, Abby and Eric, coming from the extension's far end, where we held the Hermessi children. GASP seniors had been taking turns watching over them and trying to talk the loyal ones out of serving Brendel. It wasn't an easy feat. Brendel might've been a mindless fanatic herself, but she sure knew how to radicalize these creatures and get them to work toward her agenda. "He feels terrible for leaving you here like this."
"He did the right thing," Sherus replied. "Not that I'm in any way eager to leave this world, but if I have to die for him to succeed and save everyone else, I figure it's a fair price to pay. Don't you think?"
Tears welled up in my eyes. "You're asking me a very difficult question. I don't want you to go anywhere. But yeah, I get it. I suppose becoming parents sort of killed our selfishness, didn't it?"
He smiled. "For the most part. I admit, there's a reason why I'm not too bummed out about dying, and it's rather selfish, given the many lives that are at stake besides mine."
"What are you talking about?"
"The deal our son made with Death. He's essentially immortal until Thieron returns to Death. He can't die. Neither can Eira or Lumi. I think it was some kind of safety feature Death inserted into the pact, just to make sure this ends her way, sooner or later," Sherus replied.
"If the Hermessi win, it won't end her way because she might not be able to kill them afterward," I said. "They'll be too powerful. However, I do understand your point. It is good that Taeral cannot die. Frankly, this whole Death and Reapers thing is still something I'm struggling to wrap my head around."
"It's rather complex," my husband agreed. "Can I be honest, though?"
He made me laugh. "I really hope you're not pulling a slew of last confessions on me, Sherus. I am not ready to say goodbye to you yet."
"No, no, nothing like that, I promise. There's no Reaper in sight to take me away. And I'm still hoping Taeral finds Death before my expiration date as a ghost."
