“Turns out neither of you are perfect.” I chuckled and instantly regretted it, as Death, Lumi, and Nethissis scowled at me. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It is the truth, regardless of its inconvenience,” the Word replied. “I shall take my leave now and give you your friends back. Chances are we will all meet again. You GASP people have a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble.”
Death touched Lumi’s face, smiling softly. “I suppose our brethren will require some explanations about this in the future. I trust you’ll be by my side when that happens.”
The witches nodded. “You can count on me. I saw it all, from the very beginning. I understand what led to this.”
A split second later, the eerie glow of Lumi and Nethissis’s bodies faded, and the swamp witches were back to their original selves. Death nodded slowly and shifted her focus on Seeley.
“You, my darling, will go through all the sanctuaries and bring the fae back. You have that power now,” she said, and pointed a warning finger at him. “Mind you, it doesn’t mean you’re allowed to bring anyone else back. It doesn’t work like that. Five million fae is your limit. Afterward, you’re back to normal.”
Seeley bowed politely. He gave us all a brief glance. “It was an honor knowing you all,” he said, then focused on Nethissis, in particular. “I’m sorry for what happened to Acantha. I hope you have a good and beautiful life.”
Death smiled vaguely, noticing the dynamic between them. With everything that had happened, none of us had possessed the energy to observe how Seeley and Nethissis had stolen glances from one another, how they’d bonded.
Nethissis looked downright trodden by the prospect of never seeing him again. “That’s it? You’re leaving, then?”
“The living and the dead cannot meet. The same goes for the living and the Reapers,” Seeley replied. “Like I said, it was an honor.”
“And a pleasure,” Soul cut in. “He just won’t admit it.”
Seeley chuckled briefly and vanished, off to do his part in fixing some of the damage that the Spirit Bender and Brendel had done. I couldn’t stop myself from hugging Raphael—I needed an outlet for all the happiness flowing through me at the thought of our fae friends and family coming back to us.
“Worry not, young swamp witch. Your paths may cross again, at some point,” Death said. “Nothing is set in stone.”
Nethissis tried to smile, but it seemed like quite the effort. Lumi gripped her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Can you believe it? We’ve made it. We’ve actually made it.”
They hugged each other first, then pulled the whole crew into a tight group hug. I didn’t mind it one bit—we’d all made it. It was a pretty big deal. And I was grateful to have survived all this with them. We were no longer just allies and colleagues. We were friends, close friends, ready to do whatever it took to save one another and the entire world, if possible.
Looking back on the person I’d been at the very beginning of this quest, I could barely recognize myself. I’d left my shell somewhere on Cerix, and I’d become a different person. Naturally, I still looked forward to a few days of solitude in the heart of The Shade, but I was also thrilled by the prospect of my relationship with Raphael, not to mention the victory dinner we would all attend later, after the dust settled.
“You were all incredible,” Lumi said to us. “The worlds you saved owe you a great debt.”
“Lumi, Nethi, we couldn’t have done it without you,” Taeral replied as the group hug split. “Your magic, your support, and… Acantha’s sacrifice… you were instrumental. I’m deeply sorry for what happened to her. I hope you know that.”
Lumi sighed. “I know, darling. She died a hero. She will forever be remembered as such.”
A thought occurred to me. It sounded like a stretch in my head, especially after what Death had commanded, but I had to ask. “Can you not bring Acantha back, as well?”
“She has already moved on,” Death said. “It would be a crime to drag a soul back from beyond. It was her time to go. Her choice. You cannot undo that.”
“We need to accept death when it happens,” Nethissis added, sadness thickening her voice. “What happened to the fae was different. It was caused by the Hermessi, and I understand that. Acantha, on the other hand, voluntarily surrendered her life for us to take Thieron.”
Dream cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt this clearly emotional moment, but Nightmare, Kelara, and I are going to stay here and work on Death’s seals, which is totally fine. But what about the rest here? What do you want Time, Widow, Soul, and Phantom to do?”
“They’re looking kind of aimless,” Nightmare chimed in.
Widow straightened his broad back, as if he’d just been insulted. “I’m aiming to crush your head with my bare hands.”
Death laughed lightly. “Widow, my darling, I am putting you in charge of a search mission. Your brothers and sister should join you.”
That certainly got the Reapers’ attention. Soul was practically jumping from the excitement. “Whoo-whee! Where are we going?”
“I don’t know,” Death replied. “I need you to bring the First Ten back together. Well, not ten anymore, but you understand me. The Night Bringer is missing. The Morning Star. Most importantly, the Unending. I need her back here. We have to talk, and I want you all present when that happens.”
Soul, Widow, Phantom, and Time exchanged fleeting but wary glances. I had a feeling this wasn’t the kind of mission they’d hoped for, and certainly not something they were keen on. Eva shot them a grin. “What’s wrong? Not your cup of tea?”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why do we need to bring them all back?” Widow asked, ignoring Eva completely. It made her and Varga stifle a giggle. The Reapers had been our allies, but they had not been the easiest to work with. A mild animosity would forever linger between us—just enough to warrant the occasional snark and jab.
After all, the Soul Crusher had been pretty specific before. They were not our friends. Not per se. They could easily turn against us if it suited them better. Until now, we’d had them on our side because we’d shared a common goal. However, that goal had been accomplished. There was nothing binding us anymore.
“Did I not make myself clear? I need to talk to you all,” Death replied dryly, hands resting on her hips. “Just because I’m under these wretched seals doesn’t mean you get to question my commands. You’d do well to remember that.”
I believed her. The tone of her voice was enough to send shivers down my spine. Then again, the First Ten were basically her children. I assumed they were used to Death in all her states, even when she was having a bad day, and this could easily qualify as such. I did wonder what was so important that she required them all to be present, but I was still wrapping my head around everything that had just happened. Cosmic affairs were too much to handle, even for me.
Herbert grunted as he struggled to stand. I heard his bony knee hit the ground. Turning around, I found him down and heaving, his skin still burnt black and crusty. He’d kept a reasonable distance from Death, along with the other ghouls. They all looked fearful, barely moving as they waited for her attention.
“What will you do with the ghouls?” I asked. “They did help.”
“They eat souls,” Kelara declared. “They don’t belong in this world.”
“I remember you found their dietary habits rather useful when they were ridding us of specters,” Nightmare pointed out, his lips pursed.
“It doesn’t change what they are or what they do!” Kelara replied.
Death demanded everyone’s attention, and she didn’t even have to make a sound. The air turned to lead around us, putting pressure on our heads, forcing us to look at her. I felt her presence in the pit of my stomach, like a dark omen. She could not be ignored.
“The ghouls are a complicated issue,” Death said. “Yesterday, I probably would’ve agreed with Kelara. I’ve thought them wild, mindless animals. Today, however, has proven otherwise. Most of these creatures are not beyond redemption.” She set her sights on Herbert. “You, in particular, are an interesting specimen, Herbert. I’m willing to find a solution for your kind… one that does not require extermination. Contrary to what people might think, I’m not a fan of killing creatures of any kind.”
