A SHADE OF VAMPIRE 83: A BENDER OFSPIRIT

BELLA FORREST

C O NT E NT S

Also by Bella ForrestProblems reading?Family tree

1. Esme2. Tristan3. Lumi4. Lumi5. Esme6. Esme7. Tristan8. Tristan9. Derek10. Derek11. Esme12. Esme13. Tristan14. Tristan15. Esme16. Esme17. Derek18. Nethissis19. Esme20. Esme21. Tristan22. Nethissis23. Nethissis24. Esme25. Esme26. Esme27. Tristan28. Tristan29. Derek30. Esme31. Esme32. Tristan33. Sofia

ASOV 84: A Memory of TimeRead more by Bella Forrest

A L S O B Y B E L L A F O R R E S T

DARKLIGHT

(NEW! Vampire romance)

Darklight (Book 1)

Darkthirst (Book 2)

Darkworld (Book 3)

Darkblood (Book 4)

HARLEY MERLIN

(Fantasy/romance/adventure)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)

Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)

Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)

Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)

Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)

Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)

Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)

Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)

Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)

THE GENDER GAME

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Gender Game (Book 1)

The Gender Secret (Book 2)

The Gender Lie (Book 3)

The Gender War (Book 4)

The Gender Fall (Book 5)

The Gender Plan (Book 6)

The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

THE CHILD THIEF

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Child Thief (Book 1)

Deep Shadows (Book 2)

Thin Lines (Book 3)

Little Lies (Book 4)

Ghost Towns (Book 5)

Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

(Supernatural romance/adventure. Completed series.)

Hotbloods (Book 1)

Coldbloods (Book 2)

Renegades (Book 3)

Venturers (Book 4)

Traitors (Book 5)

Allies (Book 6)

Invaders (Book 7)

Stargazers (Book 8)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

(Supernatural romance/adventure)

Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

A Gate of Night (Book 6)

A Break of Day (Book 7)

Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

A Spell of Time (Book 10)

A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

An End of Night (Book 16)

Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

A Wind of Change (Book 17)

A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

A Vial of Life (Book 21)

A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

A World of New (Book 26)

A Web of Lies (Book 27)

A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

An Hour of Need (Book 29)

A Game of Risk (Book 30)

A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

A Day of Glory (Book 32)

Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

A Race of Trials (Book 35)

A King of Shadow (Book 36)

An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

A Power of Old (Book 38)

A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

A Tide of War (Book 41)

Series 6: A Gift of Three

A Gift of Three (Book 42)

A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

Series 7: A Call of Vampires

A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

A City of Lies (Book 55)

A League of Exiles (Book 56)

A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

Series 8: A Voyage of Founders

A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)

A Search for Death (Book 73)

A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)

A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)

A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)

A Fate of Time (Book 77)

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires

An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)

A Game of Death (Book 79)

A Veil of Dark (Book 80)

A Bringer of Night (Book 81)

A Circle of Nine (Book 82)

A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)

A Memory of Time (Book 84)

A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

A Shade of Dragon 1

A Shade of Dragon 2

A Shade of Dragon 3

A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

A Shade of Kiev 1

A Shade of Kiev 2

A Shade of Kiev 3

A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

(Contemporary romance)

A Love that Endures

A Love that Endures 2

A Love that Endures 3

THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

The Breaker (Book 2)

The Chain (Book 3)

The Keep (Book 4)

The Test (Book 5)

The Spell (Book 6)

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

(Supernatural romance)

Beautiful Monster 1

Beautiful Monster 2

DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

(Adult thriller/mystery)

Lights, Camera, GONE

Write, Edit, KILL

For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

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Copyright © 2019

Nightlight Press

Cover design by Okay Creations LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including informationstorage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a bookreview.

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F A M I L Y T R E E

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I

E S M E

thought Tristan and I’d had our hands full on Visio, but Seeley and Kelara’screws had been quite busy as well. Not the good kind of busy, either.Combined with ours, their discoveries painted a troubling picture of this world.

On top of that, we’d just learned that vampires did, in fact, descend from the Aeternae—courtesy of the Night Bringer’s misery and forced attachment to Cruor.

The knowledge itself was overwhelming, but the enlightenment that came with it puteverything into perspective. It gave us an extensive timeline to work with, one that wentback five million years. The Unending had given a form of immortality to the Aeternae,some of whom had ended up on Cruor, where they’d succumbed to the Night Bringer’ssuffering and morphed into the Elders. The Unending was bound to Visio, and we didn’tknow how to set her free. She was Valaine, but she’d been other Aeternae before. Herpast lives and bodies had been destroyed to keep the Black Fever—a symptom of herdistress, according to Night and Morning’s theory—at bay.

Yeah, it was a lot to take in, and there was so much we hadn’t figured out yet, buteverything was connected. Every decision had led to action or inaction, which in turn hadgenerated a reaction. In that sense, the universe had retained its properties. Everythingelse had been thrown out of balance by the Darklings and all the death magic they’dlearned from the Spirit Bender.

“I wish we could bring Spirit back so we could kill him again,” Seeley said.His words came after a very long and heavy silence. Here we were, a bunch of

mismatched supernaturals and agents of Death, trying to untangle a mess of epicproportions bearing the Spirit Bender’s signature. Derek was Danika’s captive. Danikawas a friggin’ Whip, like Petra. Worst of all, Corbin Crimson, Valaine’s father, had turnedout to be the Master of Darkness. There was bitter irony in this last revelation, as we’dconsidered him an ally ever since the first attempt on his daughter’s life.

“I can’t believe it,” Valaine murmured, staring at her boots. “My own father…”We were all seated around a small campfire, hidden by a temporary invisibility shield,

thanks to Kailani. The nights had gotten colder—personally, I didn’t mind the chill, butthere was nothing better than a crackling fire when the temperature drop turned mybreath into white clouds in the night air.

“Not surprised you’re having a hard time processing that particular whammy,” I

replied. “I’m sorry, Valaine.”“It’s not something you need to be sorry for,” Valaine said. “He would’ve shown his

true colors eventually. I’m just wondering if he would’ve done it while tearing my heartout or cutting my head off.”

Tristan sighed, his gaze perpetually fixed on her. “From what we’ve learned, it tookhim a while to approve your killing. He allowed Zoltan and the others to try to take youon, likely knowing they’d have a hard time. He could’ve ended you himself, but heprobably couldn’t find the strength to kill his own daughter,” he said. “Until the courtroomincident, that is.”

“That must’ve been the turning point for Corbin,” Sofia chimed in, her green eyesslightly watery as she remembered the incident. I hadn’t been there myself, since Kalonhad basically saved me from his mother, then kidnapped me, but Tristan had told meevery gory detail. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that scene, especially since I’d witnessedValaine’s dark side before, and it was much more pronounced than in other Aeternae. “Hemust’ve seen the signs, the final confirmation that you really were the Unending. The slapin the face, you could call it, that forced him to accept your fate.”

“It doesn’t make any of this easier,” Valaine replied. Tears streamed down her cheeks,slender lines of liquid crystal that shimmered over her pale skin. There was pain in thosedark eyes. I could almost feel it.

“We obviously have our work cut out for us,” Night said, “but knowing who we’redealing with helps us prepare for what comes next. Right now, Unending is trapped in thisAeternae vessel, and we must find a way to set her free.”

Tristan frowned. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, are we absolutely,positively, undoubtedly sure you don’t have the wrong person here? There is nothing inValaine’s physiology to suggest she’s the Unending.”

“Aside from the death magic trace elements in her bloodstream, you mean?” Soulretorted, one eyebrow arched defiantly.

“Tristan is well within his rights to doubt this. As am I,” Valaine said. “Are we sure?Beyond the shadow of a doubt?”

Amal and Amane exchanged glances. “From a biological point of view, and withouthaving had Reapers to… study, Valaine presents as a healthy Aeternae,” Amal replied,while Amane nodded her agreement. “Those death magic traces are literally the onlything that sets her apart.”

“That being said,” Amane continued, “if Valaine is some kind of vessel for theUnending, an Aeternae body for her to dwell in, then that would certainly explain thedeath magic trace elements.”

Night moved closer to Valaine and placed a hand on her knee. His touch made herquiver. She gave him a wary look, but Night didn’t let that deter him. He persisted,showing nothing but patience and kindness. “This is merely a version of you, Unending. Aphysical shell that you’re trapped in. It feels what you feel. It wants what you want, sodon’t think for a second that there’s anything about you that isn’t real.”

“How… how do I get to the truth, then?” Valaine asked, her voice shaky.“You’re stuck in some kind of cycle, matching the Black Fever,” Night said. “It proves

the Darklings right, unfortunately, but it also gives us something to work with. They’vebeen killing you every ten thousand years just to stop the curse from wiping out theirentire species. My guess is that you went down swinging when Spirit got you.”

“I know you can reach into your past lives,” Morning added. “At the very bottom ofthis body and this version of yourself, you have access to the memories of all yourprevious experiences. We just need to help you dig deep, peeling away at the layers untilwe find the real you… because you’re in there. I can feel you.”

“We can all feel you,” Phantom said, smiling.Valaine groaned softly. “I wish I could remember you. All of you. I wish I had answers,

but… all I’ve got is sadness and despair and grief. My own father wants me dead!”Soul scoffed. “Corbin Crimson is not your father. He might’ve helped make this version

of you, but he is not your father. The sooner you distance yourself from him, the betteryou’ll feel about everything.”

Thayen raised a hand, politely demanding our attention. “I don’t mean to sound cruel,but with the Black Fever emerging so soon and violently now, wouldn’t it be better if welet the Darklings kill Valaine so the cycle can be reset? From what I understand, theUnending will still be here, right? I just… I’m not comfortable with the idea of so many ofmy people dying.”

“While your intentions are good, your approach is ill informed,” Phantom repliedbluntly. “Killing Valaine will hold the Black Fever back, but then we’ll have to findUnending again. She’ll be a newborn, and we’ll have no way of identifying her. Whateverthis cycle does to her, it also makes it difficult to pinpoint her as the source of the BlackFever. It takes your people thousands of years to identify her every time.”

“On top of that, the Darklings don’t want her released,” Widow said. “Spirit foundedtheir faction to keep her down. So we’ll still be fighting the bastards. And last, butcertainly not least, every minute that Unending spends in misery is a failure for us as herpartners and her siblings. Death needs her, as well, in order to regain her own freedom.Spirit messed with all of us, one way or another, and we have to make it all stop. Wehave to fix this.”

Thayen nodded slowly. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to find a way for everybody towin.”

“That’s kind of you,” Sofia replied, giving him a soft smile. “But I don’t think there’s away for everyone involved to come out of this unscathed. Your mother, the Darklings…they’ve done too much harm over the years. They won’t let their privileges and power betaken away from them easily. Not when they’ve spent their whole lives profiting fromdeath magic.”

Valaine cursed under her breath. “I’m not ready to die. If I have a shot at stoppingthis madness once and for all, I’ll take it.” She got up, fists tight at her sides as shelooked around. “And you’ve all been through so much to protect me until now. It wouldbe cowardly on my part to just… give up and let them kill me. No, if there’s freedomahead, I want to find it. Just show me how to tap into my memories, and I’ll do it.”

“There’s one thing we’ve not made clear here, and I’d like to know,” Tristan said.“What will happen to Valaine once we free Unending?”

Phantom smiled. “She’ll still be there. Valaine and Unending are one and the same, ina sense. Valaine is one side of our sister. When she remembers who she truly is, chancesare she’ll remember every life, every aspect of herself, including the whole that isUnending.”

“So, I’ll still be me, only… amplified?” Valaine asked.“Or enriched, for lack of a better word,” Widow replied. “Nothing is lost. It’s just that

everything is regained.”“Okay. Let’s get cracking, then,” Valaine said.I hadn’t seen this side of her in a while. Determination shone brightly from the

blackness of her eyes. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line.As the wind blew over the hilltop and the trees whispered behind us, her hair danced inthe breeze like threads of silk. The ghouls kept their distance from her, but I could seesome of them watching. They seemed wary, their beady eyes fixed on Valaine. Theyfeared and revered her. They could sense her true nature better than those of us amongthe living.

This was a complicated mess we’d gotten ourselves into, but I felt only gratitude atthe sight of us all brought together this way. My team and I had struggled on our own fortoo long on Visio, and knowing we hadn’t been the only ones did make me feel better.The veil had been lifted, and I could see clearly now. I understood what kind of world thisreally was, what had been done here a long time ago, and what we could do to fix it.

As Kalon took my hand in his, offering a faint but reassuring smile, I was energizedand eager to get the ball rolling. The Spirit Bender was gone, and there was nothing hecould do to break us. Whatever he’d left behind had its limits, as he was no longer aroundto adjust and adapt, and there was only so much the Darklings could do before we freedValaine.

S

T R I S T A N

he was the Unending, and the thought scared me.It didn’t stop me from falling even deeper in love with her, even if my reason

demanded some restraint. It reinforced my initial suspicion that there was moreto Valaine than met the eye. She was merely an Aeternae facet of a greater being thathad been around for a very long time. I didn’t want to differentiate between them, toconsider them separate entities—Unending was Valaine, and she would continue to beValaine. At the same time, Valaine would continue to be Unending. And once hermemories returned, she’d be both and more at the same time…

There was darkness inside her, yes. But there was light too, and plenty of fire thatraged and yearned to fight, to push through, to taste the freedom she hadn’t had in eons.There was beauty, and there was loneliness. Unending deserved more than what she’dbeen dealt over the past five million years, and if this was her exit point, I planned to beright there with her.

Of course, it did reshape our dynamic. I’d thought I’d fallen for a noble and highlyintelligent Aeternae, not the very first Reaper that Death had brought into existence. I’dfallen in love with the Aeternae, sure, but there was obviously more to her, and I couldn’texactly separate Valaine from the rest. Technically speaking, I’d fallen in love with both.Too late to turn back now, I thought. This was one bell I definitely couldn’t unring.

“What does Valaine need to do in order to dig into her past lives?” I asked, looking atNight and Morning. They’d seemed to be more knowledgeable about Valaine’s peculiarcondition.

“She needs to enter a trance-like state,” Morning said. “There’s no guarantee that it’llwork, but it’s something I know I’m able to help her with. Reapers store their memoriesdeep within their souls, due to the vast number of years they live through. In order for usto retain our sanity and not just our experiences, we’ve learned to make the most of thealmost infinite inner space in our souls.”

“Think of us as massive storage containers, neatly fit into this form,” Night added,pointing both thumbs at himself. “From the outside, this is all you can see. On the inside,however, the rules of space and time are bent.”

“We’re dimensions of our own,” Morning replied. “Entities that will exist for as long asthere is time, or until Death decides to whack us.”

Soul nodded. “And Unending here is the same,” he said, calling Valaine by her truename like the other First Tenners. We, the living, were the only ones who stuck to herAeternae name—maybe a force of habit.

“Okay, well, while Valaine works on that, we need to figure out what we’re going todo in the meantime,” Esme interjected, looking around nervously. “This hilltop has beennice until now, but we need to find a proper safe place. A base for our operations. Wealso need to organize an offensive against the Darklings.”

“Yes, Laramis was only the beginning,” Kelara said. “We promised them that.”“I’ll stay with you, in case you need my help,” I whispered to Valaine, but she shook

her head, her brows pulled into a deep frown.“No. I think it’s time to put some distance between us,” she murmured. “I’m obviously

dangerous, Tristan, and I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”I was baffled. “What? No. No, Valaine, I’ve been by your side until now. You can’t just

push me away.”“I can, actually. And I will. After everything we’ve learned, after everything that has

happened, how can you possibly think I’m at all good for you?”Morning chuckled softly. “My dear sister, you’re not a ticking time bomb. You’re simply

more than you thought. And truth be told, Tristan has been an ally since day one. Wealready know he’s got a… let’s say calming effect on you. We could use that goingforward, since we have no idea what can of worms we’re opening with the trance state Imentioned.”

Valaine was speechless for the briefest of moments. I had a feeling she’d expectedthe First Tenners to side with her on this one. I knew she was trying to push me awaypurely out of concern for my safety, but we’d already survived plenty of traumas together.I doubted we’d be as strong apart, and she had to know that. Maybe she just wasn’tready to accept it.

I took her hands in mine, determined to keep her close. “Listen to me very carefully,Valaine. I don’t care who you really are or what sort of powers you have. I know youmake me want to be a better person, and I sure as hell won’t let you go on this journeyalone. Your father betrayed you. Your people betrayed you. If ever there was a time youneeded true friends by your side, it’s right here, right now.”

“While I’m no fan of consorting with the living, even I must admit that we should sticktogether on this one,” Night muttered.

“I’m sorry, Tristan,” Valaine conceded. “I just… I don’t want you to get hurt. I couldnever forgive myself.”

“Oh, enough with the drama!” Soul snapped, shaking his head. “You’re not dying,sister. You’re coming back to us, and you need all the help you can get.”

Sofia got up, hands resting on her hips. “We’ll get through this,” she said. “We’ll all getthrough this.”

Widow chuckled softly. “Is this your way of reassuring yourself?”“I have to!” Sofia replied. “We all have to! Look at us! Valaine is struggling with one

hell of a situation. My husband is a prisoner of the Darklings. Nethissis no longer has abody to go back to. And Thayen—the poor child—his mother is a Whip. She killed his

father.”“I’m guessing you’re not going to send him back to Danika even if she gives you

Derek, then?” I asked, suddenly reminded of the greater picture we’d become a central,though unwilling, part of.

Sofia shook her head. “No. She’s unfit to be his mother. Thayen deserves better.”“Have you thought about asking the kid if he wants that?” Ridan chimed in, his gaze

fixed on Thayen. The boy was quiet, staying close to Sofia. He was probably struggling towrap his head around everything that had happened. He was looking at years of therapy,no doubt about it.

“I’m not sure I want to go back.” Thayen sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”Nethissis sat in the grass next to him and offered him a warm smile. “Would you be

okay with staying here? I know Sofia will stop at nothing to protect you.”“I… Yeah, I guess,” Thayen replied. “But what if Mom comes for me? What do I do

then?”It didn’t surprise me that he didn’t already have the answer to that question. His

situation was extraordinary, and he only had us to look to for guidance. I sympathizedwith his misery, but like Sofia, I didn’t want to see him back in the palace. I doubted anyof us would be comfortable returning Thayen to the belly of the beast at this point.

“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there,” Sofia said, resting an arm around hisshoulders. “The decision belongs to you, Thayen. It’s your life, your family. You are theonly one with the power to stick around or walk away. Remember that.”

Thayen nodded slowly, then looked at Night. “So, you’re the one who made vampires,huh?” the boy asked, eager to change the subject. It caught Night with his guard down.The Reaper exhaled sharply, his shoulders dropping.

“It wasn’t my intention to create the Elders. To be honest, I’ve always thought theyreally created themselves. They didn’t come to Cruor with the best intentions—they wereexploiting a witch and looking to conquer that world, much like they’d done with Rimiaand Nalore. I didn’t exactly feel sorry for them. The moment they set foot on Cruor, Icould read their minds. I could see their memories. I knew what they’d done.”

“I admit, I feel a sense of relief,” Sofia said. “It’s hard to explain, but after everythingwe went through on Cruor, it’s as if the circle sort of closed itself, you know? I understandwhy things happened the way they did. Why we got involved, all that suffering anddarkness… it’s justified.”

Night gave her a sad look. “I never meant for any of that to happen. My unhappinessmorphed into a disease of its own, spawning the Elders, who then tormented you andyour people. For that, I am truly sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Not really,” Sofia replied. “Despite everything, Cruor did give usvampirism. To us, that is strength. It’s the possibility of living far beyond our humanyears. Consider it our silver lining.”

Kailani added more wood to the fire, the flames crackling hungrily as they reached forthe sky. She pulled her rich golden-brown hair back, then twisted it over one shoulder asshe settled back in Hunter’s arms. “It does connect us to the Aeternae, though. More thanwe’d originally thought,” she mumbled. “And to Unending, if you think about it.”

Valaine’s eyes widened. “I gave them immortality, right?”All the Reapers nodded at once.“But why would I do that?” she asked. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like I was

pretty unhappy with my ability from the beginning.”“That part is still a mystery,” Soul replied. “Something or someone must’ve changed

your mind. You’ve always been hardheaded. Always stuck to your ways.”Phantom grinned. “You were the only one we were ever truly afraid of.”It shocked Valaine. “Really?”“I think that’s why Spirit went to such lengths to keep you trapped,” Widow said. “He

put a lot of work into this whole place. The Darklings are proof of that. He never would’veshared his knowledge with living creatures otherwise. He probably wanted to make surethey would keep you under control in his absence. With you, Unending, all it takes is onemoment for you to seize an opportunity, and Spirit knew that.”

“You make me sound so… cool,” Valaine murmured, slightly amused.Kalon laughed. “Oh, come on! You’ve always been fierce!” he said. “For as long as I’ve

known you, Valaine. You’re ruthless and determined. What you’re experiencing now,this… this revelation, it’s thrown you off balance a little, sure, but it doesn’t change whoyou are. And for what comes next, we all need you at the top of your game, as Valaine orUnending or both.”

A few moments passed in silence as we all looked around at one another, wordlesslyagreeing that we were in for one hell of a rollercoaster ride. The Darklings were going tofight us tooth and nail. Corbin was going to come for Valaine’s head. And we had to dowhatever we could to take them all down and restore the balance of this world andeverything beyond it.

“Has anyone heard from Lumi?” I asked, wondering about Derek and his less thanpleasant predicament.

“She’ll reach out when she’s got Derek,” Kailani said. “I imagine Danika has put somedeath magic traps in place to make sure no one dares touch him.”

“Especially since I’m still your pretend prisoner,” Thayen added.“I trust the swamp witch,” Seeley replied, earning himself an appreciative nod from

Nethissis. I was still adjusting to the sight of her, after mourning her death. It was goodto see her, but it also broke my heart—with her body gone, her chances of revival wereslim to none.

“Lumi’s pulled through in tougher circumstances,” Nethissis said. “Besides, she’s notalone. She’s got Sidyan and Maya with her.”

“Speaking of ghouls, is that Rudolph?” Kailani asked, watching one of the ghouls as hegot closer to our group, the light of the fire dancing across his translucent skin. “Poorfella.”

“I guess he’d agree, but he’s lost his ability to speak.” Nethissis sighed, smiling asRudolph nestled next to her. “His first days were better, but the more he devolves, themore ghoulish he becomes.”

“Can we trust him?” Ridan replied.All the Reapers nodded without hesitation. “They were given clear options,” Kelara

said. “Either they help us, or we reap them.”I wanted to ask what would become of them once their duty here was done, but it

wasn’t the right moment. Not with all of them around. I did hope they’d get a deal similarto what Ibrahim’s ghoul, Herbert, had been granted after his cohort’s assistance duringthe Hermessi incident—a planet of their own in this vast universe, where they could liveand feed off the corpses of locals.

These ghouls were all the more deserving of such a merciful fate because they hadn’tchosen this existence. They’d been forced to turn. They’d been abducted and tormented,and their willingness to help simply proved that they’d retained some part of theirconsciousness. Eating souls hadn’t clouded their ability to discern between right andwrong.

My only hope at this point was that we’d be the ones who reached the finish line inthis insane and bloody race, and not the Darklings. Whether that would be the outcome…well, that remained to be seen.

W

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e left Maya to watch over Derek, unbeknownst to him, while we stayedrelatively close to Corbin, Danika, and Petra. Derek’s liberation would have

to wait a little longer, since the Master of Darkness had decided to call a meeting with allhis Whips. They had plans to retaliate against the Reapers, and we had to be flies on thewall for this reunion. Since neither of us were ghosts like Nethissis, odds were theywouldn’t sense us. For some extra security, Sidyan had added concealment spells aroundus, to minimize our chances of discovery.

He held my hand, making sure we were both unseen, unheard, and basicallyimmaterial while we listened in. His touch sent shivers through my body, and the Wordresonated with him in ways I hadn’t experienced before. It was as if my whole beinghummed with a mixture of excitement and delight—and that was dangerously distractingunder the circumstances. I took deep breaths and forced myself to focus on the room.

Corbin sat at the head of a long wooden table with Danika on one side and Petra onthe other. One by one, the other Whips came in, escorted into this part of the imperialpalace by Crimson guards. The soldiers also announced their entrance and titles,according to what we assumed was Darkling tradition.

“Drezel Volla, Whip of the Darklings and Lieutenant of the Third Sector,” the Crimsonguard said as a tall, good-looking Aeternae man walked in. He wore red leather, goldchains jingling across his chest, and a broad smile.

“My liege, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Drezel replied, looking at Corbin. Hisserenity faded when he saw Danika and Petra. “First Sector and Second Sector Whips…long time no see,” he added with a faint nod.

Danika scoffed. “Can’t say I was looking forward to this.”“I agree. However, here we are,” Drezel shot back. There was clear animosity

between them, but it only served to irk Corbin, who shook his head in dismay.“Enough with the childish nonsense,” he said. “Sit down, Drezel.”The Third Sector Whip took his seat next to Petra, whom he seemed to despise less

than Danika. Sidyan squeezed my hand. “Sectors? They have sectors?” he asked, keepinghis voice low. The Darklings couldn’t hear or see us because Sidyan had taken additionalprecautions through death magic, but he still wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks.

“I think they’ve got a different political map of Visio,” I said. “They probably have

assigned provinces that they rule over. Danika’s turf has to be the imperial city.”“And Petra?”I shrugged. “Not sure. But I don’t think it matters much at this point. We’re only

working on assumptions until these troglodytes say otherwise.”Sidyan stifled a chuckle. “Troglodytes. Good grief, you have a way with words, don’t

you?”I wanted to answer, but the door opened again, and a Crimson guard announced

another guest. “Ramus Malfas, Whip and Lieutenant of the Fourth Sector.”In walked a short and stocky man with what looked like an obsession with

embroidered silks. He strutted across the room, his bejeweled cape dancing andcapturing the light as he moved.

“He looks like a really expensive sofa,” Sidyan muttered. It was my turn to cover mymouth to smother a chortle.

“My liege,” Ramus said, sitting next to Danika. He gave her a long, almostuncomfortable lingering look. “My deepest condolences for your loss, Your Grace. TheLord Supreme will be missed.”

Danika rolled her eyes. “Don’t be sleazy, Ramus. If that’s your idea of a joke, restassured you won’t be getting more party invites anytime soon.”

“Ramus really wants to get under your skirt,” Drezel remarked with a sly grin.Corbin pounded his fist on the table, startling everyone—including Sidyan and me.

“You’re Whips of the Darklings, not teenagers. We’ve got serious matters to discuss, andwhile I would rather just continue to keep you all apart, we must come together now andprevail.”

It was enough to make them all fall in line just as the next Whip came in, announcedby a Crimson guard. “Rodique Argyros, Whip and Lieutenant of the Fifth Sector.”

Rodique was a beautiful Aeternae woman who seemed to glide across the floor in herlong white lace dress. A layer of red lace covered her head and shoulders, while herinquisitive amber eyes studied the room before she sat next to Drezel.

“Not the most auspicious of meetings,” she sighed, “but let us hope the conclusion willhave us all smiling.”

Petra sighed too. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”“Why? What happened?!” Rodique asked, suddenly alarmed.“Have you been living under a rock?” Drezel replied. “The Reapers have come!”“Let us discuss this once the others arrive,” Corbin said glumly.Less than an hour later, the remaining Whips had made their way into the room.

Fennel Ferris of the Sixth Sector; Icklas Rickin of the Seventh; Marios and Silla Levantes,brothers and Whips of the Eighth and Ninth Sector, respectively; Lyriana Amos of theTenth Sector; Jolie Jasperstone of the Eleventh; and Rennert Gauss of the Twelfth. Thesewere all the Whips and Lieutenants of a carefully drawn but alternative map of Visio,servants of the Master of Darkness, and all-around bad guys and gals. The villains in ourstory, and perhaps the most dangerous of all the Aeternae. Besides Corbin, of course.

These people were responsible for the use of death magic, the capture of Reapers,and the murder of anyone who stood in their way. The vilest of creatures and makers of

ghouls. Ironically enough, they could barely stand each other, and I didn’t need to be apsychologist to figure that one out. Their body language said more than their words everwould. The only unifying factor was their fear of and respect for Corbin Crimson, theirMaster. Well, that and the fact that they didn’t want to lose their death magic privileges.

Corbin took a moment to bring them all up to speed. “I’m not sure all of you know, butLaramis has been overtaken by Reapers,” he said. Several gasps slipped around thetable. “We can no longer hide from them.”

“How many are there?” Drezel asked.“We’re not sure,” Corbin replied. “A few, but we don’t have numbers.”“This isn’t something we can sweep under the rug. I’m told ancient Reapers are

present on Visio. As ancient as our founder,” Corbin replied. “We must adapt quickly anddefend our Darkling republic.”

“I’m not sure he understands what a republic is supposed to be,” I grumbled.“Up until now, we’ve operated in the shadows,” Corbin continued. “But the Reapers’

presence is a sign that the way we’ve done things before is no longer viable. They cannotbe silenced, and Death has most likely been informed about this, as well.”

Rodique exhaled sharply. She seemed troubled, and for good reason. Everythingthey’d been working toward was being threatened. “What shall we do?”

“Danika’s suggestion seems like the only way to move forward,” Corbin replied. “Weneed the people’s protection. Call them living shields, if you will. It’s what our founderintended, should a wretched day like this ever come. We’ve been fine on our own,operating on the margins of society and not expecting the commoners or the monarchs tounderstand us. Now, however, for the first time since our inception, the Lady Supreme isa Whip and therefore an ally. She can help us transition into the light.”

“You want us to go public?” Icklas replied, almost out of breath.“It’s our only means of survival,” Danika said, but Corbin raised a hand to silence her.

It wasn’t Danika’s turn to respond—not on Corbin’s behalf, anyway.“If we gain the people’s support, we won’t need one another. We’ll have an entire

planet on our side.” Corbin sighed. “We cannot take the Reapers on our own. Not theancient ones.”

“But if we have the entire empire on our side, it’ll be harder for the Reapers to pursuethis war,” Drezel concluded, nodding slowly. “I understand.”

“To be honest, I’m tired of living in the shadows, anyway,” Rodique conceded. “Ourwork is noble, and it should not be cause for shame.”

“We can all agree that most people wouldn’t easily understand or accept ourmethods,” Petra chimed in. “But the time has come for them to finally say yes to theDarklings. They’ve been going through the same Black Fever terror since the beginning oftime, and the only ones who’ve prevented the death of our species is us. The Darklings.”

Corbin nodded his approval. “I’ve always been of the belief that our actions were bestleft secret. Our forefathers thought the same. But we’ve been going around in circles fortoo long, and even the commoners feel it. The voices in the courtroom were clear. Thepeople are starting to agree with us, so we might as well come out in the open. We’ll losethe black-and-white thread. We’ll be legal and fully sanctioned by the empire. The

Reapers will not wipe us all out. They cannot. It would disrupt the natural balance.”“Or so the Spirit Bender once said to our forefathers,” Icklas mumbled. “Why can’t he

help us?”“You know our tradition. You understand how important it is for us to be able to

defend ourselves, to preserve our way of life without having to depend on him,” Corbinreminded Icklas. “Summoning him would only prove we can’t survive thesecircumstances.”

Danika raised a hand. “My liege, if I may. This is an extraordinary situation, and Imust admit that I agree with Icklas here. The Spirit Bender might drive the Reapersaway. He’s rumored to be powerful, stronger than others of his kind. Perhaps he couldhelp us reset the clock so we can continue the cycle.”

“Valaine needs to die,” Petra said. “That should still be our top priority. And since wemust find her first, I also think we should ask the Spirit Bender to help. None of us haveever met him. Only our ancestors had that honor, and since we’ve been continuing hiswork for so long, why not bring him over? He could see for himself that we’ve fared wellwhile he’s been away.”

“They’re in for a rude awakening,” Sidyan whispered.“To secure the success of our mission and to make sure we not only continue the

Black Fever cycle but that we also defend our stronghold, I rule in favor of summoningthe Spirit Bender,” Corbin declared. “Petra has a point. Even with the people’s support,we might not be fully equipped to handle a growing Reaper invasion, especially if Deathgets involved—and that’s just a matter of time now.”

Danika smiled. “The Whips and I will discuss a political campaign to further swaypublic opinion in our favor. Valaine did most of the work for us back at the courthouse.”

“And I can summon the Spirit Bender,” Corbin said. “It falls upon me to do so,anyway.”

“Let’s hope he responds,” Danika replied. “I’d hate option B.”“Wait, what’s option B?” I asked Sidyan, but he didn’t have an answer.“Nobody wants option B,” Rodique said, clearly displeased.“We’ll have to figure out what that is,” Sidyan muttered. “I don’t know how long they’ll

wait before they accept that the Spirit Bender won’t save them, and they’ll have to takematters into their own hands.”

Moving away from the gathering, we slipped through the walls. Only when we reachedthe main corridor could I breathe easily again. Standing there in the presence of so muchevil had put a surprising amount of pressure on me.

“So Corbin will be trying to reach out to Spirit,” I said, drawing the meeting’sconclusion.

“Obviously, he won’t have much luck with getting an answer, since Spirit is in the armsof Nothingness now.”

“Nothingness?” I asked, frowning at him.“It’s what we call it sometimes. The death beyond Death. Where entities like myself

go if we’re destroyed and thus denied passage into the afterlife.”“That option B really creeps me out. What could it entail?” I wondered.

“I wouldn’t know, but if we stick around long enough, we might find out. Even so,there is only so much the Darklings can do without Spirit. He’s not here to change thestrategy for them, and they don’t really understand that the First Tenners are involved.Sure, they mentioned ‘ancient’ Reapers, but I doubt they know which ‘ancients’ they’retalking about.”

“Maybe Spirit left them a rulebook or something?”“Corbin would have it,” Sidyan said.“Either way, our work here clearly isn’t done. Do we report everything we’ve heard to

Death and await further instructions?”He nodded once. “She might have an idea about what option B is, too.”Even so, I didn’t find any kind of comfort in Death. Not anymore. Not after all we’d

been through without her, and especially not after everything we’d learned about Spirit’shandiwork here on Visio. I doubted Death herself was aware of the full extent of hisactions.

But she still called the shots, so we had to see what she had to say about all this. Weknew more now than we did five hours ago, and this was the kind of progress I’d beenwaiting for. Simply killing all the Darklings wasn’t an option yet—I had a feeling wewouldn’t be able to do that until we figured out exactly what role they played in theUnending’s seal.

The Spirit Bender had done something to her, and the Darklings had played a part inpreserving her condition. Until they outlived their usefulness, the upper echelon of thisfaction couldn’t be killed. I hated this murkiness, but I found comfort in knowing that itwouldn’t last forever. And perhaps Death might clear up some things for us.

“O

L U M I

f course,” I said after Sidyan spoke to Death through their telepathic connection. “Ofcourse, she doesn’t know what option B is.”

“And she still won’t send us more Reapers,” Sidyan grumbled.“Remember what she told Seeley about that, though. An army of Reapers wouldn’t be

able to undo what happened here. Only Death can.”“But how does that help us?” he asked, understandably exasperated. “We’re stuck

here eavesdropping on these maniacs while they’re mobilizing for war. It’sunconscionable!”

I put a hand on his shoulder, and he stilled under my touch. “It just makes it all themore important to free Unending, so the First Tenners can join forces and get Death outof the remaining seals.”

“And what do we do until that happens?” he replied. The look of defeat on his facenearly broke my heart, but he’d brought me this far, and I wasn’t going to let himflounder. Not when we were so close to figuring it all out.

“We help Night and the others. We help Sofia. We get Derek out of here,” I saidfirmly.

Sidyan thought about it for a while, then started walking toward the dark room whereDerek was being held. I stayed close, my hand gripped firmly in his as we slipped throughthe walls and reached the cell. Maya stood up as soon as she saw us, her big eyestwinkling with pure joy.

“Okay. Let’s do this,” Sidyan said as he revealed our presence to Derek.The vampire jumped back so fast, I thought he might make a hole through the back

wall of his cell. He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening at the sight of me. “Lumi? Whatthe… you scared the life out of me! What… what are you doing here?”

“Ah, Derek. That is such a long story, and we really don’t have time for that rightnow,” I said. “Ready to leave this place?”

“Where am I, exactly? I mean… I don’t remember how I got here.” Derek’s hair wasdisheveled, and dark rings had settled around his eyes. He looked exhausted, and Idoubted he’d gotten any sleep since he’d been captured.

“You’re still in the imperial palace,” Sidyan said.Derek stared at him for a few seconds. “You’re a Reaper.”

“And your observation skills are impressive,” Sidyan replied dryly.“Like I said. Long friggin’ story,” I cut in, giving Sidyan a warning glance. “Come on,

Derek. Let’s get you out.”“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Derek sighed.I was utterly baffled by his response. “Are you crazy? You’re a prisoner here,” I said.“But I’m still useful to Danika as long as Sofia has Thayen,” Derek replied. “I assume

you’ve been sneaking around this place, eavesdropping?”Sidyan and I both nodded. It made Derek smirk.“And you’re likely under the impression that they don’t know you’re here?” he added,

and I suddenly felt like the world’s biggest fool. Petra had sensed Nethissis thanks to herBounty Reaper scythe. What were the odds she hadn’t figured out a way to detect hiddenReapers, too? It would be naïve to think we’d seamlessly spied on her until now. WithoutPetra saying so herself, however, all we could do was speculate and keep taking risks.

“They’ve been talking freely in another room,” I muttered. “They could’ve jumped us ifthey knew we were there. Besides, Sidyan took additional precautions in concealing us.”

“They?” Derek asked.“The twelve Whips and the Master of Darkness,” Sidyan said. “They’ve been gathering

to discuss their next steps now that we’ve taken Laramis.”“You did what?” Derek blurted, even more confused.I took a moment to briefly relay what had happened to that point, including the

violent takeover of Laramis and the discovery of Unending. Derek’s jaw dropped severaltimes, but he didn’t interrupt me. No, he remained quiet and listened, finally on the samepage and fully aware of what was at stake. The circumstances had changed for everyoneinvolved in the short time he’d been Danika’s prisoner.

“That’s all the more reason for me to stay here,” Derek said after a moment’s thought.“You and Sidyan are at risk. If the Darklings capture you, they’ll have a swamp witch anda Reaper as leverage. It’ll push our people to make a difficult and potentially deadlydecision. But if they only have me… it’s different.”

“Excuse me, but how is it different?” Sidyan asked.“I told you. I’m useful to Danika as long as Sofia has Thayen. And if the Darklings

haven’t made a move on you by now, it’s probably because they’re scoping you out andtrying to figure out whether you have backup or not,” Derek said. “Trust me, Danika andPetra are incredibly cunning.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” I muttered, crossing my arms.“I’d give anything to leave now,” Derek said. “I hate to think about what this might be

doing to Sofia, but… in the end, I can make Danika talk. Petra and Corbin, too. Theyassume they’ll be able to kill both me and Sofia once Thayen is back, so they’re not afraidto spill some of their more precious secrets. You two, on the other hand, are way toovaluable to stick around like this. I’ve seen what the Darklings can do, especially theWhips and the Masters. They’ve got dangerous tricks up their sleeves. Petra gave you ataste back in Laramis when she took Nethissis, right?”

Frustration gnawed at my stomach. Derek had a point. We’d been so focused ongetting intel out of these people that we hadn’t spent too much time worrying about the

risk of capture. But the longer we stuck around, the more vulnerable we became,especially with not one but twelve Whips present.

“Maybe he can find out what option B is,” I said to Sidyan. “They’ve already revealedto him that Corbin is the Master of Darkness and Danika is a Whip. Derek might be ontosomething here.”

“So, what? We leave Derek here?” Sidyan asked, raising an eyebrow.“Yes,” Derek said. “And if things get hairy, I just need to be able to reach you so you

can bust me out.”I fumbled through my dress pockets and produced a small green bead made of glass

and filled with an alarm spell I’d devised a couple of weeks back. I gave it to Derek. “Holdon to this,” I said. “If things get, as you so eloquently put it, hairy… break the bead. I’llknow you’re in trouble, and we’ll find you in the blink of an eye.”

“Wow, you people really like to take chances.” Sidyan scoffed.“We’ll go to great lengths to accomplish something, yes,” Derek corrected him. “This

is important. I understand the value of your mission, too, but we can’t risk you bothgetting captured as well. Not to mention this little ghoul,” he added, looking at Maya for amoment. “Especially after the damage you delivered to their forces back in Laramis.”

“If there’s trouble, you can zap me over here in an instant,” I said to Sidyan. “And inthe meantime, Derek can engage Danika in conversation.”

“Corbin and Petra, too. They were pretty forthcoming when they saw me in this cell.”Derek sighed, leaning against the thick steel bars. “If I feel like I’m not getting enoughout of them, I’ll break the bead, and you’ll know to come and get me. But let me try first.There’s nothing more they can do to me. I’m already their prisoner.”

“We two, on the other hand,” I replied, unable to hide my displeasure.“Fine,” Sidyan said. “I’ll play along. But don’t do anything stupid, Derek. I’d like to get

you out of here alive. In fact, just to be sure, I’ll leave Maya with you. If things take a badturn, she might be able to distract the Darklings long enough for us to come back hereand get you out.”

The ghoul whimpered softly, her bony arms wrapped around Sidyan’s leg.“I don’t think she likes that idea.” Derek gave Maya a sympathetic half-smile.“Neither do I, but better to be safe than sorry,” Sidyan said.“Thank you,” I whispered, knowing the Reaper would have a hard time parting with

his faithful friend like this. But Maya was definitely more useful here, keeping an eye onDerek.

“You owe me big time,” Sidyan retorted, and for some reason, I felt suddenly playful.“I’ll buy you dinner,” I said. “Take you dancing.”“You mean a date. You’ll take me on a date.” His tone was clipped, as if I’d just

insulted him, and I lost my breath. There were times when he seemed easy to get alongwith, even friendly and open, and then there were moments when it was impossible forme to ascertain what he was really thinking. Perhaps I gave him too much power overme.

“Whatever,” I replied with a faint shrug. “I’ll make it up to you.”“Oh, you most definitely will make it up to me,” Sidyan said, and it was a fact. Not a

promise, not a threat. A fact. “Maya, stay with Derek. Out of sight, please. The last thingwe need is for these bastards to put one of those rune chains on you.”

The ghoul purred, scampering away and curling up in a corner. Gradually, sheshimmered away into her subtle form, unseen and unheard. I would feel better knowingshe was here.

“Sofia is going to kill us,” I said to Derek, only half joking.“She’ll understand,” Derek replied, though I could tell he wasn’t comfortable with this.

“Make her understand. This is better, and we have an exit strategy, so I’m not exactlytaking myself to the gallows here.”

I still couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling. Fate had a way of screwing us over in moreways than one, and we were basically inviting her to do it again by leaving Derek here inthe lion’s den. But it was certainly better than Sidyan and me staying close to Corbin orthe Whips. If they really were aware of our presence and were just playing along, waitingfor the right attack angle, then they would’ve hit the motherlode with our capture.

In hindsight, we’d done far worse in the past. Maybe the universe would smile upon usthis time around. We were, after all, trying to restore its balance. Our mission wasgrowing more difficult. Up until now, the Darklings had been a faction, unsanctioned bythe empire. With the whole of Visio on their side, they’d be harder to beat, and I didn’twant us to have another Neraka on our hands—especially not one with death magicinvolved.

A

E S M E

fter we assessed every option available to us, we all agreed that we’d be safer inOrvis. It wasn’t close to the imperial city, but it was thoroughly guarded by theNightmare Forest. Few people dared to venture through those woods, especially

at night.Kailani put out the fire while the Reapers organized the ghouls for their journey. They

could travel by treading the world beyond the rules of physical spaces, and the rest of uswould utilize the shuttles. Temporarily splitting up made sense—we would all meet backin Orvis before too much time passed.

With invisibility spells covering the shuttles, we left the hilltop behind and headedtoward the Nightmare Forest. Nethissis traveled with the Reapers, while Kalon joined meand the rest of our initial crew on the first vessel. Ridan flew the other one, accompaniedby Rose, Caleb, Kailani, and Hunter.

The skies were clear and empty. I spotted the occasional glimmer of airships floatingin the distance, but they stuck mostly to the airspace above and around the imperial city.Green hills covered in orchards and vineyards—their branches loaded with ripe fruit—rolled beneath us. As the slopes steadily descended, they gave way to the NightmareForest, its tree crowns casting dark shadows and holding dangerous secrets.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around Nethissis,” Tristan said. Valaine sat behindhim while he copiloted the shuttle by my side. “For her to end up like this, strandedwithout a body.”

“Is there absolutely no chance she could be brought back to life?” Thayen asked.Sofia shook her head slowly. “I doubt it. When we had our Hermessi troubles, we lost

many fae at once, but only for a short while. Death approved their resurrection, but theyhad physical bodies to go back to.”

“And Mother burned Nethissis’s body.” Thayen sighed, even more disappointed withDanika. I felt pity for the boy, so much pity that it made me tear up a little whenever Ilooked at him. After everything he’d suffered, his own mother was still hurting him, evenfrom afar. I certainly agreed with Sofia that Danika was in no way fit to get her son back.She didn’t deserve Thayen.

“What will happen to her?” Kalon asked.I glanced back at him. “We’re not sure, but we assume she’ll be reaped, so she can at

least move on.”“Do you think they’ll reap her now, or will they give her more time with us and Lumi

before they send her off?” Kalon replied.No one had an answer. “I hope she gets to stay with us for a little while longer,” I

murmured.The Nightmare Forest opened up ahead. Orvis formed a perfect circle in the middle of

it, bordered by black stone fencing. There was a clear area on the eastern side of thevillage where we could land, so Tristan and I prepared the shuttle for its descent.

“I’ve already sent word to Kalla that we’re coming,” Trev said. “So we shouldn’t get anarmed welcoming committee.”

“Thank you. The last things we need are torches and pitchforks,” Tristan said.Kalla spotted us from the dark tower, and I could see her through the windshield as

she made her way through the village toward us. For the first time in what felt like a longtime, we were all welcomed with open arms and wide smiles as Kalla took a moment tohug each of us. Her bear hugs were something I’d miss later.

“Prince, oh, little prince,” she said, kneeling before Thayen. “I am sorry you’ve cometo us in such difficult circumstances. I wish I could welcome you differently.”

“It is an honor to be here,” Thayen replied. “I’ve heard amazing things about thisplace.”

“Yes, Thayen is thoroughly fascinated by the idea of Aeternae living off animal blood.”Sofia giggled. “I guess we vampires were odd enough, but when he heard his own peoplewere trying this unconventional diet, well, he was awestruck.”

“Welcome, all of you,” Kalla replied. After all the introductions were made, she took agood minute to simply look at Valaine. “By the stars, you’re a beautiful thing to behold.It’s a pity there’s so much suffering inside you.”

Valaine blinked several times. “What do you mean?” she asked, then briefly gloweredat Trev. “What did you tell her?”

“Only the basics,” Kalla replied. “But there’s more to you than the Black Fever. I cansee it in your eyes, Lady Crimson. You’re in a lot of pain. You have been for a very longtime.”

“Oh, there’s a lot we need to catch you up on,” I told Kalla. “Visio is getting crazierwith each passing day.”

“I can see that. You’re back here, and that’s proof enough that there’s insanityhappening beyond the Nightmare Forest,” Kalla said.

Several figures emerged from thin air. The Reapers and Nethissis. Kalla froze, hereyes wide and bewildered as she stared at them. Seeley, Kelara, Soul, Widow, Phantom,Morning, and Night were quite the sight when they were together. Clad in variations ofblack and white with galaxy eyes and an overall sense of eternity looming around them—I could certainly see why she’d be fascinated.

Not far from where we stood, the people of Orvis began to gather, whispering to eachother as they watched this peculiar reunion unfold.

“I’m not sure if you’ve ever met other Reapers, Kalla,” I said. “The ones who camehere before were captured and turned into ghouls by the Darklings.”

“Oh, I know,” she replied. “I was there on several occasions.”This was new information, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I was overwhelmed

with questions as I gawked at her. “What… what do you mean?” I asked.“Welcome, Reapers,” Kalla said, ignoring me. “Our home is your home. I hope you will

accept an apology on behalf of those of us from Visio who do not condone the Darklingpractices.”

Soul smiled, introducing himself and the rest of his colleagues. “You used to be aDarkling,” he muttered, his gaze fixed on Kalla.

That answered one of my many questions, but I needed more context. “What do youmean?” I asked, occasionally looking back at my brother in the hope he might’veunderstood more than me. Tristan only gave me a shrug in return, so I was at a loss.“Kalla, what is Soul talking about?”

Kalla wore a sad look on her face, not taking her eyes off Soul. “That was a very longtime ago.”

“How can you tell?” Tristan asked Soul.Soul pointed at the Nalorean woman’s bone necklace. Some of the pieces were

engraved with different symbols. “That’s death magic,” he said. I moved closer to get abetter look. Some of the runes did look familiar. “It’s a ward that keeps her hidden fromghouls, and I’m guessing she’s made sure everyone in the village wears one, as well.”

“Is that true, Kalla?” Kalon asked, equally befuddled.She exhaled sharply but didn’t dispute Soul’s words. “Like I said, it was a long time

ago. And it’s certainly not who I am anymore.”“But I thought the Darklings only forced or paid Naloreans and Rimians to do their

dirty work,” I said. “I don’t remember hearing anything about non-Aeternae Darklings.”“I was one of the few exceptions,” Kalla explained. “I wanted to become an Aeternae

at the time, and I had proven myself to the Darklings more than once. My village waspoor. My people were starving. I thought if I became an Aeternae, I might be able to dobetter by them, to provide for them.”

“So they just let you in?” Trev asked. This was news to all of us, judging by theshocked faces around me—foreign and local alike.

“It wasn’t easy,” Kalla said. “There were tests. I had to do some unpleasant thingsalong the way. But when the tenth division took me in and accepted me as a member…well, that’s when I truly understood what they were doing, what they were about. To behonest, I would’ve been okay with that, since the general focus seemed to be onpreserving the Aeternae species. But there were a lot of things they weren’t telling us.Knowledge that was only reserved for the Whips and the Master of Darkness. The more Iasked, the more they pushed back. Once they started threatening me, I knew I’d made ahuge mistake.”

“When was that?” Kalon asked.“About twenty years ago. I got out, and I made sure they would never come after

me,” Kalla said. “I apologize for not being truthful about this before. It wasn’t merely todeceive you, but rather to protect myself and Orvis. The Darklings burned down myvillage with everyone in it after I left. I might’ve been warded, but my friends and family

weren’t.” Her voice broke, and I knew these were painful memories she was sharing withus.

Widow chuckled. “Leave it to the Reapers to stir up crap.” He gave Soul a friendlynudge.

“Hey, I applaud your initiative,” Soul said to Kalla. “I mean, you’re trying to dosomething good and right by your people. It’s honorable, and it definitely proves youwere never Darkling material. I suppose you gave up on the idea of becoming anAeternae, too?”

Kalla shook her head. “Not yet. I’m just taking all the time I have before I take thatstep. There are plenty of Aeternae here who are willing to turn me.” She paused,instinctively brushing her fingers over the bone necklace beads. “Let us go to the inn.There is a lot we must talk about…”

“I hope you don’t mind, but we let our ghouls roam freely through the NightmareForest,” Phantom said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the woods behind her.“They know not to touch the villagers.”

Kalla stilled. “Ghouls?”“You’ve got the runes, remember?” Soul shot back with a cold grin.“Yes, I’m just thinking they’ll probably go after the sabre tigers and the deer,” Kalla

replied.“They ate very well the other day, back in Laramis,” Widow said. “Right now, they just

need room to run around and blow off some steam.”“And you… What sort of vision are you?” Kalla asked, looking at Nethissis. The poor

girl had been quiet since she’d learned about her body.“A lost soul,” Nethissis murmured.“This is Nethissis,” I said. “Our friend and colleague.”“Oh my… Your dead friend,” Kalla replied, remembering the stories I’d told her during

my first visit to Orvis. “I am so sorry, Nethissis, for everything that has happened to youhere.”

Nethissis shook her head. “There is absolutely no need for you to apologize, Kalla. It’snot like you killed me or anything.”

“Believe it or not, my inability to do more for this world does give me a sense ofresponsibility for every crime committed by the Darklings.” Kalla sighed. “All the sufferingcould be avoided, if only there were more of us and fewer of them.”

Kailani cleared her throat, frowning slightly as she glanced up and around. “Why don’twe continue this conversation at the inn?” she said. “I’d like to put a cloaking spell on thevillage and grant access only to its people and our crew.”

“Good idea. We will place a few wards, as well,” Phantom replied. “Just to make surethe Darklings don’t come sniffing around. They are truly resourceful bastards.”

“Yeah, and I want the cloaking to resemble the forest, so we don’t have Aeternaeairships to deal with, either,” Kailani said. “Danika and Corbin have control of the armedforces, after all.”

Kalon took my hand in his, smiling softly. “Just like old times, huh?”He made me laugh. It was only a few days ago that we’d escaped his mother’s

clutches and had found refuge here in Orvis. Our circumstances hadn’t improved muchsince then. Now both the Aeternae and the Darklings were coming for us, the entiresituation skillfully orchestrated by Danika. But it wasn’t just the two of us anymore.

My brother was here, and so was Valaine. We had Sofia. We had Amal, Amane, andnow Ridan, too. Rose and Caleb. Kailani and Hunter. Trev was on our side, and even littleThayen. We had Reapers and ghouls galore, plus Lumi, Sidyan, and Maya still out theredoing their thing. I didn’t feel alone or hopeless, in spite of all our difficulties.

There was still so much we didn’t know, but there was a clearer path ahead. We hadsomething to work with and a safe place to do it in. Orvis had become a temporary hometo which we could return, if needed. Most importantly, we had Kalla’s support. I deeplyadmired the Nalorean woman, especially now that I knew more about her personalhistory.

The Darklings had hurt us all in one way or another, and I was looking forward torepaying the favor, in fire and in blood.

T

E S M E

here were plenty of rooms in the inn for our GASP crew, and it only took us afew minutes to settle in. Ansel had been given a room to share with Tudyk

and Moore, while Kalon’s chamber was right next to mine, and I could hear him throughthe thin wall. There was a sense of tranquility here, in the silent curves of the woodenfurniture and the embroidered curtains. Every single object was simple in its functionalitybut beautiful and elegant at the same time. I hadn’t noticed these details before—I’dbeen running and hiding and fighting, with no time to stop and admire the furnishings.

My mind wandered back to Kalon’s kisses and the way he made me feel. We’d gottenoff to a rocky start. All his family members were basically Darklings, but he’d chosen to bewith me. I knew he was in a lot of pain about them, yet he did a damn good job keepingthat to himself most of the time. Kalon was strong, however, there was also a sensitiveside to him—and I had come to deeply appreciate both aspects of his personality.

He matched my character in so many ways, it was as if we’d been designed as twoseparate parts that had always been meant to be put together, to function as one. Hisobservation skills were out of this world—he could almost sense when I was angry oranxious or in any kind of pain, and he would always try to make me feel better. I did thesame for him, but I doubted I was as proficient as Kalon.

My heart swelled as I remembered our first kiss back at the lakeside cabin. The sweetmoments before the storm. Only we existed, gazing ahead into an uncertain future. Notmuch had changed since, except maybe my feelings. They’d grown, and I would soon beoverpowered, overwhelmed by what I could only describe as love. Our romance wasthorny and rife with shades of gray, but the pull between us remained undeniable.

I left my room just as Kalon was pulling his door closed behind him, and we nearlycollided in the narrow hallway. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching,he locked me in his arms and pulled me into a deep kiss. I melted in his embrace, his lipstaunting mine, our tongues playing.

“With all this craziness, I didn’t want you to forget about me,” he said, his breathtickling my lips. He didn’t let go, and I didn’t protest. For a moment, I was weightless. Apart of him, sharing in the fleeting bliss.

“You’re glued to my brain, Kalon. I doubt I’d ever be able to forget you,” I replied,half-smiling as I gazed into his cool blue eyes. “But thanks for the reminder, nonetheless.

It does add the extra kick in my heels.”“How are you feeling?” he asked, looking rather worried.My palms rested on his chest, only a layer of thick cotton-like fabric keeping my skin

from his. “I’m thankful to be alive,” I said. “Trust me, I’m really doing fine. I wish I couldsay the same about other people we both hold dear.”

“You mean Nethissis and Valaine.”“And Sofia, too. She’s holding it together, but I know she has to be suffering on the

inside while Derek is still held captive,” I replied.“I don’t know how I could possibly help Valaine, so I try not to worry about it too

much,” Kalon said. “I’ve found comfort in knowing she’s got the Reapers with her. They’rethe best equipped to support and guide her. That being said, I still can’t believe she’s aReaper, too.”

“Only the physical manifestation of one, as it turns out,” I muttered.“But she’s still my friend, and I know I will do everything in my power to make sure

she’s okay. I’m sure you feel the same way about Nethissis.”“Hers is a more… complicated situation.”“It is. But things happen, and we can’t turn back time,” Kalon said, his knuckles

brushing over my cheek. “The best we can do is keep moving. Adapt. Adjust. Resist.”“I know. Nethissis knows it, too. But it doesn’t make any of this more palatable, that’s

for sure.”Kalon grunted. “And it’s only the beginning. My instinct tells me we’re in for rougher

days yet.” He didn’t have anything specifically ominous in mind, but I understood hisconcern. We all felt the same thing—Sofia most of all. She’d already seen so much overso many years. This was probably more like a bump in the road for her. With Derek indanger, I was certain she was suffering as much as the rest of us, but I had a feelingshe’d bounce back faster.

“Let’s go downstairs. I think Kalla is waiting for us,” Kalon added. He planted anotherkiss on my forehead before we made our way to the ground floor.

A table had been set in the middle, close to the modest bar. Sofia, Amal, Amane,Ridan, Rose, Caleb, Hunter, and Kailani had already taken their seats. Ansel and Thayenwere looking through some books at a corner table, away from the “grownups,” and I wasthankful to Kalon’s brother for that. Thayen needed to be a kid for a while longer,especially in the face of so much adversity.

“Where’s Tristan?” I asked.Soul walked in, joined by Widow, Night, Seeley, and Nethissis. “He’s outside with

Unending. Morning and Phantom want to start working on our sister’s memories,” he said.We settled in with the rest of the crew, but Nethissis remained standing, constantly

moving around. She looked worried, occasionally checking the door as she waited forLumi to return.

“Any news from Sidyan?” Sofia asked, noticing Nethissis’s silent impatience.Seeley shook his head. “He should be in touch soon. We have a protocol in place.”“Protocol-schmotocol,” Lumi said as she and Sidyan appeared in the middle of the

wide room. Maya was nowhere to be seen. “Sidyan told you to wait for him to contact

you. Stop making everything sound so well planned.”I stifled a chuckle as Lumi grabbed a chair and joined our table.Sidyan crossed his arms. “We’re back.”“Had you not told us just now, I’d have thought I was losing my mind,” Soul grumbled.“Where’s Derek?” Sofia asked, understandably alarmed.“Yeah, about that…” Lumi’s cheeks were flushed. “He decided to stay.”Sofia shot to her feet so fast, her chair flipped backward. “What?! What do you mean

he decided to stay?”Lumi told us everything she and Sidyan had witnessed in the imperial palace since

their last communication. The more she spoke, the more afraid I felt. We’d only beenscratching the surface where the Darklings were concerned. Kalon’s instinct was provingcorrect. There were definitely worse things ahead for us.

“So if Danika’s comfortable with Derek in her hold, he thinks she’ll tell him stuff?” Sofiagasped, trying to come to terms with her husband’s unpopular decision. “Is he beingreckless? I’d have expected more from him.”

“He’s actually onto something,” Sidyan replied. “Chances are good that Corbin and theWhips were aware there might be at least one of us tailing them. If Lumi and I stuckaround much longer, there’s no telling what they might’ve done. I’m not a ghost likeNethissis, but even I am vulnerable to some death magic.”

“I left Derek a signal to let me know if he needs us to come back for him,” Lumiadded. “And Maya stayed behind to watch over him. But as long as you have Thayen,Danika won’t lay a hand on Derek. She doesn’t expect him or any of us to survive this,and she’s quite loose-tongued when she’s comfortable, so Derek will probably find outwhat that option B is once the Darklings realize Spirit isn’t coming back.”

Widow let a deep sigh pour out, as if the weight of the entire universe had beenresting on his shoulders. “I shudder to even think what backup Spirit left for them.”

“We’ll have to be prepared for the worst,” Lumi said. “Which is why Derek is finewhere he is for the time being. I don’t like it either,” she continued, looking at Sofia, “butright now he’s more useful to us there.”

Sofia wasn’t pleased, but she conceded. “Even after all these years, Derek still makesme question his judgment sometimes. I know I shouldn’t, but—”

“You love him, and you want him back alive and in one piece, Mom,” Rose said. “I feelthe same way.”

“We all want to see Derek here with us and out of harm’s way,” I replied.“Okay… well, let’s hope Danika tells him what we need to know,” Sofia muttered,

pulling her chair back and taking a seat. “Meanwhile, what are we going to do?”Trev took a deep breath and spread a map across the table. Its black ink lines

depicted the main continent, along with its roads, rivers, and other significantgeographical elements. He pointed a finger somewhere north of the Nightmare Forest.

“There’s a small town here, by the Albus River,” he said. “I know from multiplesources that it was recently occupied by Darklings. Only, unlike in Laramis, they didn’t letany of the locals live. They killed them all. Every Aeternae, Rimian, and Nalorean. Everyman, woman, and child.”

“Oh, no…” Kalla murmured, horror settling on her round face. “Why would they dothat?”

“Perhaps it’s retaliation for Laramis? When did they take over?” Nethissis asked,gazing at the map. Trev shrugged.

“I’m not sure. Maybe a day or two ago, tops,” he said. “I get messages in the windfrom various scouts. This one came to me a couple hours ago through a flying wisp.”

“Flying wisp?” I asked.“Just one method of passing messages around,” Trev explained. “Flying wisps are

small birds that reach high speeds. They can be trained for this, and they’re very good atconcealing themselves. You almost never see one unless it’s a dot in the sky.”

Kalon frowned. “Are all your sources trustworthy?”“I hope so,” Trev replied, only half joking.“We can’t let this stand,” I said. “How many people did they kill?”“From what I remember, there were about a thousand people living in Dieffen,” Trev

answered.Ansel straightened his back, his attention captured by our conversation. “Wait, I’ve

heard about Dieffen,” he said. “We had a Darkling cell there, but… no one ever talkedabout taking over the whole town! Then again, I was never privy to much information inthat sense.”

“Did you ever go there yourself?” Kalon asked, and Ansel nodded once.“About two weeks ago, for some errands. The locals were still there, and the

Darklings were keeping a low profile, as usual.”Lumi scoffed. “I don’t get it. If the Darklings are planning this elaborate campaign to

come out in the open and get the people of Visio to fully accept them, why did they justkill off an entire town?”

“It was definitely retaliation,” Hunter said. “For Laramis. The timeline fits, too.”“The cell was already there, after all,” Kailani pointed out. “All they had to do was go

out and let the ghouls loose on those people… Ugh, what soulless bastards.”“Aren’t they afraid of the public backlash?” Lumi insisted. “It just doesn’t make sense!”Kalon had a theory, and I was inclined to agree with him. “They’ll probably try to keep

it under wraps for as long as they can. Though, if the scouts were able to tell Trev aboutit, I doubt the coverup will last much longer, in which case they’ll probably try to pin it onus and the Reapers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Darklings tried to make us look like thebad guys, while they continue to paint themselves as saviors of the Aeternae species. Itwould definitely fit with their political campaign.”

The mere concept of such a complex but dangerously effective plan made me tremble.Then again, this was politics in its purest form. Public opinion could move entire worlds. Ifthe people were all against us, what chance did we stand to make them see the truth?How could we go about convincing millions that we weren’t the villains at all, and thatthe Darklings were in the wrong?

In everything I’d learned about the Aeternae, there was one characteristic that stoodout—they didn’t like change, especially on a fundamental level. This was their empire,their way of life. The Black Fever threatened it all, and the Darklings had positioned

themselves as ruthless protectors, while we’d run off with the source of the curse.“The only thing we can do is fight the Darklings. Now, while they’re still stuck in their

old ways. While the public has yet to fully accept or legitimize them,” I said.Trev nodded in agreement. “Yes. We can strike Dieffen now, while they’re still settling

in, while they’re still comfortable.”“How many Darklings and ghouls should we expect to find there?” Seeley asked.“I don’t know. But I’ll ask my scouts to circle the town and get as close as they can to

give me an estimate,” Trev replied.“Well, I’m on board with taking them out in Dieffen,” I said firmly. “It’ll send the right

message to Corbin and the others, too. We have to defeat them before they canmanipulate public opinion against us. It’s bad enough we’re fighting the Darklings. Wecan’t take on civilians, too.”

Night got up and leaned over the table, his starry gaze moving across the map. Hecircled the town of Dieffen with his index finger.

“My colleagues and I will organize the ghouls around town,” he said. “They’ll be readyto enter at a moment’s notice, and they can sweep the side streets fast. The rest of uswill go through the main roads into Dieffen,” he added, his finger stopping at cardinalpoints around the town borders. “North, south, east, and west.”

“Yes, we all go in at once,” Soul replied. “In groups, with Reapers in each unit.”“I’ll give you some of my men, as well, if you need them,” Kalla chimed in. “They’ll be

more than happy to fight those evildoers, especially since they’ve become so brazen anddestructive.”

For the second time today, I could see the direction we’d chosen quite clearly. It wasthe just and right thing to do. It would be bloody, but violence was the only way to moveforward. The Darklings had proven that by killing an entire town.

They deserved retribution.

V

T R I S T A N

alaine sat on the porch steps with Morning and Phantom flanking her. I wasright in front of her, one step below, holding her hands in mine as wediscussed the trance she was about to enter.

“Will I remember everything?” Valaine asked, looking at Morning.Both Reapers shook their heads. “This is only the beginning,” Phantom said. “We’re

only starting to dig into your memories. We’ll start with your previous life and see howyou fare. The process is complex and cannot be rushed, because your Aeternae body isn’tequipped to handle so much information.”

“Have you done this sort of spell before?” I replied.The shadow of a smile danced across Phantom’s face. “A long time ago, before I was

bound to Phyla,” she said, “a precious artifact was lost, and Death tasked me with findingit. I tracked it across the universe until I reached a small planet named Merida. At firstglance, it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. Just another marble wherehumanoids had developed, much like Earth and this cluster here. But then I noticed howthey organized their funerals. They weren’t cause for grief, but rather celebration,because they believed the departed were starting a new life. It sounded like a culturalthing until I investigated further and discovered that they had once been visited by ahigh-ranking Reaper. I forget his name now, but he did one hell of a number on Merida.”

“What did he do?” I asked.“Before he surrendered his scythe and ate a soul, he taught the locals some old and

forbidden death magic. In hindsight, I’m willing to bet he learned it either from Spirit orUnending here.” She chuckled, giving Valaine a vague smile. “He showed the Meridiansthe secret of rebirth, of their spirits being bound to new, infant bodies. They got awaywith it for a long time—at least a few centuries—before I got there. I spent a year or sostudying them and trying to figure out how they were able to do it. It wasn’t all thatcomplicated, really. The spell for rebirth had been put in place, and it did all the work onits own whenever someone died. It didn’t require any fixes or refreshing magic.”

“It worked on a loop?” Morning asked, fascinated.Phantom nodded. “Yes. The people of Merida were basically cursed—or, as most of

them thought, blessed to go through multiple life cycles, their spirits never moving on.The thing with the unborn is that their souls take time to form in the womb. And the spell

basically took old spirits and shoved them on top of the developing ones. It was cruel, ina sense, because it snuffed out the potential new lives.”

“What did you do?” Valaine asked.“First I had to find the artifact. The reborn Meridians weren’t able to retain memories

of their past lives because their bodies weren’t adapted to hold so much information,”Phantom explained. “In that sense, they were quite similar to other humanoids. I neededto get one particular Meridian guy to take me to the artifact. In order to do that, he hadto remember a distant past life, and that was where this spell came in.”

“And it worked,” I tried to conclude.“Yes. It gave him terrible headaches, but he was able to remember. After I retrieved

the artifact, I found the very first Meridian who’d been reborn and killed him with myscythe. It was the only way to break that spell. Merida has been working on a naturalcycle ever since. The souls are reaped, new souls are born… all is right again. Well, atleast it was. That was millions of years ago. I’m not even sure the planet is still there.”

Looking at Valaine, I noticed concern drawing shadows under her black eyes. “What’swrong?”

“Nothing. Everything. It’s a difficult question to answer,” she murmured, trying tosmile.

“Don’t worry, sister,” Morning said. “You’re safe with us, and we’ll help you getthrough this.”

“I really want to believe you,” Valaine replied.“But in your mind, you’ve never met us. You’re not sure how you can even trust us,”

Phantom deduced, and Valaine gave her a faint nod. “Listen, you won’t feel anything.You’ll simply be a visitor in the past. It’ll be like watching a story unfold. A story that hasalready happened. You’ll need to be firmly in place once you’re in there, so you don’t slipaway from the memory, but you’ll also need to be mindful. As long as you remember tokeep yourself emotionally detached from whatever you might see, it’ll be okay.”

“And if I don’t?” Valaine asked. “If I get sucked in?”Phantom sighed. “Then you’ll get the headaches I mentioned. That’s the trick, really.

Keeping your brain from actively participating.”“You’re free to hold on to me,” I said, squeezing her hands in mine. They felt colder

than usual, and I knew her nerves were frayed.“If you keep physical contact, you’ll have to prepare yourself, Tristan,” Phantom

noted. “You’ll be connected to the remembrance spell, and you’ll see and hear everythingUnending sees and hears. The same warning applies to you, too. Don’t try to getinvolved. Remember that it’s only a vision… that way your head won’t hurt. For what it’sworth, we’ll witness everything, though my sister and I are used to easily discerningbetween memories and reality.”

Tristan gave a faint nod. “Out of curiosity, wouldn’t this be more fitting for Dream andNightmare to handle?”

“Why?” Phantom replied, confused and maybe a little offended. “They deal withdreams and nightmares, fictional bits of one’s subconscious. What role would they serve?Morning and I have done this before, to other Reapers, in different circumstances and

settings. Dream and Nightmare would both get tangled in the web of Valaine’ssubconscious, while Morning and I are able to move past it.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Tristan said.“I’m not upset. Just pointing out that our Death-given names and abilities are not

linear and limited. We can color outside the lines, sometimes.” Phantom offered a smile.“Are you ready?” Morning asked, gazing lovingly at Valaine as she placed a hand on

her shoulder, while Phantom touched the other. The spell clearly involved physicalcontact and the transference of some kind of energy.

“As I’ll ever be,” Valaine whispered.“Close your eyes,” Phantom said. Her eyes glowed white, as did Morning’s.My skin crawled, an electrical current flowing through me as the Reapers’ lips moved,

words leaving them and diffusing into the ether. Death magic engulfed the four of us,flowing freely like a cold current of ocean water. It seeped into my bones, cutting mybreath short.

I felt Valaine’s grip tighten, and darkness gradually flooded my vision. I didn’t move,yet I was weightless. The last thing I saw was Valaine’s head falling back, her skinglimmering like mother-of-pearl.

One deep breath later, I was sinking into the unknown—the great nothingness of adormant mind. I was alone, but I didn’t feel lonely. I could sense Valaine everywherearound me, like a warm blanket giving me comfort.

“Follow my voice,” Phantom said, somewhere in the vast darkness. “Follow my voice,Unending. I am here to guide you. Look back on your life, dear sister. Find your earliestmemory.”

I heard Valaine sigh. Silence followed as I lingered in the void.“I’m trying… I think I was maybe four?” Valaine replied.Tendrils of light and color spread across and up and down and in every direction. It

dazzled. It mesmerized. It caught a life of its own as shapes began to form, threedimensions coming together to produce Valaine’s earliest memory from this life.

We were in a room with floor to ceiling windows and embroidered drapes that hadbeen pulled aside to let in the hazy morning light. For a moment, I wanted to hide in theshadows, my vampire instincts taking me away from the burning daylight. But Iremembered that I wasn’t myself here, that I was merely a passenger in Valaine’s head.

I could see the room through her eyes. It looked so big to a four-year-old girl. Thefurniture seemed like the artful work of giants. Her father, Corbin, came into the picture.He wore his official uniform, a crimson cape hanging from one shoulder. The medals onhis chest jingled as he bent to pick Valaine up, smiling broadly.

His brown eyes were filled with shimmering love, and I could almost feel his affectionfor his daughter. She was only a kid, vulnerable and in need of his protection. At thispoint in time, he had no idea she was the true source of the Black Fever. I didn’t want tojustify any of Corbin’s choices, but looking at him in this memory… I saw a more genuineside of him. One that had not even considered the possibility of someday killing his owndaughter to preserve the Aeternae species.

“Hi, sweetness,” Corbin said, his voice blaring through my brain. It all felt so real, as if

I were the one being held and adored, not Valaine. It scared me for a second. I tried tofocus on myself, on my presence here. I was only an observer, and I had to rememberthat.

“Good job,” Phantom whispered, though I could not see her anywhere. “How firmlyanchored do you feel in this moment, dear sister?”

“I… I don’t know. It’s steady. It’s solid. I can feel my father’s arms around me. Thewarmth of his embrace,” Valaine replied. Corbin lowered his head and planted a kiss onher forehead. “I can feel his fatherly love.”

“That’s great,” Phantom said. “It means you’ve found an excellent place from which tomake your jump.”

“Her what, now?” I heard myself ask.Corbin chuckled as Valaine’s chubby little hand reached out, her tiny fingers getting

tangled in his beard. Tears filled his eyes when she pulled too hard, but he wasn’t angry.He patiently removed her hand and gently placed Valaine in her cot. “It’s time for yournap, my love,” he said. “I must go light a candle in your mother’s memory.”

There was grief in his voice. He missed Valaine’s mother deeply, but the presence ofhis daughter soothed him. I wondered if he was Master of Darkness around this time.None of us knew when he’d been appointed or how the appointment was even made.Either way, it was difficult to reconcile the Corbin I saw now, in this memory, with thereal one.

“We have to go,” Phantom warned. “We cannot linger.”“I’m… I’m ready to go.” The ache in Valaine’s voice was impossible to ignore.“Good. Now, reach back farther. The memories are there, deep beneath the surface of

everything you see here,” Phantom said. “Look around. Find something that is out ofplace. A thread that might have come loose, perhaps… that’s your gateway into aprevious life. The memories are all connected.”

“But I’m basically a toddler here… how am I supposed to reach out?” Valainewondered. “I don’t even think I can move my hands.”

“Remember. It’s not real. It’s not your body. You’re a visitor, and you can move,”Morning reminded us.

Valaine took a deep breath and spent a minute trying to break free from this point ofview. I could feel her mind wiggling out of its position, like a fish trapped in a nookbetween two rocks. Finally, she was loose, and the view in front of us shifted. We floatedaround the room, checking every corner, every surface, every angle and door.

Beneath a small ornate cabinet with gilded doors was a shadow. It sprawled fartherout than it should have, considering the amount of light coming through the window. Itseemed out of place, and Valaine noticed it, too. “Is that it?” she murmured.

“Let’s find out,” I said.Glancing back, we saw Valaine—the four-year-old—resting in her cot. She was fast

asleep, her black hair curled and framing her porcelain face. Not a care in the world. Noidea what her future held. No understanding of the betrayal she’d endure from her ownfather. It broke my heart to see her like this, so blissfully unaware. But the past was thepast. It could not be changed.

Valaine shifted focus back to the shadow beneath the cabinet. “This feels wrong,” shesaid.

“Then go into it. Inspect. Don’t be afraid. All you’re doing is opening a door,” Phantomadvised. She sounded closer than ever.

The closer we got, the blacker the shadow grew until it enveloped us, and we wereback in the big nothingness—only it wasn’t the same as the first time. No, it felt different.Colder. Completely foreign. It was difficult to understand the feeling it gave me, but Iknew Valaine felt the same way, as shivers rippled through our common consciousness.

“Where are we?” she asked.“You did it. You’re between lives,” Phantom said, and I imagined her smiling.“Okay… what now?” Valaine replied.“Relax. Let the memories come to you. The one closest to the surface will emerge,”

Phantom explained. “Whatever you do, don’t forget—it has already happened.”It sounded like a warning. Soon afterward, an image began to form and another room

came into focus. Unlike Valaine’s nursery, this one was tall and dark and damp. Watertrickled down the black stone walls. We were somewhere underground, and torchesflickered all around us, mounted on iron arms. Amber light cut through, revealing thefaces of those present—we were not alone anymore.

This was different. Dread grabbed me by the throat, its clawed fingers digging in.“Are we sure?” Petra asked. Yes, Petra was here. We were bound to a wall, unable to

move, stuck in Valaine’s previous body. And Petra looked worried. Slightly younger, andworried, clad in blue velvet. Her silver hair still had a few streaks of black in it, and wasmuch longer, hanging down her back in a tight braid.

She was joined by Danika, Corbin, and Zoltan. They all looked different. Younger,somehow. But they were definitely Darklings, and they were staring at us with a mixtureof anger and fear.

“I cannot believe we missed her this whole time. Right under our noses,” Danikamuttered.

“Please, let me go,” we said, through the voice of Valaine’s past life. “I didn’t doanything. I’m not who you think I am.”

“Silence, Sessilly!” Zoltan snapped, raising his scythe to our throat. “We know whatyou are. This isn’t our first time!”

Petra appeared distraught. “Zoltan, I hate to say this, but… is she really the one?”“Did you not see her manifesting at the announcement of Murya Shatal’s pregnancy?”

Danika sounded somewhat bored. She’d definitely been through this stuff before. It nolonger affected her. But we were getting valuable information here. We already had aname for this past version of Valaine. Sessilly. We could find her in the empire’s archivesas one of the Darklings’ victims. “Do you want your siblings to survive, Petra?”

“Of course I saw her!” the high priestess hissed. “I’m losing my eldest brother to theBlack Fever already! I just want us to be absolutely and undeniably sure. Either way,Aganon and the rest of us will be spared! I’m here to make sure of that!” She paused andgave Sessilly a sad look. “This girl is my friend. Truth be told, I often thought of her as mylittle sister. Therefore, it’s not easy for me. I hope you all understand where I’m coming

from.”“We’re friends, yes!” Sessilly pleaded. “You can’t let them kill me.”“You’ll only be spared if we kill the source of the Black Fever. In this instance, it’s

Sessilly. Come on, Petra. We’ve had this conversation so many times,” Corbin muttered.“No, please…” Sessilly pleaded for her life, and I felt the horror, the anxiety, the rage

caused by what I could only perceive as a dreadful injustice. “Petra, I trusted you!”“I’ve had enough of this,” Zoltan said. He pressed the blade deeper into my skin—our

skin, Sessilly’s skin—and I felt the metal slice through. The blood was warm as it floweddown my chest. I screamed. We all screamed from the raw pain as the scythe cut fleshand bone and tendon, separating the head from the body.

I saw Petra tearing up, mouthing an apology as the light faded with Sessilly’s life. Iwondered if this was the last time that the high priestess had had a real friend. MaybeSessilly was Petra’s last attachment, emotionally speaking. Maybe she steered clear ofbonding with anyone again after this, since it ended so badly.

Valaine cried out.I fell backward, and the memory was gone. All the pain vanished. I was lying on the

ground outside the inn. We were back in Orvis. We were safe.“Oh, no…” Valaine managed, sobbing. I scrambled to my feet and rushed up the steps

to wrap my arms around her. I held her close as she cried, her tears drenching my shirt.Phantom and Morning sat beside us, still and silent. There were no words left,

anyway. We had just witnessed the end of Valaine’s previous life. Sessilly. An innocentAeternae vessel whose only fault was her connection to the Unending—the source of theBlack Fever.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, stroking Valaine’s long, silky black hair. She shuddered, butshe didn’t pull away. “I’m truly sorry you had to see that.”

“They killed me. It wasn’t the first time,” Valaine croaked, “and they’re going to do itagain as soon as they get the chance.”

“I know I told you to detach yourselves from what you were witnessing,” Phantomsighed, “but I also understand why you’d be unable to keep that distance. Especiallygiven what you saw.”

Sharp pain cut through my temples, but I pushed it aside. There was no time, no roomfor any suffering on top of what we were already going through. Valaine grunted, restingher forehead on my shoulder. “My head hurts.”

“An expected side effect, like I warned you,” Phantom said.Morning tucked a lock of hair behind Valaine’s ear. “You were amazing, sister,” she

said. “You managed to remember something from a previous life. It means we’ll get tosee more and farther back, the next time we dig in.”

“I… I don’t think I ever want to do that again,” Valaine whispered.“You’ll feel better after you rest for a while,” Phantom replied. “We have to keep

working at this. We need to get back to your truest self because that’s where we’ll figureout what sort of seal Spirit put you under.”

In theory, it sounded simple. But after this experience—I sensed slivers of puredarkness slipping out of Valaine as I held her—I knew it wouldn’t be easy at all. The more

we peeled away at the problem, the more unpleasant it would get. The journey into one’spast was a massive task. The journey into one’s past life… well, that was infinitelyharder. More tedious.

Perhaps dangerous in ways we had yet to anticipate.Even so, I certainly wasn’t going to quit, and despite Valaine’s exhaustion and misery,

I knew she’d get right back at it as soon as she could. “We’re in this together,” I said toher. “We’ll pull through.”

Valaine didn’t answer. She was already sleeping on my shoulder, softening in my armsas her mind drifted away to what I hoped were better places. I remained anchored inreality with Phantom and Morning, wondering what we’d discover in the next attempt.

Deep down, I was scared of what we might unearth. But excitement trumped the fear,because there was freedom in truth, no matter how unpleasant.

A

T R I S T A N

greeing that a break was sorely needed, I left Phantom and Morning with therest of the crew and took Valaine upstairs to her room. She settled on the bed,her arms limp, in and out of her half-sleeping state. I poured water into a bowl

with a clean cloth. After a thorough wringing, I used the cloth to wipe some of the sweatfrom Valaine’s face.

She didn’t say anything for a while, but, now fully awake, her gaze followed me as Icleaned every bit of pearlescent skin I could find. The silence didn’t feel comfortableanymore. Something lingered between us—the trauma of a shared experience, as we’dboth seen her die as Sessilly. We’d felt the blade, the pain…

“I know it’s hard, though I can only imagine what it’s like for you,” I said softly, thecloth following the line of her neck. “But you’ll get to the bottom of this. The fact that youmanaged to remember one past life on the first try proves the Reapers are ontosomething. That you really are the Unending.”

“It doesn’t make me feel any better,” Valaine replied. I put the cloth away, thencrouched in front of her, listening. “I’m a stranger in my own body. There are roads I’vebeen down before, roads I don’t remember. And the people I trusted the most—myfamily, my friends—most of them have been hunting and killing me for millennia. Myancestors, too. Tristan, how can I ever bounce back from that?”

I didn’t have an answer, but I wasn’t going to leave her like this. “You know what?Maybe it’ll feel different once you remember yourself as Unending. Maybe none of thosepeople will matter when your true consciousness returns,” I said. “As a Reaper, especiallythe very first ever made, I’m thinking Visio will seem small and petty and insignificant.The blood ties will vanish. All that matters is your freedom.”

She nodded slowly, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a faint smile. “I’m amazedyou haven’t run off screaming.”

“You know me, Valaine. I’m always up for a good challenge.”“That’s right. You only seem like the calm and peaceful erudite. You’re as fiery as

Esme and Kalon put together when provoked,” Valaine said. “I remember seeing you fightthe Darklings. You’re vicious.”

“I hope you mean that in a good way.” I chuckled.She reached out a hand and cupped my cheek. Her touch sent electric currents

through my whole body—burning wisps of something I’d become oddly familiar with. Oursecret chemistry. “I absolutely mean it in a good way,” she replied. “Had it not been foryou, Tristan, I would’ve succumbed to despair by now. Thank you. For everything.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet. We haven’t even gotten to the really difficult part. You know,what Spirit actually did to you.”

Valaine scoffed. “It’s hard for me to hate someone I don’t remember,” she said. “Butyes, I suppose you’re right. There are worse things to come, huh?”

“You’ll make it. Spirit is dead and long gone. He can’t haunt you for much longer,” Ireplied. “It’s time for you to become who you’ve always been. The years you’ve beenspending as an Aeternae will seem like a blip in the greater scheme of things.”

“Your optimism is somewhat infectious.” Valaine sighed. “I can only hope that…”Her voice trailed off. Her brow furrowed. All of a sudden, something shifted in the

fabric of the universe. Something felt… wrong. The temperature dropped, and steamrolled out from between my lips. Goosebumps pricked my skin as an insurmountablewave of anguish toppled me and my resolve like a devastating typhoon. It pummeled memercilessly, and I shivered. Tears stung my eyes.

Valaine was frozen, looking more like a doll than a living being.“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice breaking.Why was I feeling this way? Why did everything suddenly hurt so much? What was

happening, and why had I lost control over myself? Nothing made sense. Optimism hadperished in the dark flames of misery, and…

“Wait. Dark,” I mumbled, trying to get a grip on myself. “Dark. Darkness. Darkness…it’s darkness.”

It was coming from Valaine. These terrible sensations. The sadness. The pain. Thedisbelief and the very death of my faith in her and the rest of the world. She’d tuned out,somehow. She couldn’t see or hear me anymore.

I called out her name, over and over, but she didn’t answer. I touched her hand, butshe didn’t respond. Instead, the darkness oozing out of her spread, covering the entireroom, seeping through the fabric and the wood and the glass on the windows. It gotworse, to the point where pain throbbed in my chest. Hopelessness was not somethingI’d ever really been used to, so being hit by so much of it now, it… it almost broke me.

“Valaine, please listen to me,” I said, once again trying to reach out to her. Shecouldn’t even blink. “I’m here, and I’m not leaving you, okay? Whatever it is you’re goingthrough, you obviously have no control over it, and that’s okay… but I need you to atleast try.”

It got worse, and I wasn’t sure there would ever be good again. Something hadsnapped inside her during the Sessilly memory session. Something had been unleashed,and it was manifesting now, stronger than ever. I’d sensed it before, whenever Valainehad revealed her dark side, but never like this.

I dropped to my knees, trembling. “Valaine, you can’t let it get to you. You can’t let itbreak you. Please, listen to me…”

She didn’t react. I doubted she could even hear me at this point. If I let her unwindany further, I risked the darkness spreading beyond the walls of her room, and I had no

idea how it might impact the others, if I was basically emotionally crippled and barelyable to move. I couldn’t allow it to hurt my friends, my sister. I knew Valaine would neverforgive herself if she caused them any pain.

I had to make an executive decision. I had to break her out of this state. And the onlyway I could think of was probably going to get me slapped. “Well, better to be slappedthan to die in the arms of pure despair,” I muttered and pushed myself up.

I kissed Valaine, my lips pressed against hers. A strange tingling sensation quicklyreplaced the gloom in which I’d been sinking, and she moaned softly. I deepened thekiss, and she parted her lips in response. It was working. I was finally getting through toher. I caught her head in my hands and showered her with kisses. Her lips. Her nose. Hercheeks. Her forehead. I gave her everything I had, without expecting anything in return.

Her eyes finally found mine, and she searched my face for a long moment. “Tristan…”Valaine whispered, and I kissed her again, glad to have her back.

This time, however, it was incredible, because we were both participating. Shewrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. We lost ourselves in oneanother, hungrily kissing and eagerly searching for a way out of this mess.

My heart swelled, and my head felt light. The darkness was gone, and a future couldbe seen ahead once more. It wasn’t all death and destruction. There was hope. Therewas love. There was all the good stuff GASP had always fought for.

I’d fallen in love with Valaine. I’d fallen in love with the Unending, too, and I had noidea how it might end for us. But in this moment, in this brief blink of an eye, we weretogether. We were fighting it all, and we were one.

S

D E R E K

leeping was impossible. Darklings brought me fresh blood to drink once in awhile, and I accepted it, but only because I needed sustenance. I needed astrong body in case I had to get out of here at a moment’s notice. But I couldn’t

rest. I couldn’t even sit down for too long.All I could do was pace my cell from left to right, aware that Maya was nearby,

watching me in her subtle form. I had the green bead in my pocket, and it took a lot ofthinking and convincing myself not to break it. Every fiber in me wanted out of this place,but I needed information, and the Darklings’ upper echelon had it.

I thought about Sofia a lot, hoping I’d see her again. Knowing that Rose and Calebwere with her did comfort me a little, but it irked me that I couldn’t speak to themdirectly. Our Telluris link had been broken, and the earpiece had been destroyed. I wasisolated in this cramped and mostly dark place.

The iron door swung open, and my muscles stiffened with anticipation. This was eitheranother Whip visiting or one of the Darklings. I seemed to have become quite theattraction for the other Whips. Some of them had taken turns coming to my cell to talk tome, to ask me things—where my people were, what we were planning. The usual. Theynever got any answers, but they still came by. I had a feeling they were more fascinatedwith me than interested in any intel I might give them.

This time, however, Petra stood in front of my cell. She had her hands in her dresspockets and her ruby-red lips pressed into a thin line.

“I really hope you’re not here to ask me more questions,” I muttered. “I thought Imade myself clear to your colleagues.”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she just glared at me, and I could almost feelher hate burning through me like fire.

“You know, with everything that happened, I haven’t even had a moment to grieve formy son and brother,” Petra finally said. “I haven’t even cried.”

“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” I replied. “You brought your whole family intothis, Petra. You reap what you sow.”

Her blue eyes lit up. “You, Derek... you should’ve stayed out of all this. You and thatstupid witch of yours. Had she not gotten herself killed, we wouldn’t be here. I’d still haveSimmon. My brother, Aganon. My Kalon and Ansel are out there, consorting with your

kind. It makes me sick to my stomach.”I shook my head, crossing my arms. I refused to let her place any blame on me or my

people. “You and the Darklings have been tormenting the Unending for eons. I get thatonly the higher ups actually know what is being done to her, but all the Darklings areresponsible for perpetuating this cult, this violent and cruel faction. That is a cosmiccrime, and everything that’s coming to you now is the universe’s attempt to rebalanceitself. You’re drawing immortality from Death’s first Reaper, and you’re keeping her in apainful cycle, killing her over and over. Frankly, I’m surprised you’ve only lost a son and abrother to this mess so far. Oh, right. Your first husband, too. Simmon and Kalon’s father.The Black Fever got him, right?”

Petra took out her scythe and pointed the blade at me angrily. But I had no fear, andcertainly no mercy, for someone like her. “We had a good thing going here. Sure, I wasn’tthat crazy about doing my noble work in the shadows, but I’d grown accustomed to it. Mysons were by my side, and I had my brother’s support. Now, here I am on the verge ofwhat will either be our salvation or our destruction, and I’m looking at you, Derek, andmaking you a promise.”

Her voice wavered, but she had something to say. Chills traveled down my spine as Irealized how much she despised me, personally, as the embodiment of the forces ofchaos that had disturbed her otherwise good life.

“I will catch your wife. I will catch everyone who matters to you,” Petra said, “and Iwill flay them in front of you. I will make you watch as I kill those you hold dear, yet eventhen I won’t be done. I will make sure Danika keeps you alive for as long as possible soyou can experience true eternity without your beloved Sofia. Only then will you possiblyunderstand how I’ve been feeling without my husband, knowing that he died because ofthe Unending.”

“So you don’t deny knowing you’re in the wrong here by holding the Unending in thisvicious and bloody cycle,” I replied dryly, appearing unaffected by her promise. Theabsence of a reaction from me threw Petra off her game. She hadn’t seen it coming. Sure,I was trembling on the inside, terrified at the prospect of any of her promises ever comingtrue, but I certainly wasn’t going to let her see my weakness. “On top of that, you’re stillwaltzing around like you’re the victim in all this. You make me sick, Petra. You’re nothingbut opportunistic trash.”

“Trash or not, I am free. You, on the other hand, are doomed to wither away in here,”Petra shot back. She’d made an ominous promise, and I had virtually rebuffed her. Thiswas her last chance to save face, considering how splintered her family had recentlybecome.

“I actually feel sorry for you,” I said. “Your family is broken. Kalon wants nothing to dowith you. Ansel is with him, and they both reject their mother. Tudyk and Moore are inour custody, and knowing my people, I’m pretty sure you’ll never see the boys again. Wehave this protocol where we don’t give children back to unfit mothers.”

That made her explode. She darted toward me so fast, I only had a second to pullback as the scythe slipped between the steel bars and nearly cut me in half.

“You’re not taking my sons, you bastard!” Petra shrieked. She tried to reach me in a

furious frenzy, but the bars held her back. “I’m getting my family back, and I’m going toobliterate yours!”

“We’ll see, Petra. So far, we’ve been quite resourceful,” I replied. I was glued to theback wall, but I kept my chin up, challenging her. “And you are forgetting one thing…” Ipaused as she moved back and put the scythe away, tears glazing her eyes. “I am notalone in this. And neither are my friends. If I have to bring in the whole of GASP todestroy you and the Darklings, I will. The only thing that’s stopping me right now is therisk of hurting innocents in the process.”

I wasn’t exactly sure of what I was saying, but I liked the impact my words had onher. If I did bring the whole of GASP into this mess, we risked a dirty war. The Darklingswould use the innocent Aeternae, Rimians, and Naloreans against us, and they also hadplenty of death magic tricks up their sleeves. It would likely get bloody fast.

At least in this current situation, we still had some semblance of control. Besides,Petra had no idea how many Reapers had come here or that we were allied with them—itwouldn’t have taken a genius to figure that one out, but I didn’t want her to think aboutit. The more emotionally distraught she was, the better. Clouded judgment made thehead fall faster.

“But if you push me, Petra—if you all push me—I will make it rain fire on Visio with anarmy of dragons,” I added when she didn’t immediately respond. “Your empire will beleveled, and everything you’ve fought to protect will be gone. All because you justcouldn’t abide by the natural laws of the universe. Because instead of setting theUnending free, you all chose to leech off her like parasites!”

Petra mulled over my words for a while, then gave me a faint smirk.“We’ll see who prevails, Derek. My money’s on my people because the Spirit Bender

left us one hell of a legacy. We’ve never had to use it before, but rest assured that wewill now.”

She walked out, and I knew she’d just referenced option B. I wanted to know what itwas, but I still had a lot of waiting ahead before they’d figure out that the Spirit Benderwasn’t coming. With little time on my side, I decided to speed things along. Another Whipwould visit me soon, and when they did, I’d take the opportunity to let them all know theSpirit Bender was gone.

Angst gnawed at my stomach, but I couldn’t give up. Even confined to this cell, I’dalready come far. I’d learned a lot, and I was barely scratching the surface.

I didn’t have to wait long. Barely an hour later, Rodique Argyros stopped by my cell with apitcher of fresh Rimian blood. She’d been the first to visit me after Lumi and Sidyan hadleft. Now, she wore a delicate smile on her face, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I owe you thanks,” she said.I raised an eyebrow at her. “For what, exactly?”“Well, you and your friends stirred up so much crap here that the Darklings must now

come out in order to get ahead,” she replied. “I’ve always wanted that, though I nevervoiced it myself.”

“What about the others?” I asked.“Ah. Mixed bag, those people. Some like the secrecy, others are all in for public

acknowledgment. No one dared to say it aloud, though. Not until Petra came back fromLaramis with an opinion poll from other Darklings.”

“Why would no one ‘dare’ to say it aloud?”Rodique leaned against the wall next to my cell. Her smirk began to annoy me, as it

never changed. It just stayed there, as if it had been drawn in ink, persistent in itsarrogance. “Corbin liked the Darklings as the nation’s best kept secret. From the momenthe took over, we all complied without a single protest. He’s fearsome, you know.”

“The Master of Darkness? I’d imagine so.” I tried to understand her deeper meaning.Rodique had a story to tell, and maybe it would also bring me closer to the information Ineeded.

She laughed lightly, as if I’d said the silliest thing. “Oh, no. Derek, you don’t know.You can’t even begin to imagine. When he became Master, Corbin was a killing machine.No scruples, no remorse, no ability to empathize with anyone. Heads fell at the snap ofhis fingers, no questions asked—and trust me, we all had questions surrounding some ofhis decisions. But then Valaine was born, five thousand years ago, shortly after the lastBlack Fever subsided. He lost his wife in the process, but he gained a daughter. He wasso happy. Fatherhood changed him.”

“Then he doesn’t sound as fearsome as you implied.”“Derek. You’re not following me. I thought you’d be smarter than this,” Rodique said.

“Right now, after five thousand years in the company of the only creature he truly loves—his daughter—Corbin has to kill her in order to save us. Can you imagine what it’s doingto him?”

I scoffed. “He didn’t seem all that affected. Just cold. Determined.”“Yes. That’s the Corbin we’re all afraid of. He’s back, and he’ll have plenty of steam to

blow off once Valaine is dead. You’re one of the unfortunate ones, Derek. Petra mighthave a bone to pick with you for an eternity, but Corbin has forever to torment you, tomake you bleed, to make you suffer solely for the purpose of making him feel betterabout himself.”

Exhaling sharply, I sat down on the floor, crossing my legs.“I suppose this is your way of what, exactly? Scaring me?” I asked, unable to hide my

contempt. “Corbin will keep me here and torture me. Is that what you’re getting at?”“Mm-hm. Just so you don’t get too comfortable. I’m trying to prepare you for what

comes next.”It was my turn to chuckle. “So... have you guys talked about what’s going to happen if

the Spirit Bender doesn’t show up? I mean, you’ve summoned him, but has he saidanything? Has he sent a message? A sign?”

“How do you know?” Rodique narrowed her eyes at me.“I’ve got very good hearing,” I replied dryly. “So, anything yet?”“Nothing. But I’m not concerned. He will come. He promised. This is the first and only

time we’ve summoned him in five million years. He knows it’s serious.”“Well, then… I’ve had enough of you for the time being. You’re not giving me anything

interesting to work with here,” I said. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and bringDanika over? I’ve got something to tell her.”

For a Whip, Rodique didn’t seem as threatening as, say, Petra. But I knew her skillslay elsewhere. That smile of hers was deceitful. Her curves were meant to distract. Herraspy voice was designed to spin men’s heads. All pretty covers beneath which she hidher scythe. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of her wrath.

And since I didn’t give her what she’d come here for—my fear—she was alsobefuddled. She didn’t know what to make of me, and she definitely had no idea how tobreak me. For a moment, she looked downright empty. Vapid. Brainless.

“I’m serious. Bring her over. I have something to tell her. Actually, you know what?Bring everyone over. I think you all need to hear it,” I said.

“What game are you playing?” she asked, as if trying to understand me.“You’ll see,” I replied. “Come on. Gather around. Let good ol’ Derek tell you all a

story.”She opened her mouth to say something, but she changed her mind and walked out.

Minutes later, all the Whips were present, Danika included, but there was no sign ofCorbin. I wondered where he might be, but his presence wasn’t exactly a requirement atthis point. Frankly, I would’ve liked to see the look of absolute helplessness on his face,but alas… I had these twelve to contend with.

“What do you want?” Danika demanded, pursing her lips at me. “You’ve gotten quitethe attitude since we locked you in here.”

“Heh… what can I say, Your Grace?” I looked up at her. “Prison makes me snarky.”“Go on, then. Speak,” Petra hissed. “Don’t waste our time.”“Ah, right. I called you all here. Right, right,” I muttered, dragging things out for as

long as I could. I knew they wouldn’t kill me. Both Petra and Rodique had confirmed it.They planned on killing Sofia and everyone else that mattered, but not me. That changedthe way I interacted with them. “How’s the Spirit Bender? Has he said anything yet?”

Danika stiffened. “Why do you ask?”“Good question,” Rodique muttered.“Well, you didn’t have an answer, so I thought I’d ask the rest of them,” I said to

Rodique.“Why do you want to know?” Danika interjected.“Oh, just curious. How long do you plan on waiting for an answer?”She pointed an angry finger at me. “You’re up to something!”“I’m not up to anything, Your Grace. I just figured I’d spare you the trouble of waiting

around like lost little lambs,” I said. “As much as I’d like to watch you sit around andtwiddle your thumbs, you’re better off if I put you all out of your misery.” I paused foreffect. “The Spirit Bender isn’t coming.”

Silence ensued. They didn’t know the details of our history with the Spirit Bender.We’d told Danika about our Hermessi troubles and the First Tenners, including the factthat one of them had started the whole mess, but we’d never shared the names of thosewho’d helped us and those who’d worked against us. They’d seemed like unnecessarydetails at the time—but ironically, Spirit’s name was a crucial piece of the puzzle now.

“How would you know?” Danika replied.“Because we destroyed him a year ago.” I sighed. “We watched him disappear into

nothingness after we cut him down with Death’s scythe, the fabled Thieron.”More silence, as none of them were prepared for this development. They hadn’t seen

it coming, and I really enjoyed the startled expressions that had settled on their faces.They wouldn’t be lost for too long because of option B, but I was now closer to figuringout what that was. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and the more we knew aboutit, the better prepared we’d be. Had I held on to this knowledge of Spirit’s demise for alittle while longer, I would’ve bought us a couple of days, tops, given the urgency of thesituation. Surely, the Darklings had ways to find out if Spirit was still in existence—I didn’tput anything past them. In the end, this was the more reasonable path to follow.

Petra gasped. “You’re lying.”“Not lying. Why would I? Wouldn’t he be here, otherwise?” I said. “I watched him die

his forever death. He betrayed his people. He betrayed the universe itself. He almostwiped us all out—you included! The Hermessi were threatening to take over all ourworlds, and Spirit had made it happen. He’s gone. No more Spirit for you.”

They were speechless. Some looked scared. Others gloomy, their brows pulled tightas the wheels inside their heads turned slowly. I wondered what they might say, but theydidn’t seem to have any words left. They’d come here to bring great change upon theDarklings, but they’d ended up at the dead end of a faulty road.

While they tried to process this unpleasant reality, I was close to kicking back andasking for a bucket of popcorn. I didn’t get much entertainment inside this cell. All I hadwere twelve Whips and a hidden little ghoul.

I

D E R E K

had to admit, Danika was remarkably calm considering what I’d just told her.She simply stared at me, her eyes wide and twinkling with all sorts of

probably ominous ideas. The other Whips looked to her for guidance. After all,Danika wasn’t just a Whip. She was also the Lady Supreme of Visio, the ruling monarchand their gateway to a public life.

“What do we do?” Petra asked her.“I need you all to leave this room. Now,” Danika replied. “We’ll meet again later to

discuss this. In the meantime, Derek and I will have a chat.”Rodique threw me a pitiful smirk. “That’s what you get for being a jerk.”The Whips would’ve stuck around longer, but they were too upset. They’d been

thrown off balance, and they didn’t know how to cope with news of Spirit’s death.Danika’s composure, however, troubled me. One by one, they left through the iron door.

Petra gave me one last glance before walking out. I could see the violent promise inher cold blue eyes, and I found myself praying to all the gods that she wouldn’t getanywhere near Sofia or the others.

“Rodique,” Danika said, stopping the Whip just as she was about to pass through thethreshold. “Bring Corbin over here, please.”

“Shall I come back with him?” Rodique asked.Danika gave her a faint nod and a polite smile. “Yes, dear. Your input will be needed.”After Rodique was gone, Danika and I spent a few minutes simply looking at each

other. I was satisfied with having not only riled them all up, but also with having broughtus closer to figuring out what the Darklings’ backup plan was. Excitement tingled myfingertips.

“I’d normally say I’m sorry for your loss,” I muttered. “But I’m not. I’m glad.”Danika didn’t respond, and I found her stillness disturbing. I’d met her as the

monarch, the ruler of an empire, the mother of a sweet boy, and the wife of afundamentally good Aeternae man. She wasn’t really any of those things, though. Not ather core. Danika was simply a Darkling. A resourceful extremist who’d killed her husband.A monster with a beautiful face, clad in expensive silks.

Corbin came in, and he looked livid. All color had drained from his face, and I knewRodique had told him about Spirit. The Whip came up beside him, hands behind her back

as she waited for the Master of Darkness to say something.“Is it true?” he asked Danika.She exhaled sharply, her shoulders dropping. “I suppose so. The Spirit Bender

should’ve come by now, and Derek would be foolish to lie about such a thing. As much asI dislike him, even I must admit that he’s no fool.”

Corbin looked at me, and I gave him a shrug in return. “Sorry, buddy,” I said.“Your pleasure will be short-lived, Derek,” he replied, then shifted his focus back to

Danika. “I gather we’re moving on to the next stage, then?”“Yes, Master,” Danika said. She looked at Rodique. “Darling, thank you.”“For what? I just brought the Master here,” the Whip mumbled. Corbin scared her, I

could tell. She seemed so small standing next to him.“For everything,” Danika replied. I didn’t even see the scythe come out. The blade

slashed so fast, Rodique didn’t have a single split second to defend herself.A gash spread across her throat, splitting wider and wider until her head came off,

neatly severed from the rest of her body. I heard myself curse as I took a couple of stepsback, my stomach churning, my blood pumping.

Rodique was dead, and Danika stood over her, crimson drops falling from her scythe.“We’ll tell the others she was sent on a mission,” Danika said, her tone calm and

even. “I’ll get to them one by one. They’ll have their guards up now. They know what’scoming, and I don’t trust them all to comply. We never expected this to happen.”

“What the hell?” I managed, unable to take my eyes off Rodique. Her glassy eyeswere stuck on me, and I couldn’t look away.

Danika shot me a cold grin. “Consequences, Derek. I don’t like this any more than youdo, but it has to be done. With Spirit gone, we must press forward.”

“I applaud you for your speed of reasoning,” Corbin said, gazing at Danika. “You didn’thesitate.”

“Master, I live to serve you and the Aeternae. Though, truth be told, Rodique wasalways the most dimwitted among us. She was easy to take out. The same cannot besaid about the others, I’m afraid.”

“Yes. Petra, in particular, will be a handful,” Corbin replied.“What the hell is going on here?” I asked, trying to make sense of what I’d just

witnessed. Clearly, Corbin had been right. My moment of pleasure had been short-lived,as I was now staring at a headless Rodique in a spreading puddle of her own blood.

Danika knelt next to her body and rammed a hand through her chest. The ribssplintered with a spine-tingling crack as she pulled Rodique’s heart out and placed it onthe floor. She licked the blood from her fingers, smiling vaguely. “Tastes dimwitted, too,”Danika muttered.

“I suppose you’ve heard us mention an option B,” Corbin said, looking at me.“This is it? Killing your own people?” I asked. “Why?”Corbin smiled, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that was meant to add any sort of cheer

to the situation. It was the kind of smile that preceded awful things. “To bring the SpiritBender back.”

I didn’t immediately register what he’d just said. Danika stood and turned around to

face Corbin, cupping his face with both hands. Some of Rodique’s blood smudged acrosshis cheek, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m quite pleased with you, Lady Supreme,” Corbin said, his voice low. Only then did Inotice the simmering chemistry between them. They’d kept it so well hidden. The Masterwas involved with one of his Whips, a widow of only a few days. My stomach twisted intoa painful knot as I understood how much filth dwelled beneath the surface of Visio.

“And I’m thrilled we get to do this, now,” Danika replied.“You two have a lot of explaining to do,” I mumbled, breaking into a cold sweat.“Not to you,” Danika retorted. “But I’ll do you a favor anyway.” She moved away from

Corbin and knelt before Rodique’s heart again. “You see, the Spirit Bender foresaw thepossibility of dying the forever death. He warned us about it through his writings. Hisgospels, we called them. He left us something important to do, in case such a terrible dayarrived.” She paused to look at me. “He made a copy of his soul. A clone of his own spirit,with all his memories, his powers, his knowledge. And he entrusted us with its safety.”

“To be sure no one would ever be able to get near it or harm it in any way, we splitthe soul into twelve even pieces, one for each Whip to carry for as long as they lived,”Corbin continued, watching in fascination as Danika set Rodique’s heart on fire. Theflames were odd, burning violet, their white tongues lashing at the air around them.“When a new Whip ascended, we’d hold a ceremony to transfer the piece into theirhearts, as per our Darkling tradition. This way, the Whips would always carry the SpiritBender quite literally inside them.”

As the heart burned, the flesh charring and shrinking, a glimmering shard emergedfrom the violet flames. A piece of the Spirit Bender’s soul. My heart stopped for amoment.

“We all knew this day might be upon us,” Danika said, collecting the shard in the palmof her hand. She got up, moving closer to Corbin once more. “The Whips have grown toocomfortable with living, however, so drastic measures are required in order to bringSpirit’s soul back together. The shards cannot be removed otherwise, once implanted intoan Aeternae’s heart.”

“Once you bring all twelve pieces together—” I murmured, but she cut me off.“The Spirit Bender returns. We have a ritual. A death magic spell so powerful, it will

require at least two hundred ghouls to fuel it.”I needed a moment to think, to fully grasp everything they were telling me.Corbin pulled Danika closer, admiring the crystal shard nestled in her palm. He kissed

her, and I wanted to wretch, thoroughly disgusted by everything I was being forced towitness. I’d wanted to know more about option B, sure, but I’d never thought it wouldinvolve something like this.

“You’re going to die as well, right, Danika?” I asked.She gave me a fleeting glance as Corbin gripped her chin between his thumb and

index finger, compelling her to look at him. “She’s going to die a hero. But first, she’llcollect the first eleven pieces. Danika is the only one I can trust to do this.”

Rodique’s words sprang to mind, echoing relentlessly in the back of my head. Corbin—well, this version of Corbin, anyway—was an absolute monster. Remorseless and callous,

cold and murderous, he really lived up to the title of Master of Darkness. If Valaine hadmanaged to bring out anything even remotely good inside him, it was all gone now. In itswake, Corbin had arisen, ready to bring the Spirit Bender back and screw us all to hell.

Yes, we had some First Tenners on our side, but Spirit had played them before. WithDeath still in chains, I had no idea how we might fare if the Darklings actually succeededin bringing him back. Our problem had just gotten bigger and infinitely worse.

This wasn’t just unexpected. It was far beyond any worst-case scenario we might’veimagined prior to my capture.

W

E S M E

hile the crew prepared for the Dieffen incursion, Kalon and I spent sometime with Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore. The kids were held in a separate room

with locks on the door and sealed windows. They could’ve tried to escape, given theirAeternae abilities, but they didn’t. I had a feeling they knew they wouldn’t get far.

“Neither one has said a word since we got here,” Ansel said, sitting on the bed.“Ah, so they’re still mad at us,” I replied.Tudyk and Moore glared at me as if I’d killed their favorite pet. Kalon wasn’t

impressed. “Well, they can either keep sulking or they can come to terms with the factthat our mother is on the wrong side of history.”

“The Darklings have been preserving the Aeternae species since the dawn of time!”Tudyk spat, baring his fangs.

Kalon smiled. “Not since the dawn of time, but okay. And that’s not what the Darklingshave really been doing. They’ve actually been keeping an ancient Reaper trapped inside acurse. The Black Fever is the result of that imprisonment. It’s her reaction to all thesuffering they’ve been putting her through.”

Moore waved his brother away. “Nonsense. The Black Fever returns every tenthousand years through a specific carrier. All we have to do is find the carrier and killthem. There’s no Reaper involved.”

“Actually, there is,” I said. “If your path as Darklings was so righteous, why have youall been hiding in the shadows for so long? Why wouldn’t the empire simply legalize yourorganization? Because your Master knows that what you’re doing is wrong. Becauseyou’re all perpetuating the Unending’s suffering. She doesn’t deserve this. In fact, she’sprobably the one who gave you your immortality.”

Tudyk and Moore froze, their eyes wide as they gawked at me. Even Kalon and Anselwere intrigued by my statement, but based on everything we’d learned from Nightregarding Cruor and the way he’d recognized Unending’s trail on the Aeternae-turned-Elders, it wasn’t much of a stretch. Especially since we all knew what Unending’s powerwas and that she’d given immortality to someone before.

The issue here was that most of this knowledge had been limited to the Master, theWhips, and probably some of the higher-ranking Darklings. Lower level faction memberslike Kalon’s brothers didn’t have access to this information. They only knew what they’d

been told. Their role was to follow orders and protect the Aeternae from the Black Fever.“You lie,” Moore mumbled.“You want it to be a lie, I know. It would probably make you feel better about your

choices,” I said. “But I’m afraid it’s the truth. The Reapers who took over Laramis andkilled your brother and uncle? They’re Unending’s siblings, the first of their kind. Whatwould you have done if someone had trapped one of your brothers like that?”

“It’s time to set the record straight here,” Kalon added. “I may not have seen thesigns of our mother’s influence on you, but I’ve always felt like the Darklings were thewrong party to hang with. Balance is missing from the universe, and the Darklings are toblame. The longer Unending stays bound to this world, the worse it’ll be.”

Ansel let out a heavy sigh and scooted closer to one of the windows. “I wonder… whydidn’t the Darklings just let Unending go?”

“I don’t think they have the power to do that. I think the Spirit Bender fed them allkinds of lies and convinced them to do his bidding. To keep her here, like this,” I replied.

“What will happen if she’s set free?” Moore asked, finally stepping out of his bubble.He didn’t take off the grouchy look, but he was certainly asking the right questions.

“We don’t know. But you’ll all want to be in her good graces, Moore,” I said. “Thinkabout it. One way or another, we will set the Unending free. When that happens, wouldyou rather be part of the crew that made it happen or part of the Darklings, who dideverything in their power to keep her down? Who do you think she’ll look kindly upon?”

Moore and Tudyk exchanged wary glances. Maybe I was finally getting through tothem. A child’s mind was more malleable. It could be changed. Kalon sat on the edge ofthe bed, closing the distance between him and his youngest brothers.

“There are too many Reapers present here for the Darklings to make it go away.Death has been made aware of the issue, as well,” he said. “This isn’t something theycan sweep under the rug. Besides, think about this, too… all the ghouls that the Darklingshave? They’re all innocent Reapers forced to eat souls. Enslaved by the Darklings. Whenwe die, our souls are guided into the next world. What do we do when our Reapers aregone? When there’s no one there to tell us that everything is going to be okay?”

“We’re immortal,” Tudyk mumbled.“We can still be killed, so no, we’re not,” Kalon replied. “Whatever Unending gave us,

it’s not immortality in its purest form, but it’s the best we could hope for. Even then,however… who are we to disrupt the natural order of things? To torture Reapers intobecoming ghouls? To have them feed on the souls of the many innocents in our world?Think about it this way: none of the people on Visio, Rimia, or Nalore have moved onsince we evolved, since the Darklings were founded. Every soul deserving of an afterlife isbeing eaten. Disregarded. Destroyed. How is that fair and noble, if it only serves to keepour dirty little secret away from Death herself?”

“Because that’s what this is really all about,” I added. “The Darklings have been doingthis because they were told it would keep the Aeternae alive. They’ve been hidingatrocities, millions of years’ worth of atrocities from Death. If your survival comes on thebacks of others who’ve done you no harm, then it’s not natural, and it certainly isn’t worthit.”

Silence weighed on the boys’ shoulders, but I could almost hear their mindsetsshifting, ever so slowly, as they began to understand the greater picture.

“Have you heard from Mother yet?” Tudyk asked Kalon. He didn’t sound combative, soit looked like we were making progress. I didn’t expect the boys to just agree witheverything we’d just told them, but at least they weren’t contradicting us anymore.

Kalon shook his head. “She’s looking for us. But she won’t win this. I can’t let her takeyou.”

“She’s our mother!” Moore shouted, his face red with anger.“And she got Simmon and Aganon killed!” Ansel replied, equally furious. “Don’t you

see?! You almost died, as well, simply because you followed her into this madness. I, forone, am grateful I got caught sooner rather than later. Otherwise I would’ve died, too.And for what? For a lie!”

“What do we do, then? Do we just forget our mother?” Tudyk asked, clearlydispleased.

“I don’t know,” Kalon said. “For now, we keep our distance. We learn the whole truthabout Unending and her imprisonment on Visio. We figure out what will happen whenshe’s free, and we make sure no more innocent people are killed over this horriblescheme. The Darklings cannot win this, or we’ll be plunged into darkness—the kind fromwhich we may never escape.”

“Let me put things in perspective here,” I chimed in. “Death will come to Visiosomeday, likely someday soon. And when she does, nothing will stand in her way. Notthe Darklings, not the Aeternae, and certainly not the Spirit Bender, the Darklings’founder. He was destroyed a year ago.”

The boys didn’t see that coming.“What?” Tudyk breathed.“Visio isn’t the only place where the Spirit Bender messed around,” I said, then shared

the whole story of the Hermessi debacle, which Unending’s imprisonment eventually tiedinto. Once I was done, beads of sweat had blossomed on Tudyk and Moore’s temples. Forthe first time, they knew everything their mother knew, everything that had beenwithheld from them while they blindly followed orders.

“I feel so stupid,” Moore managed, covering his face with his palms. He slumpedforward, breaking down, but Kalon pulled him up and held him tight in his arms as theboy shuddered and cried.

We could’ve told them everything from the very beginning, but first we’d needed toshake their core beliefs; otherwise, they would’ve branded us as liars. That was thedownside of radicalization. It skewed perceptions, making abnormal views appearperfectly normal, even necessary. Healing broken minds required more than the truth.Fortunately, Kalon and I had managed to steer the boys away from the edge of the pit.Ansel had been surprisingly helpful, though he’d also been shaken by learning the story ofthe Spirit Bender and his attacks on the other First Tenners.

“I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” Kalon muttered as he comforted his youngestbrother.

Tudyk stared at his hands, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Ansel reached out and

gently squeezed his shoulder, and the boy didn’t pull back. He accepted his brother again.For the first time in a while, the Visentis brothers were truly together once more. If onlySimmon had been smart enough to doubt the Darklings like Kalon had.

Maybe he would’ve still been here, as well.

I

E S M E

left Kalon with his brothers. They all needed some time to heal and cometogether as a family. Without their mother, the boys only had each other, andthose ties needed strengthening now more than ever.

Besides, there were other aspects of our operation that required my attention. Withall the madness going on, the emergence of a day-walking cure had almost slippedthrough the cracks, and I now had the energy and focus to fully explore this new angle.

Amal and Amane were in their room, where they’d set up a small lab. Sofia, Rose,Caleb, and Ridan were also present, watching as the Faulty twins put together a series ofsyringes filled with a bright red liquid.

“We can begin testing the day-walking cure,” Amal said when she saw me come in.“It’s ready for the first round of trials.”

“That’s amazing!” I replied, smiling.“We’ll spread treatment out over the course of a few days,” Amane said. “Much like

Derek when Ta’Zan was giving him the pills back on Strava. We opted for injectionsbecause they should work faster, and we don’t have the resources to synthesize the cureinto hard pills, anyway.”

“Should we expect any side effects?” Rose asked.“Not that I can think of. You might be able to stay out in the sunlight for prolonged

periods of time, but as soon as you feel your skin get hot, you’ll have to coveryourselves,” Amal said. “You’ll need multiple shots for the treatment to hopefully stick.”

“Hopefully?” Sofia asked.“Well, it’s not a sure thing until we see if it actually works. This is our first attempt at

reproducing Ta’Zan’s day-walking cure,” Amal explained. “We must leave some room forerror and failure; otherwise, we’ll be in for quite the disappointment.”

Sofia nodded slowly. “I see. Let me try it first, before anyone else.”“Mom, no. We should all test it,” Rose said.“Honey, it’s okay. I’ll take the first shot. Give me twenty-four hours to see how I

respond to the treatment, and then you can all join me.” Sofia gave her daughter a warmand loving smile. There weren’t any known risks involved, but we couldn’t be a hundredpercent sure until we tried it. Sofia was our GASP matriarch, so she felt like she had to bethe first guinea pig in this trial run.

“Sofia, are you sure?” Caleb asked.“It’ll be okay. Just humor me, please.”Amal took one of the syringes and injected Sofia with the first batch. A minute passed

in tense silence as we all watched Sofia like hawks. My heart was thumping, though Iwasn’t exactly sure what I was going to see. With Derek, no one had noticed any changesuntil he stepped out onto Sun Beach back in The Shade, months after the Strava incident.This was just the thrill, the anticipation of a potentially life-changing event.

If the cure worked on a permanent basis, then it would quickly become agamechanger. Day-walking vampires had an uncontested advantage in the field—especially against the Aeternae, if push came to shove.

“Now what?” Sofia asked, breaking the silence.Amal checked her vitals, jotted down some notes in a journal, and added Sofia’s

medical information—heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, the usual stuff. “Now wewait. Give yourself a few hours before you poke your head out in the daylight,” she said.“Give the serum particles some time to bond with your DNA. If it works, then as soon asyour skin cells come into contact with the sunlight, even in its filtered form from thereddish haze, your body will immediately react and activate the day-walking protein.Theoretically, that’s the expected process.”

“How do you feel?” Rose asked her mother.“I’m… fine. I don’t sense anything different, to be honest.”“We’re not sure you will. Derek didn’t have any symptoms,” Amane reminded us.“Well, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.” Ridan chuckled, settling on the edge of

the bed. “In other news, preparations for Dieffen are currently underway. Kale andHunter are getting the supplies ready.”

“Weapons, too?” I asked.He nodded once. “Pulverizers, swords, smoke bombs… everything we might need in

an insurgency.”“How’s The Shade?” Amal asked. “What are our people saying over there?”Ridan took a moment to look at each of us before he smiled broadly. “They’re all

incredibly proud of you, first and foremost. They’re worried sick about you, not to mentionDerek. And they’ve put together a literal army of Perfects and Arch-Perfects, in case theworst-case scenario unfolds and it’s an all-out war. They’re significantly superior againstthe Aeternae, but with all the death magic, we’d still run the risk of major casualties.”

“Let’s hope we don’t end up in a war with Visio,” Sofia said. “There are too manyinnocents in the middle, and we can’t exactly pick them out and set them aside.”

“Yeah, they’re not a bowl of Skittles,” I grumbled. “But it’s good to know our forcesare ready to go if we need them. I think it’ll help with our own morale going forward.”

“I reckon our greatest accomplishment will be to release Unending,” Amal replied. “Ifshe’s out, she can help the other First Tenners in breaking what’s left of Death’s seals.And once Death is free, she’ll haul her ass straight to Visio and end the Darklings forgood. There’s no amount of death magic that can protect them from the main ladyherself.”

On this, we all agreed. It was the best possible outcome and precisely what we were

fighting for. We’d already agreed that the Darklings’ political campaign would make anall-out war even more difficult, since they would hide behind the support of innocentpeople. Defeating them through Death herself was our optimal solution.

“Tristan is helping Valaine,” I said. “And Morning and Phantom are handling the deathmagic side of things. Hopefully, she’ll remember her past lives, all the way back to theUnending. Once we figure out what sort of seal she’s under, the First Tenners areconfident they’ll be able to break it and ultimately release her.”

“And while they do that, we’ll take Dieffen,” Ridan replied. “What they did there… it’shorrendous.”

“I’d like to join the mission,” I said. “I’m sure Kalon will come, too. Ansel can watchover Moore and Tudyk while we’re gone. I think we’ve finally deradicalized the boys…they understand what the Darklings are really doing.”

Sofia’s eyes lit up. “Well done, Esme! So they’re no longer a threat?”“They’re still hurting over their mother. They feel angry and betrayed. I wouldn’t take

my eyes off them for a while,” I replied. “Minds change, but not overnight. Right now,Moore and Tudyk are basically processing everything they’ve been told. But Ansel and therest of Orvis can watch over them and make sure they don’t do anything stupid whilewe’re gone.”

“Like reach out to Petra?” Rose said.I offered a faint nod. “Yeah. Orvis is warded and protected now by Reapers and

Kailani. I doubt the Darklings will be able to get through. That is, if Petra does comearound.”

“Do you think the boys will bring her here?” Caleb asked, his brow furrowed. He wasprobably assessing the expected risks of such an endeavor.

“Like I said, we should keep an eye out until we’re fully convinced Moore and Tudykwon’t give in to Petra’s demands,” I said. “It’s still a possibility at this point, and I can’tsay I blame them. She’s their mother.”

Sofia clicked her teeth. “Yeah, I can imagine. Let us all talk about this later tonight.Kalla is organizing a fireside dinner for us. We can go over each operation in great detailwith her, since she’s already shown willingness to give us some of her troops to assist usin Dieffen.”

“I’m not sure they’d be needed or even helpful, considering our Reaper alliance, but Iwon’t reject their support,” Ridan said.

The next twenty-four hours would be crucial for every aspect of our mission. Sofia waswaiting for the cure’s effects to kick in. Valaine was digging into her past. Kalon wasworking to bring his brothers into the fold without risking them calling Petra to the gatesof Orvis. And we were getting ready to invade another Darkling-held town.

The bloodshed wasn’t over.But there were more of us now, and we were all wiser and more determined to see

this through to the end. If the Darklings thought they were going to defeat us, they hadanother thing coming. Our worst-case scenario involved an army of Perfects and Arch-Perfects. I doubted theirs could rise to that challenge.

V

T R I S T A N

alaine and I walked around the village for more than an hour, staying close tothe black stone fencing that surrounded Orvis. With so many ghouls patrollingthe Nightmare Forest, I didn’t worry much about sabre tigers. Surrounded by

the dark woods, their emerald crowns stretching overhead, I basked in the natural beautyand the sounds of its wilderness.

Something had changed between us. It had to do with that kiss, but I didn’t have anyregrets. My lips were still tingling, as a matter of fact. My heart was singing, the serenaderinging in my ears.

But Valaine was silent, her eyes even darker, her lips pressed tightly together as wewalked. “You shouldn’t have kissed me,” she said after a long pause.

“You participated.”“I know. It wasn’t… well, I didn’t plan on that. I couldn’t control myself,” she replied.“Neither could I. But I’m not taking it back. Valaine, there’s obviously something

between us. It’s been there since we first met, and I don’t feel sorry for pushing itforward.”

“It’s not about that, Tristan. It’s not that I… that I don’t feel the same way. I do,” shemurmured. “But I’m the Unending. This version of me is just a piece of the whole, andthere’s no telling what I’ll do or how I’ll react when I’m complete again. The last thing I’dever want to do is hurt you. So why pursue this romantic interest between us if it endswith me incorporated into the Unending, anyway?”

“That’s a gloomy outlook,” I said. “Once you become Unending, once you remember itall, it’ll still be you in there. You’ll have the option to follow your heart then. But theproblem is I don’t really care if… I don’t know, you remember it all and you decide to kickme to the curb. I’ve already fallen... You’re Valaine, and you’re Unending. You’re anAeternae, and you’re also the first Reaper ever made. I’m attracted to every side of you,and whatever fate throws at us, I’m certain we’re better equipped at facing it together.You don’t have to do this alone. No one wants you to do this alone.”

Valaine groaned, utterly frustrated. Seeing her pout and roll her eyes was almostendearing, if not even a bit amusing. “I’m not letting you get hurt.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” I laughed, though my heart ached at the prospectof losing her. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. The sooner you get accustomed to

that fact, the better we’ll get along. You can stomp your feet and throw as manytantrums as you’d like. I’m not leaving you.”

She whirled around to face me, her hand gripping my upper arm. “I hurt you in there!Whatever is happening to me, it’s coming out. It’s manifesting in an increasinglydangerous fashion. You described it as despair in its purest form. Why would you evenwant to be close to someone like me, if that’s how I make you feel?”

“Because that was just a slip. A symptom of an underlying problem we’re alreadyworking to fix,” I said. “I’d be a fool to walk away, especially when you need me nowmore than ever. Say what you will about the darkness inside you, but I was able tocontain it with that kiss. I stopped it. I brought you back.”

“What if I hurt you in worse ways going forward? What if I lose control and, I don’tknow, tear you to shreds?” Her voice trembled as she spoke, and I knew she was terrifiedat the possibility. I didn’t like the idea either, but I wasn’t going to let it deter me.

“If you slip again, if you blank out and let the darkness out like that, I’ll kiss you,” Isaid firmly, resting one hand on her hip. “And if it’s not enough, I’ll kiss you again. Andagain. And again.”

“What if that doesn’t stop me?” she whispered.I pulled her close, and she leaned against me, her body perfectly molded to mine. Her

heart thundered in my chest, as I was certain mine was already echoing inside her. Mybreath was short as I lowered my head, my lips yearning for hers. “I’ll hold you like this.I’ll give you everything I have and more. You don’t want to hurt me. You don’t want tohurt anyone, Valaine. That is a fundamental part of you, regardless of the darkness. It’swhy I was able to pull you out of it.”

Her gaze lowered to settle on my chest. “Your confidence might get you killed,” shesaid.

“At least I’d die holding you.”She looked up, her eyes wide with terror. “Don’t ever say that again. Don’t tempt the

universe!” she hissed. “I told you, I don’t know what I’ll do if… if you get hurt.”“You’re in a lot of pain. I understand that. Your father is trying to kill you. Most of your

friends and family, too. It can’t be easy,” I said. “But you are not alone. I’m here, and sois my sister. Kalon. Ansel. Sofia. All these people who’ve fought hard to keep you safeand out of the Darklings’ clutches. Don’t push us away, Valaine. You can’t do this alone.You need us.”

“I think this is the closest I’ve ever been to the truth, and it scares me,” she replied,palms pressing on my chest. “I see people getting hurt because of me through the BlackFever, and I don’t want anyone else to suffer. Especially you, Tristan. I’ve fallen in lovewith you, and it’s a big problem. It’s my weakness. I’m worried the Darklings will use itagainst me.”

For a moment, I lost my words somewhere in the narrow space between our lips.She’d just confessed her feelings for me, and I understood why she was trying to protectme by pushing me away. “That’s not how love works,” I whispered. She looked up, andour eyes met, sending trillions of jolts through my body. “Where I come from, we don’twalk away. We stand up. We fight. We tear everything down to protect those we love.

I’ve fallen for you, too. Why do you think I’m still here?”She shuddered in my arms. “What are we going to do?”“We’ll take it one day at a time. We will not surrender. We’ll do this together.”“And if the Unending comes out and… and she doesn’t want to have anything to do

with you? What then?”“Valaine, you are the Unending. Whatever she feels, you feel. I doubt these emotions

are exclusively yours. Phantom made that clear, so I’m confident you’re not the only onewhose heart is throbbing for yours truly. The Unending must think I’m pretty hot, too.” Ichuckled, trying to ease some of the tension I could feel gathering around us. Thedarkness was trying her again, but if I could anticipate its return and stop it early, maybeI could keep it at bay for a while.

Valaine giggled. “She’d be a fool not to love you.”I kissed her again, and she welcomed me. Her lips parted, the skin soft and as sweet

as fresh honey dripping from the comb. Her arms came up, snaking around my neck asshe drew me deeper into the kiss. For a moment, nothing else mattered. The woodswhispered around us, and I could hear children laughing somewhere in the village.

There were no Darklings. No remnants of the Spirit Bender’s awful work. No sufferingof the Unending. It was just me and Valaine. Me and the Unending, actually. It wouldtake time to get used to the thought, but I knew I had to adjust quickly if I was to keepup with the change ahead.

We’d already begun exploring her previous life. There was more to come, and sheneeded me strong and by her side. I’d talked a big game earlier, and it would’ve beenfoolish of me not to deliver. For now, we basked in the warmth of blossoming love, ourhearts dancing and our souls bonding on a deeper level.

I couldn’t promise her anything. I couldn’t guarantee everything would be all right. Ididn’t have that power. But I could stay by her side and keep her close. She neededfriends and affection more than anything. She would soon delve deeper into herself andfully understand the suffering that she’d endured for so long.

But for just this fleeting blip in the fabric of time, we kissed.

T

T R I S T A N

he fireside dinner Kalla had organized for us was an impressive feast. TheAeternae of Orvis had gone hunting and gathering, and they’d returned with

plenty of food. A large rectangular table was brought out to accommodate our largercrew, Reapers included. A few yards to our left, a bonfire burned brightly, the flameslashing at the night sky. The stars could no longer be seen, but the moon lingeredsomewhere to the east. Most of the villagers had retreated to their homes, with theexception of a handful who were kind enough to serve us fresh animal blood.

The Reapers didn’t participate in any of the eating or drinking, since they had no needfor such physical sustenance. Dream and Nightmare’s feeding on people’s dreams didn’texactly count as eating, but rather a disturbing pastime. They did, however, smile andengage in conversations, often admitting their fascination with the Aeternae. In a way,they regarded the Aeternae as being descended from the Unending.

Kalla sat at the head of the table, with Sofia and Rose on either side. Caleb and Amalwere seated next to them, followed by Hunter and Kailani, Amane and Ridan, Esme andKalon, Valaine and me, Trev and Ansel, and even Moore and Tudyk. The boys were glumand silent, but they didn’t seek to disturb the dinner. They were learning to socializeagain.

Lumi and Sidyan were quiet as well, while Morning and Phantom kept a close eye onValaine from across the table. Seeley stayed close to Nethissis. Soul and Kelara bickeredsomewhere at the far end, and Night and Widow snickered whenever Kelara threatenedto cut Soul’s head off. I’d been told the Soul Crusher had some psychopathic tendenciesand a pretty bizarre sense of humor, while Kelara was a respected Reaper with apropensity for following rules and protocol. In that sense, their pairing seemed odd, butalso fascinating.

We spent a couple of hours discussing the raid on Dieffen first. A plan had been laidout, and the equipment and supplies had already been prepared. We would leave in themorning and take the town quickly, while the Darklings were still basking in their bloodyvictory.

“Have you heard from your scouts?” Sofia asked Kalla.“Not yet. I think they’ll be back in the morning with news,” she replied. “I had them

circle around Dieffen before they spread farther north. We need to see if the Darklings

are trying to take any other remote towns.”“I hope we’re all ready for tomorrow,” Trev said. “There’s no telling what the

Darklings will do once we go in.”“You’re expecting traps, I suppose,” Caleb replied.“And extra-hungry ghouls. After what happened in Laramis, I’m positive they will go to

great lengths to stop us from taking over.” Trev sighed, shaking his head in dismay. Itwas hard to believe how vicious the Darklings were, especially with their pretext of nobleintentions.

Esme turned to Kalla. “Do you have any insights about Dieffen? About how we mightattack and sustain the least damage possible? I imagine you saw your share of violencewhile you were a Darkling.”

“Why not ask Ansel or the other Visentis boys?” Kalla shot back, slightly amused.“Because they’re kids. They don’t have your experience or your hindsight,” Esme said.

I had to agree. Out of everyone here, Kalla had the most to share about her time withthe Darklings.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have that many aggressions to deal with,” the Naloreanreplied. “But I can help you in another way.” She took out several books from under thetable and passed them around. One volume made it to my hands, and I marveled at thesmooth feel of the leather cover. The pages were old, yellowed by the passage of time,but the black ink script and illustrations were still clear and vivid. “I stole these booksfrom my Darkling base. From my Whip’s study, to be specific,” Kalla added with a devilishgrin. “I’ve studied them intensely, and I think you’ll find them extremely useful for whatyou’re about to do.”

“What are these?” Amal asked, flipping through the pages of a journal.“Notes. Diary entries. Legends that have been around since the emergence of the

Aeternae,” Kalla said. “We didn’t give much credence to many of the stories in therebefore you brought the Unending to Orvis.”

“Oh, wow!” Esme exclaimed, currently engaged in reading a volume similar to the oneI held. “This one is called ‘The Arrival of Eternity’.”

“That’s why I wanted to show them to you.” Kalla leaned back into her chair. Her gazewandered across the table, analyzing our expressions and reactions to the ancientAeternae mythology.

“Listen to this,” Esme said, and she proceeded to read a passage aloud. “‘Eternitycame to Visio in the form of a beautiful woman with long black hair and blood-red lips.Her skin was white. Her eyes held the stars, and her heart had been broken. Her lover,whom she’d blessed with immortality, had been viciously murdered. She wallowed ingrief, while our forefathers comforted her.’”

“Are they talking about… me?” Valaine asked, earning herself a collective nod fromaround the table. “Go on, Esme.”

Esme kept reading. “‘Her maker wanted to take her power away, Eternity claimed, butEternity had other plans. To avenge the death of her lover, she made all the people ofVisio immortal. She gave them life forever, but she also gave them the option to die. Theconditions were simple. One would have to forsake one’s head or heart in order to leave

eternity.’” She paused, frowning as she tried to process the words. “What I don’t get ishow did her lover get killed, if she’d made him immortal?”

“Keep reading,” Kalla said.“‘Eternity confessed that she had never given absolute immortality to anyone. She

could do it, but she feared the repercussions of leaving a creature in the world who noteven Death herself could reap,’” Esme continued, her eyes growing with a mixture of aweand concern. “Oh… so her loved one could still be killed.”

“That’s right. His assassin only had to figure out the right way to kill him,” Kalla said.“Go on, Esme. There’s more.”

“‘Our forefathers wanted eternal life, even if it could not be guaranteed. It was givento them by Eternity, and it was theirs to do with as they pleased. She never revealed hertrue name or purpose, but she chose to stay on Visio for years on end. She was loved andcelebrated by her loyal subjects, who named her Lady Supreme. But the happiness wasshort-lived,’” Esme read.

“Uh-oh,” Soul muttered from the opposite end of the table, as he shifted his gaze frommy sister to Valaine. “I think we all know what’s coming.”

Esme sighed and turned the page. “‘The Spirit Bender announced himself as soon ashe set foot in our world. He was proud and noble, eager to give our people even more.However, Eternity did not want him here, although he had offered to be her LordSupreme. He spent days and months worshipping her, but she rebuffed his affection. TheSpirit Bender grew angry one day, his patience running thin, so he confessed his mostheinous crime as a means to unnerve Eternity. He revealed himself as the killer of herbeloved, claiming that Death had ordered the murder. Our maker was so sad, sobrokenhearted, that she did not leave her bedchamber for years on end.’” Esme paused,her voice wearing out.

“The Spirit Bender killed your lover,” Phantom murmured. All eyes were on Valaine,who wasn’t sure how to react to this revelation. She glanced at me.

“I think I’m supposed to feel some sort of grief, but… I don’t remember him. How canI?” she asked. No one had an answer, so Esme finished the story with a trembling voice.

“‘Embittered by Eternity’s refusal and threatened by her impending retaliation, theSpirit Bender took precautionary measures. On the eve of the last day of winter, he luredher into the Garden of Enkil, where he struck her with his scythe. The mark became thefirst seal, which bound Eternity to Visio. She would never leave. Eternity was furious. Shetried to fight her way out of the seal, but the Spirit Bender’s power was unbreakable.Unable to release herself, Eternity turned her sights on our people, cursing them with theBlack Fever. She released the plague, and it killed many of our forefathers in a matter ofdays,’” Esme continued. “‘Taking pity on the Aeternae, the Spirit Bender struck Eternityagain. This time, the magic forced her to disintegrate and infiltrate Visio itself. Eternitybecame the land, the water, the air, and the fires that burned whenever lightning struck.Yet the Black Fever still found its way back to the surface.’”

“I’m guessing there’s a third strike coming,” Night said, his eyes closed as he listened.“‘Upon a third strike, the Spirit Bender’s scythe cast a curse on Eternity, forcing her to

be born as one of us. Her memory was wiped clean, and she lived among us. The Black

Fever was gone, and we, the Aeternae—powerless before the Spirit Bender and hismagnanimity—went on with our lives. We built our cities, we plowed our lands, we raisedour children, while the memory of Eternity faded. We did not know who or where shewas. We only knew she was among us,’” Esme read. “‘But as the tenth millennium sincethe making of our species drew near, the Black Fever returned. Our forefathers were at aloss. The curse took longer to spread and claim lives, but it claimed them, nonetheless.The Spirit Bender granted us the weapons and the knowledge we needed in order tokeep the curse at bay. And so, the Darklings were born. Secret keepers of the Aeternaelife and defenders of our species.’”

Moore cursed under his breath. “This is so wrong.”“Right?” Esme replied, looking up from the book. “My skin’s all prickly just from

reading it.”As I looked at Valaine, I saw her in a different light. She couldn’t remember any of

this, but I felt the dormant pain. It lingered in her black eyes, hidden beneath thethousands of lives that the Darklings had taken, solely for the purpose of keeping thecycle going.

Whenever they killed the Unending’s Aeternae form, they reset the clock on theirspecies, buying themselves another ten thousand years to grow and thrive. The Unendinghad come to Visio to seek refuge and peace of mind. Instead, once she’d given theAeternae their immortality, she found herself bound to this world, the victim of aninterminable curse, doomed to forget who she was and what she could do.

It pained me deeply to see her like this, especially since I now had a much betterunderstanding of what she’d been through. I also knew the Spirit Bender must’ve tried toappease her, to impress and woo her in a bid to draw her farther away from Death—atthe time, he’d already begun his machinations against Death, and he’d needed theremaining First Tenners out of the way. Whether his feelings for her had been genuine ornot, it didn’t really matter to me.

What had happened to Unending here was truly heartbreaking.

E

E S M E

verything we’d just learned about the Unending threatened to overwhelm us. Icould see it on our faces. It was a lot to take in emotionally. Tristan put an armaround Valaine and held her close, pressing his lips against her temple and

whispering reassuring words.But Valaine wasn’t as rattled as I expected. Probably because she couldn’t remember

any of it. We could imagine it as much as we wanted and let the savagery of Spirit’sactions get to us, but Valaine seemed to have a better perspective.

“I guess I’ll be really pissed off when the memories come back to me,” she said. “ButI’m curious about something… was the blood-drinking always a part of the deal forimmortality? It feels unnatural.”

Kalla opened a journal and passed it around for all of us to read. “This is the onlytheory I have on the matter. It’s based on skimming some of these books, and it involvesa recurring myth about one time when the Unending almost regained her consciousness,”she explained. “The seals that Spirit put on her held her in place, but the third seal—theone involving her rebirth and lack of memory—was something the Unending could breakby herself. That’s why the Darklings are always in a rush to kill her Aeternaemanifestation. It’s not just about the Black Fever wiping them all out. It’s about theUnending remembering her true self. The Spirit Bender trained the Darklings well.”

The journal reached me, and I took a moment to read through the scribbled text. “Itsays here she almost remembered during her third reincarnation.”

“Yes. That’s when she lashed out,” Kalla replied. “She had regained memories ofherself, of her abilities and death magic knowledge. The Darklings struggled to catch upwith her, as she’d gone into hiding. When they found her, she was minutes away from afull regression. They chained her up first, her darkness out of control, and that’s when sheuttered the curse. For leading such bloody lives, the Aeternae would need blood tosurvive. It brought great shame to the species, of course, but… they adapted. Theylearned to live with it.”

“So if I manage to remember again, I’ll have enough knowledge and power to inflictharm upon the Aeternae?” Valaine asked.

Kalla nodded. “Enough to wipe them all out. It’s something the Darklings want toavoid. Imagine you being stranded in this world, all alone…”

“I believe I’d be a danger to the Rimians and the Naloreans too, right?” Valainereplied.

“It’s definitely possible,” Night said. “You always had a temper. You didn’t lose itoften, but when you did, you were beyond our ability to control. And since there is aboutfive million years’ worth of pent-up rage inside you, I would not want to be around whenwe do set you free.”

“Well, that’s not exactly encouraging,” Trev muttered.“Tristan here might help,” Morning suggested, flashing a smile at my brother. “His

presence has already proven to be beneficial. We might manage to pull it off withoutincurring much damage against the innocents.”

Releasing the Unending was still risky. All our options carried risk of collateraldamage, though none were as gut-wrenching as keeping the Unending in her currentstate, forced to live in such a painful cycle.

“You never told us any of this when we first came around,” I said, looking at Kalla.“Why?”

“I had to see if you were worthy,” Kalla replied. “Do you have any idea how manytimes I got my hopes up, only to see my selected champions die before their time?”

Sofia gasped. “You’ve tried to set the Unending free before?”“I wanted to, but the information I had was insufficient without Reapers who knew the

Unending on a personal level,” Kalla said. “I have tried to summon rogue Aeternae whomight help. Most of those I spoke to believed their species was unnatural. That it’s notright to feed on blood. It’s not right to cheat death by living forever. Sooner or later—asthey age—all the Aeternae will feel the same way. But in the meantime, eons will havepassed, and it’s not right to keep the Unending in this state purely due to the whims ofthe Aeternae.”

“Do you really believe the Aeternae will all come to feel this way? Immortality is themain reason why we, as vampires, chose this path,” I replied. “Why would anyone gettired of living forever?”

“Because there is a rhythm to this world,” Phantom chimed in. “A temporal sense ofthings. A beginning and an end. Immortality is not for the living, though our sisterobviously tried to make it so. Time wears you down, and exhaustion sets in. You see somuch; you live through so much. Years turn into decades. Decades into centuries. Beforeyou know it, you’ve lost track of how old you really are, and you’ve witnessed the deathof entire galaxies, the birth of new ones, and so on. It’s all the same after a while. Thejoy in living will eventually subside, and all you’ll want to do is put your head down andsleep for the rest of eternity.”

Tristan frowned. “If that were the case, then what difference is there between beingalive forever and existing in the afterlife forever, as a spirit?”

“Time no longer matters when you’re dead,” Soul replied, smiling. “It doesn’t weigh onyou anymore. It feels… different. I cannot explain it in words, but you’ll know it when youget there.”

“I don’t feel different,” Nethissis said. “I’m the same, just angrier.”“You’re still emotionally attached to life.” Seeley gave her a sad look. “The feeling

wears off in time. Especially if you move on.”Kalla poured herself a cup of mead, laughing lightly. “See, this is why I thought you all

would be capable of actually pulling this off. You’re able to discuss such things on ahigher level. You understand your condition. You ask questions. You’re relentless, even indeath,” she said, looking at Nethissis. “Most importantly, you managed to bring theUnending’s brothers and sisters to my village. With your help, I finally believe we cansucceed and restore Visio to its original form.”

“It will be bloody, whatever we do,” Trev warned us. “The best we can hope for is aminimal loss of life.”

“Out of curiosity, Kalla, why are you so eager to release the Unending?” Widow askedthe Nalorean village chief. “Is it because there’s a high chance the Aeternae will berendered mortal again once our sister is free? You must’ve considered that possibility. Imean, I personally doubt that Unending would leave such a gift to people whoparticipated in her torture and cyclical imprisonment.”

Kalla smirked. “That’s exactly why I wish to see the Unending walk. The Darklingshave exploited my world for too long. Nalore and Rimia have forgotten what it was like tobe free, to have our own forms of government and laws. All we know is that we’re born toserve the Aeternae with blood in exchange for remuneration, but what sort of life do wehave if we barely make it past a century?”

“I take it your lifespan used to be longer?” I asked.“It’s something I learned from these books, actually. The Rimians used to live for up

to five, six hundred years. The oldest Nalorean recorded before the rise of the Aeternaewas a thousand years old,” Kalla replied. “Look at us now. Did you think all the blood-giving was without consequences?”

“The Aeternae have shortened your lifespans,” I realized, my blood running cold as Ilooked at Kalon. He seemed just as disturbed.

“I had no idea. I always thought we evolved as Aeternae. There isn’t any record of lifeon our planets before five million years ago,” he said.

“Naturally.” Kalla scoffed. “The empire would never reveal how it built its strength onthe backs of our people. But it’s fine, Kalon. I’ve learned a lot in my time here in Orvis.Most of it came from the books, but also from other travelers. Which brings me tosomething else I wanted to discuss with you as a group. I suppose you’ve been told aboutthe Seniors, right?”

“The Seniors?” Sofia asked.I studied Kalon’s elegant profile for a few seconds, wondering what his thoughts were

on everything we’d just learned. He was still here. He wasn’t running for the hills, thoughthere was a pretty high chance the Unending would strip him and all the Aeternae of theirimmortality once she was free. He was still eager to make this happen. To make thingsright.

It was just one of the many reasons why I’d fallen in love with him. His determinationand fearlessness combined were truly inspiring.

“The oldest among the Aeternae. The dreamy retirement communities,” Kalla replied.“Come on, the Lady Supreme and the others must’ve sold you that pile of crap!”

“Right. Yes. The islands where the senior Aeternae retired to live,” Sofia said. “I takeit that’s all a lie?”

“A beautiful lie,” Kalla grumbled. “They’re there, all right. Some are the first Aeternaeever made. They were present when the Unending came, when the Spirit Bender messedwith her. They live on an isolated island, yes… but not because they want to. It’s becausethey have no other choice.”

Trev nodded. “I’ve heard rumors about that. Some of the Seniors wanted to die, sothe Darklings put charms on them to prevent suicide. Their influence spread deep in theempire’s government, and they were able to take all the Seniors—that is, everyone pastthe age of two million years—to an island. The idea was to keep them away from the restof the Aeternae because they didn’t want anyone hearing the Seniors complain abouthow badly they wanted to die and move on.”

“It’s just one island, not more?” Kalon replied. “I’ve been told stories about theretirement communities, about how the ocean was sprinkled with such beautiful andpeaceful safe havens.”

Kalla sighed. “One is what I know of, but there could be more. They’re not allowed toever leave their exile. The Darklings have outposts set up on the water around the islandI’m aware of, loaded with some kind of death magic designed to push back if the Seniorscome close. It won’t kill anyone who tries to escape, since it would beat the purpose oftheir torture, but the magic acts as a barrier. The Darklings will stop at nothing to keepthem there. The Seniors know and remember the truth of their species, of their origins,and the Darklings can’t let them go public with that. Not after they manipulated historicalrecords.”

As I tried to imagine these Seniors, an idea dawned on me. “What if we go there?” Iasked. “What if we get them off that island and figure out a way to break whatevercharms the Darklings put on them?”

Kalla gave me a broad smile. “That’s why I decided to tell you about them, darling.They deserve freedom and the right to a clean death. Plus, they’re old enough to fill inthe blanks on all the information we’re missing about the Aeternae’s early days, theUnending, and the Spirit Bender.”

Kalon straightened his back, blue eyes glimmering with excitement. “We should go,Esme. Ridan and the others can handle the raid on Dieffen, right? We should go to thatisland and speak to the Seniors.”

“We can take one of the shuttles and evacuate them,” I said.“And you bring them back here. They’ll be safe in the heart of the Nightmare Forest,”

Kalla replied, “especially under the Reapers’ protection.”Our team was strong, especially since we’d joined forces with the First Tenners, but

Kalla did have a point: we needed intel. The Darklings would never deliver, probably noteven under extreme torture. Valaine had certainly tried. But the Seniors had a bone topick with the Darklings.

If they were so eager to die, we could offer them a way out. All they would have to dois tell us everything they know about Visio’s early days with the Aeternae and theUnending. An added bonus would be their allegiance and combat assistance—I certainly

wouldn’t say no to that if they offered.Our plan was growing, but I felt positive about it. Encouraged, even. The Darklings

needed to be attacked from multiple angles, and using the Seniors against them soundedlike one of the best options we had. My first challenge was to get us onto the island andinto the Seniors’ good graces. They had to be pissed off and were likely unsociable, but Iknew they’d soften up as soon as I told them our plan.

There was a better end in sight than what the Spirit Bender had planned for Valaine,and I was determined to give her a way out of this fresh hell. It would leave the Aeternaevulnerable, but it was the only option that made sense, considering how unbalanced Visiohad become under the Darklings’ tutelage.

K

E S M E

alon and I excused ourselves as the night advanced. We left Sofia with therest of the crew to talk about the Dieffen mission, while Tristan and

Valaine went for another walk around the village. The inn was dark and quiet, so I litsome candles in the main room, while Kalon poured us a couple of glasses of animalblood.

“To be honest, it’s not that bad,” Kalon said after a sip. “I guess I would call it anacquired taste.”

“It would be a gracious first step in separating yourself from the other Aeternae,particularly the Darklings,” I replied, settling in a loveseat by an eastern window. Hejoined me, his leg pressing into mine as he made himself comfortable.

“I’d like that. However, for the time being, you all need me at my full strength. I’llhave to get some Rimian or Nalorean blood.”

He had a point, but Kalla had a very simple and ironclad rule. No one was allowed tofeed on Rimians or Naloreans while in Orvis. It had kept the village safe and healthy andpeaceful, so it was no wonder that she was unwilling to bend that rule.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I thought about what awaited us tomorrow. Trevand Ridan would handle the Dieffen raid, joined by Hunter and Kailani, Rose and Caleb,Nethissis, Seeley, Lumi, and Sidyan. Reapers would be part of that detail, too, along witha significant number of ghouls. Everyone else would stay back. Sofia would be underobservation by Amal and Amane, but she would also look after Prince Thayen. Valaineand Tristan would work on those memories of the Unending, aided by Morning andPhantom.

And the two of us would head out to the remote island in search of the Seniors.“Do you think we’ll be enough?” I asked Kalon after a long silence. “Just you and me

versus the oldest Aeternae?”“The shuttle will get us to the island unnoticed. From there, we’ll just have to be

discreet and blend in. There are thousands of Seniors, but they probably know oneanother by now, so we might stand out if we make a public appearance upon landing. Butwe can move around unnoticed. We can use invisibility pills and disguises once we assessthe situation. I think we can pull it off.”

“Until we find their leader?”

“If you could call them that, yeah. There must be a Senior there who calls the shots.That’s the Aeternae we need to talk to,” Kalon said. “We’ll have to make a prettycompelling case before he kills us, that’s all.”

I almost laughed. “You make it sound so easy, Kalon.”“It’ll be anything but that. However, I trust I’ve got the right partner for this.” He gave

me a warm and playful smile.I raised my head to look at him as he took the empty glasses and set them aside.“How are you holding up?” I asked. “Are you feeling better about your little brothers?”Kalon looked at me for a while, his gaze softening. “There isn’t an hour gone by that I

don’t regret what happened to Simmon and my uncle Aganon. Had my mother notinvolved them, maybe they’d still be alive. I’ll never forgive her for that, just as I’ll neverforgive her for poisoning Ansel, Moore, and Tudyk’s minds, as well. So I guess the answerto your question would be that I’m angry at my mother. I’m grieving. I’m frustrated. ButI’m also hopeful that this trouble won’t last forever. That we will prevail, and that you andI will get a chance to explore whatever future might be left for us.”

“Despite your pain, you’re optimistic,” I said, keeping my tone light.He brought a hand up to cup my face. Pulling me closer, he placed a light kiss on my

lips. I closed my eyes, basking in its softness, as his voice made my heart sing.“I only have you to thank, Esme. Had you not come around, I’d still be pushing the

Darklings away or worse.”“Worse?” I asked.“I think my mother’s next step in convincing me to join the Darklings would’ve been

my brothers. I would’ve seen that Ansel, Moore, and Tudyk were already turned, and Iwould’ve ended up becoming a Darkling myself just to protect them, to keep them undermy wing and away from the faction’s more dangerous operations,” Kalon said. His voicebroke. He could imagine no greater sacrifice. Forsaking his own ethos to protect hisbrothers.

“Then you definitely got lucky when I showed up,” I quipped, not wanting him todescend into that dark spot. He’d lost enough, and his mother was still a threat. I wantedhis morale to be high, his eyes wide, and his heart open.

“Moore isn’t taking this very well,” Kalon said, looking away for a moment. “Tudyk willbe okay. He’s a little older, and he’s got a bit more strength. Moore might be physicallyself-sufficient, but emotionally he’s still bound to our mother.”

My heart broke for the kid. “Do you think there’s anything else we can do to helphim?”

“I’m not sure. Tudyk and Ansel won’t let him out of their sight, but I worry that if ourmother comes along, Moore will make a poor choice.”

“He still relies on her. It makes sense. Maybe it’s best if Ansel and Tudyk focus onkeeping Moore away from Petra. And keeping Petra out of their conversations,” Isuggested. “Perhaps she should become that unpleasant topic that everyone avoids. Iknow she’s your mother and all, but—”

“It doesn’t make her our master,” Kalon replied. “She messed up. She claims to loveus, but all she does is get us into trouble. She’s serving the Darklings in a high capacity.

She’s got the knowledge to end all this, yet she chooses to perpetuate the Unending’ssuffering. Not all mothers are good people, Esme.”

“I know. I’m just sorry yours turned out to be so… evil.”Kalon sucked in a breath and reached an arm around my shoulders. He caught me in a

hug, his heart thundering in his chest as he looked at me lovingly. “Enough about her.Let’s talk about tomorrow. I’ve given some thought to your earlier concern,” he said, hiseyes searching my face. “The two of us are enough for the island, but we should havesome kind of backup. Emergency assistance or extraction, perhaps.”

I thought about it for a moment, my mind already rushing through dozens of possiblescenarios about how tomorrow might go regarding the Seniors’ reaction and willingnessto help. I couldn’t involve the Dieffen team, since they all needed to concentrate ontaking out the Darklings there.

“I’ll talk to Morning and Phantom. Perhaps they can jump in to help us,” I replied. “Igot a new earpiece from Sofia so I can communicate with anyone in my team, includingmy brother. I can reach out to Tristan, and he can send one of the two Reapers to help usif we need them.”

Kalon dropped a kiss on my cheek. “I think we’ll be okay. You’re quick to look forsolutions.”

“And you praise me a little too much.”“I’m in awe of you. I can’t help it!”He made me laugh. Looking around us now, I didn’t see anything to remind us of the

kind of trouble we were in. We were alone, cuddling on a loveseat, crickets chirpingoutside as the night stretched over the forest. We were inseparable and eager to dosomething right, despite his family and the risk of losing his immortality at the end of thisjourney. Sure, I might be able to turn him into a vampire, but he would no longer be anAeternae, either way.

For now, we were just two souls coming together. Our lips touched, and our heartszinged. Tomorrow was still far away. We had tonight, and we’d have to make the most ofit, just like we’d have to make the most of every other moment fate gave us. It could allend in the blink of an eye, and the mere thought made my chest hurt.

Whatever happened, I knew one thing with crystal clarity: Kalon would survive this. Iwould make sure of it. I would do whatever it took so that he might live that future he’dmentioned. The future he deserved.

H

D E R E K

ours passed in silence, the night settling outside. I couldn’t see anythingbecause of the walls, but my hearing was sharp. I recognized the songs ofnocturnal birds from trees surrounding the palace and the gardens. Maya

revealed herself and sat next to my cell, her big black eyes following me as I paced backand forth.

“They’re insane,” I muttered, hoping she’d at least understand me. With everything I’dwitnessed and learned, I needed someone to simply listen to me, to the many thoughtsthat had gathered in my head. “They’re going to bring the Spirit Bender back.”

I wasn’t sure I’d gathered all the intel I needed, so there was no point in breaking thegreen bead to get myself out of here. That was also my only way of reaching out to Lumi,and I didn’t want to risk bringing her over just to share the news about the Spirit Bender.I figured I’d get more out of Danika before calling on the swamp witch to get me out.There were aspects of this whole story that bothered me, and I felt like I could missimportant details if I left now.

“I mean… they’ve been killing the Unending for years, over and over, just to preserveall that Spirit put in place. To keep themselves in power,” I said, looking at Maya. “Youknow as well as I do that if the Unending gets free, she’ll make them all mortal again.That’s what I’d do, if I were her.”

Maya nodded slowly, and I felt a little less crazy for talking to her.“I can only imagine what she’s been going through, especially now that she knows her

father is leading the charge against her. Poor Valaine.”The door screeched open, and Maya vanished. Danika came in, casually holding a

heart in her hand. My throat closed up as I watched the blood dripping from her fingersonto the stone floor. She gave me a sideways glance.

“I have a proposition for you, Derek.”“You don’t even realize how crazy you look,” I muttered.“I’m merely doing my job,” Danika said. “We have to bring the Spirit Bender back

before we lose it all.”“Whose heart is that?” I asked. She knelt and placed the heart on the same charred

spot where she’d burned the first one. Whispering a spell, she watched the purple flamesengulf the crimson organ, its muscle twitching and sizzling as the fire consumed it.

“Iklas. He was the second slowest among us,” she replied dryly, unaffected by whatshe had to do to meet her objective. By all possible definitions, Danika was a sociopath,and I wondered if she was even capable of loving anyone—including her son. She’d killedher husband, so what would stop her from doing the same to the boy if push came toshove? “I’m trying to take them down by order of physical prowess. Some of the Whipsare smart, but not the most agile. Others have excellent instincts, but slower brainactivity. Rodique was at the bottom of the pile. Iklas was right behind her. Anyway, thesedetails are unimportant. Like I said, I need to talk to you.”

“What do you want, Danika?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off the burning heart.The crystalline shard was revealed, and she carefully scooped it out from the shimmeringashes and slipped it into a fine leather pouch.

“The Black Fever is doing quite the number on us,” she said. “Worse than ever,actually. We’ve already lost about three thousand Aeternae in the imperial city, plusthousands more in the provinces. Whatever made the curse manifest itself sooner hasalso made it much more aggressive. It’s killing us faster.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, though she couldn’t be bothered to look at me. “Am Isupposed to feel sorry for you?”

“Corbin is mounting a full-scale operation to track Valaine down and kill her.Eventually, he will find her, and it’s very likely your wife and your friends will be stupidenough to try to protect her. They will die, and you will suffer. While that would give menothing but joy, it would also reduce the Aeternae numbers to dramatic new lows. Theempire cannot afford that. The faster we get to Valaine, the more of us will survive.”

“What am I supposed to do?”Not that I had any intention of doing something—let alone something that Danika

might require—but I wanted to know what she was planning. This conversation was goingsomewhere, and the more she talked, the more information I gathered.

“Come out with me. I’ll call a gathering and make sure your people hear about it.They’ll be there, for sure. You’re all foolish enough to follow one another into the pits ofdarkness and death if you have to,” Danika said. “Announce that you’re on my side. Makea public plea for Valaine to surrender herself. I’m certain if Sofia sees you on that stage,she’ll think twice before holding on to Valaine. You’re her husband. Valaine is simplysomeone who needs to die in order to save lives.”

I laughed mockingly. “You’re joking, right? You want me to tell the people of Visio—and my people, too—that Valaine should surrender so that she can die?”

“It’s an option I’m giving you, Derek. Like I said, I’d love nothing more than to watchyou suffer for an eternity, but I must worry about my empire first. I’ll sweeten the deal foryou. I’ll grant you and your crew safe passage off this planet if you do this. You’ll get toleave Visio behind and move on with your lives, and we’ll get to continue our sacredtraditions.”

“Your sacred traditions are unethical, unnatural, and illegal! The Unending doesn’tbelong here, and you’ve been killing her and other innocents for too long,” I hissed.“There is no way I’m helping you get to her. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Danika shot me a cool grin. “And here I was, trying to be nice and reasonable. I told

Corbin it wouldn’t work, but hey… it was worth a shot. We’ll do it my way, then. I’ll keepcollecting hearts and shards, and I’ll bring the Spirit Bender back. May the universeprotect you when that happens, because I’m sure our founder will be happy to punishanyone who stood in our way.”

I didn’t have a response to that. She’d made the kind of promise I knew she’d behappy to keep, and I would be on the receiving end of it. Until then, however, I had toplay nice and get her back in her chatty mood. Despite my skin crawling, I also had a jobto do.

“So Corbin is out looking for Valaine?” I asked.Danika brushed the ashes into a separate leather pouch. “This will come in handy

later,” she muttered, then looked at me. “Yes. He’s not entirely comfortable with all hisWhips dying for this ritual. He’s hoping to capture Valaine before that happens, but hehas advised me to proceed with my work.”

“I don’t understand why you can’t just ambush all of them at once,” I said.“As I explained earlier, they would see that coming. We don’t really trust one another

here, not when we’re meant to die while everyone else gets to live. We become selfish.Our survival instincts kick in, and we become foolish and desperate. Petra, in particular.That bitch will be the hardest to kill,” she replied, her tone matter-of-fact, as if she weredescribing a plan to rid a house of mold or pests.

“I thought they’d be happy to die for the greater cause.”“Well, they said that when they ascended as Whips, when the shards were implanted

in their hearts.” Danika sighed. “They didn’t think this day would ever come.”“But it did,” I muttered.Danika smirked. “It did. And now I must do what most of them don’t have the courage

to do themselves. The shards are not stable. If their hosts become scared, their heartswill beat faster. There’s a risk of breaking the shards, and that’ll make the recovery andrebuilding process all the more difficult. The smaller the pieces of Spirit’s soul, the harderit’ll be to put him back together. The last thing we need is a glitching Reaper with enoughpower to wipe us all out. It would defeat the very purpose of what I’m doing. Don’t youthink?”

So the process wasn’t seamless or easy. There was room for error. Maybe we coulduse that against them. Most importantly, the Darklings were clearly not as united as we’doriginally thought. They seemed to have a history of backstabbing and betrayal. Danikaand Petra, whom I’d considered close allies, were anything but.

“Why do you think Petra will be the hardest to kill?” I asked.She pointed her scythe at me. “You’d better not be dumb enough to tell her about any

of this. If you’re thinking of using my words against me, I can guarantee an even morepainful existence for you, far beyond what I have already promised, Derek. Don’t bestupid.”

“I’m sincerely asking,” I insisted, keeping a straight face.“Petra knows too much. She knows about Corbin and me, and about a few other

things I should never have shared with her. It was a moment of weakness on my part,but I figured she had enough sons. She could sacrifice one in order to survive, precisely

for a situation like this.”“What are you talking about?”“Nothing,” Danika said, her expression suddenly blank. “We can talk about this

another time. I have work to do. More Whips to kill.”“What will you tell the others about Iklas? How long before they figure out what’s

happening?” I was trying to stall her, to get her to tell me more.Danika came closer to my cell, her breath steaming the steel bars. “Rest assured, I

am a very competent liar.”“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second. You certainly had me and my people fooled from

the get-go,” I grumbled, crossing my arms.“Don’t hold a grudge, Derek. It’s unhealthy. Everything, absolutely everything I do is

for the sake of my people and for the sweet promise of glory. If lying is a part of theportfolio required to get the job done, then so be it.”

“I feel sorry for your son. He deserves a better mother.”“Well, I’m the one he’s got. And I’ll bring him back, too. Whatever you and Sofia had

planned, it won’t work.”It was my turn to smile. “You sound awfully sure of yourself. The sad thing is you

actually think you’re worthy of being Thayen’s mother. You killed his father. You’re havingan affair with the Master of Darkness. I cannot explain how disgusting all this is.”

“To be fair, I’m not that excited about Corbin, either. But he’s my gateway to thataforementioned sweet glory. A means to my end.” Danika’s gaze wandered to the side. Inoticed the air rippling in a far corner. Maya. My only hope was that Danika would notspot her there.

“You’re using Corbin?”“He’s using me, too, don’t worry. Let’s call it a mutually beneficial relationship.

Someday, he’ll have to appoint a new Master of Darkness. I plan to be there when thathappens.”

My breath hitched. Something didn’t fit into the puzzle she’d just helped me build.“Hold on. You’re going to sacrifice yourself to bring the Spirit Bender back. You have oneof the twelve shards in your heart. How will you ever become Master of Darkness if you’refated to die?”

Danika chuckled, walking away from my cell. She slipped the leather pouches into herdress pockets and gave me one last smile, lazily, over her shoulder as she opened theiron door.

“Oh, Derek. I thought you’d have already figured a few things out by yourself. But youcontinue to underestimate me. I guess you’ll get a surprise later.”

She walked out, and I didn’t have an answer—only more burning questions. DidDanika have a plan of her own, perhaps? A way to survive the shard’s extraction? If so,why was she killing the other Whips? I was definitely missing important details, so I hadto prolong my stay here for a while longer.

Fortunately, Danika seemed open and willing to tell me things. Unfortunately, I wasn’tsure how much longer I could keep this up. The more I learned, the more I wanted to getout of this place, but it also became even more important for me to stick around.

“What the hell is she up to?” I whispered.Maya showed herself again and gave me a faint shrug, purring softly. She didn’t know,

either, but she had to be curious. I had a feeling we’d find out soon. My only concern wasthat it not be too late for me to do something to stop the Darklings from resurrectingSpirit.

I

N E T H I S S I S

was constantly surprised by my inability to fall apart. At first, I’d thought losingmy body would break me, yet I was relatively okay. I was learning to live withthe grief. I doubted it would ever go away, but maybe once I passed over

everything would feel different. I’d expected hopelessness, too, but… all I had was anger.And I needed an outlet for it.At daybreak, our team compositions were reevaluated and ultimately approved by

Sofia, our commanding officer. Seeley and I were joined by Night, Soul, Widow, andKelara for the raid on Dieffen, along with Kailani and Hunter, Ridan, and Rose and Caleb.

I had one of the many scythes that had been collected along the way from Astoria andLaramis—now stored in the inn’s basement for safekeeping—while the living members ofour team had swamp witch magic and pulverizer weapons. They rationed the ammunitionfor the latter, since we expected Dieffen to go down relatively easily. Without innocentsto watch out for, our core mission was to simply obliterate the town. Kill on sight.

In terms of morale, most of our people were doing well. Valaine was on the dark sideof the spectrum, but I couldn’t really blame her. She’d already been through so much, yether ordeal was only just beginning. It would be worse before it got better.

“I’ll stay here with Amal and Amane,” Sofia said. We’d gathered outside the blackwatchtower for one last briefing before we all left on our missions. Staying close toSeeley, I took a moment to analyze each of the expressions around us—there was amixture of hopefulness and determination alongside a desire to beat the living crap out ofDarklings, to pulverize them into oblivion. In that regard, we were all on the same page.

Unfortunately, we had to be careful and calculated, since we didn’t yet know the fullextent of their power and knowledge. They still had dangerous death magic tricks uptheir sleeves, and we all intended to get out of this skirmish in one piece. Well, exceptme. I’d already died.

“Someone needs to watch over the Visentis boys and Thayen,” Esme replied.“Ansel will stay with Moore and Tudyk,” Sofia said. “Thayen will be with me at all

times. Given his name and title, along with the fact that Danika still has Derek, it’s best ifI keep an eye on the kid myself.”

“I’m staying, as well,” Lumi interjected. “Sidyan, too. Orvis needs a swamp witch tohold up the magical defenses, just in case. I’d like you to stay, as well,” she added,

looking at me.I shook my head. “I can’t. I need to take my mind off all of… this…”“She’ll be safe with us,” Seeley replied. “Besides, she can wield a scythe, and we need

her ability in the field.”They didn’t. Not really. I had barely a fragment of their power, but I knew Seeley was

saying these things to keep me motivated, to give me purpose. He understood that thelast thing I wanted to do was sit in a corner and sulk. At this point, any of the Reaperscould help me move on, but Seeley said he was waiting for Death’s decision regarding myreaping. I figured he was stalling so I’d be around for a while longer. Heck, I didn’t mind itone bit. I planned on making the most out of the time I had left in this world and raidingDieffen was certainly my preferred way of spending my last sort-of-living days, aside fromkeeping company with Seeley. He was, by far, the most important aspect of my strangeexistence.

“Just be careful,” Lumi said. “Come back to me, Nethi. I’m not ready to say goodbyeto you.” Her voice trembled, and it broke my heart. I knew how painful this was for her.

“After what I survived with these numb-nuts? Worry not, Lumi. I’ll be okay.” I giggled.It earned me a quasi-friendly nudge from the Widow Maker. “I’m kidding,” I said to him,still laughing. At least he could touch me. I couldn’t even hug Lumi.

“We’ve got a pretty good strategy for Dieffen,” Trev said. “I’ll be leading the attack,but I trust the Reapers will do their own thing once we take the streets. Either way, we’llprobably be back by sunrise at the latest, if everything runs smoothly.”

“Keep your comms open,” Sofia advised, then looked at Kalon and Esme. “You too.You’ve got a new and functional earpiece. Call us if you need anything.”

Esme nodded once. “Absolutely. But if everything we’ve been told about the Seniors istrue, chances are we’ll manage to get through to them before they whip out those killerclaws.”

“You’ll have to be careful,” Kalla warned us. “The Seniors have lived and killed formillions of years. If you think a seasoned Aeternae like Corbin or Petra is deadly, knowthat the Seniors are infinitely faster and have sharper reflexes. Oh, and watch your six atall times. They’ve been known to sneak up on people.”

“We won’t reveal ourselves until it’s safe,” Kalon replied.“I am dying to hear how the day-walking cure progresses,” Rose said, glancing at

Sofia. “How are you feeling, Mom?”“I’m okay. I don’t think there’s anything different,” Sofia murmured.Amal gently squeezed her wrist. “We’ll check your vitals in a bit.”“What about Dad?” Rose asked, focusing on Lumi next.“He hasn’t broken the green bead, so I assume he’s still gathering intel.” Lumi sighed,

shaking her head slowly. “Maya’s with him, and I trust she’ll help if needed.”“I don’t like him still being there,” Sofia confessed, concern darkening her green gaze.

“I know it’s in our best interest, but… ugh, it’s just the thought of him being so close toDanika. Petra. Corbin. They’re awful creatures. He’s just not safe.”

“Neither are we,” Rose reminded her. “We’re all taking risks here. Orvis won’t be ahaven forever. Sooner or later, it’ll be discovered.”

“Derek will be fine, I’m sure of it,” Caleb interjected. “He’s got enough common sensein him to know when to back down and abandon ship.”

“I have faith in him,” Sofia said. “It’s Danika I don’t trust.”“Remember, you have Thayen. She might know you won’t harm the kid, but she’s got

to be aware that she’ll never see him again if she hurts Derek,” I replied.“Valaine and I will head into the woods,” Tristan said, finally speaking up. “Given the

side effects of these memory exercises, we’ve agreed it’s safer if we continue the rest ofthe journey farther away from Orvis.”

Phantom and Morning nodded in agreement, while Valaine exhaled sharply. “Yeah,I’m quite the menace, and I can’t even control it,” she mumbled.

“It’s tricky until you get yourself back,” Night tried to reassure her. “It will be easieronce you have a firmer grip on your full consciousness. You’re working with bits of theUnending now, so you’re bound to be unstable.”

“Hopefully, by the time we see each other again, we’ll all have made significantprogress, and Visio will be closer to its natural state,” Kalla said, giving each of us anencouraging smile.

I tried to imagine her as a younger Nalorean woman, all starry-eyed and yearning forimmortality. That had been the key motivation to join the Darklings, and I could certainlysee it. One of the reasons I’d chosen to become a swamp witch was the prolongedlifespan. As a Lamia, I’d have had hundreds of years, at most. But as a servant of theWord, I could easily reach ten millennia, much like Lumi. How about an eternity?

No one really wanted to die. We took it as a necessary aspect of life, an inevitableoutcome. Without knowing what existed beyond that silent threshold, however, we clungto anything that might give us more years. In that sense, I sympathized with theAeternae. The Unending had granted them a form of immortality, and it certainly wasn’tsomething they were willing to lose. But they had taken advantage of the suffering thatSpirit had inflicted upon the Unending in the process.

And that was why they didn’t deserve her gift. Kalla had gone from wanting to be anAeternae to working toward returning the whole of Visio back to its mortal status. Howmany of the Aeternae would want the same, if we were to tell them the true cost of theireternal lives? How many would be willing to sacrifice their immortality in order for theUnending to walk free?

We would eventually get an answer, and I doubted it would be an encouraging figure.Either way, we were going to succeed. The Unending deserved freedom. She’d sufferedenough for the Aeternae’s gift of living forever. As for me, I had no idea what awaited meon the other side. My only hope was that it would be devoid of suffering—even if thatmeant an endless sleep.

I

E S M E

flew the shuttle, its invisibility shield activated, while Kalon kept an eye on theskies around us. Below, a dark blue ocean seemed to stretch forever. We’d leftthe mainland behind hours ago, and all there was—as far as we could see—

were the rippling waters.The occasional whale-like animal jumped and splashed around, causing foamy white

waves to spread outward. The shuttle’s bio-detector pulled up images on one of thescreens whenever it detected movement in the water, and we often saw huge silhouettesswimming just beneath the surface.

“What are those?” I asked, drawing Kalon’s attention to the display.He narrowed his eyes as he studied the creature’s movement before it descended into

the depths of the ocean. “They’re called Senn-fish. Enormous predators with four rows ofrazor-sharp fangs,” he said. “Their senses are insanely sharp, and they love to chomp onlarger prey. The only ocean-dwellers they don’t dare hunt are the blue titans.”

“You mean the whales jumping around earlier?”He nodded, somewhat amused. “That’s what you call them? Whales?”“Well, I have to adjust the nomenclature,” I replied. “I admit, I can’t ask or remember

the name of every unearthly animal I come across. Fortunately, many of the species I’veencountered so far have been quite easy to compare to what exists back home. Natureseems to follow a similar pattern everywhere. A circle of life, if you will, from the smallestherbivore to the largest predator.”

“I used to go sailing, centuries ago, though never this far south,” Kalon mused, hisgaze fixed on the blue horizon ahead. “To the west, there’s a land mass we call Scotsia.It’s mostly highlands and lakes, an annex of the empire. The people there are different.An even mixture of Aeternae, Rimians, and Naloreans, most of them prosperouslandowners, not just servants or shopkeepers. A significant amount of gold for Visio’scoffers comes from Scotsia. I used to come back from there with barrels filled with spicesfor our Rimian and Nalorean blood supplies. Some of that would be sold to kitchensacross the imperial city, as well.”

“And what’s to the east of the continent?”“Clusters of islands. Massive patches rich in gemstone mines. Most of the jewels

you’ve seen in the city—and on my mother—couldn’t have been made without the

precious crystals from the Malfian Islands,” Kalon replied. “And it’s not just gemstonesthat we get from them. Gold, silver, copper… the underground is uniform and enormous,spreading beneath the ocean.”

“So the islands are basically the peaks of underwater mountains?”“Yes, a chain that goes on for thousands of miles, from north to south.”I would’ve liked to see them someday, provided we survived everything we’d set out

to do here on Visio. “What’s your favorite place on Visio? Your secret little nook, where noone can find you or bother you?” I asked.

Kalon’s lips stretched into a playful smile. “There’s an island at the far north of theMalfian cluster. It’s small and mostly covered in ice and snow. It’s got a hilltop in themiddle, covered in thick, evergreen woods. Someone used to live there. They left a cabinbehind. It’s been uninhabited for over a century, but I restored the house a couple ofdecades ago. I love it. The air is clean, the only sound you hear is from the snow wolveson a full moon, and it snows a lot.”

“Funny. I’d have pegged you for a tropical island type of guy.” I chuckled.“I’ll never say no to a sandy beach and lazy waves, but I love the crisp whiteness of

winter more than anything. The lake house my brother built… the one we stopped by,” hesaid, his tone breaking for a moment. “It has seen some beautiful winters, as well.Especially when the entire lake freezes. But my little island is even colder—it gets so coldsometimes that the ocean itself crystallizes around its black sand beach. It looksamazing…”

There was a dreamy look in his eyes. He was already pining for that place. But theglimmer faded quickly as he glanced my way.

“If we make it out of here alive, I’ll take you there. We’ll burn wood logs in thefireplace. I’ve got a stash of Scotsian spices ready to sprinkle over a cup of warm blood…you’ll love it,” he said. “And the wolves are friendly if you give them food.”

“It sounds like a wintery paradise.”“Visio is a good place,” Kalon said, pain flickering in his eyes. “The people could use a

serious ass-whipping, sure… but our lands are beautiful. Bountiful. This world is worthsaving.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second,” I replied. “And I think the people are worth saving, too.They just need to understand and accept that what they’ve got going on here isn’t right.”

“It breaks me to see Valaine like this. We basically grew up together. She’s alwaysbeen slightly different, but I never imagined there was so much more to her.”

“Does she scare you?” I asked.All I could hear was the shuttle’s steady hum for a while, as Kalon tried to formulate

an answer. “I’m not afraid,” he ultimately said. “In awe of her, yes. But not afraid.Frankly, I can’t wait to see her finally free.”

“You’ll lose your immortality. I doubt the Unending will let the Aeternae live foreverafter everything that happened.”

He winked. “Maybe you can turn me into a vampire.”I’d given it some thought before. It didn’t sound insane or impossible. And if Kalon

wanted to be turned, I was more than happy to be the one to do it. A future without him

was beginning to sound increasingly difficult, and it would eventually border on theunbearable. We’d only known each other for weeks, but the chemistry between us wasdownright explosive. We fit together so well, it would be a crime against the universeitself to tear us apart now that we’d found each other.

“There it is,” Kalon said. “The Seniors’ island.”Ahead, a heart-shaped plateau stood proudly in the middle of the blue waters. The

beaches were golden and rounded, and hills rose toward the middle. White houses weresprinkled all over, surrounded by lush greenery and flowering trees. I counted hundredsat first sight, but I had yet to see the other side of the island.

“How many Seniors live here, again?” I asked, my voice barely audible.“At least a few thousand. I don’t think Kalla knows the actual number. No one ever

makes it to this place, so we only have tall tales and rumors,” Kalon said. “And I doubtthis is the only Senior island. I’m willing to bet the Darklings have also seized control overother landmasses and are keeping even more Seniors there.”

“All this uncertainty you folks have going on here is a tad concerning,” I muttered.“Almost nothing of what Danika, Petra, or even Acheron told us holds any water.Speaking of, why did they welcome us initially, if they had so many problems?”

Kalon shrugged. “My guess is they were afraid of an all-out war. They’re probablyconfident they’d win it, if it were to happen, but the loss of life would be catastrophic. Isuppose they were trying to accommodate you so you’d get on with your work and begone before any of our filth came to light.”

“Well, that didn’t turn out as they’d hoped.”“Which is why they’re now being forced to improvise by coming out into the open and

asking the empire for public acceptance,” Kalon said. “They know the war is still apossibility, so they’re in survival mode. They no longer care about loss of life—they onlycare about using the innocents as leverage in order for their Darklings to get away withall this.”

“I’m sure there are things we still don’t know,” I replied. “They’re up to something,even now.”

“Oh, absolutely. That’s why we’re here trying to gather some allies.”As we drew closer, the island came into focus. It reminded me of a densely populated

Greek island. The whitewashed houses were neat, with sharp edges and sloping roofs.Each home had a luscious garden, and blossoms filled every single tree, a surprising sightthis time of the year.

“Isn’t it supposed to be a harvest season?” I asked, and Kalon nodded, equallysurprised by the sight before us. “Then why are all the trees flowering now? Am I missingsomething?”

“Not really. This is one of the few islands this far south, so we can’t be sure what theclimate is like in these parts. It could be normal for this time of the year.”

“Fair enough. It’s gorgeous,” I added, my gaze wandering along the many snakingpaths that seemed to connect all the houses. The trails had been set with stone slabs ofvarious shapes and sizes, going up and down as the land elevation allowed. “It’s like aMediterranean wonderland,” I mumbled, mostly to myself.

“Let’s land over there, beneath the star trees,” Kalon said, pointing to the east shore.The beach was smooth and clear where he indicated, and massive palm-like trees archedabove with white, star-shaped crowns. Each leaf was long, with a sharp tip, forming asucculent star shape. They looked weird but wonderful. “It’s the least populated part ofthe island, as far as I can tell.”

As soon as we landed, I made sure the shuttle stayed hidden from sight and ready togo at a moment’s notice. I reached for one of the pulverizer weapons, but Kalon stoppedme.

“They might try to kill us,” I said.“We don’t want to give them any reason to do that,” he replied. He had a point.

“Besides, you’ve got those invisibility pellets, right?” he asked, and it was my turn to nod.“We’ll keep ourselves out of sight until we find the right Senior and the right moment toreveal ourselves.”

Following his advice, I left the pulverizer weapons in the shuttle and followed him out.We each ingested an invisibility pellet and put on red garnet glasses. Kalon led the wayas we went uphill through a plethora of waxy bushes and oversized pink flowers. Itlooked like something out of a botanist’s wildest dream. The explosion of lime green andfuchsia and bright yellow was almost hypnotizing. We paused once we reached the firsthouse.

“Let’s keep a safe distance from them,” Kalon whispered. “They might smell us.”“Old noses, eh?” I replied.“You could say that.”A couple came out, both wearing white robes with gold embroidery that formed large

wings on their backs. They held hands as they walked down the stone path toward thesound of voices, laughter, and string music.

We followed them. Tingles traveled down my spine and expanded into pricks acrossmy skin as the island’s center came into view. It formed a basin between the rolling hills,and dozens of paths led to its core. Colored lanterns hung from the rooftops, and afountain gushed in a round plaza. There were thousands of Aeternae gathered, and theyall looked like angels in their white hoods with gold embroidered wings.

They smiled at each other. They danced. They feasted on pitchers of blood. Some ofthem played music on harp-like instruments. Others cheered and whistled. Theatmosphere was incendiary and exhilarating.

“This is one hell of a party they’re throwing,” I managed.“I hope my retirement looks just as good,” Kalon replied, his gaze fixed on a couple

kissing passionately by the fountain. Only then did I realize that they weren’t justpartying. They were physically close, touching, caressing and kissing one anotherindiscriminately. Fingers brushed down cheeks. Heads were thrown back in vigorouschortles.

Lips met lips and bodies molded in a pattern that took my breath away.“Oh, wow…” I heard myself whisper.“Orgy” was too strong a word for what I was seeing, but it was certainly different from

any gathering I’d ever witnessed before. They all seemed to love each other here,

beyond the usual social boundaries. They moved as one and lived as one, it seemed. Atfirst sight, it was certainly unique, but also worthy of more in-depth study.

I had a feeling we’d be sticking around for a while. The party was only just gettingstarted, as more Aeternae were descending from the hilltops. My heart and mind wereboth curious as to what this might all be about.

“W

E S M E

hat kind of celebration is this?” Kalon mumbled, his eyes widening as he stared.We’d found a safe spot behind a giant vase featuring a leafy plant that exploded with

oversized leaves and wax-like flowers. The pollen tips were big and gold-dusted, andwinged insects often gathered atop to collect sweet nectar.

The Aeternae Seniors looked happy and carefree. Beneath a dusky red sky andsurrounded by green hills, white houses, and a blue ocean beyond, they danced aroundthe gushing fountain, sharing blood drinks and kisses. It was strange and hypnotizing towatch, and we found it impossible to look away. Kalon and I stayed close to each other,watching quietly and trying to figure out what sort of society we’d stumbled upon.

“You mean you don’t throw parties like this on the continent or in the imperial city?” Iasked, stifling a chuckle. My cheeks were burning red, but I didn’t let that temper mysense of humor. No matter how I looked at it, it was still a bit funny. These were thefearsome Seniors. I’d been warned that they were millions of years old, with crazy-sharpreflexes and no hesitation when it came to killing. I’d been told to be careful.

But these Seniors seemed more like free-loving hippies—though better dressed andsparkling clean—with flowery fragrances coming off them and dazzling my senses. Thewhite silk poured down their bodies like a coat of milk, accentuating muscles and curveswith an artful flair. Their hair was long, glimmering in the most intense shades of black,copper, chocolate brown, and sunny blond. Their eyes glowed with an intoxicatingmélange of joy and delight, their lips stretched into luminous smiles. This whole place feltlike some kind of heaven.

“No. We might not be the strictest people, but this… this is a whole new dimension,”Kalon managed. “I mean, it looks insanely fun, but I can’t imagine a party like this onetaking over the streets of the imperial city.”

“Of course, the streets of the imperial city are currently brimming with Black Fevervictims,” I replied. “But they do seem to be having a really good time here. This isn’twhat I expected.”

“I’m as surprised as you are.”“So... can we just come out and reveal ourselves?” I asked, though the idea still didn’t

feel safe. In fact, my stomach crumpled whenever I thought about it.Kalon shook his head. “They’re like this because there’s no one from the outside

present. It’s just them, away from the world, no longer subject to our rules or societaletiquette. They can’t die, and they can’t go out because of the Darklings. If we showourselves now, I doubt they’ll be as relaxed and carefree.”

“Then how do we approach them?” I asked.He looked around, spotting an open door nearby that led into a small square house

with wooden windows and flowers hanging along the sills. “Come on,” he whispered, andI followed him inside. It looked like a catering area, with blood pitchers and large bowlsof ice, crystal goblets, and various spices all ready to be served. “We can try to blend in,”Kalon added, opening one of the tall dressers. He pulled out two capes made of whitesilk, with hoods and golden embroidery. The dresser was filled with similar clothes, and Ifigured it had been specifically equipped for this event.

We put on the hoods and took a moment to listen to the noise outside. Still laughterand music, for the most part. I was flustered, and Kalon picked up on it. He grinned,coming closer and slipping an arm around my waist.

“Look at all those lovebirds outside,” he said. “Morfuris…”Revealing himself, he took off the garnet glasses and waited for me to do the same.

Once we were both visible, we took a moment to just… listen, our gazes locked on eachother.

“I wonder if every day is a party here,” I said.Kalon filled a couple of glasses with blood and added spices. “We need some

nourishment.”“Is it safe?” I asked, and he chuckled softly.“Well, this is supposed to feed them. I don’t see a problem with grabbing a snack for

ourselves.”We clinked and downed our glasses. The effect was almost immediate. My extremities

tingled as my chest buzzed and my skin warmed up. It was strange but wonderful, like I’djust taken a sip from the sun itself. This was better than Rimian or Nalorean blood.

“I say we try to blend in,” Kalon said again, refilling his glass. “This is absolutelydelicious.”

Something felt… different. I wasn’t sure what or why or where it was coming from.Maybe it was in the air or in the blood we’d just consumed, but I felt relaxed, my bonesall gooey and my lips unable to stop smiling. “Kalon, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his gaze darkening as he measured me from head totoe. “Have I told you how beautiful you look in white? The silk looks like a second skin.”

I glanced down, noticing how the cape seemed to fit around my body. My arms hadslipped through tailored openings, and the fabric was following every curve I had, almostlike a dress. Just one more weird aspect to add to the list.

“You look hot,” I murmured, observing the effect of the white silk cape against hisbody. It covered his broad shoulders and narrow hips, the ends fluttering with everybreeze. I couldn’t control myself as I reached out and cupped his face, pulling him into akiss.

It was a wet and hungry kiss, and Kalon groaned as he reciprocated. Oh, somethingwas definitely off here, and we were both under its influence. It didn’t manufacture any

emotion, but it amplified all the existing ones, which was why Kalon and I couldn’t keepour hands off one another.

But Kalon tasted so good. He deepened the kiss, his arms tightening around me, hisbody hard as I melted against him. “Esme, I can’t stop,” he whispered in my ear beforegently nipping the lobe. My breath hitched as I ran my hands through his hair, myfingertips excited by the silky texture.

“Kalon, it’s… it’s this place.” I moaned when he started trailing kisses down the side ofmy neck. “There’s something going on…”

With monumental effort, I managed to pull myself back, breathing heavily as Istruggled to regain my composure. Kalon held his own, his blue eyes almost black as helooked at me. We stood like that for a while, simply looking at each other and trying tofigure out our next steps.

“What were we talking about earlier?” he asked, taking a deep breath.“Blending in,” I said, pointing at my silken cape. “You said we should try to blend in.

Maybe we can make friends with them…”“Right. Right, so we can get them on our side,” he muttered, as if finally remembering

why we were here. “Do you think it’s the blood? It didn’t taste funny to me.”“I… I don’t know. But we’ve got to get through this.”He nodded once. “Okay. It’s kind of hard, though. All I can think about is kissing you.”“Well, I think about that all the time.” I chuckled.“So do I, but not with such... intensity,” he replied, smiling.“Fair point. No, there’s definitely something off here. Maybe some kind of love potion

sprayed into the air?” I asked, trying to figure out what had thrown us off our game socompletely.

Kalon offered me his hand. “Let’s go outside and find out. Whatever it is, it’s probablyresponsible for all the rubbing and kissing among the Seniors, too.”

“Yeah. Most likely. All we have to do is keep ourselves under control,” I said, takinghis hand. As soon as we touched, I felt the rush burning through me again, his lipssuddenly beckoning me to him. “Kalon, this is going to be very difficult.”

“I know,” he grumbled, looking away.We went outside, clad in white silk with gold wings embroidered on our backs. We

kept our heads covered, the hoods pulled so they obscured our faces as we movedthrough the swelling crowd. The Seniors were still at it, dancing and touching, their lipsmeeting with hunger and passion. Their fangs glistened in the mellow afternoon light,and I felt Kalon’s grip tightening on my hand.

“What do you think is up with them?” he asked.All I had was a shrug. “No idea, but it’s deliberate. It’s got to be. It’s affecting us, too.”“Not that I mind.”I gave him a faint smile. “Me neither. It’s just bad timing. We’re on a mission.”“Yes. Right. The mission.”We both laughed, realizing how deeply under the influence we really were. I quickly

sobered as an Aeternae Senior woman came up behind me, her hands settling on my hipsas she pulled me back. “Oh, you smell amazing,” she said, her fangs grazing my ear.

Kalon froze, another female wrapping herself around him. “You look absolutelyscrumptious!” she said, pressing an index finger against his lips before kissing him.

My whole being flared with pure rage at the sight of them, though I knew it wasn’tKalon’s fault. He tried to politely push her back, but she didn’t seem to get the hint.

“Sorry, excuse me,” I managed. The woman behind me was running her hands up mysides. “We’re… we were hoping you might…” My voice trailed off as everything came to asudden halt. I almost heard the record scratch.

Suddenly, it was all quiet. Every pair of eyes had found us. The woman touching mehad stopped, and the air chilled behind me. Kalon was free, as well, thoughunderstandably baffled and blushing as he glanced at me.

Looking around, the fun seemed to have left the island completely. Everyone wasserious, glaring at Kalon and me, their claws and fangs gradually coming out. My heartjumped and my pulse rushed as I tried to take it all in. There were over a thousandSeniors present, and more were coming down the stone paths. Their smiles faded as theyreached the plaza and saw us.

“So the whole blending in part didn’t work,” I said, my tone flat.Kalon was at a loss for words, his expression bordering on terrified.One of the Seniors stepped forward. Her beauty was angelic, with long hair flowing

down her back in strawberry-blonde and platinum waves. Her eyes were round and bluelike turquoise gemstones. Her lips were drawn in a Cupid’s bow, full and pink. She wastall and stunning, with an hourglass figure perfectly hugged in white silk, the goldembroidery dancing on her shoulders as she moved toward us.

For a moment, my mind went completely blank as my survival instincts kicked in.“You’re not from around here,” the angelic Aeternae said, her voice as sweet as

honey. But the tone was burning with danger, and I knew these weren’t the hippie-lovingbunch I’d mistaken them for. No, whatever had inspired the earlier atmosphere was gone,and they’d all returned to their true selves. Ancient Aeternae who clearly didn’t likeunannounced visitors.

“I think we’re in trouble,” Kalon whispered.“Oh, and then some,” the angelic Aeternae replied, shooting him a deadly grin. Her

fangs were remarkably long and sharp, almost piercing the bottom of her lower lip.This mission was an absolute rollercoaster. Kalon and I had come here with the best

of intentions, but we’d gotten carried away. Whether it was just the general vibe of theparty or something in the air or the blood we’d drunk, it didn’t really matter anymore. Wewere now just two intruders staring down a sea of apex predators, and we were, in allpossible senses of the word, screwed.

A

T R I S T A N

mal took another blood sample from Valaine in order to further study hergenome. The twins hoped to better understand the curse and how it could bebroken—or at least subdued—before it killed more Aeternae. From what we’d

learned, it had already claimed hundreds of lives, and it would take thousands more bythe end of the week.

In the meantime—while Amane monitored Sofia and continued administering the day-walking cure—Phantom, Morning, Valaine, and I found a secluded place in the NightmareForest about a hundred yards from the village.

“This should be far enough,” Phantom surmised as she analyzed our surroundings.“There are enough ghouls around to keep the sabre tigers at bay, if needed. Though Idoubt the animals would be foolish enough to come near us.”

“How are you feeling, dear sister?” Morning asked Valaine.“Fine, I think.” She sat on a thick log, hands in her lap.I settled next to her, watching her every move and following every change in her

expression. Valaine wasn’t the type to openly discuss her emotions, so sometimes it wasbetter to just pay attention to her body language.

“This only serves to keep your darkness in check,” Phantom said, sitting on the groundin front of Valaine. Morning stood behind her, placing her hands on Valaine’s shoulders.“We’re both here, so don’t worry about it.”

“But what is it, exactly?” I asked. “She completely blacked out yesterday, unable tocontrol it. It felt like pure despair and hopelessness.”

“It’s similar to what Night and Morning endured while trapped,” Phantom replied. “It’sa symptom of the Unending’s awakening. She’s struggling, she’s in a lot of pain, andwe’ve got to keep pressing forward until we figure out how to set her free.”

“I’m afraid it will only get worse,” Morning added as Valaine tilted her head back tolook at her. “None of this is your fault, dear sister. If we stop now, you’ll just perpetuateyour suffering. If we push it further, it will hurt more before it gets better.”

Valaine bit her lower lip. “I guess it’s better to dig deeper until we let it all out, right?”“It carries its own risks, but the three of us will make sure you don’t hurt anyone,”

Phantom said, glancing at Morning and me.“Okay…” Valaine murmured, leaning on my shoulder.

Morning and Phantom proceeded with the remembrance spell, their lips moving asthey whispered the ancient words. I held Valaine’s hand, keeping constant physicalcontact as the night began to gather around us. I felt its cold embrace as the image ofValaine became blurry. Moments later, I lacked a form, floating around in black ink.

“Follow my voice,” Phantom said, resonating deep within me.“I’m here,” Valaine replied.“Good. Go deeper this time. You remembered your past life, but you need to dig

beneath that. Your instincts should guide you now. Things that felt strange before shouldcome as second nature. Wherever you feel the pull, don’t fight it,” Phantom advised.

We lingered in the nothingness for a while as Valaine sought the right thread to pull.After some time, one particular line began to shimmer golden. I could almost feelValaine’s hand reaching out to touch it. I certainly sensed the coldness washing over meas we were drawn into a moving image.

The darkness dissolved, and we found ourselves in another past life. This time, wewere stuck in the body of an Aeternae woman. She cried as two Darklings dragged herthrough a narrow corridor with damp stone walls. It looked familiar, but I couldn’t place ituntil I recognized the iron doors on both sides, their frames etched with death magicrunes. We were in the basement of the imperial palace.

“Please, don’t… I am not who you think I am,” the woman sobbed, and I experiencedall her pain. It blazed through me like wildfire. My eyes stung. My heart was in tatters. Ihad trusted these people. I had joined the Darklings to protect my people, but I hadnever thought they would turn against me like this.

“Shut up,” one of the Darklings spat.A door opened ahead, and orange light spilled into the dark hallway, revealing

crevices and ghoulish scratches across the hall. I heard creatures wailing and sobbing allaround me—Reapers trapped and forced to consume souls, gradually turning into KnightGhouls. Nethissis had mentioned this title before… She’d picked it up from Petra and hercohorts.

Everything I had done for the Darklings had felt right. I’d even captured a Reaper forthem to turn. Yet here I was, dragged through the obscurity of the basement toward myown death. None of this was fair…

I was brought into a room and tossed onto the floor as though I were nothing morethan a rag doll. The Darklings stayed back, slamming the door shut while I struggled tolift my gaze and meet the one who would kill me. I was ready to fight with everything Ihad, but my body felt weak. They had done something to me. I couldn’t resist.

Finally, I raised my head and saw him. Inwardly, I immediately recognized him, andmy stomach churned. “Corbin…”

He was only a boy, no older than Moore was when he’d joined the Darklings. Muchlike the Visentis boy, Corbin carried himself with a lot of dignity and poise for his youngage. The black leather cloak hung around his shoulders, and the Darkling thread wrappedaround his bony wrist. His hair was long and dark, his eyes brown and filled with doubt ashe stared me down.

Behind him stood a tall Aeternae man. He looked young, but he bore an uncanny

resemblance to Corbin. It had to be his father. Glancing behind me, I noticed theDarklings bowing reverently before him. “Master,” one of them said. “No one knows she’shere.”

“Good,” Corbin’s father—and as I’d just learned, the Master of Darkness—replied. Hescowled at his son, who didn’t seem convinced by my presence. I didn’t care much aboutwhat the boy thought, I realized. All I was experiencing was a troubling mixture of fearand contempt for him and everyone else bearing his last name. “Kill her. She’s theUnending.”

“Are you sure, Father?” Corbin asked, his brow furrowed.“She’s the reason why your mother is ill, son. If you want to save her, you must kill

this woman.”I reached out to the boy, my eyes teary and stinging. “No, please. I’m not who you

think I am. I’m… I’m just a humble servant to our cause, a Darkling like you. I wouldnever hurt you or your mother. Please…”

Corbin looked unsure, but his father didn’t care. He knew better; otherwise, I wouldn’thave been brought here. I, Tristan, was aware that this body held the Unending’s power,but the body itself had no idea. She was confused and terrified, held down by powerfuldeath magic. The Master handed Corbin a scythe. “It’s your turn to honor the Crimsondynasty, Corbin,” he said firmly. “This is your duty. I’ve bestowed it upon you because Isee the potential in you.”

“Father, she’s—”“Kill her!” the Master shouted. “She’s Eternity! Kill her before she kills us all!”The bitter irony of this entire scene did not escape me. As Corbin gripped the scythe

and brought the weapon down with all his might, I knew he’d one day regret thismoment. Today, he was hunting his own daughter, and I was positive that, somewheredeep inside, he felt an unbearable ache—the memory of this particular moment comingback to haunt him.

“The fates will not have mercy on you,” I heard myself scream before my head wascut off. Darkness enveloped me, accompanied by searing pain and anger. I was unable todo or say anything. I was dead. But my last words must have haunted Corbin for almost amillion years.

“I’m sorry,” I heard Corbin say, his voice echoing in the depths of my consciousness.“I’m so sorry…”

You will be, I thought to myself. The day will come when you’ll understand that thefates heard this woman, loud and clear.

Upon waking, I found Valaine crying and shuddering. I tried to hug her, but she pushedme away, tears streaming down her cheeks. When Morning moved to console her, aswell, Valaine raised a hand to keep her from coming closer.

“No. You don’t understand… this rage in me. It’s too much,” she sobbed.“Deep breaths, sister,” Phantom said. “You’re back. You’re okay.”“How am I okay? I’m not okay. I remember everything. Absolutely everything. Not just

the moment I died, miserable, in that dark and dirty basement… I remember her life. Shehad a family! She had children she wanted to protect!” Valaine said.

“Who were you?” Phantom asked.“Persia Bluewater,” Valaine replied. “I was Persia Bluewater, and I was a Darkling.”I rubbed my face, trying to differentiate between myself and the memory I’d just

experienced. “Hold on, how do you remember her whole life? I only saw her death.Corbin killed her.”

Morning chuckled. “Talk about the universe paying him back in kind, huh?”“I don’t know how I remember. I just do!” Valaine snapped. “My name was Persia

Bluewater, and I grew up thinking that I could fight the Black Fever. That I could protectthe people I loved the most in this world. I joined the Darklings and quickly movedthrough the ranks. I had a husband and two sons when I was captured and killed.”

“Okay, but why are you taking this so hard?” I asked, trying to calm her. Thetemperature was dropping, and fine black veins appeared around her eyes. She wasdescending into darkness and fury, and I worried she might not be able to recover.

“Because I know her story!” Valaine shouted, tears filling her eyes and flowing downher cheeks. “I remember Persia Bluewater as one of the victims of the Darklings. Therewere thousands… I memorized all their names the night they first tried to come for me.”

“Is there something special about Persia?” Phantom asked, keeping her tone even asshe tried to get closer to Valaine. She moved from the front, while Morning tried to reachValaine from behind. I was frozen on the spot, my bones and joints stiff. The symptomsof the Unending’s suffering, as Phantom had described it, were already kicking in, muchsooner than last time.

Valaine looked at Phantom, her expression contorted with grief. “They didn’t just killher… they murdered her husband and children, too. Hung them out in the town squarewith black-and-white rope so that everyone would know they’d done it,” she said. “This isunacceptable. I might go so far as to understand their mission and creed, but what theydid… Persia wasn’t even the only one! They killed so many innocent people, simplybecause they were affiliated with their original targets. They’re mindless monsters,coldblooded murderers who hide behind a noble mission to justify their bloodthirst!”

I could feel her anger swelling. It thickened the air around us. Static electricitycrackled, flashes of light jumping around. The ground beneath us hummed and vibratedas the tension rose. Valaine was moments away from losing control, and she wouldn’teven let me get near her.

“They’re abominations!” she snarled, her fangs extending, the black of her irisesspreading to cover the whites of her eyes.

A knot formed in my throat. “Valaine, listen to me,” I said. “You need to take a deepbreath.”

“They must all be destroyed. Each and every one of them!” she continued, unfazed bymy pleas. “They kill. They pillage. They steal. They torture. They destroy lives! Theydestroyed mine so many times, I’ve lost count!”

For a moment, something twinkled in the darkness of her gaze. I could swear I wasseeing stars as they were born. Red dwarves collapsing in on themselves. Galaxies

swirling, much like in the eyes of true Reapers.“Dear sister, you need to relax,” Morning said. “You’re losing yourself.”“No! I’m finding myself, and it all comes with so… much… pain!” Valaine replied,

pressing her fingers to her temples as she doubled over.I only had one shot to bring her back from the pits of despair. I couldn’t miss this

opportunity. Inhaling deeply, I darted toward her and tried to take her in my arms. Sheroared and threw me back with an energy pulse that burst from within.

The air was kicked out of my lungs as I landed roughly on my back.“Sister, no!” Phantom called out.By the time my vision regained its clarity and I looked around, Valaine was gone, a

mere shadow bolting through the woods as she blended seamlessly into the NightmareForest. I could no longer see her, but the heavy weight persisted on my shoulders.Whatever she was experiencing, it was spreading and lingering with a malicious vibe,unwilling to subside or let go.

Morning gave me an alarmed look. “Oh dear…”“What do we do?” I asked, my voice faded and raspy.“She can’t be out there on her own. Not like this,” Phantom said. “We must stay with

her, even if it means bearing the brunt of her rage. If you can’t handle it, Tristan, it’sokay. No one will blame you. She could kill you.”

I pushed myself up, dusting off the dirt and trying to figure out a way to help bringValaine back. “No. I’m with you all the way. She’ll respond eventually. But you’re right.We can’t leave her alone. Both of you can feel what she left behind, right?”

The Reapers nodded slowly. “It’s just like Cruor,” Morning murmured. “Unending issuffering just like my brother, only… much worse.”

“How so?” I asked.“Because she has a physical manifestation,” Morning replied. “The power is

concentrated inside that Aeternae body. On Cruor, Night was infused into the land. Hedrained it of all life, but he could never manifest himself.”

“My biggest concern is that whatever Unending is going through is much more potent,because Spirit would have made it so. There’s a logic to his madness, a method to historture. Every seal he put on our sister is proof that he didn’t just want her stuck here, hewanted her to suffer.”

“Then let’s go,” I said. “Valaine needs us.”We ran after her, and I mentally prepared myself for what could very well turn into a

bloody, if not fatal, confrontation. Valaine was losing control over her body, over heremotions, and over the power of the Unending that dwelled within her. She was startingto remember, and as she put two and two together, she was able to paint an evenclearer picture of the Darklings.

While the nasty truth needed to come out, it was taking a devastating toll on Valaine,and if we didn’t find a way to help her control her emotions, she could becomedestructive to the point where we’d have no choice but to kill her. The thought hadoccurred to me before, and it horrified me. But the more she relapsed like this, the higherthe possibility we might end up doing the Darklings’ job for them.

I needed Valaine to remember who she was before she lost her grip completely. Ineeded her to recover and tell us how to set her free. I needed her in my life, regardlessof her form. And right now, she needed me too.

T

N E T H I S S I S

he trip to Dieffen was pretty simple. Our Reapers handled it, using theirpower to allow us to tread the Nightmare Forest in minutes, rather than

hours. Dieffen sat quietly about thirty miles north of the woods, along a sinuous countryroad leading farther into the snow lands. Beyond, I’d been told there were only a handfulof larger cities, with most of the towns concentrated along the coastline, focused onfishing.

From afar, Dieffen looked empty. Its houses were mostly small and round, with slate-colored conical roofs and smoking chimneys. Toward the center, I could see largerbuildings—a town hall, a worship house, a police station, and an indoor market—all madeof large blocks of gray stone. The town was surrounded by empty fields. The crop must’vebeen brought in already and stored in the granaries east of Dieffen. I could see themfrom here, with red-painted plywood walls and whitewashed roofs. Vision horses grazedall around them, but I couldn’t see anyone.

“It looks abandoned,” I said.“It’s not,” Trev replied, pointing to a smoldering pile with black smoke rising in a thick,

uneven column. “Those are the townspeople’s bodies burning.”I felt queasy for a moment before I remembered I had no stomach to be turned at the

sight. The Darklings had gathered the Dieffeners’ corpses into a giant mountain and set iton fire. It must’ve been burning for hours, because I could no longer make out anyhumanoid shapes—only charred coils of carbonized bone.

We walked slowly up the road as the town expanded ahead. The skies above weredark gray from the smoke, and I couldn’t see anyone moving. We were invisible, so therewas no way the Darklings could tell we were coming. The Soul Crusher had been payingattention to every possible trap they might have set in anticipation of our arrival.

Stopping just outside the town entrance, I pulled Seeley aside for a moment. “Thisfeels wrong,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Why?” he asked, frowning.“It’s too quiet. Is it supposed to be like this? I’d expected to find them having a feast,

laughing and patting each other on the back for all the people they killed, the sickbastards.”

Seeley thought about it for a moment, then looked at Trev. “What exactly did your

scouts tell you about this place?”Trev seemed surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”“Do we know for sure it’s still inhabited?” Seeley replied. “Maybe they left.”“They haven’t left,” Widow said, staring ahead. “I can sense a presence. It’s dense.”Soul nodded slowly. “My brother here might not have the sharpest senses among the

Reapers, but he knows how to use them. It’s part of what makes him so deadly.”I wasn’t sure if he meant it as a compliment or well-disguised sarcasm. “Oh, so it’s not

the oversized scythe that can cut down a friggin’ mountain,” I grumbled.Widow produced his scythe, and I gawked once again at its enormous magnificence.

The blade was as big as the Reaper himself, and our reflections fluttered across themetallic surface as he moved it. “You love my scythe. Admit it,” he quipped.

“I kinda do…”“My scouts said the Darklings were still here,” Trev interjected, drawing the

conversation back to its original point. “Six hours ago, when I got the last message, theywere still raiding the houses and looting every coffer they could find.”

“Do you think they’re hiding?” Rose asked, looking at me.“I don’t know. It does look weirdly empty for a town that’s supposedly just been taken

over,” I replied.“Let’s go in,” Ridan said. “And find out for ourselves.”Night glanced back at the several dozen ghouls that had come with us on this journey.

He motioned for them to spread out. “You know what you have to do,” he commandedthem. “Take the alleys and dead ends first, then move onto the main streets. There areno innocents left here, so kill whatever crosses your path.”

Rudolph growled softly and led some of the ghouls around the east side of Dieffen,while the others headed west. Soon they would storm the town from all sides, using theirsubtle forms to rip open the throats of anyone who stood in their way. I had to admit Itook a certain comfort in their presence—ironic though it was, considering I’d spent mostof my days in GASP fearing these creatures, even after I’d met Herbert.

“We’ll go in first,” Night said, pointing at himself and the other Reapers. “Consider usthe first wave, just like we planned. The rest of you give us a couple of minutes beforefollowing.”

The road into town was empty, clouds of dust rising over the cobblestone blocks. Thewindows were all shuttered, and there were a couple of wooden stalls turned over, theirfruits and vegetables rotting on the ground. The Darklings had stormed this placemercilessly, tearing everything and everyone apart. Dried blood was splattered across thefaçades, the clearest sign of violence I could make out at this distance.

Ridan gave Night a slight nod, and we watched the Reapers move ahead. I didn’t likeseparating myself from Seeley, but I understood that his kind had to sweep the roadsbefore the living joined in. I was somewhere in between, and Lumi had tasked him withkeeping me safe. I’d promised her I’d be back, and I intended to keep my word.

The Night Bringer stretched out his arms, and darkness blanketed the town like asudden eclipse. I heard them whispering to one another, before a spine-tingling growlerupted somewhere nearby.

“Wait, something’s—” Trev was interrupted by a Knight Ghoul, as Nethissis had calledthem. The fiend came out of nowhere, and it wasn’t alone.

I jumped back, fear almost crippling my senses as our living group was attacked bydozens of Knight Ghouls. Using my scythe, I slashed at them, left and right, while theothers emptied their pulverizer mags into the ghouls. Ashes lingered in the air as we triedto understand what had just happened.

“They waited for us to separate,” Rose concluded, brushing some of the gray dustfrom her suit. She looked around, narrowing her eyes as she tried to see better. “Crap,there are more coming!”

“Let’s catch up with the Reapers,” I said and ran into town.Hunter, Kailani, Rose, Caleb, Ridan, and Trev all followed. Those with pulverizer

weapons fired at will, trying to keep the alarming number of Knight Ghouls from catchingup with us. Kailani used her swamp magic, throwing up protection shields that held themonsters back temporarily.

By the time we caught up with Seeley and the Reapers, however, Dieffen hadchanged dramatically. We’d stumbled right in the middle of a vicious fight. The townwasn’t empty at all. It was, in fact, littered with dozens of Knight Ghouls—more thanwhat we’d brought over, for sure. They swarmed through the side streets and tore intoour ghouls. Most made it past them and came straight for us and the Reapers, snarlingand snapping their jaws.

“What the hell is going on here?!” I croaked, terror gripping me by the throat.Seeley cast a defensive spell and cut down one of the fiends before he turned to me

with a look of sheer horror. “Move back,” he shouted. “Retreat, Nethi! Retreat!”A campaign that had seemed like a surefire win was rapidly descending into a bloody

failure. The living shot their pulverizer weapons until they ran out of ammunition. I cutdown everything within reach, and Kailani’s hands glowed white as she released abarrage of fireballs at the enemy.

The Knight Ghouls weren’t alone. Hundreds of Darklings poured out of the seeminglyabandoned homes and from the north side of Dieffen. Our ghouls were overwhelmed, andso were we. Night spread the darkness wider and intensified it, while Soul opened upinterdimensional holes for the Darklings to drop into. Widow hacked and chopped his wayout of a rumbling pile, and Kelara darted between the enemy clusters and slashed attheir sides, causing curtains of blood to gush out, warm and crimson.

“Stand back, I’m going in!” Ridan snapped and slipped out of his suit. Before he couldgo full dragon, however, one of the Knight Ghouls bit into the back of his neck. None of uswere quick enough to get to him in time.

Kailani set the creature ablaze, and Hunter rushed to drag Ridan back to our group.We were surrounded. There were too many Darklings and way more Knight Ghouls thanwe’d expected. We were outnumbered and outgunned, as the Darklings threw energypulses at our Reapers and occasionally knocked them down.

“Trev, this isn’t what we planned for!” I hissed, finding the Aeternae just as he cut offa ghoul’s head. He looked at me, his expression blank with fear. He hadn’t seen thiscoming, either.

“I swear to you, Nethissis, I don’t know what’s going on here,” he said. “My scoutssaid—”

“Your scouts lied!” Soul shot back. Two Darklings jumped him and almost got hisscythe, but Kelara swooped in and decapitated them both with one swift move. “Thanks,beautiful,” Soul said to her, and Kelara gave him a wink.

“I don’t understand,” Trev murmured but didn’t stop fighting.We were slowly being forced closer together as the Darklings and the Knight Ghouls

formed a wide circle around us, which gradually tightened along with their offense. It wasonly a matter of time before they started taking us down. The First Tenners would kill asmany of them as they could, but the rest of us were basically sitting ducks.

“They knew we were coming,” I breathed and defended myself from another Darkling.Seeley chopped his head off and pulled me closer to his side.

Rose and Caleb fired the last of their pulverizer shots, then picked up the nearestscythes dropped by dead Darklings and started fighting the enemy off with Reaperblades. We were running out of options fast as the circle continued to tighten around us.

“They planned for this!” Trev growled and tore a Darkling’s head off, blood spurtingand covering him in glistening crimson.

We’d come to Dieffen prepared for a raid, and we’d found ourselves sinking into a hotpile of blood and death. The Reapers would likely survive and regroup, but the rest of ourgroup was dead meat unless we figured out a way to turn the tide on these SOBs. TheDarklings were winning. They’d prepared for this moment, and they’d effectively lured usto Dieffen by killing all the townspeople. This reeked of higher-level orders.

One of the Whips was behind it. I just knew it. I had every intention of walking out ofthis place, but I wasn’t sure I’d be so lucky. Not anymore. Especially not once Seeleyfound himself unable to teleport any of us out of here.

“We’re trapped,” he said. “They’ve got something in place to stop us fromteleporting.”

Glancing behind us, I saw a Darkling standing outside the town limit and smirking atus. He’d just finished drawing a line into the dirt—I remembered the circles that Reapersdrew to keep other people in. The Darkling had made one for the whole of Dieffen, whichmeant we couldn’t even retreat.

We were screwed, all right, and the Darklings were hell-bent on screwing us evenfurther.

“W

N E T H I S S I S

hat the hell do we do?” I asked, constantly fending off Darklings and KnightGhouls. We’d walked right into a trap, and we needed a way to either defeat them or getout of here before they handed our asses to us.

“We must break that circle,” Night said, pointing to the town entrance.Violence exploded all around me. Rose and Caleb moved to protect Ridan, and Kailani

worked some of her healing magic to help him recover faster. The ghoul had done quitethe number on him, and we needed the dragon now more than ever.

Kailani gasped, discovering a wound on his side. “He got cut with a scythe.” It must’vehappened earlier in the melee, and it left us without his fire—at least for the time being.

Hunter turned into a wolf and took on some of the ghouls, biting and tearing throughtheir undead flesh before they shimmered away into their subtle forms and reappearedelsewhere. Soul and Kelara made a good team, taking down any Darkling that came theirway. Our ghouls were scattered and overwhelmed, but I managed to spot Rudolphswerving left and right, vanishing and reappearing as he bit into as many of his foes aspossible.

Widow moved like a flash of lightning, zigzagging through the swelling crowd as hecut Darklings down. But even with our combined powers and strengths, it wasn’t enough.The Darklings had prepared for this. They’d summoned more forces and concentratedtheir troops in Dieffen. They’d stayed hidden until we came in, giving them theopportunity to seal us within the town’s limits.

“Will Ridan be okay?” Caleb asked. He dodged a Darkling scythe and ducked, ramminga hand through his attacker’s chest. With a single motion, he withdrew it, crushing theDarkling’s still-beating heart in his slick hand.

“Yeah, but it’ll take a while for the wound to heal,” Kailani replied.Her skin glowed white, light bursting through her pores as the Word began to

manifest. She released a devastating pulse that cut through every living creature outsideour shrinking circle. Limbs and heads were sliced off, and some of the Darklingscollapsed, screaming in agony. Hunter came back, blood dripping from his fangs. He gaveKailani a concerned look, and she waved him away.

“Go do your thing,” she said. “I’ve got this!”“It’s not enough,” Seeley warned. “There are more of them than we expected. We

must retreat and plan again!”Trev snarled as he caught a Darkling’s head and ripped it clean off his shoulders. I’d

seen him in the Blood Arena before, and I knew he was bringing his top game to thisfight. His movements were fast and fluid as he slipped between the fiends, using hisclaws to draw blood before taking each of them down, one decapitation after another.Even so, we were in trouble. The more we killed, the more of them poured in from theside streets.

Our ghouls were dwindling, vanishing into puffs of ashes as they were chopped downby Darkling scythes. I worried about Rudolph, but I didn’t have time to follow him. All Icould do was pray he’d make it.

“Someone needs to reach the circle!” Night said. A second later, he was tackled by ahorde of ghouls, and Widow came back to clear him. But it wouldn’t help, as a Darklingsnuck through and drove a stake through Night’s shoulder. The spike was covered indeath magic runes, and Night suddenly slowed and slumped down.

Widow tried to catch the assailant but lost him in the ferocious crowd. Night waspinned down and virtually helpless, his eyes drooping. I reached him as Seeley coveredmy back.

“What do I do?” I asked Night.“Break the circle,” he said, breathing heavily as his lips turned purple. “Break the

circle, and we’ll be able to get out of here…”“But the stake, it’s clearly hurting you! I need to—”“Break the damn circle!” Night roared. “The stake is Spirit’s doing. I recognize the

weapon. You won’t be able to do anything about it. Break the circle so one of us can zapwhat’s left of our crew out of here!”

I gave Seeley a look, and he responded with a nod. “I’ll cover you,” he muttered.With no time to think of other options, I ran away from our cluster, dashing between

the incoming Darklings and their ghouls with jaws opened wide, strings of drool swingingloose. Curved blades came down from different angles, each sharp edge thirsting for myspirit’s eternal death. As long as I had the scythe in my hand, they could all see me. But Icouldn’t let go of it—I’d need it to break the circle.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Seeley’s lips moving as his blade lit up. He waspreparing a brutal offensive. I ducked as a ghoul jumped over me. It vanished in a puff ofashes as Seeley cut through it. I wished I’d learned more death magic so I’d be lessvulnerable in the face of such dangers, but I only had myself and a scythe to work with.I’d have to make the most of it.

We ran as fast as we could, sticking to the middle of the road leading out of Dieffen.Seeley passed me and started clearing a path through the incoming hostiles. I hadn’tseen him so fired up in a while, but I had faith in him. Seeley was an exceptional fighterand a savvy Reaper. His powers and knowledge might be limited, but he worked them tohis utmost advantage.

He moved like a shadow, cutting down everything in his path and stealing theoccasional glance back to check on me. Whatever he failed to kill, I handled with my ownweapon. The energy coming off the scythe was almost intoxicating—it flowed through me

like raw energy, activating all my instincts. It reminded me of the Word itself when it hadbonded with me during my ascension, and I realized something was happening to me.

I wasn’t sure if it was the Word or another phenomenon, but I welcomed the rush aswe fought our way out of Dieffen. My heart was the size of a marble. I was worried aboutRidan and the others, but there wasn’t much I could do to help them unless I managed tobreak the circle around the town.

We reached the perimeter where four Darklings calmly waited with arrogant smirksslitting their faces. They didn’t need masks with us, so I could see them clearly. Two ofthem I recognized from my first days in the palace—a lord and lady of the high court. Itdidn’t come as a surprise, but it definitely meant something that they’d come all the wayup here to fight us.

A trail of Darkling bodies and shimmering ashes lingered behind us, and there weremore coming from along the edges of Dieffen to take us on. We only had seconds to dowhat we’d come here for. As usual, Seeley took the offensive, trying to kill as many of ouropponents as possible before they reached me.

But the four Darklings were still smiling and waiting. They stood along the circle, and Iknew I’d have to take them all down before I could break the line in the dirt.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” the Darkling lady said.“What, to get your head cut off by a ghost?” I shot back. “I’ll be happy to make that

happen.”Seeley didn’t have any time for banter as he kept fighting the others off. “Nethi, you

can handle them, so please do it now before I end up in chains again!”“Right away,” I hissed and bolted straight for the Darkling lady’s head. The lord met

me halfway. As an Aeternae, he was faster, but he certainly didn’t have my tricks up hissleeve.

There were mere inches of compressed air between us as he prepared to bring hisscythe down through me. I dropped mine, and for a moment, I vanished from his sight.As my weapon fell, I darted around until I got behind him and grabbed my scythe beforeit hit the ground.

“Behind you!” the lady screamed.It was too late. I raised the blade and cut off his head in one swift blow. The other

two Darklings came at me, and I had to recalculate my defense. I dodged some of theirstrikes while listening to the incessant clanking of Seeley’s weapon as it clashed withothers behind us. The ghouls growled in their desperation to take a bite out of him—notbecause they wanted to, but because they were being coerced through death magic.

One of my two attackers moved too slow and missed my head by inches. I took theopportunity to strike back, slicing through his side and opening a gaping wound. Bloodsprayed outward and through me. He cried out in pain, but I wasn’t done. His partner wascoming for me. I caught the wounded Darkling in a headlock, momentarily stunned by thefact that I could physically touch him.

Whatever the reason, it worked to my advantage, so I didn’t hesitate. His partnerdrove down hard with his weapon, and I yanked on the wounded Darkling so the scythecut deep into his throat. I quickly cut what was left with my blade, removing the head

completely. Before his partner could try to attack me again, I tossed the head at him,momentarily distracting him.

“Oh no, you don’t!” the Darkling lady growled. I heard her steps on the hard ground,but I was too focused on the partner. He rushed me, but I was already ahead. With onedeep breath, I spun and decapitated him. The thump of his head rolling on the groundwas swiftly followed by the lady’s angry scream.

She almost got me, but I dropped my scythe again and pulled the trick once more,this time darting left before I caught it. I could almost hear her synapses exploding indisappointment as she spotted movement in the corner of her eye. By the time sheturned to defend herself, I’d already swung my blade outward.

She stilled, her eyes bulging. I watched her head fall, then glanced back at Seeley. Hewas struggling, increasingly surrounded and attacked from multiple angles. This was myshot. My chance to save everybody.

The circle in the dirt was only a couple of feet away. I slid downward and scratched atit with my scythe. As soon as the line broke, pressure was released from the air aroundus. It was as if the whole town could breathe again.

“It’s done!” I shouted.“Good!” Seeley replied and ran toward me.I felt his arm snake around my waist. Dozens of Darklings and ghouls scrambled

toward us, more furious than ever. For precisely one second, I worried they might take usdown, but then we vanished. The world warped and swirled around us like watercolorsdripping into a whirlpool of clear water.

The silence that suddenly surrounded us was sheer bliss. I allowed myself to relax inSeeley’s embrace as we lingered between dimensions for a little while. Looking into hisgalaxy eyes, I felt warmth spreading through my chest, a sensation I’d thought would belimited to a physical body. Nevertheless, Seeley seemed to have that effect on me.

“I’ve never seen you fight like that before,” he said, his voice low.“Impressed?”“Impressed wouldn’t even begin to cover it,” Seeley replied, a smile testing his lips.I chuckled softly. “The need for survival persists even in spirit form, I guess. But

Seeley, I was able to touch one of the Darklings back there.”“What do you mean?” he asked.“I grabbed his head. I was able to finish the job by grabbing his head,” I explained. “I

felt his hair between my fingers, his warm skin against… well, against mine. It’s one thingto be able to hold a scythe as a spirit, and something else entirely to touch a livingperson, right?”

He tilted his head to the side. “Yes, that ability is usually reserved for Reapers.”“Which I’m not.”“Which you’re not.”“So… what can we make of it?” I asked, confused.He kissed me, and everything else disappeared. Darkness and nothingness embraced

us, sweet and quiet, as I dissolved in his arms. An echo beat rhythmically where my heartwould’ve been. Pa-boom. Pa-boom. Almost like a pulse, quickening as Seeley deepened

the kiss. It was bewildering to be able to touch him this way, let alone to feel his lips onmine. But I didn’t question the moment. I merely lived it with everything I had.

Who knew when we might share such sparks again?Gradually, the world returned around us with a new array of shapes and colors. Seeley

pulled his head back and gave me a loving smile. “Time to get back in there, witch.”“After you, good sir,” I replied, scrunching my nose at him. It made him laugh, though

the humor faded when we both remembered where we were—on the edge of theNightmare Forest, reunited with the rest of our crew.

Night was on the ground, heaving, the spike still piercing his shoulder. “As soon as wefelt the circle break, Soul got us out,” he said. “Well done, Nethissis. You continue toamaze us.”

I almost felt a blush coming on. “Meh. Teamwork.” Looking around, I breathed a sighof relief. “At least we all made it back.”

Ridan cursed under his breath as Caleb helped him sit up. Kailani patched his woundwith a mixture of herbs and sterile bandages, while Rose checked the living teammembers from head to toe. Hunter had sustained some nasty scratches, and Trev’swounds would take longer to heal—they were shallow, but they’d been inflicted byReaper scythes.

“I might’ve said this before, but what the hell?” I croaked, kneeling next to Night.Widow joined me, carefully checking the runes carved into the spike. “This has Spirit’s

name all over it,” he said. “He taught the Darklings more than we originally anticipated.It’s no surprise, mind you, but it’s still upsetting.”

“Will he be okay?” I asked.“I’ll be fine. He just needs to be careful with the removal. The spike has already

formed roots,” Night replied, beads of sweat forming all over his face.“Roots?” Trev asked, utterly befuddled.Some of our ghouls came back, appearing out of nowhere. I counted thirty, and

Rudolph was among them. He staggered toward me and settled down by my side,shuddering. Soul gave him a pitying look. “Say what you will, but Rudy here put up quitethe fight,” he muttered.

“Explain the roots, please,” Trev said, unable to take his eyes off Night.“Oh, it’s just a nasty First Tenner trick,” Night said as Widow carefully wiggled the

spike around, looking for the right angle to pull it out. “The spike is charmed, and as soonas it enters my spirit, it starts to merge with it, hence the roots.”

“What happens if you leave it in there?” I asked, finally feeling the exhaustion from allthe earlier fighting.

“It affects his personality,” Widow said. I couldn’t see his face because of the mask,but I could hear it in his voice—he was worried for Night. “The spike is usually infusedwith a character trait meant to disrupt the original Reaper. It’s meant to sow chaos andconfusion, to break a Reaper down.”

“Is it lethal?” I asked.Widow shook his head. “Not to Night. But it might turn him into something we won’t

be able to control. The sooner we get this thing out of him, the better.”

He managed to pull the spike out, its newly formed roots trembling green. “Ugh, I’dbe nauseated if I still had a body,” I managed. Widow set the spike on fire. It burnedquickly, leaving a peculiar green ash behind. “Is Night going to be okay now?”

“Let’s hope so.” Kelara sighed, putting her scythe away. “We need to head back toOrvis and reassess everything. What happened earlier must not happen again. We werewoefully unprepared.”

“Our intel was bad,” Trev said. “And I swear I had nothing to do with it.”Rose shook her head. “No one’s blaming you, Trev. But the truth is impossible to

deny. We got played, and it looks like we can no longer trust your sources.”“They saw us coming,” Kailani grumbled. “This was definitely retaliation for Laramis.

They’re aware of the First Tenners’ presence, yet they continue to defy us. Somethingtells me they’ve got more to wow us with if we push them.”

“Then we’ll have to revisit our strategy,” Soul said. “But for now, we must return toOrvis and keep an eye on Night, just in case some of the spike’s essence affected him. Ido not want to be on his bad side.”

Widow scoffed. “The whole of Cruor was on his bad side, and look at how that turnedout.”

“Not helping!” Soul retorted.Perhaps I should’ve been more upset about this turn of events. We’d almost gotten

ourselves destroyed back there, and I was already barely hanging on by a thread. But asSeeley took my hand and I got up for him to hold me close, I found myself filled withunexpected enthusiasm. Dieffen was merely a hurdle.

We could get past it, but we needed more intel on what the Darklings knew. They haddeath magic tricks they could use against us—old-school stuff that matched the level ofour First Tenners—so this wasn’t going to be easy. They’d already proven that much.We’d lost plenty of ghouls, but we could still turn the tide. Glancing at Rudolph for amoment, I was comforted by his presence, his incredible resilience. He looked at me withhis big black eyes, and I knew we could count on him.

We were all still together, despite the injuries, and that mattered more than anythingelse.

T

E S M E

he angelic Aeternae eyed me intently. Everyone else was quiet, theirexpressions impossible to read. There was an undeniable air of danger

around us. It was as if the whole island was suddenly tense, aware of our presence andnot in the mood for it.

Kalon stayed close, his hand finding mine through the layers of white silk. Their gazespierced right through me, and I felt overwhelmed to be standing here surrounded bythese ancient people. The Seniors were over two million years old—titans of theirspecies. I wondered which of them had been around since the very beginning. Maybe I’dfind out, provided they didn’t chop our heads off in the next five minutes.

“Perhaps we should start by apologizing and introducing ourselves,” I said, slowlyraising my hands in a defensive gesture. “I’m Esme, and this is Kalon. We didn’t want toshow up unannounced like this, but we didn’t have much choice, considering where you’reliving and… who you are.”

“We know who we are. But who are you?” the angelic Aeternae replied, her hairalmost liquid as she slowly moved toward me. I was about to take an instinctive stepback, but Kalon held me in place.

“Don’t show fear,” he whispered.“Yes, listen to the Visentis boy,” the angelic Aeternae replied with a dry smirk.Kalon frowned. “You know me?”“Oh no, dear. But the Visentis bloodline is quite… linear. Your features are

unmistakable. I could pick a member of your dynasty out of a crowd,” she said.“I’m Kalon,” he replied. “Kalon Visentis.”“Mira Nasani,” the angelic Aeternae replied.The realization hit me hard and fast. “You’re related to Acheron!” I blurted. It made

her laugh.“I’m his ancestor. But that doesn’t matter anymore, considering whom he was foolish

enough to marry. Is he still living in the dark about his wife’s affiliations? I tried to tellhim once. We were raising and training green leaves here, to send messages. But theDarklings kept killing every bird we sent out, so I doubt he ever got my warnings,” Miramuttered, crossing her arms. “The irony doesn’t escape me. We still get mainland newsfrom the Darklings when they drop messages in bottles by the shore, but we cannot send

anything out. It’s their way of rubbing it in.”“Oh… I’m sorry to tell you this, but Acheron is dead,” I managed, a lump forming in

my throat. “Danika had him assassinated.”The news didn’t exactly shock Mira, but it did cause grief. She kept her composure,

raising her round chin in a defiant manner. “I guess I saw it coming. My offspring aside…what are you two doing here? Or, better yet, give me one good reason why I shouldn’t ripyour hearts out and send you back to wherever you came from.”

“You don’t get many visitors, huh?” I mumbled, breaking into a cold sweat. A fightwith the Seniors was not something I ever wanted to experience.

“Answer my question, and I will answer yours,” Mira said.She was trying to intimidate me, so I only had two options: submit or call her bluff. In

my experience, the alpha types were usually not as dangerous as they made themselvesout to be. Their demeanor was a tool designed to prevent an attack. In our case, Miraand the Seniors didn’t know what to expect from us, so they were trying to assert theirpower.

“Okay,” I replied with a shrug. “We know you could kill us if you wanted to. There’s nodoubt about that, and I wouldn’t dare challenge you on it. However, we didn’t come hereto fight. We’re trying to help you.”

“Help us?” Mira raised a skeptical eyebrow.“You want to die someday, right? And the Darklings won’t let you,” I said. “They’ve

infiltrated the empire on such dangerous levels that not even Acheron could protect you.Or am I getting something wrong here?”

Mira didn’t answer, which I took as my cue to keep talking. My gaze casuallywandered around, assessing each of the Aeternae Seniors closest to us. In case oftrouble, I had to determine an exit strategy for Kalon and me before the claws weredrawn.

“I know what happened to you. I know how you became Aeternae. But moreimportantly, I know how to stop it,” I continued. “My friends and I found the Unending,and we’re keeping her out of the Darklings’ reach for now. If we set her free, she can endyour immortality. That’s what you want, right?”

Mira’s lips drew into a lazy smile. “You’ve done your homework, half-breed. I’mimpressed.”

“Half-breed?” I echoed, confused.“I can smell some Aeternae genes in you, but you’re not a full Aeternae, are you?

You’re… something else. You’re not even from Visio,” Mira said. “I’m old, darling. My noseis beyond reproach.”

“I’m a vampire,” I replied. “Our species is related to the Aeternae via Cruor. That’s along story that I’ll be more than happy to share with you, provided you decide not to killus. We really are trying to help.”

Another Aeternae Senior stepped forward—a male with sharp amber eyes and longblack hair. His high cheekbones and aquiline nose reminded me of ancient Greek statues,only this one was living and breathing and ridiculously old, yet he looked not a day pastthirty. “What makes you think we want help?” he asked.

“Kemi, don’t be redundant,” Mira replied without taking her eyes off me. “The girl justsaid she knows everything about us.”

“Well, not everything.” I sighed. “I have a lot of questions actually, and I’d like tosurvive long enough to ask them. If you’d all be so kind.”

Mira and Kemi exchanged glances, then burst into laughter. Soon enough, the otherSeniors joined in. Kalon and I were left staring like idiots, definitely not in on the joke,while the Aeternae doubled over in mirth. When the chuckles finally subsided, Mira cameforth and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, little soul. You two are mere flies. All wehave to do is swat you if you get annoying. For now, you’re quite entertaining, so we arenot inclined to kill you.”

“Oh, gee, that makes me feel so much better,” I muttered, unable to control mysnark.

“Thank you, milady,” Kalon said to Mira, who shot him a cold glare.“Mira, please. We don’t go by empire titles here. Visio locked us away in this place,

and therefore we have no reason to abide by its etiquette rules.”“Nevertheless, thank you,” Kalon replied.“Don’t mention it.” Mira looked at the others. “Let the festivities continue, my dears.

Kemi and I will talk to the little souls somewhere more private.”“Just don’t drink all the spiced blood,” Kemi warned the collective. “We’re coming

back!”I took deep breaths as Mira and Kemi led us away from the plaza and through a

nearby house. We reached a back terrace that overlooked the hills. Lights glimmered inthrough the windows and in the torches mounted along the roads and pathways leadingtoward the center of the island and its currently buzzing plaza.

We were seated at a glass table with a wrought-iron frame, and Mira poured us acouple of glasses of fresh blood. “It’s Rimian in origin. We get a shipment dropped everyweek,” she said. “At least they feed us.”

Kemi rolled his eyes. “Until they won’t.”“So you do want our help,” I concluded, looking at him.“Of course,” Mira replied. “He was just playing the tough guy.”“No need to act. You’re Seniors,” I said. “You’re powerful and—”“Decrepit?” Kemi sneered.“Experienced,” I replied. “I was going to say experienced.”Kalon cleared his throat, his hand lingering on his glass. “Forgive me for asking, but

how have the Darklings been able to keep you here for so long? On the continent, weonly hear rumors and stories about the Seniors, but none of us have ever seen one.”

“Until now.” Mira chuckled. “It’s quite simple, really. I suppose you’ve seen the boatsout there, right? By the way, you still haven’t answered my question. How did you gethere?”

“I have a shuttle. It’s invisible. We flew right past the boats,” I said.“Ah. I see. That makes sense.” Mira sighed. “The boats are death magic markers. The

only way for us to get off the island is via the water. Swimming would be tedious butdoable. A boat would be even better. But the markers hold us back. They form a powerful

forcefield through the ocean. We can’t get out, and we haven’t been able to reach anyonefrom the outside world in ages. Literal ages.”

“You flew in. The Darklings didn’t see that one coming,” Kemi replied, genuinelyamused. “I suppose we should be better hosts, all things considered.”

“That aside, and to answer your question, Esme… the Darklings had us rounded upand brought here about two million years ago,” Mira said, bitterness dripping from hervoice. “Back then, Acheron’s father was Lord Supreme. He was more spineless than thedearly departed, that’s for sure. Allowing us to be stranded here like nobody wanted us…”

“If you’ve been here for two million years, how did you know about Acheron’s wife andher affiliations?” I asked.

“I told you. We still get news. The Darklings bring them over to the shore as a form ofpsychological torture, since we can’t act on them. But we’ve also gotten new residentssince we came here,” Mira explained. “People elevated to the status of Seniors due totheir advanced age. Our last arrival was fifty years ago. She had some interesting storiesto tell about Acheron and the rest of the dynasty, so in that sense you could say I’m allcaught up. Especially where Danika is concerned.”

“They keep bringing Seniors over,” Kalon realized. “They keep rounding up those whoreach the standard age of two million.”

“That’s right. In that way we always stay in the loop.” Mira giggled. The humor feltstrained.

I took a long sip from my glass, allowing the sweet taste of blood to soothe my tensenerves. Leaning back in my chair, I gave myself a moment to look around, to really takeit all in. The view out here was spectacular—a tropical haven with lush hills, eleganthouses sprinkled all over the place, and the sound of music and laughter tinkling in thedistance. I could certainly see how this could be a retirement dream. The only problemwas that these people hadn’t asked for it. They’d been forced here.

“Mira, I’m curious. How old are you?” I asked.“I’m from the first generation of Aeternae,” Mira said with pride. “I was here when

Eternity came.”My heart stopped. Maybe a part of me had already suspected as much, since she

carried herself with such timeless nonchalance and fearlessness. She’d struck me as thekind of person who’d been around too long to even care about the Darklings or the factthat she was stuck here—someone who’d lived too long to worry about another millionyears spent on this island. Her concept of time definitely varied from mine.

“You… you were here,” Kalon breathed, his eyes widening.Kemi smiled. “I was here, too. Though I was only a child at the time. I’d only just

turned five when Eternity gave us immortality. Later, Mira and I became inseparable, butit took me centuries to fully understand the events of that era.”

“No wonder the Darklings wanted you out of the way,” I said. “You’ve probably got alot of dirt on them. It seems like they would’ve been better off killing you, though.”

“Sure. But we of the first generation led the charge against the Darklings. We’re theones who decreed their illegal status. We’re the ones who drove them into the shadows,”Mira replied. “Killing us would mean putting us out of our misery, and the Darklings are

bitter and spiteful sons of…” Her voice trailed off, and she exhaled sharply, regaining hercomposure. “Anyway. Let’s just say the Darklings take their revenge and murder veryseriously. They go all the way and beyond.”

“Eternity never gave you her true name,” Kalon said. Mira and Kemi shook theirheads. “She’s known as the Unending. The first Reaper Death ever made. Do you knowhow to stop the Darklings?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“If I did, we wouldn’t be here,” Kemi shot back. “The Unending. What a fittingname…”

“What Kemi is trying to say is that we were never Darklings ourselves. We thought wewere victorious for a while after we forced them out. I was the first Lady Supreme afterthe Unending. The first Aeternae to take her leadership role,” Mira said. “You see, wewelcomed immortality, but not all of us agreed with what the Spirit Bender did to her.When he bound her to Visio, I knew we’d get in trouble eventually. Lo and behold, shecursed us all with the Black Fever.”

“You saw it manifest for the first time,” I replied.Mira nodded slowly. “I lost one of my two sons that day. It almost obliterated the

Nasani dynasty before it even began. But even so, I couldn’t blame our maker for it. Themore Spirit tried to hold her down, the harder she fought. When she was forced into hercycle, I tried to find a way to get her out of it. She almost regained her true self once, butSpirit stopped her again. That’s when she cursed us with blood-drinking. Even then, Icouldn’t hold a single drop of grudge against her. The Spirit Bender founded the Darklingsaround that time and left them in charge of her captivity. I wanted no part in it.”

“Mira actually tried to set the Unending free more than once, even after the bloodcurse,” Kemi added, giving her a warm smile. Pride glimmered in his eyes. The airbetween them sizzled with a mixture of love and affection—the kind two souls developedover millions of years. I couldn’t help but wonder whether Kalon and I might ever get thatfar. “But the Darklings were better organized.” Grief quickly replaced the warm glow intheir eyes, as they seemed to remember something painful. “They found her again…”

“Not to mention that they were also better equipped. The Spirit Bender gave themknowledge we could never access ourselves, so we made their faction illegal. Eventually,they snuck back in and took over important positions in the government. Two millionyears ago, all the Seniors were forced onto this island,” Mira said. “And that was it. Theend of our fight. They spread too far and wide, while the Aeternae continued to embracetheir nature and necessities. Even before we were brought here, our kind had adjustedand made the most of our species. We had conquered Rimia and Nalore, signed treatiesfor their blood. We just didn’t fight hard enough against the Darklings and for Unending’srelease because, in the end, we were comfortable and immortal.”

“We kept going,” Kemi muttered in a faint bid to comfort her. “Our families neededus.”

“Meanwhile, the Darklings did the dirty work and refreshed the Unending’s third seal,”I said. Mira’s eyes widened as she looked at me.

“You know about the seals. All three of them?”“Yes. The first one bound her to Visio. The second destroyed her physical form and

infused her into Visio. The third caused the cycle of rebirth as an Aeternae,” I said,smiling. “We’ve done our homework.”

I took a few minutes to tell Mira and Kemi about how my people and I had first cometo Visio. As all the details were laid out, the Seniors smiled more. They even seemed alittle impressed.

“You’ve accomplished more in a few weeks than we did in millions of years,” Miramurmured. “I suppose you had nothing to lose here on Visio. The Darklings held nothingover your heads.”

“I think it has something to do with our collective experience, as well,” I said. “GASPhas dealt with some enormous problems in the world. About a year ago, we were at warwith the natural elements. We even fought the Spirit Bender and defeated him.”

Both Mira and Kemi were rendered speechless, and Kalon allowed a tinge of pride totaint his satisfied smirk.

“The Spirit Bender is gone?” Mira gasped.I nodded once. “I’d say dead as a doornail, but he was already dead by default. You

know what I mean, anyway.”“Then congratulations are in order. You’ve cleansed the world of great darkness,”

Kemi said. “Unfortunately, it’s not enough to stop the Darklings, is it? You wouldn’t behere if you’d managed to take them all out.”

“We’re struggling,” I replied. “Valaine Crimson is the Unending’s latest reincarnation.Her father, Corbin, is the Master of Darkness. The Darklings are trying to emerge as legaland official enforcers, and popular opinion seems to be shifting in their favor. We haveValaine, but she’s got a lot of work ahead of her in order to break free. We were hopingyou might have some knowledge on the matter.”

Mira’s smile faded. “I’m afraid not. All we did was struggle to make her remember whoshe was. Back then, she’d only been reborn once. I can only imagine the amount ofdigging she must do now in order to remember.”

“The Darklings will know how to break the three seals,” Kemi said. “The Whips andthe Master, in particular. They’re the only ones privy to such information. It’s passeddown across generations.”

I emptied my glass. Despite all the progress we’d just made, it didn’t feel like we’dmoved ahead much. We’d found the Seniors, and they seemed open and willing to talk tous, but we still had no clue regarding the Unending’s seals. We didn’t know how to set herfree, and time wasn’t on our side.

Beyond this island, the Darklings were advancing, taking more towns and steppingfurther into the light as bastions of hope for Visio. Corbin was looking for Valaine,determined to kill her—his own daughter. Hope was nowhere to be seen, no matter howmuch I wanted to believe otherwise. The Darklings held all the best cards, and I doubtedwe’d find a way to get any of them to tell us what we needed to know.

As if sensing my dismay, Kalon touched my hand, gripping it gently on the armrest. Ilooked at him and found reassuring warmth in his blue eyes. Wordlessly, Kalon remindedme that this was only the beginning. I knew it was true, but it felt nice to see it comingfrom him. We were only just getting started, and we’d just made friends with the very

first Aeternae of Visio. Our pure ancestors.From here on in, the only way was up.

W

E S M E

e spent hours talking to Mira and Kemi about the Darklings and the Seniors’lives before they were forced to “retire” here on this island. The feasting

and music continued in the background, as the rest of the ancient Aeternae lived throughanother day of drinking, laughing, and dancing in a peculiar but enticing atmosphere. Thesun set beneath the reddish haze, and darkness swept over the trembling ocean.

The leaves whispered and rustled as night fell beneath a starry sky, the mazir spellthat enveloped Visio gradually subsiding, leaving room for the moon and other celestialbodies to shine their milky light upon the land.

“Is this what you do all day?” I asked as Kemi returned with a pitcher of fresh bloodfor us. “Do you just drink and sleep and party?”

“We also grow gardens. We swim. We harvest rare flower crossbreeds. Dabble in theoccasional crafts and pottery,” Mira replied with a faint smile. “There isn’t much left for usto do in such isolation, so we’ve all agreed to not let a day go by that might give theDarklings any satisfaction. Our true and most miserable death will happen the momentwe allow ourselves to live like prisoners here.”

“Some of us write and paint. We have a few architects who help us revamp our homesonce in a while. The layout you see now will change in a few years, once we’re boredwith it,” Kemi added. “I think we’ve terraformed this island about a hundred timesalready.”

“Aren’t you tired of living here like this?” Kalon asked.Mira nodded slowly. “Of course. But the Darklings have managed to keep us here for a

very long time. I’d love nothing more than to go out and see how the empire has evolved,to understand how our culture is growing. I remember the days before we were immortal—though the memories are rather fuzzy now. I always enjoyed looking back andcomparing our past to our present.”

“In fairness, our evolution has not been the most ethical. We’ve had to make do withwhat we were given,” Kemi said. “We could’ve settled for animal blood, but all it tookwas one taste of a Rimian—taken in a moment of weakness—and everything changed.”

“Would you revert back to animal blood if you could?” I asked. “There’s a village in themiddle of the Nightmare Forest called Orvis. They’ve been living like that for a long time.The Aeternae there are not allowed to feed on their Rimian and Nalorean neighbors, not

even if the blood is given willingly. They set a firm boundary, and it seems to beworking.”

Kemi and Mira exchanged glances. They seemed to agree. “I think it’s possible, yes,”Mira said. “We wouldn’t be as strong as we are now, but it’s doable. The only reason whywe’re still feeding on the Rimian and Nalorean blood that they send us is because wewant to have our full abilities if escape becomes possible.”

I flashed her a devious grin. “So you’d be fine with a jailbreak, if you had theopportunity.”

“We all would!” Mira replied. “The Darklings would then round us all up and throw usback here, however.”

“Not if we stop them,” I said. “It’s what we’re pushing for. We’ve made a promise toVisio, and we intend to keep that promise. Kalon and I can get you all off the island, but Ihope you’ll help us, going forward. I doubt we can do it all on our own.”

Kemi got up, taking a moment to gaze out into the distance. Lights flickered throughthe bushes and along the swirling stone paths. His figure looked dark against theluminous backdrop, his broad shoulders and narrow hips making him seem as though he’dbeen carved from the finest marble. Mira’s eyes glowed with love as she watched him,waiting for him to respond. I doubted this was his decision to make, but if the two were asolid pair who functioned on the basis of an equal partnership, then Mira probably wantedhis input before she could give us an answer.

“There are two thousand of us living here,” Kemi said. “And it’s not the only island ofSeniors, either. I know of at least five more scattered across this vast ocean.”

My temperature spiked. “How many of you are there in total? Do you know?”“I’m not sure. I’d estimate around fifty thousand. By the next century, there will be a

hundred thousand Seniors as the continental population continues to age,” Kemi said.“The last ones left standing who still remember a time when the Darklings were evil andillegal. That is why we’re stuck here, after all. Because we refused to give them thepower they wanted, the authority they desired. These newer generations don’tunderstand the world the way we do. They don’t see the filth that forms the basis of ourempire.”

“They’re being taught that their species is superior. That the Rimians and theNaloreans only live to serve us, and they’ve gotten a pretty good deal through sellingtheir blood to their oppressors. Hell, the Rimians and the Naloreans don’t even knowthey’re being oppressed,” Mira muttered, contempt tainting her soft voice. “They think allof this is okay, that it’s supposed to be like this.”

“But you were a part of the conquering force, weren’t you?” I asked, and Mira let aheavy sigh roll out of her chest.

“Yes. And not a day goes by that I don’t regret pushing those campaigns.”“I would get off this island if I could,” Kemi said, changing the subject and going back

to my initial proposal. “I would fight the Darklings with my dying breath, if only it mightlead to the Unending’s liberation. We are tired, Esme. We are tired and dull. The gardens,the architecture, the parties—they no longer spark joy in our souls.”

Mira teared up as she looked at him. “Right now, all we want is to grow old together.

To understand the finality of things and to see where it all leads. We’ve had enough ofthis life. If we succeed, if we release the Unending and she takes our immortality away, Iknow many of us will be happy to simply jump into some ships and explore as much ofthe universe as we can before we die. You see, we’ve been on Visio for five million years.We know Rimia and Nalore, too. Every inch of them. My heart sings when I think aboutwhat else I might see before I close my eyes for good.”

Mine sang at the thought of getting the Seniors on our side. I hadn’t yet grown tired ofthe concept of immortality, but Mira and her people certainly had. I could use this againstthe Darklings, who took more pleasure in tormenting the Seniors than in killing them.Their sadism would end up biting them in the ass.

“Then come with us,” I said. “There’s enough room on our shuttle for at least a fewhundred of your people. We’ve got a second shuttle we can use to retrieve the rest ofthem.”

Kemi scoffed. “The Darklings won’t let us go.”“But they can’t see us. They can’t hear us. Our shuttle has an invisible shield.

Remember, it’s how we got here in the first place,” I replied.Mira’s face lit up, and hope glistened in her eyes for the first time. Defiance

straightened her back as she stood tall, pushing her chair to the side. Kemi came closer,slipping an arm around her waist and smiling. “What do you say, Mira? Shall we get thehell out of here?”

“We’ll talk to the others, but I doubt we’ll get many refusals. Most of us wantfreedom.” She looked at me. “Give us tonight, Esme. Give us tonight so we can discussthis with our people. You can stay here in this house. There’s enough blood to keep yousated. You can run yourselves a bath and light up the fireplace. Make yourselves athome, and I shall see you tomorrow in the plaza, by the fountain where we met.”

I would’ve loved nothing more than to hug her. “Okay. Thank you for your hospitality.”“The bedroom upstairs has fresh linens,” Mira added, her gaze bouncing between

Kalon and me. “Let us hope we meet again tomorrow with good news.”“Do you think the Seniors will say no?” I asked, doubt poking me in the ribs.Mira shook her head. “I don’t think so. But we’ll take whoever will come with us,

whether it’s ten or a hundred or five hundred Seniors. Kemi and I are definitely in. Youcan count on us.”

Kalon and I watched the couple leave through the house while we stayed back on theopen terrace. The ocean breeze brushed through my hair, tickling my cheeks and makingme smile. Once I heard the front door close, I let out a deep breath, leaning back into mychair. This was a little slice of paradise, and I planned to enjoy as much of it as I couldbefore we left.

Silence hovered around us, and with it came a sense of… satisfaction.“I think we can chalk this one up as a win,” Kalon said.Only then did I realize the impact of the Seniors’ presence. Mira and Kemi had been

enough to make me feel small, almost insignificant. In their absence, I sensed myselfreturning to my full strength. It wasn’t their fault—it was my perception playing tricks onme. The Seniors were larger-than-life creatures. They’d been around for so damn long.

They had amassed enough knowledge and exhaustion to last them an eternity—and theywere tired.

Kalon got up and took my hand in his, beckoning me to join him on the edge of theterrace. A wrought-iron fence stood between us and the steep slope below, which wascovered in green foliage and waxy blossoms as big as my head. Their fragrance relaxedme, and I leaned into him as we stared into the night.

“This is definitely a win,” I finally replied, my head resting on his shoulder. “Even ifonly Mira and Kemi decide to come back with us, it’ll be two more allies instead of none.”

“The rest will follow.” Kalon sighed. “Everything they said to us mirrors the collectiveemotions of their peers. They’re all itching to get out of here. I know I certainly would beafter being stuck on this island for so long.”

“I still can’t believe they’re so… open. I think I gave too much credence to the rumorsthat brought us here.”

“So did I. It’s normal. Esme, I grew up only hearing about them in folktales. I neverthought I would ever meet them,” Kalon said. “But now we know the truth. We evenknow there are more of their kind out there on other islands, and I’m certain they’ll all behappy to return to the mainland, even if they don’t join us in the fight.”

My brother’s voice echoed in my ear. “Esme. Are you there, sister?”I stilled, giving Kalon an alarmed look as I pressed a button on my earpiece. “I’m

here, Tristan.”“We have some troubling news,” Tristan said, and I felt my throat close up. With all

the good things we’d managed to accomplish today, it shouldn’t have come as a surprisethat the universe might try to balance it out.

As soon as Tristan told me about the botched raid on Dieffen and Valaine’s escapeinto the woods, I realized Visio was not done fighting us. The Darklings were determinedto retain their power and influence, and they’d just proved that they had plenty of tricksleft up their sleeves to screw us over.

But we weren’t done, either. I told Tristan about our progress, as well. The Seniorswere eager for revenge against the Darklings. I refused to let our failures break me. As Irelayed everything to Kalon, he hugged me tight and reminded me that he wasn’t readyto stand down. He still had a lot of fight left in him, and so did I.

“W

E S M E

hat’s Tristan doing next?” Kalon asked as we went inside the house.“He’s still looking for Valaine. Phantom and Morning are with him,” I said, settling on

the sofa in the spacious living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered the entire easternwall and gave us a full view of a moon rising over the island’s wavy contour.

Kalon placed an armful of logs in the fireplace and lit them. The amber flames swelledand crackled as they consumed the wood, warmth spreading through the room. Heglanced my way, still crouched in front of the fire. “What about the Dieffen crew? Are theyokay?”

“Yes. Well, they lost a lot of ghouls, but they’re headed back to Orvis. Ridan was theonly one who got knocked down during the Dieffen mishap, but he’s coming to, so yes,they’re okay. For the most part, anyway.”

“And you?”The question caught me off guard. Kalon stood and walked over to the sofa, kneeling

on the floor in front of me. He placed his hands on my knees and watched me intently forthe better part of a minute.

“And me, what?” I asked, my cheeks burning hotter than the glowing embers in thefireplace. We’d been so busy fighting and surviving and trying to figure out a way todefeat the Darklings that we hadn’t had a moment to ourselves. Not really. Not theabsolute privacy we had right now.

“How are you feeling?” he replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.“Alive, I guess. Angry. Eager to go to the world’s end in order to obliterate those

Darkling monsters,” I said. “Also, a little more energized than earlier this morning. Iguess getting friendly with the Seniors has had an effect on my overall mood.”

“I see. Esme, there’s something I’ve wanted to talk to you about but never quite gotthe chance.” His hands moved up my thighs, then settled on my hips as he leaned closer.My heart thudded, his close proximity tampering with my senses. His scent alone wasenough to make my head spin. “What… what do you think will happen to us, provided wedefeat the Darklings and free Valaine?”

“To us? As in, us the… couple?” I could barely hear myself at this point.He chuckled softly. “I’m glad you see us that way. Yes, us the couple.”“I… I don’t know. I’m not sure, Kalon, but I do know I don’t want us to part ways. I’d

like to try to be something together,” I murmured, my chest suddenly too small for myfrantically beating heart. Kalon’s question demanded my honesty, and that meantstripping my own soul down to its purest form for him. It meant telling him everything Ifelt, even if it made me feel vulnerable. “I’ve never been in love before, and I’m stilllearning how to deal with it, so… maybe we can be together when it’s all over.”

“What if I’m left mortal?” Kalon asked.“I could turn you. We talked about this.”He nodded once. “You’re right. Yes, we talked about this. Would you live here with

me, or would you want me to come with you?”This one was much tougher to answer. It was a good question, but I wasn’t sure I had

the right answer for him. We inched closer to one another—the movement so slight as tobe almost imperceptible—until barely a breath remained between our lips.

“Anywhere would be home if I’m with you,” Kalon said before I could formulate aresponse. “If you want me to leave Visio, I will. With a family like mine, there isn’t muchleft for me here. I’ll go wherever you are.”

“We could always have a home here and one in The Shade, where I’m from,” I saidquietly. “I’ve never really considered myself bound to one particular place, since I travelso much.”

His smile faded. “What if we lose? What if the Darklings win, and Valaine is stuck hereunder the seal? What will we do then?”

The thought was enough to send shivers down my spine. I wasn’t ready to accept thepossibility of such a colossal failure. Not when we had so much riding on a potentialvictory. I couldn’t see myself walking away from Visio or leaving the Unending to sufferany longer. She had been stuck in this ten-millennia cycle for five million years, sinceshe’d first arrived here. There was too much evil, too many things wrong with this placefor me to just walk away, and I doubted GASP would even consider backing off now.

Had it not been for the Unending’s presence, perhaps we might’ve consideredretreating and abandoning Visio, but the Spirit Bender had done so much harm to thisworld, and I couldn’t let the Darklings continue to inflict the same kind of damage. Itwould only end in greater tragedy.

“Let me ask you something else,” I said. “Unending has been here for five millionyears. How do you see Visio in another five million if the Darklings win and keep theUnending bound in her ten-thousand-year cycle?”

Kalon exhaled sharply and sat on the couch next to me. “Whoa, that’s a tough one.The Aeternae birth rate is low. The Black Fever claims more and more lives with everycycle. In another five million years, I think the empire will be gone. The Rimians and theNaloreans will eventually outnumber us, and that’ll be the end of Visio. I don’t thinkthey’ll ever wipe us out, but we’ll be very lonely.”

“Do you think that’s the most likely outcome?”“Yes. The Darklings won’t stop killing the Unending’s reincarnation. However, like I

said, the Black Fever takes more lives as it returns. The balance between those who dieand those who are born is broken. Eventually, there will probably be just a handful ofDarklings left, struggling to live on an empty planet.”

“That’s a very sad future,” I managed, my eyes stinging as I considered the prospect.What an empty world it would be. Its lands lonely and homes abandoned. Cities rising

in solitude, covered by dust and wild greenery. An end to Visio meant the gradual deathof too many innocent people. Whichever way we looked at it, those who didn’t deservemisery would suffer the most.

“I just can’t see myself leaving Visio like this,” I said. “I will do whatever it takes todestroy the Darklings, at the very least. Maybe if they’re not around to torment theUnending through this senseless cycle, she might remember who she is, and the FirstTenners will have an easier time setting her free. I mean, that’s the whole point of whatwe’re doing, after all.”

Kalon’s arm stretched around my shoulders. He pulled me close, and I was hypnotizedby the smoldering look in his eyes. “You won’t leave Visio until you win,” he concluded.“That’s what you’re trying to tell me.”

“Failure just isn’t an option,” I said.“But don’t you have a worst-case scenario? What if it all gets out of control, and your

only option is to flee?”“That’s a hard thing to even think about,” I replied.“Think about it, though. I’d like to know what you would do in that situation.”“Why, Kalon?”He took a moment to look at me, his gaze softening. “Because I’d like to know if you’d

be willing to leave me behind.”His words almost demolished me. I had never considered this possibility. Now that he

was asking me to do just that, I still couldn’t fathom that outcome. Cupping his face withboth hands, I pressed my lips against his, putting all the love I had into the kiss.

“I could never leave you behind,” I whispered. “Kalon, I love you. I cannot, in goodconscience, abandon you in whatever fresh hell awaits if we lose this fight against theDarklings.”

“That would essentially make me a refugee, wouldn’t it?”“We always try to do right by people, no matter what. It’s our credo in GASP, and it’s

what has made us so powerful and widespread,” I replied. His eyes searched my face, asif hoping to find something that might confirm everything I’d just said. Only then did Iunderstand his underlying insecurity. He feared losing me more than anything. It mademy heart sing a most profound and tear-inducing song.

Kalon had always come across as self-sufficient, perhaps even a little arrogant andoverconfident. But now he was trying to tell me that he didn’t want us to ever be apart,no matter what came next. I felt the same way, so how could I tell him no?

“Esme, I love you. Perhaps more than I thought possible. I’ve done wrong by you. I’velied. I’ve kept secrets. But I love you, and I only want to make it all right. That beingsaid, I’ve also been taught to be pragmatic and to consider failure… it’s why I’m askingyou these things. I want to know that you’ll do everything you can so we can be together,because I know I will sure as hell be doing my damnedest—”

I kissed him. There were no words left in me to reassure him about how I felt andwhat I was willing to do in order for us to be a couple. But I could show him, so I

surrendered myself to him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled myself up andstraddled him on the couch, my knees sinking into the soft cushions. His lips parted, andhe welcomed me fully.

Our tongues clashed, our hearts opened wide, and we fell in love with each other allover again. His hands traveled lazily up and down my back, tracing the dips along myspine. The white silk slipped off my shoulders, leaving only the fabric of my shirt andjeans that I wore underneath.

“You’re either going to be the beginning or the end of me,” Kalon said, his fangsgrazing my lower lip. We were rapidly descending into something incredibly intense andarousing. I traced a faint line along the side of his neck, his skin smooth and perfect.

“Why not both?” I threw my head back as he kissed my throat, his tongue teasing itsway onto my bare shoulder. I hadn’t even realized my shirt was already gone. My handshad been busy removing his white silk cover and unbuttoning his tunic.

Things escalated quickly as we abandoned ourselves to the night. He got up, and Imoved with him, unwilling to let go. I helped remove his tunic, revealing his bare chestand marveling at his beautifully toned muscles. Every curve, every angle, every littleshadow revealed the physique of an amazing Aeternae man who’d fallen in love with me,and who I loved more than I’d ever thought possible.

Our souls were dancing—gradually intertwining and melting—as he carried meupstairs where the sumptuous bedroom awaited us. Outside, strings were plucked.People danced. Some giggled while others cheered. Bonfire light danced across theceiling as Kalon lay me on the bed and kissed me ravenously.

“Whatever you are, I’ll take it,” he muttered, gently nipping my shoulder before hemoved down. I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing the sensations of his kisses totake over. There was only darkness and the feel of his mouth on my body.

He peeled off my jeans, and I heard the rest of our garments fall to the floor as themusic was amplified beyond the bedroom window. I opened my eyes to find him on topof me, his weight pressing against me as we both dissolved into the mattress.

“I’ll take it all,” he said, and we kissed once more.We made love, Kalon cherishing me and worshipping my body in ways that were

entirely new to me. Tears leaked from my eyes as he held me tight, our hearts meetingsomewhere at the center of the cosmos itself.

“I love you, Esme.” His voice echoed in my very soul.I love you, too, I wanted to say. But the words never came. Only a gasp of pure

pleasure left my throat. And as we came down from the clouds, once again feeling thedelicate linen sheets against our skin, we understood…

Nothing would ever tear us apart. Nothing.

W

T R I S T A N

e spent hours looking for Valaine. Nothing.Only trees and deafening silence and creatures fleeing from our path.

But we were on the right track. I could feel it in my bones. Morning and Phantom wereable to follow the energy trails Valaine left behind. Despite the mounting search, she wasnowhere in sight.

It made it easy for me to succumb to despair and anger. Constantly cursing under mybreath, I never stopped looking around and paying attention to every shadow that daredmove in our vicinity.

“She’s made it pretty far,” Morning said, her lips pressing into a thin, frustrated line.“We must be at least forty miles from Orvis,” Phantom replied, occasionally checking

her scythe. The blade’s glow faded sometimes as she used it to track her long-lost sister.My heart ached, wondering what Valaine thought and felt in every moment that passed.Her grief had nearly cut me in half prior to her running away. I could only imagine howshe was coping now, all by herself.

“Are we getting any closer?” I asked.Phantom gave me an apologetic look. “I don’t think so.”“Where the hell did she go?” I snapped, dangerously close to losing whatever self-

control I had left. “Why can’t we find her?”“She doesn’t want to be found. But don’t you feel it?” Morning replied. I glanced her

way. She seemed to know more than she was saying.“What do you mean?” I asked.“The pain. Don’t you feel it, Tristan?”“I’m having some trouble distinguishing between mine and hers right now,” I retorted,

in no mood for any of that cryptic talk.She walked over and gripped my shoulders. We’d stopped in the middle of the forest,

surrounded only by gnarly old trees and swollen bushes. Dried leaves covered the groundin shades of amber and ruby-brown. “Take a deep breath,” Morning said. “Clear yourmind and focus on what you’re feeling. Stop worrying about her. Stop wondering whereshe is. Tell me how you feel.”

It took me a moment, but I was able to make out the searing pain that had settled inthe pit of my stomach. I’d confused it for emotional discomfort until I realized it wasn’t all

mine. Someone else’s suffering was echoing there too. Two similar emotions crammedinto my one body.

“What is this?” I muttered, gawking at Morning.“You two are bound on an emotional level, Tristan. She’s given you a part of herself

without even realizing it,” she said. “What you’re feeling, what is actually guidingPhantom’s scythe is you. You’re our guide to the Unending.”

“She has feelings for you,” Phantom added. “She doesn’t even know that she hasimprinted on you on such a deep level.”

“I’m feeling her pain?” I managed, my throat tightening. I would’ve given anything tomake it all stop. What I felt was merely a fraction of what Valaine was going through.

“Yes. And the stronger it is, the closer we are,” Phantom replied.“Which is why I need you to clear your head,” Morning said. “My sister’s scythe follows

you, but your mind is a mess with all kinds of worries, and you’re not focusing properly.Release everything else and settle on the Unending’s pain inside you. It’ll speed thingsalong. I promise.”

My gaze darted around as I tried to do as she’d asked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realizeI was such a mess.”

“You couldn’t have. You love her, and you want her to be free and happy, which isexactly what she’s not, at this point,” Morning said. “I trust you, Tristan. It’s your love forher that will get us through this.”

I pushed myself into a place where nothing dwelled. A hidden part of me I’d saved formoments such as this, where I’d seek refuge from anything that was simply too much. Ifollowed the thread inside my consciousness through a narrowing labyrinth until I reacheda small, dark chamber. Closing my eyes, I could even see it.

There was no ceiling, and the walls seemed to rise forever. But it didn’t matter. It wasquiet, and I could finally hear my thoughts subside. Identifying two different waves ofpain, I tried to understand the difference between them. Mine was a red ribbon. I raised ahand, and Morning’s voice guided me forward.

“Can you feel your own pain?” she asked.“Yes. It’s red. Bright. Shimmering.” What I was seeing now reminded me of how

sentries like Harper and Serena had described the emotions they were reading off people.I wasn’t like them, but I could certainly see how we were all connected across the fabricof life and whatever lay beyond.

“What about the other?” Morning replied.The second ribbon flowed in a bright golden shade, as though it had been woven from

the finest organza thread. It captured the light and the darkness alike, and I felt itrunning through me like a solitary river. “That’s her,” I said. “The Unending. I can feelher.”

“Move, then. Don’t open your eyes. Just follow the pain.”I felt the cold metal of a scythe pressed against my skin, though I couldn’t see

anything other than the two ribbons. I walked through the room, and the walls pulledback, revealing an endless black. I hesitated, unsure where it might lead me. My crimsonribbon ended somewhere ahead. I could see it flailing in the nothingness.

But the gold ribbon kept going, so I reached out and touched it. My whole beingvibrated, and every inch of me hurt. I didn’t let go, moving with it instead. Before I couldregister any significant change around me, all that was left was the gold ribbon. Ifollowed its glimmering line, feeling Morning and Phantom close by my side.

Shapes emerged ahead. Trees surrounding some kind of clearing.“Tristan, open your eyes,” Morning whispered. Oddly enough, the pain grew hotter

inside me as I approached the tree silhouettes.The real world waited. My eyes peeled open, and I found myself standing in the

middle of an actual clearing. I hadn’t imagined it. The Nightmare Forest had pulled backin a small circle, only… something was off. All the trees were dead, their bark blackenedand rotten. Black leaves crinkled on the ground. Life had left this place, and death wasspreading in its wake like ink spilled on a blank sheet of paper, soaking in and expanding.

Valaine hovered on the southern edge. She was at least a couple of feet above theforest floor. That wasn’t even the worst part. Her eyes were wide open and black—emptyand devoid of any emotion. Darkness glowed from within her, and she looked as thoughshe’d been carved from raw obsidian.

“Oh… that can’t be good,” I whispered.“It’s not.” Phantom’s shoulders dropped as she looked at Valaine. “I used your pain to

help us tread through the forest faster. You brought us here, but I didn’t imagine we’dfind her like this…”

“What’s… what’s wrong with her?” I asked, shaken.“The symptoms of her suffering are amplified. It’s getting worse,” Phantom said.A low hum persisted around Valaine, rippling outward and causing a strange pressure

to build in my stomach. I couldn’t take my eyes off what I could only describe as a… blackglow. Her hair flowed down her back, and her fingers were splayed, but she didn’t move.She simply existed in what looked like tremendous suffering.

“She’s shutting herself down.” Morning gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Therewill likely be an increase in Black Fever victims soon. Everything we’re seeing here now isalso manifesting beyond the Nightmare Forest. She’s starting to remember, but withthose memories come plenty of buried feelings. They’ve caused her so much pain thatshe has become toxic.”

The death that had taken over the trees around the clearing was starting to spread.Healthy green leaves turned yellow, then brown and black as they fell. The branchesdarkened as life withered away in real time before my very eyes.

“She’s killing the forest,” I murmured.Phantom nodded slowly. “It’s the opposite of who she really is. Unending is supposed

to represent eternal life, yet she’s killing everything around her.”“How do we stop it?” I asked, my emotions jumbled and increasingly intense. It was

only a matter of time before I’d drop to my knees and weep uncontrollably. I was feelingas though nothing was worth it anymore, like I could just curl up into a corner and waitfor it all to simply… end. But that wasn’t me. That was the effect Valaine’s suffering hadon me, and I needed to find my way out.

“I don’t know,” Phantom said. “It’s… She has to wake up. She has to break out of it on

her own because she’s the only one who can control it.”“Unending was always the most powerful among us. The brightest. The strongest.”

Morning stared at Valaine. “We were never able to suppress her. I doubt we’d be able todo anything now. The three seals only serve to hold her in this endless cycle of Aeternaerebirth. What she’s doing now is merely a response. I doubt even the Spirit Benderwould’ve known what to do.”

“What about Death?” I asked. “Wouldn’t she be able to stop this?”“If she were free, sure. She could end it all with just the snap of her fingers.” Morning

sighed. “But she’s trapped, too. We’re on our own, and we must find a way to getUnending back before she wipes out the entire Nightmare Forest.”

“She wouldn’t stop there.” Phantom scoffed, crossing her arms. “There’s so much paininside her. It’ll keep spilling and infecting everything in its path. Unless she’s awake, she’llend up turning Visio into a wasteland.”

My blood ran cold. “Like Night did to Cruor?”“Maybe worse,” Phantom said quietly.With no other option in sight, I braced myself for what was to come. I’d managed to

bring Valaine back from the brink of darkness before. I could try to do it again. Takingseveral steps forward, I felt my knees buckle.

“Argh,” I croaked, almost losing my footing. Phantom helped me stand back up.“Are you okay?”I shook my head. “She’s affecting me.”“The closer you get, the worse it will feel. She’s practically oozing Black Fever here,”

Phantom replied.“It won’t kill me,” I said. “It can’t kill vampires. I need to get closer. I need her to feel

me.”“I know,” Phantom replied. “She won’t respond to Morning or me. You’re our only

hope, Tristan. She’s bound to you, and…”Her voice faded as she looked at me. I could see the hope glimmering in the myriad of

stars nestled in her eyes. For a second, she no longer looked like the fearsome Reaperthat she was—but a girl, not a day past her teens, waiting for me to make things rightand give her sister back to her. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, but I couldn’t let Valaine’ssuffering destroy Visio before we had a chance to save it, either.

Taking deep breaths, I righted myself and continued walking toward Valaine. Thecloser I got, the more everything hurt. My muscles. My bones. My joints. Every internalorgan began to bleed, and I felt a fever burst through me in a merciless blaze. Itdevoured everything in its path, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

“Valaine, listen to me!” I called out. “I’m here. I’ve come for you!”She didn’t react. I’d have to do more… get closer.My insides burned, but I took another step. And another, closing the distance between

us. The Black Fever took over, gripping me tightly with its invisible but bloodthirsty claws.I struggled to stand, and I knew I only had a minute left, at most, to make my case andbreak Valaine from this horrible trance-like state.

“Listen to me, Valaine.” I grunted, beads of sweat trickling down my face. “I’m not

leaving you to go through this alone. I’m not letting you succumb to this pain you’refeeling. You are stronger than this, and I am a better man for knowing you.”

Briefly glancing back over my shoulder, I saw Phantom and Morning watching, theireyes wide and glassy—a strange sight, considering all the galaxies that swirled beneaththose tears. I felt their helplessness and anguish at the sight of their sister, and I knew Iwould’ve been the same had it been Esme suffering like this. I owed it to them—and tomyself, as well—to not let this continue.

But my energy was fading. My body was weak. I began to cough up black blood. Itspurted all over my sleeve, drenching the fabric and reminding me of my own physicalweakness. Even so, I couldn’t stop.

“Valaine, I’m about to do something crazy, maybe even borderline stupid, and I hopeyou’ll forgive me because I think it’s the only way I’ll be able to stop you… to get youback,” I whispered.

Here goes nothing.With one final push and battling organ failure, I jumped. I snapped my arms tightly

around Valaine, hovering above the ground with her. “Whatever happens, know that Ilove you,” I said with what felt like my last breath.

She didn’t move, but she burned hot in my arms, her flesh tender beneath the glowingblackness and the velvet of her dress. I kissed her, surrendering to it all—the good andthe bad and everything in between. I felt her soft lips against mine. A fleeting breath. Asigh of longing.

Then darkness blanketed me like a devastating wave. Whatever happened next, Iprayed it would bring me back into the light, because I felt myself disappearing. Dying,one aching cell at a time.

“I love you,” I heard her say.But I could no longer react. I sank into the nothingness.I was nothing.

A

T R I S T A N

warm embrace was something I didn’t think I’d feel again. The Black Fever hadtaken me. I’d broken down and fallen apart into a million pieces. So how was itthat I was still strung together? How was I still breathing and experiencing all

sorts of sensations?Only darkness existed around me, cold and heavy. It seeped through me, filling my

feet with lead and my chest with something even denser. Was I dead? Was this just acrappy dream I’d eventually wake up from? Had I gotten myself stuck in an elaboratenightmare while still back home in The Shade?

“Tristan, I’m sorry…”Valaine’s voice startled me. I’d been drifting in this black sea for so long, I hadn’t

thought I’d hear another voice again. There was no sense of time passing, but Valainehad finally found me. Therefore, I didn’t dream it all.

“Tristan, please, come back to me…”I dared not reject such a heartfelt request. A golden ribbon came into view. I reached

out and grabbed it. I felt a kiss on my lips. My skin tingled with delight and relief as Iused both hands to hold on to the golden ribbon.

Something tugged from the opposite end. I pulled.“I need you,” Valaine said, her voice trembling. “I need you… Forgive me…”Weightless but determined, I followed the golden ribbon. Forms emerged from the

darkness. Twisted branches on dead trees. Three figures looking down at me. Beyond, aclear sky. I couldn’t immediately remember where I was or what I’d been doing here, butas the image came into focus, so did the ghost of all the pain I’d experienced upontouching Valaine.

I was okay. Phantom and Morning stared at me, and Valaine held me up in a seatedposition, though my head was lolled back. Blinking several times, I took a deep breath.My lungs didn’t hurt anymore. My flesh didn’t burn. My throat felt sore, but that waspretty much it.

“The Black Fever,” I mumbled, my lips barely moving.Valaine exhaled sharply, laughing and crying at the same time. “It subsided. I made it

stop. I undid its effects on you. Don’t ask me how, because I have no idea.”“Where am I?” I asked.

“The Nightmare Forest. We found Valaine, and you put yourself through unimaginabletorture to bring her back,” Phantom said, summarizing my ordeal.

“I’m okay. Thanks to you,” Valaine added, giving me a warm and most loving smile. Inearly disintegrated in her embrace. Compared to her, I was a mere blip in the greaterscheme of things, yet she’d fallen in love with me. She’d given me her heart, and thatsimple and selfless act had helped me break her free from the pain.

“Are you sure?” I asked, slowly raising a hand to touch her face.“As okay as I’m going to be until I’m free, anyway,” Valaine replied. She looked

around, her brow furrowing at the sight of all the damage she’d unwittingly done. Thetrees were still dead. This part of the woods might never recover. The very life had beendrained from the earth. “I’m so sorry.”

“Stop saying that,” Phantom muttered. “It’s not like you’re doing it on purpose.”I managed to get up, though Valaine stayed close and offered me some support.

Pressing my lips against her temple, I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to be able to holdher like this.

“Your anger got the better of you,” I said.“I know. I lost control,” Valaine replied. “But I’m back. And I’m not stopping until I’m

free. Until I’m the Unending again.”Morning moved in for a hug, her arms encompassing both Valaine and me. “She found

her resolve. The moment she snapped out of it and saw you on the ground, she… shecame back,” Morning said, affectionately looking at Valaine.

“The Darklings want me like this. Alone. Suffering. Empty on the inside,” she said.“But I’m done doing their bidding. I’m done giving in to despair. And I am certainly doneplaying into the schemes of a defunct Reaper. Half of what he did was out of pure spitebecause I rejected his advances.”

“And the other half was because he wanted you out of the way so he could mess withDeath,” Phantom reminded her.

“That too. But I’m taking this personally,” Valaine said. “Point is, I’m done being avictim. The Darklings have upheld these seals for too long. No more. They have killed somany people. Innocent people. Entire families and bloodlines perished because of them—and not strictly in the name of the Spirit Bender’s instructions, either.”

Snaking an arm around her waist, I pulled Valaine closer, and she didn’t resist. In fact,she giggled and kissed me, leaning into my embrace. For a split second, everythingdisappeared again as I closed my eyes. But there wasn’t any darkness. Only light. Sweetdaylight, despite the evening setting in overhead.

“I cannot begin to express how relieved I am to hear you talk like this,” I said,dropping another kiss on her delicate, rosy cheek.

“I’ve been my worst enemy this whole time,” Valaine replied. “I didn’t even realize ituntil I felt the pain I was inflicting upon you. That was what woke me up. The thought ofyou being hurt, Tristan.”

“I told you that the bond between you was special,” Phantom whispered, stifling asatisfied grin, as Morning laughed and moved back to look at us.

“We’ve made it this far, sister,” she said to Valaine. “This wasn’t the worst of all the

hurdles, I’m sure, but if you cracked this, you’ll crack the others, too.”Valaine took a deep breath, raising her chin defiantly. “I am a damn Reaper. The first

ever made. I need to start acting like it. These past few days, all I’ve done was feel sorryfor myself. In the meantime, the Darklings have been advancing and pushing their sickagenda. You were right, Phantom—I need to distance myself from my Aeternae roots,”she said, her voice breaking. “And if that means tossing my father aside, then so be it. Hehas no qualms about killing me. I might as well give him a proper reason to attempt sucha heinous crime.”

“Corbin won’t lay a finger on you,” I replied. “We’ve got this, Valaine.”“I’ll keep pushing through my memories,” she said, giving Phantom and Morning a

brief glance. “I trust you two will help me dig deep, as deep as possible, until I findmyself.” She paused to look at me. “And I trust you will talk me off the ledge, like you’vedone before, if you feel me slipping again. I will work hard to not break down again, Ipromise. I’ll work harder than ever before. As long as we’re together, Tristan, I doubtthere is anything that can stand in my way.”

Her optimism was infectious. My heart grew a couple of sizes, pride swelling my chestas I gazed upon her beautiful face. Her black eyes glimmered excitedly, and she beamedat me with the energy of a newborn star. From all the darkness and death she’d exudedbefore, Valaine was emerging in triumphant light and life, returning to her existentialorigins as the Unending.

Our work was nowhere near finished. In fact, it was just getting started. Valaineleaned in to whisper in my ear. “In case you didn’t hear me earlier—I love you, too,Tristan. I want you to remember that when things inevitably go awry.”

At least she’d retained her sense of realism. But that didn’t stop me from smiling as Iheld her in my arms. “I heard you loud and clear, my darling,” I said and kissed her again.

“Okay, enough with the sweet stuff. I’m feeling nauseated.” Phantom groaned andwalked toward the eastern edge of the clearing. “Come on, you weirdo lovebirds. Weneed to get back to Orvis.”

“From what your friends said, it sounds like they’ll be in need of some counsel andemotional support when we see them again,” Morning said, following Phantom into thehealthier part of the Nightmare Forest.

I’d heard Kailani’s message through the comms system earlier, but I’d been so busysearching for Valaine that I’d barely managed to bring Esme up to speed before gettingmyself temporarily crippled and knocked out by Black Fever. Ridan and the others werereturning to Orvis, and we needed to put our heads together and rehash our initialstrategy.

“The Darklings had more forces in Dieffen than we expected,” I said to Valaine. “Ourcrew had to flee. They lost three quarters of the ghoul regiment.”

She frowned, then took my hand and pulled me away from the dead clearing. Wecaught up with Phantom and Morning in less than a mile. They would zap us back to Orvisin no time.

“It’s okay,” Valaine replied. “We’ll figure out a way to beat them. The Spirit Benderwasn’t invincible, and neither are the Darklings. I know we’re not invincible either, but

dammit, we’ve got truth and righteousness on our side. That’s got to count forsomething.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her, marveling at how strong she’d become. Valaine hadcrossed an internal threshold, and as bad as that earlier darkness had been, it had alsobrought out the fighter in her. The Unending was now even more determined to return, toreclaim herself and her freedom. That alone was a gamechanger.

She was right, though. As long as the two of us were together, we would eventuallypull through. My only hope was that I’d bring the Unending back before the Darklingsfound her. I knew they would stop at nothing to kill her—and I would stop at nothing toprotect her.

M

D E R E K

y mind was a jumble of storms and anxious thoughts. While I had chosen tostay in captivity for the sake of obtaining information from the Darklings, itwas doing a number on my psyche. Four tight walls in a semi-dark room will

do that to a person.Maya had tried to keep me company as best as she could, but she was no longer a

creature of words and conversation. I’d spent the past couple of hours reeling fromDanika’s revelations regarding the Spirit Bender’s soul and trying to figure out a way tofind out more before I’d have to leave.

“Maybe I should break the bead and get Lumi over here,” I muttered, mostly tomyself.

The ghoul shook her head at me, though she couldn’t tell me why. I could think of afew reasons. One, Lumi might not have another green bead to leave me, and since Iwasn’t yet ready to leave, that would leave me without an exit strategy. And two, thisplace looked a little too quiet for my taste, which meant there might be an ambushwaiting for Lumi and Sidyan if I brought them over now.

I’d already decided to use Maya as a diversion somewhere away from this room whenI called for Lumi. The ghoul could take care of herself, and I just needed her to tease theDarklings and let them chase her around for a while. Lumi and Sidyan would then have aclear path to get me out without the risk of a trap. That wasn’t the kind of mischief wecould pull twice, so if I were to break the bead, I would have to go with them, and therewas so much I had yet to learn here.

“You’re right,” I said to Maya. “But when the time comes, you know what to do,right?”

She nodded energetically, but her good humor faded as she glanced at the iron door.A split second later, Maya had reverted to her subtle form, moving away from my cell asPetra walked in. She’d changed into a navy-blue dress with silvery ruffles around the neckand wrists, her long gray hair braided and swirled into an elegant bun. Despite the familydrama she’d recently endured, Petra looked sharp.

“Derek, good friend,” she said, her tone flat as she shut the door behind her. “How arethey treating you here?”

“I think your people like me too much. They won’t let me leave,” I replied dryly.

She chuckled, stopping in front of my cell. “I’ve finally caught wind of my sons. Thereare whispers about something happening in the Nightmare Forest,” Petra continued.“Rumors about Kalon and Ansel and two other boys… I’m getting closer to reunitingwhat’s left of my family, Derek. Your friends won’t keep us apart forever.”

“Your children deserve a better life,” I said. “You’ve poisoned their minds. You putthem in the crossfire, Petra. You’re not fit to be their mother.”

“Spare me the sanctimonious garbage. Everything I’ve done has been for the sake andhappiness of my sons. I would’ve eventually brought Kalon into the loop as well, had itnot been for that little bitch, Esme.”

I scoffed, unable to hide my disgust. “Keep telling yourself that. Why are you here,Petra? It can’t be solely for the purpose of taunting me. I thought I told you it won’twork.”

“Oh, no—I’m here to ask you a few things,” she replied. “I’ve seen Danika come in afew times. More than I’d have expected. Would you like to tell me what that’s all about?”

What were the odds I could start a fire among the Darklings? One bright and hotenough that they would never be able to put it out. Danika had promised all kinds ofawful things if I didn’t keep my mouth shut about the Spirit Bender’s soul shards. What if Iwent ahead and did exactly that? After all, I could push the limits here until it was time tobreak the green bead and vamoose.

As she waited for my reply, Petra’s gaze wandered around the room. It stopped coldon a patch of dried blood on the floor, inches from her boots. “What’s that?” she asked.The more intensely she looked at me, the more appealing telling the truth became.Maybe if I told her what I knew, I’d get her to give me more intel about the Darklings. AllI had to do was get Petra riled up enough to open her mouth.

“Danika is plotting to kill you all,” I said coldly. “She’s already taken out two of theWhips.”

Petra laughed lightly. “If you thought I’d be surprised by this, you’ve got another thingcoming. I know three Whips she’ll have trouble finding now that they can’t get a hold ofRodique. Sent on a mission, my ass.”

“Then why are you still here, Petra?” I asked. “If you know Danika is out for yourheart?”

“Because she doesn’t scare me. I know her better than she knows herself, Derek.None of us saw this day coming, but given the change in circumstances, I will simply haveto adjust. That being said, I’d like to thank you for your honesty,” she said. “You’ll find abetter ally in me than in Danika. She’s a cold-blooded sociopath. She has no respect forfriendship or family values, and she certainly has no intention of keeping any promise shemight’ve made you.”

“What will you do?”Petra shrugged. “I guess I’ll wait and see how far she’s willing to take things. I’ll know

when she comes for me. I taught her everything she knows, so I hope she’s not stupidenough to try to pull one over on me.”

“Your confidence is troubling,” I said. “I don’t know the Lady Supreme as well as youdo, but I know one thing for sure. She’s dangerous and unpredictable. Whatever you think

she’s doing, it’ll be the opposite.”“I appreciate your concern, but—”“There’s no concern. Don’t kid yourself. Frankly, Danika could rip your heart out for all

I care,” I shot back. “It’s your sons I worry about. They’re better off with a mother inprison than a mother that’s six feet under. Kalon doesn’t deserve this, not to mentionAnsel and the boys. You’ve harmed them enough, and if you get yourself killed in thismess, you will only hurt them more.”

“At the end of this story, Derek, I will walk out with my sons by my side.”“Keep telling yourself that,” I replied. “But we both know that the lies you fed to your

sons won’t stick for much longer. Ansel was already doubting the Darklings before he gotcaptured. Kalon never bought into it in the first place. Moore and Tudyk are still young,but they have time to come around, to ask the right questions, and to figure things out ontheir own. As far as Simmon was concerned, I suppose he only wanted to please you. Hislife must’ve been empty. You must’ve made him solely dependent on you emotionally forhim to grow up so stupidly loyal. That’s what got Simmon killed. That’s what got Aganonkilled, as well. Your radicalization. Your intellectual poison. The sooner you realize that,the better off you’ll be.”

Petra raised her scythe at me, hand trembling as she gripped the sculpted handle. I’dmade her mad. Good. I needed her to get emotional. I needed her to stop thinkingclearly. Her indoctrination would soon become faulty, and Petra wasn’t used to having herideology challenged.

“You’d do well to remember that you are still behind bars, Derek, and that yoursurvival is optional, not mandatory,” Petra hissed. “You and your people have doneenough damage to my family. I will not allow you to hurt us anymore.”

“Funny how you’re the one playing the victim card,” I muttered as the scythe’s bladeglistened, thirsting for my blood. She scared me, but I couldn’t let her see that. I couldn’tsurrender my soul to her. My hand fumbled through my pocket until it found the greenbead. Maybe this was my moment to leave. All I had to do was break it, and Maya wouldknow what she needed to do. Maybe the intel I’d already gathered was all I’d be able tobring back to my people after all. My stay here may have run its course.

“Where is my son?” Petra asked, her voice low and cold. “I’ve had enough of thisnonsense. Tell me, and I will let you live.”

“I don’t think that’s up to you.” Danika’s voice came from somewhere behind her.Petra whirled around with a gasp as Danika appeared out of thin air. I froze, quickly

realizing why the Lady Supreme had chosen to reveal herself this way. “You came forher,” I whispered.

“I saw her come in,” Danika said. “Figured I might as well hear what she had to say.”“Don’t be foolish,” Petra replied. “You don’t want to do this.”Danika smirked. “Well, it’s a little late for that. I’m already here.”I moved away from the steel bars, my pulse quickening. They had been friends and

partners in crime, but the Darklings’ mission to bring the Spirit Bender back had becometheir priority. It superseded any relationship they might’ve had, and now Petra’s life wasat stake. I didn’t exactly feel sorry for her, but I didn’t want her to die, either—it would

only bring Danika closer to completing her goal.“I just need some time, Danika. That’s all,” Petra said. “The outsiders are not that big

of a threat. Not for now, anyway.”“They have Valaine, and it’s only a matter of time before she remembers everything.

Time is of the essence here,” Danika replied. “It’s not my fault you didn’t do the transfersooner.”

“You know damn well that’s not an easy choice to make. It means sacrificing one ofmy sons!”

Danika chuckled. “And this is where you and I diverge, good friend. I didn’t hesitate.”I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but this was leading somewhere. I took

my hand out, leaving the green bead in my pocket. “I’m missing something here,” Iinterjected. Danika shot me a quick glance.

“Stay out of this, Derek. Be thankful you’re still alive,” she replied dryly, presentingher own scythe so Petra could see it. “This ends here.”

“Not while I still have my breath,” Petra said.“Give me a minute, and I’ll take care of that.” Danika lunged forward with a growl.Petra slipped to the side, clearing the path for Danika to stumble and almost fall. But

the Lady Supreme had plenty of tricks up her sleeve, whispering a spell as shestraightened her back. A pulse shot from her blade, but Petra raised hers to block theattack. The pulse scattered, the air rippling throughout the room in response.

I felt its pressure seeping through my bones. Whatever energy that was, it didn’texactly dissipate. It only spread out and affected everything in its path, living orotherwise. I could only imagine what the full concentrated shot would’ve done.

Petra didn’t hesitate. She pressed her index and middle finger against the blade of herscythe, her lips moving as she performed an incantation. Danika came at her again—unwilling to let Petra finish her spell—but the high priestess had other plans. She kickedDanika in the stomach. A moment later, she stood over the Lady Supreme, who tried tolaunch another death magic attack.

“I taught you everything you know.” Petra snarled and swung her scythe downward.The movement was unexpected. It caught Danika off guard as she tried to defendherself, but the blade cut through her left wrist. The hand fell, blood gushing from thecrimson stump.

Danika screamed in agony, but Petra wasn’t done.“And this is how you repay me, you treacherous bitch?!” She cut off Danika’s other

hand, and the Lady Supreme was left howling on the floor in a pool of her own blood. “Itold you to give me some time! I stood by you when no one else would! You deservemuch worse than this.”

“You’ll pay for this!” Danika sobbed, her face contorted from raw pain.Petra stepped back, a grin stretching from ear to ear. “From where I stand, I’m the

one who gets to walk out of here. I’ll see you again soon, Danika. Hopefully, the nexttime we meet, I’ll have transferred my shard.”

My stomach dropped, my ears twitching. “What… what are you talking about?” Iasked, almost out of breath.

“You don’t need to worry about it, Derek,” Petra replied, then shifted her focus back toDanika. “Do what you have to do, old friend. But I’ll come to you when I’m ready.”

This was becoming even more confusing. They were still friends? Or partners? HadDanika jumped the gun? What the hell was going on here?

Petra waved goodbye and walked out the door, but not before leaving me with a direwarning. “I don’t see you living past the end of the week, Derek. We will prevaileventually. And I’ll get my sons back, too. You don’t get to win this.”

Petra was like an impossible puzzle. One minute she was almost friendly, but the nextshe’d be rooting for my head to come off. I had a feeling that Petra was somewhatconflicted, but she remained loyal to the core mission of bringing the Spirit Bender back.The iron door shut loudly behind her, and I was left with a quivering Danika, who stillcouldn’t pick herself up from the cold floor.

“What just happened?” I asked as she sat up, blood still dripping from her stumps. Shepressed them into the ruffles of her dress, crimson spreading through the fabric as shetried to stop the bleeding.

“I underestimated her, that’s what happened,” Danika spat. “It just makes me want tokill her more.”

“Do you need help?” I asked.She narrowed her eyes at me. “Not from you. I’ll be fine. It hurts… but I’ll be fine.”“Those wounds will take a long time to heal,” I said. “She used a Reaper blade. You’ll

be like this for a while.”“Don’t underestimate my ability to circumvent the laws of death magic. Petra knows

she’s only got a couple of days on me, at most. I’ll get her, and I will end her.”“She said she just needed time. What was that all about?”Sweat trickled down her face as she tried to adjust to her new condition. Danika’s

hands would take a long time to grow back, but the bleeding would stop soon. HerAeternae nature couldn’t allow for too much blood loss. Chills traveled down my spine asI stared at her hands, pale and abandoned on the floor. I had no sympathy for Danika,but I still couldn’t find any pleasure in her misery.

“The soul shards can be transferred,” she managed, carefully measuring each breathshe took in order to focus on something other than the pain. “The other Whips don’t knowabout it. Petra was the only one who figured it out, years ago. She told me inconfidence.”

“Wait, so you don’t have to kill them to get the shards?” I asked, my skin crawling.“I still have to kill someone to get each shard,” Danika replied with a groan. “The

pieces of Spirit’s soul must always be preserved inside a living creature when they’reapart. The longest a single shard has gone without a living host was mere days… I’ve gottwo of them now, so they can stay together until I add the others, and they won’tdegrade.”

“But if you split them apart—”“They’ll lose their integrity very quickly, yes,” Danika said. “It’s how the Spirit Bender

thought he’d keep us loyal and dedicated. And it’s why the Whips were entrusted with thepieces.”

“That’s what Petra is trying to do, right? Transfer her shard to someone else?”“Yes. It will take time, however, and I don’t think we have that. Besides, what’s the

point? She was entrusted with the shard. She knew this day might come. She’s justchickening out, and that alone is enough of a reason for me to kill her. Add this into themix, and I’m sold,” she said, nodding at her stumps.

I frowned. “You already did the transfer.”“I did. It took me weeks, but I got rid of it,” Danika replied.“That’s why you weren’t worried about completing this task. You knew you’d survive

the process,” I mumbled, suddenly facing an even more concerning question. “But… if youdon’t have the shard anymore, who’d you give it to?”

“The transfer can only be made to a blood relative,” Danika said, a faint smile testingthe corner of her mouth. “Yet another condition put in place by the Spirit Bender. Isuppose he was a bit of a sadist.”

“What… Danika, what do you mean?”“Why do you think Petra has had such a hard time picking her replacement? Why do

you think I want Thayen back so badly? It can’t be because I’m such a good mother,Derek. Come on, use your head.”

My throat closed up as the full picture finally became clear. “You put a shard of theSpirit Bender’s soul inside your own son. You want him back because you need him.Because you’re planning to kill him.”

She sighed deeply, and I could tell there was a sliver of regret in her. “The missioncomes first. I will have another child someday. But you and your people have caused somuch damage here that I must sacrifice Thayen in order to defeat you.”

“This is insane! Danika, you can’t do this!”She pulled herself up, hiding her stumps behind her back. She had trouble looking me

in the eye. I caught a whiff of hesitation, and I needed to make the most of it. WhatDanika was planning wasn’t simply wrong, it was beyond evil. It was awful andunforgivable.

“I will do what it takes to preserve my species. We all know the Unending will not bemerciful if she’s set free,” Danika said. “I will get my son back sooner or later. I’ll killPetra, too. I’ll kill all those you love, and I will spend an eternity tormenting you, justbecause I want to. Because no one gets to tell me I can’t. I’ve always had my way, andno one can stop me. Not even the Master himself, and he knows it.”

There was bitterness in her voice. It signaled a rift between Danika and Corbin. Icould easily suspect she might try to upend him at some point and take his place asMaster of Darkness. She was already Lady Supreme, so what was there to stop her fromruling over all the Darklings, as well? The prospect of killing her own son didn’t seem tofaze her, so I couldn’t put anything past her. Not anymore. My choices had becomeextremely limited, and now I had to find my way back to Sofia quickly. Danika hadunwittingly given me all the information I needed for my people.

I’d thought Corbin and Petra were pure malice, but Danika… she took the cake.

K

E S M E

alon held me close as we hid beneath the covers. Daylight had yet to filterin through the thick, dark drapes. We’d made love for hours, weaving our

souls tighter together through the rest of the night. I was too happy to feel tired. Heplanted kisses all over my face, our bodies tangled, skin on skin.

“I could stay like this forever,” Kalon said, his lips tickling mine.Kissing him softly, I smiled. “Mm, but let’s get rid of the Darklings first. Besides, I think

we’d get bored pretty easily if all we did was… this.”“Speak for yourself, missy,” he replied, raising an eyebrow at me. “I doubt you realize

how addictive you are.”I giggled, nestled in his arms and thankful to have lived long enough to experience

this blissful moment. Remembering the first time we’d met, I looked at Kalon and realizedthat this was who he really was. He’d always been this rare combination of elegantmasculinity and brutal violence. His sense of right and wrong was what elevated himabove the others—specifically, above his mother. For years, she’d tried to draw him to thedark side, and he’d turned her down every time.

That spoke of a consistent character. A man of principles. An Aeternae I’d becomfortable living with for the rest of my life, whether that meant a few more days or asclose to eternity as we could get. I loved Kalon, and he loved me. What we had waspowerful and intense, different from anything I’d ever felt before. We were partners. Wefought together, and now… we shared a bed, as well.

“I’d have a hard time parting from you,” I whispered, caressing his face. “But youknow we have to keep moving. It’s not our moment yet.”

“This right here is our moment,” Kalon replied, rolling us over until he ended up on topof me. “There’s a war out there waiting to eat us alive, Esme, so give me what’s left ofthis night so I can make the most of it.”

I touched his lower lip, and he swooped in for a kiss. His passion consumed me asthough we’d been thrown inside a belching volcano, dissolving into its liquid flames. Howcould I refuse him this flicker in time when all we had was trouble ahead?

“I’m yours, Kalon. You have everything I can give you, including what’s left of thisnight,” I said as his hands traveled down my sides, his fingers digging into my flesh.

He bit into the side of my neck, his fangs pricking my skin. I sucked in a breath,

reveling in the delicious pain as he drew a small drop of blood. He raised his head, hislips crimson, and I welcomed another kiss. This time, I got a taste of myself, and thesensation sent me spiraling.

“And I am yours,” Kalon replied as he tilted his head to the side, allowing me to dothe same to him. “I give you my blood along with my heart, just like you give me yours.”

It felt like an oath of sorts—one I was more than happy to take. I licked the throbbingvein before I sank my fangs into it. He hissed, his muscles hardening as I drank from thevery essence of Kalon’s life. The puncture wounds healed almost instantly, and I got ataste of my soulmate. His blood had an extraordinary effect on me.

I felt as though I were coming apart at the seams, weightlessly wandering among theclouds as he trailed kisses down my neck. As Kalon proceeded to worship every part ofmy skin with his lips, I threw my head back and savored what I knew would come next.

He held me tighter and tighter as we moved in perfect unison, our hearts franticallygalloping in the same direction. Making love to Kalon was like melting into the greatuniverse itself—I lost my form, I lost my mind, I lost everything that had anchored me toreality before this moment. We fueled each other’s frenzy, our rhythm reaching new highsuntil my breath left me.

“I love you forever, Esme,” he grunted in my ear as he reached for the peak ofecstasy. My words had left me, so I kissed him instead, hoping my lips might convey whatmy brain no longer could.

We were one, our souls and flesh naked. I could no longer imagine an existencewithout him. A single night without him. A single damn breath without him.

Basking in the afterglow of our union, I let a deep sigh out as we sank into the bed.The sky didn’t seem that far away anymore. We could reach it with remarkable easewhenever we were together. We didn’t even need wings to get there.

As morning crept around the bedroom, the pink light slipping between the drapes, Ismiled and rested my head on Kalon’s chest, knowing that whatever came next we couldhandle it—as long as we stayed like this, together.

Kalon didn’t rush me out of bed after dawn. He snuck out and prepared a small breakfaston the terrace table. A pitcher of fresh blood from the kitchen’s icebox, two crystalglasses, and a bouquet of pink and red blossoms awaited me. I couldn’t help but giggleas I stepped out onto the wooden platform, the polished planks squeaking ever so slightlybeneath my feet.

I’d wrapped myself in a fluffy white bathrobe, while Kalon had settled for a pair oflinen pants he’d fished out of a dresser. His bare chest and radiant smile were infinitelybetter than anything else in this world—especially at this hour. “Good morning,” he said,pulling up a chair.

“What feast have you prepared for us?” I asked, looking at the pitcher.“I think they stock the fridge every morning,” Kalon said with a shrug. “This wasn’t in

the icebox last night.”“Wow. I didn’t even hear anyone come in.”

Kalon smirked as I took my seat, and he poured me a glass. “Babe, I think they justdidn’t want to disturb us. Not sure if you remember, but we were both quite busy lastnight.”

“That’s right.” I laughed and threw my head back. He took advantage of themovement and stole a kiss before filling his own glass with Rimian blood. I recognized thetaste now. I could tell the difference between the life essence of a Nalorean and that of aRimian. While I would’ve preferred animal blood for ethical reasons, I didn’t fuss over thisbreakfast. We’d need all our strength and energy for the next few days.

Kalon sat down next to me and pulled my chair closer. We clinked glasses, thendrained them, only now realizing how hungry we were. His eyes widened as he poured usboth a refill. “We might’ve burned one too many calories upstairs.”

My cheeks flushed pink. “I have no regrets.”“Me neither,” Kalon replied, lovingly glancing my way. His gaze darkened as reality

came back, rearing its ugly head from behind the rolling hills. “Do you think the Seniorswill join us?”

“Mira and Kemi definitely will,” I said. My entire body felt relaxed and refreshed, as ifI’d spent the entire night in a sensory deprivation chamber, my soul and mind completelycleansed. It was amazing to me to fully realize the effect Kalon had on me. And this wasjust the beginning.

“I know, but what about the others?” Kalon asked. “Do you think only two Seniors willbe enough? The Darklings’ reach is wider than I’d thought. Their powers, too. Dieffenproves it.”

“We can’t force them, Kalon. We can only hope they’ll see the sense in what we’retrying to accomplish. I think they want to join us. They have to be tired of being trappedhere on this island. Maybe they’ll want to take over Visio, reshape the empire intosomething better.”

Kalon’s eyes lit up. “I never considered that. Toppling the current ruler would certainlypave the way for a better Aeternae society. Especially if we set Unending free, and shetakes our immortality away. The whole empire will plunge into chaos, but if the Seniorstake over, they could bring this world back to a better time.”

“Exactly. They can grow old and die, leaving behind a true legacy that isn’t directlytied to the Unending’s suffering.”

“We actually discussed this,” Mira said, surprising us both. She stood in the terracedoorway wearing a pale blue silk dress. I wondered how long she’d been there, and howmuch she’d overheard. I felt my cheeks beginning to flush again. She smiled politely. “It’san avenue Kemi and I have been exploring since last night.”

Kemi showed up by her side, dressed in a silk tunic that matched her dress. “As longas we get to experience life passing and eventually death, I have no qualms aboutassuming leadership over Visio. You don’t strike me as the ruling type, Kalon. Nooffense.”

“None taken.” Kalon chuckled. “Esme and I have our own plans for life after Visio.”“And your brothers?” Mira asked.“They can come with us, or they can stay here. I’ll come back to visit, of course, but I

don’t see myself bound to this place,” Kalon replied.“What conclusion have you reached?” I asked, looking hopefully at Mira. “Will the

others join you?”Mira and Kemi exchanged knowing glances. She offered a faint nod. “Not all of them.

Not yet, anyway.”“Why don’t you two change and meet us outside?” Kemi said. “The Seniors are waiting

in the plaza. I think you’ll want to hear what they have to say for yourselves.”I wasn’t sure if I was feeling encouraged or worried by this response. Frankly, I’d

expected the Seniors to jump at this opportunity, regardless of what I’d told Kalon. Whywould anyone want to live on this island forever, unable to leave or even die?

Maybe not all the Seniors were ready to die, so they didn’t want to participate in themission that might eventually see their immortality stripped from them. Or maybe someof them were afraid, content with what they had here. One person’s concept of freedomand happiness varied from another’s, and it seemed to be the same with the Seniors.

Even so, we needed their support. I was more than thankful for Mira and Kemi, but weneeded much more than just the two of them in order to mount a successful campaignagainst the Darklings. For all the excitement and energy I’d felt upon first arriving here, Iwas now deflating like a beach ball forgotten under a searing sun.

T

E S M E

he plaza was surprisingly full. All two thousand Seniors seemed to bepresent. I kept the silk hood over my head, since the daylight was strong

despite the reddish haze. Kalon stayed close as Mira introduced us to the gathered crowd.“Friends. Brothers and sisters,” she said. “Esme and Kalon have come to help us.

They’re free agents and potential allies, as I’ve already told you. They are leaving today,and Kemi and I will be going with them. The Darklings have had their way for too long.Things need to change. That much we can all agree on.”

The response was a mixture of nods and murmurs. Kemi stepped forward, joining Mirain addressing the crowd. “You can choose to stay here, and no one will hold it againstyou. I know change can be difficult to accept. But sooner or later, we will bring Visio backto its former state. Immortality should not have been our path, and yet we chose it. Now,however, things are changing. We’ve lived for so long at the expense of a capturedReaper. It is not fair, and it is not natural. Mira and I already made this argument duringour council meeting last night.”

“We will respect your decisions, whatever they may be,” Mira continued. “But we needto know—which of you will join us? Speak now.”

Here goes nothing, I thought to myself. Silence settled across the plaza as the Seniorslooked at one another. I caught glances brimming with determination, but I also sawindecision and fear. We weren’t going to get them all off this island, that much was clear.

This was a beautiful place they’d built, and it had been their home for a long time.Many had adapted well to living here. Their homes, their gardens, their daily routineswere all they’d known. In that sense, I considered them selfish, but I dared not confrontthem. It would be their choice, and I’d have to respect it. Allies could not be gained byforce.

One by one, approximately two hundred Seniors broke from the crowd. One of them, ared-haired Aeternae woman with emerald-green eyes, raised her chin proudly.

“We’re coming with you,” she said. “I’m Arya, and I speak for this group. We’ve goneover all possible options throughout the night, and we’re in agreement. Fighting theDarklings is our only way forward.”

“Thank you, Arya Vaziri,” Mira replied. “Your allegiance honors us deeply.”“The rest of us will hold back,” an Aeternae man said from among those in the

remaining crowd. “There is no clear consensus among our groups as yet.”“What do you mean, Geralt?” Kemi asked, his brow furrowed.“I, for one, would like to join you, but my sister, my wife, my closest friends here…

they’re not convinced this will end well for us,” Geralt said. “I cannot, in good conscience,leave them here if the Darklings decide to retaliate over whatever you people will do. Wemust keep that possibility in mind.”

“You know, you could all come with us, and no one would be here if the Darklingsdecide to do that,” I replied. “We have another shuttle. I can organize transport off thisisland for everybody.”

Geralt shook his head. “It’s not just about that. This is our home. I understand why somany of our people don’t want to leave. But if you succeed against the Darklings, at leastwe’ll have this as a refuge. A place to eventually die.”

“Today all our lives are going to change,” Kalon interjected, his tone sharp and firm. Amuscle twitched in his jaw. He didn’t like what he was hearing. “With or without you, wewill rise up against the Darklings. We will prevail, or we will go down fighting. I can’tunderstand why you’re so willing to do nothing, so happy to sit here in your false paradisewhile the rest of your people make history.”

“We’ve got millions of years of history already made,” Geralt replied bluntly. “We’retired. We’ve seen it all. The rise, the fall of a kingdom. Culture. War. Famine. Prosperity.Love. Hate. There’s nothing left in this universe to surprise us.”

“You’re tired!” Kalon exclaimed, unable to hide his contempt.I put a hand on his shoulder, but Kemi was the first to address his dismay. “Do not

hold it against them, Kalon. They’ve lived for much longer than you have. They should’vebeen dead ages ago, yet they’re forced to keep living. You don’t understand what thatwill do to an Aeternae’s psyche. I do, and I am fortunate to still have this much energyleft. Don’t judge them too harshly. We’re better off with a couple hundred willing fightersthan two thousand jaded ones.”

Geralt nodded in agreement. “Should we change our minds, should we decide to jointhe fight—rest assured, we’ll reach out. I know enough mazir to send Mira or Kemi amessage from here.”

With a heavy heart, I had no choice but to accept their answer and be thankful wehad Arya’s group joining us. It was certainly better than nothing, given our direcircumstances.

“Thank you,” I said to Geralt, then turned to Arya. “And thank you, as well. We canuse all the help we can get.”

Mira sighed. “Take us to the shuttle, Esme. I’ve had enough of this island to last mecountless lifetimes.”

The Seniors bid each other farewell with long hugs and ardent kisses. Words of loveand kindness were passed around and hopes of a better future were shared. They weren’tsure they’d see each other again, especially if things were to go sideways with theDarklings. I understood why they were so fond of each other—they’d been forced to livehere together for millions of years. The Seniors were a community in every sense of theword, a nation unto themselves.

Kalon and I guided the two hundred Seniors—along with Arya, Mira, and Kemi—backto our shuttle. There was plenty of room to hold them all. We could’ve fit more, if onlymore had said yes. But at least we had these new allies to work with, and we weren’treturning to our group empty-handed. Or dead. Things could have gone a lot worse.

I turned the systems on, waiting for the control panel to light up. Holograms of thesurrounding geography appeared on the windshield, glowing orange as they gave us ourposition and everything else within a fifty-mile radius. We could even see the Darklingvessels anchored in the distance—incandescent dots pulsating across the ocean.

“This is a beautiful craft,” Mira said, settling in the chair closest to me. “I suppose ithas some weapons available, too?”

“It has stealth capabilities, deep scanners, defensive shields, its own biotech system,which allows us to live here for as long as possible should we ever get stranded in outerspace,” I replied. “And yes, it’s got weapons, too.”

“What kind of weapons?” Mira asked.I recognized a devilish glimmer in her eyes. As I kickstarted the shuttle’s take-off

protocol, and the latches closed, I began to wonder whether she had something specificin mind. “What kind of weapons would you like?” I replied.

“The kind that might obliterate those Darkling outposts,” she said, giving me a drysmile.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked. “If we do this, it’ll warn the Darklings. It’llput the Seniors we left behind in jeopardy. They might not be able to sneak out if theydecide to join us. I certainly won’t be able to fly the shuttle back there, even with itsinvisible cloaking.”

“You have Reapers and a dragon,” Mira replied. “There’s more than one way to getthe Seniors out of there if needed. We can destroy the force field, too, with the Reapers’help. It’s death magic. And rest assured, they won’t kill our people. They like us sufferingin isolation too much.”

“It’s okay,” Kemi added. “We do need to send a message to the Darklings. They needto know we’re not so easy to destroy, physically or mentally.”

Nodding slowly, I steered the shuttle away from the island and across the deep blueocean. Heading back toward the mainland, I could see the vessels stationed above water.Large ships with black-and-white flags mounted on poles—they weren’t even hidinganymore. The Darklings were proudly displaying their affiliation.

Kalon took the copilot’s chair, and I passed the steering controls over to him. “I needyou to keep her steady,” I said to him. “Can you do that?”

“Yes. The controls are similar to our airships,” he replied. “I learned to fly thosecenturies ago. I think I can handle this.”

“Low altitude, please,” I said, flicking on several weapon controls. “Mira would like usto obliterate some Darklings, and I would be more than happy to oblige.”

I didn’t want us to take more than one shot at this. The shuttle was invisible again,but the Darklings had tampered with the cloaking shield before. One round of pulverizerammunition would have to do against the five ships ahead. If we were to come back inorder to finish them all, we’d run the risk of them releasing a pulse to reveal us, and I

didn’t want to fly a visible shuttle across the ocean and the mainland all the way back toOrvis.

“You ready?” I asked Kalon.“Holding her low and steady,” he replied, hands firmly gripping the flight controls. He

seemed confident, and that pumped me full of adrenaline as I set the crosshairs at themiddle of the vessel cluster.

Switching to weapons control, I now had full range of motion over the Gatling-typepulverizer weapons on both sides of the shuttle. They moved in tandem, allowing me tofire them both at the same target.

“Enjoy the show,” I muttered, knowing that Mira and the others had their gazes fixedon the windshield as they were given a full view of the Darkling ships.

We were getting closer now, and the enemy couldn’t see us. This was the easiest winI’d ever get, but I was happy to take it, especially after the near ass-whooping our troopshad suffered back in Dieffen.

Pressing hard on the fire controls with both thumbs, I grunted as the pulverizer pelletswere shot at high speed and an even higher rate. I must’ve released over five hundredrounds in under a minute. They struck various parts of all five Darkling ships, exploding inpuffs of blue-and-white smoke.

The effect was immediate. Everything they touched simply disappeared in a cloud ofshimmering gray ashes. The ships fell apart, large chunks of disjointed metal sinking intothe water, but I kept firing until there was nothing left.

For Valaine, for my brother, for Sofia and Derek, for poor Nethissis, for Lumi, for Amaland Amane, for all our friends and allies who’d suffered at the hands of Darklings, Iemptied two whole massive clips into those ships. All that remained were grayishparticles dissolving into the ocean. None of the Darklings survived. I’d just seen themdisappear into nothingness, their souls left to wander across the ocean until a Reaperwould be kind enough to take care of them.

Mira laughed, clapping her hands. “That was beautiful!”We flew past the cluster, which was now reduced to mere ripples on the ocean’s

surface and lingering pieces of debris. Each pulverizer pellet had a certain amount ofphysical mass that it could destroy, which was why I’d needed both clips of two thousandrounds each in order to wipe out the entire fleet. And I didn’t have a single regret.

“We could do a lot with weapons like these.” Kemi’s eyes were wide with awe andwonder. “How do they work?”

“Trust me, you don’t want this kind of firepower,” I said glumly. “We only use them ifwe don’t have other options, and even then, it’s a drag—the pulverizer pellets can destroyan entire being in under a second. No one should have this in their arsenal.”

“But you do,” Kemi muttered.“We have a strict moral code we adhere to,” I said. “I don’t think GASP would share

this technology with Visio until you prove you can use it wisely. Imagine if the LadySupreme or the Master of Darkness got their hands on something like this.”

Indeed, imagine.What hell they would’ve unleashed upon anyone they considered an enemy, given

their already bloody track record. Both Kemi and Mira seemed to agree, but Arya’sresponse was the one I liked most.

“I guess we’ll just have to win this war and prove ourselves worthy of wielding suchweaponry,” she said. “I have faith in my people.”

“Good. We need that the most,” I replied. “We’ve got Reapers and ghouls on our side,as well. I think you’ll find our alliance to be quite colorful and diverse.”

“And the Unending?” Mira asked.“She’s working hard to remember who she is,” I said. “It’s not an easy journey, as you

yourself stated, but I have faith in her.”“No matter what happens, we’re stronger together,” Kalon chimed in, giving me a

confident and encouraging smile. “We’ve got more friends today than we did yesterday.That alone should give us the edge we need against the Darklings.”

I wholeheartedly wanted to agree with Kalon, so I gave him a single nod. Deep down,however, I was filled with all kinds of doubt. We weren’t returning from the island with allthe Seniors. Yes, two hundred of them were better than none, but still… I felt our forceswere incomplete. There was only so much that love could accomplish in the face ofadversity. Only so much that kindness could heal.

Even so, I dared not give up on us. We’d made it this far, and I had every reason tofight even harder going forward. I wanted a future with Kalon, no matter what it mightlook like or what we’d have to do to get there. I wanted us to have a shot at our owneternity.

We just had to destroy the Darklings first. Easy friggin’ peasy.

O

T R I S T A N

ur Orvis reunion was more bitter than sweet.Ridan’s crew returned first with far fewer than had left in terms of ghoul

forces. The dragon was conscious again, and although Kailani had bandaged hisscythe wounds, he would need a couple of days for a more serious recovery, and I wasn’tsure that time was on our side.

The Night Bringer was pleased to find Valaine in Phantom and Morning’s company,especially after they brought him up to speed on what had happened in the woods. Sofiaand Thayen stayed close, while Amane took hold of Ridan and handled the rest of hismedical care, thanking Kailani for all her help.

Rose and Caleb were befuddled, still reeling from the shock they’d suffered back inDieffen. Trev, the poor soul, was practically speechless and unable to look any of us inthe eye as Kailani and Hunter filled us in on the details.

Lumi and Sidyan stayed close to Seeley and Nethissis, who were joined by a still-injured Rudolph. We all gathered around the central tower as Kalla patiently listened toeverything we’d done or failed to do since our last council meeting.

The sun rose high overhead somewhere beyond the mazir haze, so I kept my headcovered, much like Caleb and Rose. Sofia wore a hood, as well, keeping an arm aroundThayen’s shoulders as she paid attention to the details from Dieffen.

“It sounds to me like they were extra prepared for your attack,” Kalla concluded at theend of Kailani and Hunter’s account. “They knew you were coming. My guess is they tookover Dieffen solely for the purpose of drawing you in.”

“And we fell for it,” Kailani grumbled, her arms crossed.“How are you feeling, Valaine?” Kalla asked, moving her focus away from the botched

raid. Valaine exhaled sharply before offering a mild shrug.“Better than this morning,” she replied. “But I still have a long way to go.”“You’ve already taken a great step forward by refusing to let this eat away at you,”

Phantom said. “I trust you’ll sail through the rest of the process.”“I thought you said it would be hard,” Valaine retorted.Phantom smirked. “I was trying to encourage you.”“I can’t believe it. I still can’t believe I got played this way.” Trev sighed, sitting on the

ground with his legs crossed and his shoulders slumped.

Soul chuckled bitterly. “They were a few steps ahead of us. That’s all. It doesn’t meanthey defeated us.”

“We had to retreat,” Trev reminded him.“And we’ll reassess our strategy,” Soul insisted. “This isn’t the end. You of all people

should know that.”Sofia nodded. “I agree with Soul on this one. We have the clarity and the ability to

rework a strategy that will get us Dieffen. We underestimated the Darklings, and it’sgoing to be the last time that happens.” She paused to look at Lumi. “Have you heardfrom Derek? Has he broken the green bead yet?”

“No. He knows to do that as soon as he senses a real threat to his life,” Lumi replied,“so I’m assuming he’s still happily gathering intel. The more he learns, the better it’ll befor all of us.”

“I’m scared to think of what else he might uncover,” Valaine muttered, slowly leaninginto me. “The last time, we learned my own father is the Master of Darklings and wantsto kill me.”

“Just don’t say things can’t get worse,” Nethissis replied. “Because they willautomatically get worse if you do. The universe has this way of screwing us over.”

Widow cleared his throat, demanding our attention. His galaxy eyes startled me—inthe absence of an expression, they were all I had to rely on for any kind of emotionalreading on the guy. For the first time, I could swear I was seeing genuine concern inthem.

“We lost most of our ghouls,” he said. “That alone is a tremendous problem, becausethe ghouls have an ability to shift from a subtle to a physical form. Without them, it’s onlyus Reapers, and the Darklings were savvy enough to draw a circle around the whole ofDieffen to keep us in there. We cannot risk another ambush like that.”

“Aside from the grim outlook, do you perhaps have something more optimistic toshare with the class?” Soul asked him, pursing his lips.

Widow shook his head.Phantom scoffed. “Figures. Let’s hope Esme and Kalon have had more luck.”As if summoned, the shuttle’s hum reverberated across the Nightmare Forest. The air

rippled as the invisibility shield was disabled. Esme had finally returned, and I spottedmovement through the windshield. She and Kalon were not alone.

“Do you think they have Seniors in there?” Thayen asked, his eyes round as hewatched the shuttle steadily land at the edge of the village.

“There must be some, at least,” I said. “I know my sister wouldn’t have come backwithout some help. She’s not the kind to take no for an answer.”

“How are you holding up, kiddo?” Trev asked, looking at the young prince while wewaited for Esme and Kalon to reach us by the dark tower. “You’ve barely said a word.”

“I… I don’t know. I’m safe here, so there’s that,” Thayen mumbled. “I miss my father…and I’m not sure how I feel about my mother.”

“You must miss her,” Sofia said.Thayen nodded once. “I do, but… she’s evil. She wants to hurt people, and I don’t… I

don’t think I could ever make her change her mind.”

“There is only so much you can do as her child,” Rose said. “Don’t beat yourself upover it. Whatever happens, know that you’re not alone. You’ll never be alone again, aslong as you’ve got us.”

Thayen gave her a shy smile. “At least I’m not the only one feeling like this. Ansel,Tudyk, and Moore are pretty much in the same boat.”

“Have you seen them today?” Lumi asked.“Yes. I took Thayen to see them,” Sofia replied. “They’re better now. I think Ansel is

playing a huge part in their recovery from an ideological point of view. They’re no longeremotionally bound to the Darklings, and they understand why all this is so wrong. We’llhave to keep working with the boys going forward, however. Petra will use them againstus without hesitation if she gets even half a chance. This is where Thayen comes in.”

“If anyone can teach them how to break away from their own mother, it’s me,”Thayen said, bitter sadness dripping from his soft voice. It broke me to see the kid feelingthis way, but I agreed with Rose. None of us would dare leave the boy on his own, nomatter what the future had in store for us.

Esme and Kalon came through, joined by a little over two hundred Seniors—I counted,noting three key figures who walked close to my sister. My first instinct was to run aheadand hug her, but I had a feeling she wasn’t ready for an emotional reunion. She’d broughtancient Aeternae to Orvis, and there was a certain dignity that came with such a feat. Iwas so proud of her, I could literally burst.

“Sorry it took us so long,” Esme said. “But it wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.”“Welcome,” Kalla replied, tapping the ground three times with the end of her staff.

“Welcome to Orvis, oh ancient ones.”“I temporarily disabled the cloaking shield to let you guys in,” Lumi added, bringing

her hands together and whispering the closing spell. Light shimmered from her fingersand spread through the invisible dome-shaped structure she’d placed over and aroundOrvis. The Seniors were now part of the protection magic, and I had a hard time lookingaway from them.

They were all beautiful creatures, tall and graceful and covered in flowing white silk.Their skin was luscious and slightly tanned. Their eyes glinted with a mixture of curiosityand determination. And their faint smiles gave me hope for the days ahead. Everythingabout the Seniors gathered around us told me the tide might eventually turn in our favor,even after the loss we’d suffered in Dieffen.

“Thank you for having us,” a tall Aeternae woman said, bowing politely before Kalla.“I’ve heard good things about this place. It’s a model for the rest of Visio, and I mustcongratulate you and all your forefathers for what was accomplished here.”

Kalla smiled. “You’re most kind, milady.”Esme went ahead with the introductions. That alone took a little while, as our crew

had suddenly gained two hundred new fighters, led by Mira Nasani, Kemi, and Arya.Thayen gasped at the sound of Mira’s last name. He couldn’t stop staring at her.

“Holy crap,” he muttered, as Mira looked his way.“You’re one of mine,” she said, her lips twisting into a timid smile. “You’re a Nasani. I

can see it in your eyes, your cheekbones. You’re Acheron’s boy, right?”

Thayen nodded. “Yes, milady.”“Call me Mira, please.”We spent the better part of an hour discussing the island situation with Mira and

Kemi. Arya stayed quiet for most of the conversation, listening and analyzing each of usin turn. I could see her eyes lighting up whenever they settled on one of the Reapers. Shewas fascinated by their presence, as were the other Seniors. The only other Reaper mostof them had met had been the Unending, prior to her entrapment.

As I got a better picture of their captivity at the hands of the Darklings, I couldcertainly see why they’d chosen to work with us. I also understood why the others hadstayed behind. With my comparatively few years of life, I could only imagine the Seniors’physical and mental exhaustion after all this time.

“I’m sorry you were made to suffer like this,” Mira said, walking toward Valaine. Uponreaching us, she dropped to one knee, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m truly sorry.”

Valaine was speechless. “I… thank you, I guess.”“You don’t remember me.” Mira looked up with a strained smile. “Or Kemi or Arya or

any of us, for that matter. The last time we met was a very long time ago.”“You know me,” Valaine murmured, her hand tightly gripping mine.“I know the real you. The Unending. I was among the first to receive your gift of

immortality. Most of the Seniors gathered here were there,” Mira explained, wiping hertears as she got up. “I didn’t understand what this was doing to you at the time. We wereall selfish, and we believed the Spirit Bender.”

“But Mira tried to save you,” Kemi said, his eyes twinkling with emotion. “She tried tohelp your first incarnation remember. And that wasn’t even the only time she struggled tofree you.”

“We fought the Darklings,” Arya added. “We fought them with everything we had.Eventually we realized we didn’t have the power or the knowledge to set you free, but wecould at least push back against the Darklings. I swear to you, Maker, we refused to letthem win or gloat in their victory for millions of years.”

Morning sighed deeply. “In the end, the Aeternae were as much victims as our sister,in that sense. With only the Darklings holding the key to her freedom.”

“We were not victims,” Mira corrected her. “We were complicit in one way or another,and unable to break free from the cycle that Spirit and the Darklings established. Wedidn’t fight hard enough. And we paid a heavy price. Kemi and me, especially…” Therewas more to the story than Mira was telling us, but I dared not bring it up. She wouldopen up and say more when she felt like talking about it. But one thing was clear—whatever it was, it was deeply personal and the root of much suffering for Mira and Kemi,in particular.

“But you’re here now,” Valaine replied. “That means more than you’ll ever know.”Mira shuddered, and I was stunned to see an ancient Aeternae so flustered and

emotionally beholden to Valaine. It was a deeply emotional sight, and I could feel myown eyes stinging with tears.

“I can only hope you’ll forgive us when you become your true self again,” Mira said.“We can’t possibly do enough to make up for our failure to protect you.”

Kalla chuckled softly. “You’ve done enough simply by showing up here. At least we allknow where you stand today. We know what’s ahead, and we can sleep a little bettertonight because we’re not alone anymore. You, the very first of your kind, have comehere with great strength and willingness to support us. For that, I must thank you. Visiowill owe you a great debt when this is all over.”

Seeing us gathered like this did give me a new kind of energy. After what I’d beenthrough with Valaine—and after everything my sister, my friends, and I had enduredalong the way—it was good to find myself in the middle of such a powerful gathering.

Reapers both young and as old as time, ghouls who’d had no say in what they hadbecome, a lost soul with an ability to wield Reaper scythes, a bunch of GASP agents whorefused to let evil reign supreme in this world, a village filled with people who’d decidedthat the Aeternae feeding on Rimians and Naloreans was wrong and unethical, a rebelRimian-turned-Aeternae, the sons of two Darkling Whips, and two hundred SeniorAeternae—it was an odd cocktail, to say the least, but a combination in which I hadplenty of faith.

Despite our mixture of failures and struggles, we were one step closer to victory here.I was ready to mark this down as a win and move on to the next stage. There was plentyof work left for us to do. The Darklings were still coming, and Derek was still dangerouslyclose to Danika and the other Whips. An all-out war with Visio wasn’t an option, either—not without massive collateral damage—so all we had was this uncanny crew of creaturesfrom all over… each of us willing to give it our all for the sake of a better Visio.

“Sofia, how are you feeling since you started taking the cure?” Esme asked, movingthe conversation away from the Darklings and the Unending for just a bit.

“I’m fine, physically speaking. Hopeful, even,” Sofia replied. “Amal says I can trytaking my hood off tomorrow, when the light is at its brightest. Technically speaking, Ishould be able to go out now and test the cure but… I admit, I have yet to gather thecourage, which is ironic, since this is what we came here for. It’s such a massive change,I’m still adjusting to the idea, let alone the act of stepping out into the light again.”

“Ah, the Aeternae gene got watered down by the time it reached you vampires, huh?”Mira said, not hiding her amusement. “I’m impressed you even exist.”

“Did you know them?” Sofia asked. “The Aeternae who ended up on Cruor? Basiliusand the others?”

Arya scoffed. “I knew them. Opportunistic pieces of trash, the whole lot. And to think Iwas supposed to be on that mission.”

“Yes, thank the stars you got arrested and shipped to the island,” Kemi shot back.“And you’re the one responsible for that Cruor mishap, right?” Arya asked the Night

Bringer, who offered a meek nod in return.“It was out of my control,” he said.“We know. Esme filled us in on the way here,” Mira interjected. “I suppose the Spirit

Bender’s actions reverberated across time and space.”“No one was really spared, if you think about it,” Rose said, a faint smile lingering on

her lips. “Had it not been for him, the Aeternae would’ve never gotten stranded with acaptive Night on Cruor. We vampires would never have been made. As a result, none of

the worlds we discovered would’ve developed to where they are today. I doubt I’d evenexist.”

“We wouldn’t be here had it not been for him,” Sofia murmured, the reality setting in,larger than life and death combined. “From this point on, however, we have the power toshape our future. To rid the world of everything he did wrong. To restore the balance heso carelessly and selfishly destroyed.”

The thudding of boots on the ground made me turn around. A young Rimian wasrunning toward us, his eyes bulging with what I could only describe as pure horror. Sweatcovered his face and drenched his shirt. He stopped in front of Kalla and nearly fell over,but the Nalorean chief grabbed him by the shoulders and held him upright.

“Take it easy, kid,” she said. “What’s wrong?”The Rimian boy was shaking like a leaf. I worried he might fall apart. “They’re…

they’re coming!” he managed, his throat dry, his voice faded.“Who’s coming?” Sofia asked, a deep frown settling between her eyebrows.“The Darklings!” the boy said.Without hesitation, we all made our way up the main road toward the northern edge

of the village. The Nightmare Forest loomed ahead with its rustling leaves and movingshadows, darkness reigning beyond the visible rows of trees. At the very end of whatcould be seen of the forest path, movement registered.

Black armor. Translucent ghoul hides. Trotting Vision horses.My stomach turned itself inside out as I understood what was happening. “They’ve

found us,” I whispered. “The Darklings have found us.”How could this be? We’d been careful. The village was hidden under swamp witch

magic and warded with death magic! This didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t just a groupof Darklings, either. At first sight, I estimated at least a couple thousand spilling over theforest path as they made their way toward Orvis.

Worst of all, Corbin was leading them.

I

S O F I A

t wasn’t enough that Corbin had my husband.Now he’d come for the rest of us, too. Bile rose in my throat while my heart

lost its steady rhythm, my pulse racing frantically. It became harder for me tobreathe as I held Thayen close and wondered how we might get ourselves out of thismess.

The Darklings were many. Thousands, at least.“It’s not just the black guards anymore.” Kalon gasped, staring at the incoming

convoy. “He’s got Crimson soldiers, too. Silver and gold armor, as well.”“And so many ghouls,” Soul muttered. “Did he keep them stored in jars somewhere?

What fresh hell is this?”“I don’t know,” Esme said. “How could they find this place?”Corbin led the convoy from atop his muscular Vision steed, a black leather cape

draped loosely over one shoulder. He stared ahead, but he seemed to be looking rightthrough us. They were getting close now, with only a couple hundred yards left beforethey reached the shield.

“They can’t see us,” I reminded everyone. “Lumi’s cloaking spell and the death wardsprotect us. I’m not sure they know the village is here.”

That was wishful thinking, and I knew it. Corbin would never have brought so manyfighters with him had he not known where he was going. They certainly had an idea, andthey were dangerously close to finding us.

My heart shrank to the size of a pebble as I stayed with Thayen. The poor kid had tobe scared, too. I was surprised to feel Mira’s hand on top of mine where it rested on theboy’s shoulder. I looked at her and found a reassuring, albeit weak, smile. “You knew thisday would come,” she whispered.

“Yeah, just not this soon.”“What do we do?” Rose asked. We were all gathered on the edge of Orvis, watching

as the Darklings approached us. There were too many of them, even with the Seniors onour side. Plus we had a village full of people to protect, many of whom were unable tofight . My critical thinking skills were severely handicapped, my mind sluggish with panicas I held on to Thayen and wished Derek were here with us.

“We stay quiet for now,” Lumi said. “They’ll bump into the cloaking spell any minute.

They’ll realize then that they’ve found us.”“How strong is your magic?” Kemi eyed the swamp witch carefully.Kailani took a deep breath, hooking her arm through Lumi’s. “The shield will hold

them back for a while but not forever,” the younger witch said. “We’ll need an exitstrategy.”

“I have my people to evacuate,” Kalla murmured as concern settled on her round face.“I must protect them all. If we stay here, we’re as good as dead.”

“Okay. How do we make our exit?” Rose replied. “Do we take the shuttles?”“Will they hold us all?” Kalla asked, glancing my way.I wanted to say yes, but then I noticed Corbin stopping. His eyes narrowed as he

seemed to look right through us. He raised his scythe in the air, the quarter-moon-shapedblade glistening as his lips moved. Something happened. A heavy weight came over me. Ifelt it in the pit of my stomach, as though a great force had come down on us.

“What just happened?” Kailani asked, her voice strained. She seemed uncomfortable.“I feel weird…”

Soul cursed under his breath. “That bastard just locked us in,” he said, gritting histeeth.

“What do you mean?” I whirled around to gawk at him. “What do you mean he justlocked us in?!”

“He knows we’re here,” he replied. “He must’ve spotted something that gave thecloaking spell away. He just launched a blocking net all over this entire area. I can feel it.We can’t teleport out of Orvis. Not anymore.”

My knees threatened to give out, and for a moment I thought I’d collapse. But onelook at Thayen, and I knew I owed it to him to keep a clear head. Rose prepared herpulverizer weapon, checking her pockets for ammo. “I guess we’ll have to fight them,”she muttered.

“Too many Darklings, and Corbin already has the upper hand,” Widow said.“Well, you’re a rain on this parade,” Kailani grumbled, hands on her hips. “What in the

blazes are we going to do?”“Maybe we can still use the shuttles,” I said. “We’ll have to move fast to get everyone

on board, and then we can—”“Attention, everyone!” Corbin’s voice boomed through the forest. He was only fifty

yards away and wearing a proud smirk as he stared ahead. “I know there’s cloakingmagic here. I could see the air rippling. Reapers, I’ve blocked your ability to teleport, and—as I’m sure you can see—I’m taking additional measures to make sure you’re not goinganywhere.”

Several Darklings split from the convoy, running all around the cloaking shield as theydrew lines in the ground with their scythes. Soul cursed again.

“Crap, they’re doing multiple circles, too,” he hissed. “Corbin really doesn’t want us toleave.”

If we’d seen them coming, we could’ve come up with a faster escape plan.Unfortunately, the Darklings had been one step ahead of us once again. I hoped this wasonly a bad dream, but pinching myself revealed the hard truth: this was all too real and

happening prematurely. We weren’t ready for this confrontation, not so soon after theDieffen failure.

“Don’t say a word,” Kalla whispered. “Let’s see where he’s going with this.”Corbin sighed, his nostrils flaring. “I can smell you all in there, you know. I’m not sure

what sort of swamp witch magic this is, but rest assured that I’ll break it sooner or later. Iknow there’s a village here where people are delusional enough to think the Aeternae canlive without feeding off the others. That alone is borderline criminal and must beeradicated before other settlements get any similar ideas. The Aeternae drink the bloodof Rimians and Naloreans. It’s in our nature!”

He sounded almost angry, as if the very existence of Orvis got under his skin. A slightpulse hit us from multiple angles, and I realized the circles were complete. For the thirdtime in a row, a slew of expletives left Soul’s lips.

“Son of a—” He stopped himself and took a deep breath as Kelara gave him a worriedlook. He noticed and gave her a brief nod. “It’s not over yet.”

“I know. We’re still here,” she murmured.“You’re probably surprised to see us here,” Corbin continued, by now understanding

we weren’t going to answer his call. “But I knew the Dieffen occupation would catch youreye. I knew you were hiding somewhere in the Nightmare Forest, but this place is toobig. I needed a way to narrow down the search. I had scouts waiting all around Dieffen,hidden and ready to follow you back. I knew you’d be forced to retreat after failing somiserably there. Foolish Reapers, always getting in over your heads.” He chuckled butquickly resumed his serious demeanor. “I’m here for Valaine. I want my daughter back.”

Valaine gasped, covering her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes. Tristan held herclose, flanked by Phantom and Morning.

“It’s time for you to die, my darling,” Corbin said, loudly enough for the entire villageto hear. “It’s time for you to do your duty and restart the cycle. Five thousand Aeternaehave already died. You cannot let our species disappear like this. Come out and do yourduty.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Tristan whispered in her ear. “It’s not your responsibility at all.”“I know,” she replied, struggling to hold herself upright.“There is only one way that this is going to end, Sofia!” Corbin continued, shifting his

focus to me, even though I was nowhere in his sight. “You have the power to stop this.Let Valaine come to me and back off. I’ll let you take Derek back. I’ll even grant you safepassage off Visio if you no longer get involved. Forget about the Black Fever cure. You’retoo much of a liability for us to consider you our partners any longer. You’ve done enoughdamage, and I cannot risk you making things worse. Give me Thayen, give me Valaine,and I’ll give you your husband back. Leave, never to return, and everyone will be happy.”

“That’s a crock of—” Soul blurted, but Widow shushed him.“Hold on,” he whispered. “Let the megalomaniac speak. This is his opening statement.

He’s got us trapped here, anyway. Maybe he’ll reveal something we can use.”“I lured you to Dieffen because I wanted the Reapers to understand that the Darklings

are not to be underestimated,” Corbin said. “We are ancient and blessed by the SpiritBender. His foresight was unrivaled, and he knew this day would come. We have spent

nearly five million years preparing for this confrontation. You, on the other hand, have noidea what you’re dealing with. That’s obvious from how easily you fell when I dangledDieffen under your noses. All I needed was to get you there, and I knew you’d lead meback to Valaine. I can feel her. I know she’s here. It’s time for her to come out. Oh, anddon’t even think about using your shuttles. We have eyes on the sky. We can spot thefaint ripples of your invisibility spells now. You won’t get far.”

Nethissis exhaled sharply. “We can’t let him win.”“We won’t,” I said. “We’ll figure something out.”“Sofia… we’ve got another problem,” Lumi said, pale as a sheet of paper.“What is it?” I asked, my anxiety reaching new and impressive peaks. Any more bad

news, and I might have a stroke at this point.“Derek broke the green bead. I felt it, just now,” she said.My entire world came crashing down around me, and I could feel myself breaking on

the inside. “And you can’t teleport out of here with Sidyan because Corbin grounded allthe Reapers,” I murmured, the issue coming into focus. “Oh, God…”

My husband needed to escape. We needed to escape. And none of us could doanything because the Darklings had orchestrated this whole thing since before Dieffen.They couldn’t comb the entire Nightmare Forest to find us, since it was such a vast anddangerous place, but they’d known they could track us back here.

“I’ll be damned if I let this bastard ruin our plans,” Kemi said, pressing his lips into athin line. Mira appeared to agree. Her demeanor was defiant and proud, for she wasunwilling to compromise or bow before the Master of Darkness and his throng of fiends.

“We came here to help, and that’s what we’re going to do.” She looked at me, then atKalla. “Get your people ready. We will work out an escape.”

“How?” I asked. “They’ll shoot the shuttles down the moment we take off. TheReapers can’t zap us out of here, either.”

I wasn’t helping, and I wasn’t providing any comfort to Thayen. I needed to pullmyself together. My team needed me. My husband needed me. Our daughter was here.Our friends. We’d come too far, were too close to a shot at victory, to give up now. And Isure as hell didn’t plan on handing Valaine over for the Darklings to continue tormentingher.

Besides, Death needed the Unending now more than ever. Death was the only onewho could put an end to all this before the Darklings claimed more lives. Thayensqueezed my hand, signaling me to glance down at him.

“We’ll figure something out,” he said, affectionate in his bid to reassure me.Mira chuckled softly. “The kid has courage, that’s for sure.”“We can dig a tunnel,” Thayen suggested, and suddenly everything made sense again.

The fog cleared, and my mind bristled as I quickly made the calculations in my head.“He’s not wrong,” I said quietly, looking at Mira.“I have not spent half my life protecting Orvis to have these monsters destroy it all,”

Kalla said, raising her chin. “If I have to dig my way out of here, dammit, then I’ll dig untilmy fingers bleed.”

Lumi smirked. “No need. You have two swamp witches with you.”

“Plus a handful of Reapers,” Seeley added, equally encouraged. “Digging a tunnel in aridiculously short amount of time isn’t impossible.”

“We’ll have to make it long. Really long,” Kelara said. “The Darklings might expect usto try to escape on foot.”

But it was Esme who really brought us all together. “We just need to get as far awayfrom Corbin’s blocking spell as possible. Once we do that, the Reapers can teleport us outof here.” She looked at me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Lumi and Sidyan will go afterDerek as soon as they’re out of the spell’s range. It’s not over, Sofia. Not even close.”

That was all I needed to fully regain my spirit—the idea that we still had a way to getout of here and to save Derek. As long as there was the smallest inkling of hope, wecould beat this.

“Corbin can’t outsmart us all,” Kalon said. “They have darkness and murder on theirside, but we have light and justice. That’s got to count for something.”

It did. The Darklings had come to our very doorstep, brazenly demanding oursurrender. It shouldn’t have come as a shock, since we’d repeatedly discussed theirresourcefulness and ingenuity. They had spent five million years making sure theUnending didn’t even remember who she really was, much less try to break free from herthree seals.

But we’d been to hell and back more than once. We’d stared destruction in the faceover and over, and every time we had prevailed. We had risen above the flames. We hadwon.

Survival was deeply embedded within our genetic code. And so was honor. Goodness.Love. Freedom. Our motivations carried more power and grace than anything theDarklings had to throw at us. Yes, they’d found Orvis, but we were nowhere near done.

In fact, we were only just beginning.

A S O V 8 4 : A M E M O R Y O F T I M E

Dear Shaddict,Thank you for reading A Bender of Spirit!ASOV 84: A Memory of Time releases December 31st, 2019. Not long to wait!Pre-order your copy now and get it delivered automatically on release day:Amazon US: Tap hereAmazon UK: Tap hereAmazon Australia: Tap hereAny other country: Tap here

Happy Holidays, and see you soon!Love,Bella x

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R E A D M O R E B Y B E L L A F O R R E S T

DARKLIGHT

(NEW! Vampire romance)

Darklight (Book 1)

Darkthirst (Book 2)

Darkworld (Book 3)

Darkblood (Book 4)

HARLEY MERLIN

(Fantasy/romance/adventure)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)

Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)

Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)

Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)

Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)

Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)

Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)

Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)

Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)

THE GENDER GAME

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Gender Game (Book 1)

The Gender Secret (Book 2)

The Gender Lie (Book 3)

The Gender War (Book 4)

The Gender Fall (Book 5)

The Gender Plan (Book 6)

The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

THE CHILD THIEF

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Child Thief (Book 1)

Deep Shadows (Book 2)

Thin Lines (Book 3)

Little Lies (Book 4)

Ghost Towns (Book 5)

Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

(Supernatural romance/adventure. Completed series.)

Hotbloods (Book 1)

Coldbloods (Book 2)

Renegades (Book 3)

Venturers (Book 4)

Traitors (Book 5)

Allies (Book 6)

Invaders (Book 7)

Stargazers (Book 8)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

(Supernatural romance/adventure)

Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

A Gate of Night (Book 6)

A Break of Day (Book 7)

Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

A Spell of Time (Book 10)

A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

An End of Night (Book 16)

Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

A Wind of Change (Book 17)

A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

A Vial of Life (Book 21)

A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

A World of New (Book 26)

A Web of Lies (Book 27)

A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

An Hour of Need (Book 29)

A Game of Risk (Book 30)

A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

A Day of Glory (Book 32)

Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

A Race of Trials (Book 35)

A King of Shadow (Book 36)

An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

A Power of Old (Book 38)

A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

A Tide of War (Book 41)

Series 6: A Gift of Three

A Gift of Three (Book 42)

A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

Series 7: A Call of Vampires

A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

A City of Lies (Book 55)

A League of Exiles (Book 56)

A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

Series 8: A Voyage of Founders

A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)

A Search for Death (Book 73)

A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)

A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)

A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)

A Fate of Time (Book 77)

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires

An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)

A Game of Death (Book 79)

A Veil of Dark (Book 80)

A Bringer of Night (Book 81)

A Circle of Nine (Book 82)

A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)

A Memory of Time (Book 84)

A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

A Shade of Dragon 1

A Shade of Dragon 2

A Shade of Dragon 3

A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

A Shade of Kiev 1

A Shade of Kiev 2

A Shade of Kiev 3

A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

(Contemporary romance)

A Love that Endures

A Love that Endures 2

A Love that Endures 3

THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

The Breaker (Book 2)

The Chain (Book 3)

The Keep (Book 4)

The Test (Book 5)

The Spell (Book 6)

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

(Supernatural romance)

Beautiful Monster 1

Beautiful Monster 2

DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

(Adult thriller/mystery)

Lights, Camera, GONE

Write, Edit, KILL

For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

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