Page 111 of Bright Soul

Wren held up her phone in echo to the redhead. “Someone’s got to record you defeating a goddess. We just won’t stream any fight with torchbearers if we can help it.”

“You’re all the best. I thought…well, I thought you’d want to be safe,” I said. “But I guess none of us will be. Not even Ambrose. Would you go back to being yourself, please?”

He transformed back to his changeling form and made a dramatic bow. “It’s still Willow’s turn to talk,” he said.

“Well, what I do next depends on how much danger Ambrose finds. I might go find my place in my alleged father’s city or hide from the mer if it turns out a lot of them want to kill me,” she said, scratching the back of her head with an uncertain tilt to her lips.

“Play it by ear,” Roe suggested.

“Yeah. I guess that covers everyone but Cress and her circle. What’s next?” she asked me.

“Um…” For all my fantasizing about the white picket fence life with my three men, I couldn’t imagine returning to my quiet dorm room with the empty bed where Lanie used to sleep. My life had grown too large and busy to fit back into that box, even though I knew I needed classes and a degree to eventually get an ideal job. “I’m going to debate whether or not to tell NSU that I’m a hybrid witch, so I can learn more celestial magic. And hopefully move out into an apartment big enough for my circle.”

“Staff quarters,” Ben suggested. “You and Geo can move in with Big P and me.”

Phaeron huffed a skeptical breath. “Implying I’m still employed at Moongrove Library. I intend to resign anyway, as I’d rather cut off part of my tail than work for Dr. Aurina.”

“While he searches for a job, I intend to be gainfully employed with the SPDI. I’ve been texting my old friend, Marl.” Geo held up his own phone. “He’s a fellow gargoyle who’s served for decades. They’re always looking for durable talent.”

Amusingly, I felt a dissonance between Phaeron and Ben’s reactions. The former nodded in approval, while the latter balked at the idea of Geo becoming a member of the supernatural police. But it suited him, I thought. Criminals would rue the day they crossed Officer Geo.

“Officer Darkmore,” Phaeron whispered behind his hand, in response to my thoughts.

Right, they had my name now. I kept forgetting.

“Well, I’m going to be a student,” Ben said. “Just throwing that out there. I’ll major in something useful and even go to class.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I said, a sentiment most of the coven echoed.

I looked down at my cup of wine, left untouched where I’d rested it on my thigh. Most everyone had finished their taste of alcohol by now. Taking a sip, I recognized that it was amilder wine, both bitter and sweet notes mingling on my tongue. Kind of like this moment, a bubble of peace right before the uncertainty of tomorrow. Sweet, but bitter with the knowledge that there was a chance we’d lose someone who’d chosen to stay with us until the very end.

39

GEO

We woke early and traveled to the hospital to join a gathering of fighters. Those staying behind to fight Myuna and her torchbearers filled the foyer, where instead of gathering to witness a mating circle ritual, all attention was on Madigan to explain to us how the upcoming battle would go.

Madigan spoke up, the acoustics of the room causing her hearty voice to echo up to the people lining the second floor landing. “We want to stir up Myuna’s forces and cause them to meet us at the lake where our ocean gate lies. To generate as much motion as possible, you have been divided into one of five teams to escort noncombatants from either the hospital or one of our four safe houses.”

A few glanced my way as I gave a grinding nod. I was in my stone form, placed prominently behind Madigan as the leader of team four. While I’d be flying there, most of the team would be driving and then we would approach the battlefield on foot, as our assigned safe house was closest to the lake.

“You have full authority to use lethal force on any torchbearer you meet today. They will certainly be doing their best to kill us,” Madigan continued. “We are outnumbered and outmatched if our intel is accurate and they are able to use their magic and wits against us.”

A hush of voices followed her declaration, some astonished looks being passed around. Many of those staying were the Crystal fae and guardian witches of Ashbough Protective Services, who had been spending their time defending our territory until the recent lull in activity. They knew about as much as the handful of doctors and nurses who’d dressed themselves in distinctive colors for battlefield triage.

“However, we do have the element of surprise. King Coral has promised to send myrmidons to help us defend the ocean gate. It is our chance to fight beside fresh and rested merfolk right next to their element. The tide of battle may easily turn to our favor here, pun intended.” She paused for a moment, waiting for a few groans amongst the crowd.

“While we engage the torchbearers, our noncombatants will be fleeing through the ocean gate to safety. I know it may seem counterintuitive, but we want as much torchbearer attention as possible while our civilian count dwindles. It’s a bait and switch, folks. We will be teleporting using dimensional magic the moment the gate closes and the myrmidons leave.” She glanced over at Auric, beckoning him over.

“We’re not mentioning the Void?” Cress asked quietly. She held hands with Ben a couple paces away, where they stood with the cluster of their coven.

Ben shrugged. “I still don’t think I understand what it is,” he whispered back.

There was no Phaeron present to attempt to explain it again. To get the last librarian witches to leave their posts at the library, he’d promised to personally defend Braza. I knew he’d rejoin uswith her powercore half safely secured in his dragon scale. The only person who would truly remain at the library was Lucas, awaiting a delivery of Carly in one last containment room.

I could only hope that his unusual new magic could do something for her. Cress would never forgive herself if we lost her sister, especially this close to the end of everything.

“All right, listen up,” Auric said gruffly, cutting through the crowd’s murmuring. “Many of you haven’t met a dimensional that looks quite like me. I specialize in, ah, teleporting. My magic will look like a heat mirage. You will want to be ready to disengage from any fight and cluster up, else I’ll end up leaving you behind. The actual relocation will take three seconds, if that, and you will feel an intense chill on your skin. Questions?”

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