Page 93 of Vibing Unity

And they were smart enough to know that about me.

Gambit gave me kisses in thanks and my dad as well.

I smiled when my dad took my hand and we watched the camera guy take some footage of the babies.

“I’m glad there’s new life after you had to take life, Daughter,” Lageos whispered. “Your life will never be easy, and you will always have too much on your shoulders. I know the roller coaster is too much for you at times—and it would be for anyone smart and caring—but I’m happy there are these sorts of highs you get to experience. Your life will be so full that way.”

He was right. He was absolutely right even if things were too rough, the highs were worth it, and I just had to remember that.

And every year it seemed like there were fewer lows as more and more people were finally on my side.

Most importantly? I was glad we were okay now. Really okay.

24

A few weeks later, everything was going really well. I was in a good place with each of my guys and I’d made up with my dad. I healed the other wing of that fairy who lost his whole family in the war and he ended up taking a civilian administrative job helping Stefanie since he had an accounting background. She said he was thriving.

While grieving. So it wasn’t all better, but he found his place in life and that was amazing. Truly.

Neldor and I had helped a few more children. Once the shock passed and people pulled their heads out of their asses—most of them at least—the crazy chilled. Most also accepted the statement we released especially when we set up a system to basically register for the waiting list. But it was also great for training and getting more healers experience.

Here and in Faerie.

Now that all the fairies were awake besides the queens, people were ready for the next step. I basically told them that was great, but there was only one person who got a vote on that.

Well, two. I got a vote too, but really it was Neldor.

He finally admitted that he didn’t know if he’d ever be ready, especially since he would always be hurt by what she’d done, but he agreed it was time. So we decided to do it on a Saturday morning and then get fucking plastered.

Likeseriouslyplastered.

The commanders were on board with that and needed the break as well, so they let their right hands know what we were doing and they would have to handle everything. And my guys wanted to be there for us. Izzy. Claudia. The list spiraled out like it normally did.

I simply sighed and shot Neldor a look. Really, we could never just have us.

“They loved her or love us,” he said with a shrug before swallowing loudly. “Okay, you do your thing and I’ll catch her.”

“Nel, I can do—” Taeral started to say.

“No, I wasn’t here when she fell into the darkness and died,” he choked out. “I should be here to catch her and get the…”

I nodded. The process of burying her in the family crypt started. I had to put the magic on her later as an heir, but—it was a whole process just like any other species with beliefs.

I let out a slow breath and knelt in front of her. “Find peace, Elora, and may the gods be just. I can’t ever forgive you, but you are definitely not the only one to blame.”

“No, she’s not,” my dad agreed, sounding emotional as well. “And I no longer want her to burn, but I cannot forgive her either.”

“But the fact you’ve gotten this far from hating her is why Meira loved you so much, Lag,” Iolas said quietly. “We all feel the same. Now that we know the truth—enough. We’ve said it all.”

Yeah, we really had.

I glanced at Taeral, waiting until he nodded and then Neldor. Good, I wanted to get it over with.

I built power, my magic making it clear I would need more than I originally thought. She wasn’t simply one normal fairy to wake. I knew that. Of course I did, but I thought more in termsof Neldor, but she was so much more powerful than him, and he hadn’t even had his wings when I’d woken him.

I gasped the moment it happened, feeling it click into place and pulling her own magic off of her.

But also because of everything I felt in that moment as well.

---