Page 88 of Finding Closure

I nodded and hugged his arm to try and signal that I was okay. He wrapped himself around me and kissed my hair. I lifted my head to see the others there and just as worried. “He bugged his dad or family until they caved and sent me a message. They made it to Paradise.”

Neldor reacted first, bursting out laughing—completely unable to control his reaction.

“About damn time, Lageos,” Darby chuckled, shaking his head as he moved closer to me. “I expected it sooner.”

“Me too,” a few other people said, shocking me.

It took a bit for us to all calm down, and I put a healing rune on myself before elaborating. “The visions aren’t supposed to be for selfish messages, but he pestered someone until they caved. It wasn’t his dad. It felt like an aunt or uncle who just couldn’t watch their niece or nephew upset.”

“That’s perfect,” Julian chuckled. “And he doesn’t want you to keep being so sad.”

I nodded. “He said no more kneeling here shriveling up or he’ll figure some way to zap you guys for not taking better care of me. Also, he set up the queue, so no more group visions to hurt me.” Another chuckle slipped out. “And apparently, Mom promises they won’t watch us in our suite. She won’t let him be nosy, and they’re going to enjoy Paradise too.”

“That’s so Meira,” Iolas choked out. “She was always reeling him in, and—I’m so glad they made it and together.”

Yeah, me too. We all were. Everyone was relieved… Except one was conflicted.

I met Neldor’s gaze and switched on my telepathy.“The god said it’s not for us to know. I’m sorry, but the living shouldn’t know the answers, but I have millions who need me to keep going, and given what I sacrificed, I gotonepass. Maybe someone will cave later and tell us more.”

“No, he’s right, and it’s not for us to know. She shouldn’t be in Paradise after what she did. I just don’t want her in Hades or at least not forever.”

I nodded in agreement but was glad when he dropped it and we focused on my dad being the goofball he always was. Only he would pester the gods until one caved and sent me a message to stop grieving.

I still did, but it wasn’t as bad. I cried, but I didn’t keep vigil, and—I stopped being unhealthy about it.

Mostly. Grief was hard and it always hurt us.

I did a bit better until it was time to put them in the family crypt. I got through it, but it was like some part of me stayed with them and was locked away.

I went through the motions, but it all felt really hollow. At least I had a whole huge castle to cleanse to keep me busy, right? It was quiet and peaceful at least.

Well, besides the one hiccup of some Guardians gossiping while I was in earshot. Apparently, some people thought something was going to happen when I unfroze my mom like when the last of the darkness was pulled off Faerie. They’d worried something more would happen with the spell Elora had cast or—I didn’t really know.

I just opened up a portal under them and sent them to the ocean. They needed to not be so stupid and crass to gossip about a woman in her own castle days after she was laid to rest in her family crypt.

Idiots.

A sentiment that was shared because Shael made it clear that the Guardians would be having some retraining and extra sensitivity training. Glad to hear it.

Truly, I was.

But after the whole castle was cleansed, I didn’t seem to know what to do with myself. I ended up doing Elora’s castle even if I was supposed to do it with Neldor. I felt him there for some of it, but I figured he’d forgive me.

I also cleansed myself before doing a couple of our vacation castles… Which weren’t normally done. So I’d done everything for tradition, and like what did I do with myself now?

I really didn’t know, but I realized I was at Artemis. I blinked around and stared out Julian’s old classroom. My detail was near, but we were all cloaked.

Seriously, where was my head?

Memory lane?

Could that help? I thought about it a moment and sort of mentally shrugged before deciding it couldn’t hurt. Everything had been so rushed with finals, graduation, and my coronation that I hadn’t really gotten a chance to say goodbye to the campus.

I started at my freshman dorm room, chuckling when I still felt some of the protective magic I’d put there. Was that on the other rooms we’d had?

Yes, yes, it was. Random witches would have some extra protection until it wore off if they were lucky enough to get my old dorm rooms. That was funny.

I went to check out Hudson’s old room, the climbing holds still there that River had placed for me. It was different now. Rearranged and definitely repainted since he’d graduated.

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