Page 140 of An Inheritance of Monsters

These reports began with Sarah’s diary, chronicling the history of this island exactly as Elizabeth had told me it had been.

Now I was the keeper of the records, and the Lady of Dark Waters.

Already the ghosts of the bay swarmed to me instead of Elizabeth, looking for guidance. On stormy days, I found myself pacing the shore, singing lullabies to the spirits to lure them towards the idols.

Voraal often accompanied me in the cover of darkness, his shadows keeping the rain off me, cloaking me in shadows as I sang for them.

And though the twoMlul’drahad cleared out the Dagonites, who had desperately rushed for human sacrifices to awaken Lord Dagon, we now watched closely for odd people on the water.

I was strongly in mind of Porter Hudson as we kept a close eye on unknown sailboats. It didn’t take much for a fragile human mind to be called by the Void, swayed by the sleeping Elder Gods who lurked within.

In all but experience, the mantle of the position was now mine, but I had many years to discover everything this entailed… and my monsters would always be with me.

I had also looked myself up on the internet one day, curious about my erasure from existence.

It was true. The only mention of Juno Weaver I could find was a reference in an online textbook: that she was the current owner of Duskwood Manor. Nothing else was known about her.

And when I’d dared to pick up my phone again, neither Sierra nor Crispy had remembered me.

Sierra was fine, though she had suffered a concussion. The Coast Guard had picked her up within hours of one of the worst storms of the century crushing Innsmouth, as well as Eloise Doyle’s body.

But it was when I spoke to Crispy that my throat had tightened with tears, knowing my oldest friend would never remember me.

He was recovering, with only vague memories of Duskwood Island, and he believed he was creating a new show calledSpirit Squad.

That was good enough for me.

I wished them both well on their journeys, wherever they went.

But now that Elizabeth had finished with her mortal life, it was time to say goodbye. She’d paid her dues, served her time, and now she had a forever of bliss to look forward to with her monsters.

I watched as Nadhu rose, Elizabeth comfortably cradled in his facial tentacles. She raised her hand. “If you ever need help, I will come. But you’re a Marsh woman, Juno. The island will answer to you.”

Xiar became a tornado, stepping out over the water. Shuzen rode in Nadhu’s enormous hand.

I’d asked her where she was going. She’d just laughed and told me she didn’t know; they would simply explore the Void.

Enjoy each other. Live their lives the way they wanted to.

It sounded like a damn good happy ending, in my humble opinion.

“Thank you for everything.” I waved as Nadhu stepped deeper into the sea, his wings held aloft like sails. “I’ll take good care of it.”

Elizabeth grinned, the wind ruffling her hair. “I know you will.”

Voraal, Rask, and Zirin stood around me, all of us watching as the Lady emeritus and her entourage vanished into the glimmering sea.

“I wonder how far they’ll go,” I murmured, still watching that spot on the horizon where they’d vanished.

The Void has no end and no beginning. They could go forever. Zirin’s tentacles slithered over my shoulder as he spoke, caressing my hair.

I gripped one of Rask’s fingers, my new bracelets clinking around my healed wrists. He’d made them for me out of shards of smooth sea glass.

Now that I was always subject to aMlul’dra’s fussing, I often found myself covered with multiple glimmering things, including the skeleton key and the sapphire necklace he’d given me.

Voraal’s shadows touched my bare skin. “No fear, my little mate. We’re here for you. We will always be here for you.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be good enough,” I whispered. It was the only shred of fear I had left in me.

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