Page 139 of A World of Ruins

I begin to see the memories of Idris flash through me. The night I lost him, how he cared for me, how much he loved me.

Every ounce of my being is infused with that power and strength. Darius clings to me as if I am his beacon of light, and I stare and stare at Aurum. His furious roar echoes through the air as the relentless force of the water engulfs him, pulling him and all his creatures into the swirling vortex of the river.

A gold and silver light then erupts from the water in a brilliant cascade, piercing the sky and silencing the battlefield. As it dims, returning the river to its original state, I stand still, paralysed from the shock of it all.

I finally turn to Darius. We’re left panting, staring at one another in disbelief. Sweat, ash, blood and so much more coat our faces, but it doesn’t matter. Not in this moment as he closes in on me and captures my lips, his hand resting on the back of my now tangled hair.

‘He’s gone,’ I whisper, needing it to be true.

Darius nods, his forehead rubbing against mine. ‘He’s gone,’ he affirms.

A phoenix lands on the ground in front of us, a bright light emitting from its body before it shifts and out comes Lorcan. He stares at us in shock before coming over and embracing Darius with a slap on his back. They part, their hands on each other’s faces as they smile.

Sarilyn looks at me from where she stands by the river and bows her head to me.

I return the gesture just as Lorcan taps my shoulder, and I turn to hug him. When I look back, Sarilyn has disappeared.

My smile falls, but I accept that she must go.

I hear the clangs as swords drop to the ground, and Aerians and Undarions turn to face each other, accepting defeat.

‘Darius!’ Freya emerges from the throng of Dark Elves carrying an unconscious Tibith in her arms. There is panic in her eyes. ‘He’s not moving, he—’

Darius and I immediately look at one another, and without needing to say a word, we run towards her. Gently taking Tibith from Freya, Darius kneels on the ground, his hands cradling the small, lifeless body. Tibith’s fur, usually bright and soft, is now matted with the grim residue of dust and ash.

Tears swirl in my vision as I hear Darius whisper his name, and I crouch opposite him, lightly brushing my hand over Tibith’s head.

‘Come on, Tibith,’ Darius begs. ‘We need to celebrate our victory – and we can’t do that without you.’

The world around me feels unbearably still, the silence stretching on as I sob quietly.

‘Tibith,’ Darius says again, his voice cracking.

Then, barely audible, a soft sigh breaks through the stillness. My breath catches in my throat as I see a faint movement beneath Tibith’s tiny chest.

I watch, not daring to blink as he stirs again, and those wide eyes flutter open.

‘Hello, Darry,’ he says, giving him a feeble wag of his ears.

Relief sweeps over Darius’s face as he chuckles and scoops Tibith further into his arms. He doesn’t let go for minutes, and we just sit there, crying and staring at each other, relieved and exhausted.

Link and Rydan come jogging over to join us. My brothers gather by my side, their presence a comfort as Illias kneels beside me and wraps an arm around me. Leaning my head against his shoulder, I take in this moment. All of it.

Kirian watches us from a distance, his usual scary demeanour now full of pride and gratitude.

‘Did we win?’ Tibith asks, making me focus on him instead.

My laughter is mixed with tears. ‘We did,’ I whisper, looking up as the rest of the survivors gather around us and a sense of sombre victory settles upon us all.

Aurum is gone.

And Emberwell survived.

CHAPTERSIXTY

SIXMONTHSLATER

Darius and I, our hands intertwined, gaze out at the crowd of shifters and humans. Their smiles and awe reflect the unity we have wished for them for generations. We now sit on the castle’s thrones, mine specially crafted for me, an exact replica of Darius’s, while the grand hall had to be rebuilt after the damage caused by Aurum’s pets.

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