Page 74 of The Dark Rises
I turn to Arden, Theron, and Callyx. “I can’t thank you enough for all of your help. I’m not used to having friends. But I know we couldn’t have done this without you. We’ll return to The Abbey once we take care of Leandra’s ashes.”
Meri standsat the edge of the black, jagged cliffs. The Flames of Hell burn below us, a field of eternal death. She taps the glass with her nail as she chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know whatto say. All these years, I never thought I was enough. Not enough power, not smart enough or mean enough or pretty enough. The list goes on and on.”
She shakes her head, then smiles. “Now I know she never even saw me as a person. I was a tool for revenge. Nothing more or less. Honestly, I don’t know if she could care for anything. Her heart died with her daughter. She chose her path a long time ago.”
Tipping over the pitcher, she pours the ashes into the fire below. “Today, I take with me the lessons of the past but not the bitterness of it. Strength. Courage. Freedom. Love. Those are the pillars of the path I choose to follow going forward. Our destiny is ours to define.” She tosses the empty pitcher into the fire, turns her back, and throws her arms around the three of us. “Right?”
My heart swells with her words. “Fuck yeah it is. Let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
MERI
Leandra and Denir vanquished. Cormal’s sister saved. Power removed. We’re alive. All wins. Yet Madoc faces another trial, and according to him, only one other Fae has ever survived it. Biting my lip, I try to squelch the fear rising in me. At least we get to come with him.
Alia. Leandra’s revenge for her daughter’s death may end up costing thousands of Fae their lives. Tensions are high among the light Fae. Many are picking to fight with the Fire Fae instead of holding out hope for the rights the treaty promises. Dark Fae, especially the Lesser Fae, were already leaving to join the revolution, and the death of King Denir will only increase their numbers by the thousands.
The light Elven land is still in chaos, according to Fallon. His mad father the king rules a small portion of the kingdom, but the rest are trying to understand the benefits of freedom. He’s helping them establish a coalition to continue their commerce with other realms and lands. It’s slow going. Most Elven are usedto the land and king providing for their needs, but he says they’re finally starting to understand that establishing a strong economy is necessary for their future.
The dark Elves are flourishing under Arden’s father’s rule. All the years he spent as one of the people helped him gain valuable insights into the challenges they face in their daily lives. He’s been working to establish rights for all his people. Arden said he’s using the treaty we drew up with Fisk as a guideline.
If Madoc doesn’t get the crown, what will become of the Fae? If he does get the crown, he’ll have to go to war.
The Water Fae were content with the treaty to establish their rights. They dreamed of owning land in the Light Fae Kingdom and passing down those rights of equality to their children.
The Fire Fae sneer at the same rights, demanding their freedom. But I see the feverish light burning in their eyes. The repression they’ve endured for years. They want war.
The three of them find me on the roof, staring out at the massive city surrounding The Abbey. A mix of supernaturals and humans, it accepts everyone. Is this the future? Will the individual lands and realms eventually wither or implode until all that’s left is this one?
“Mm, we thought we’d find you here,” Rivan remarks, jumping up on the ledge to peer at the people on the streets. “It’s hard to think of living in a place like this with no space to breathe. Everyone scurries from one place to another. Pockets of community but no tribes.”
Cormal lifts a shoulder. “I quite like the teeming masses of sin and corruption. Maybe I should open up a casino here. The profit margins would be astronomical and the seedy underbelly a bottomless source for The Underworld’s eclectic tastes.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You mean the demons who would pay you to point out a greedy customer or one willing to sell their soul.”
Cormal’s grin is sin itself. “Exactly.”
Madoc stares up at the sky. “I want to go home. Where the constellations differ, and the land is as familiar as the lines on my hand. You can’t even wear a damn sword here.”
Sensing his turmoil, I wrap my arms around him. “What you have survived, no other Fae can claim. Not even your precious Konnyr. Monsters so dark and depraved they can only live in The Below.” He drops his head to look at me. “How long were you there again? Ten years? A hundred? Nope. You’re badass. Spending three thousand years in the blackest of holes. The gauntlet should be a piece of cake.”
He snorts, but I can see his mind restructuring itself.
I trace a few of his worst scars. “Maybe you’ll even get some new souvenirs.”
Shockingly, he winks. “Only for you.”
Rivan jumps down and picks up his backpack. “I’ve picked out a few runes I think will work for what you’ve described. Still within the rules. None of them will dull the pain as they strike you, but once you’re through, the numbness and healing will kick in.”
Madoc stares at him in surprise.
Rivan tilts his head. “We’re in this together. The four of us. Forever, right? I’m sure as hell not leaving Meri, even if I have to put up with the two of you. I know Cormal’s never going away. What about you?”
Madoc walks over to the nearby table and chairs. “I’m in. For all of it.” His steel-grey eyes soften when they turn toward me. “Where should I put this new ink?”
My gaze drops to his cock, but his fierce expression makes me burst out laughing. “I’m kidding. A piercing, maybe, but not a rune.”
“Why don’t we create a design on your bicep? An intricate link of the runes interlaced with geometric shapes. Very few willbe able to see the difference,” Rivan suggests, sketching a quick design to show Madoc.
