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Their vessels, the bodies that walked with them, lay dead, but were they really dead if the elements that gave each person life, to begin with, were still empowered and thriving?

I looked to my right, and Dorian kneeled with me. He reached out his hand, and I clasped it in mine.

Caleb’s body was a few feet from where I kneeled, and I inched toward him, dragging my knees against the prickly grass. After I placed the back of my bloodstained fingers on his cheek, caressing his skin, I looked at the others.

“Joel?” I said. He had stood silently by the tree, holding on to Lily, waiting for me to speak. His and Lily’s eyes were puffy and red from crying when they had thought I was gone forever.

This wasn’t a moment to embrace each other and celebrate because I was alive.

No.

An evil man lay dead behind us with his heart ripped out. A man Lily loved, and she now knew he had lied to her to get to me.

There was nothing to rejoice about at that moment. Four members of my family—my coven—lay dead before us. They had sacrificed themselves for me.

Joel was now by my side, and Dorian moved over, allowing Joel to bring me to my feet. “We need to find four coffins,” I said. “The three of us will perform a spell that will preserve their bodies until the day I find a way to bring them back.”

Joel nodded. “My spell book has one, but it’s dark, Mercy. It’s dark magic, and I’ve never performed it before. The spell will last as long as their spirit is tied to the earth.”

“Then we do it,” I said. “We do it, Joel.”

I didn’t care that it was dark magic. They were not leaving me.

“We’ll keep the coffins locked in our family’s mausoleum on 34thStreet in Salem,” I said. “We’ll do it tonight before their bodies decompose.”

Lily walked toward me and brought me in for a hug. I squeezed her tightly in my arms while the tears I held back now fell freely down my face.

“You’re alive. I know that doesn’t mean anything to you right now, but it does to me. I couldn’t lose you, too,” Lily said as she released me and turned to face Joel. “We need to do the spell now. I’ll help you gather what’s needed.”

While Lily and Joel went into his house, I turned to face Dorian, who was now by my side.

We watched each other for a tiny, still moment before I said, “It’s gone, Dorian.” I placed my hand on my chest.

He tilted his head slightly. “What’s gone?”

“The spell,” I said. “When I died, the spell I did died with me.”

It took him a moment to realize what I was saying. Then his eyes grew wide. “All of it?” A faint smile pulled at his lips.

I walked closer to him and brought my hands to his cheeks, caressing his jawline with my fingers. A tear rolled down my face, and he wiped it with his hand. Slowly, I reached out, wrapping my hands around his neck to pull him closer to me until our lips touched. Dorian gently placed his hands on each side of my face, drawing us deeper into our kiss. It was passionate, loving, and filled with centuries of undying love. The feeling in my heart showed me I could never take it away again.

I wanted to embrace the emotions my body was screaming for, but my heart also ached from losing my family.

I would search for a way to bring my coven back and continue the mission to save this world from creatures like Maurice. My archenemy was still out there. Kylan’s spirit was still out there too, and lives would be lost for as long as they walked this earth.

But atthismoment, it was only us.

Me and Dorian.

And I was in love with him.

EPILOGUE

Maurice

I LOOKED DOWN at a pile of ash at my doorstep and shrugged.

Fucking Jade.I should have killed her years ago. Then a realization struck me.

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