Page 24 of Fates of Monsters

Emerson grips the back of my neck. “You will be lost in the magic of the swords. Just cutting a portal between the worlds is too much, but to use that kind of power… I won’t lose you.”

I rest my forehead against his, feeling Zurine watching us. “Let’s hope we don’t have to do that.”

“We won’t,” Emerson vows. “Or I’m sharing the power with you and dying at your side.”

My heart hurts, not just from Louie, but from the knowledge we might have to sacrifice ourselves to save our people. I wouldn’t be able to stop him from helping me, from tapping into the power. He is my mate, and our connection is too deep. We wouldn’t survive without each other, anyway.

Emerson holds his arm out for Zurine, who steps into his side. She won’t look at me as I cling to Emerson, and he spreads out his wings to fly. It will take us time, too much time, to get to the city, but we don’t have another way down. He flies straight out the window, my stomach lurching, and suddenly we are flying fast through the air on a current. I look down as we fly, faster than we ever could, to see the air goddess holding up her hand from the base of the mountain. She is helping us. It’s something. Maybe there is some good in her. A tiny bit. For Posy’s sake.

We land rather quickly outside the city gates leading into the mountains, within the crowds running or flying past us. The Rift soldiers and monsters are gone, and they likely died with Louie and the old god. Most haven’t even gotten into the city yet, and the lava is a couple of miles off. I rub my forehead. I’m so tired. “Maybe I can make a blockade with ice. Maybe we can find fae to dig a way around—”

“It won’t work.” Zurine steps in front of us both. She touches both of our shoulders. “When I was turned, I felt how much power I had, and I was terrified of it. I’ve never touched the deep pit of my power. I never felt like it was the right time to. But it is now. I need you both to let me save the city. Save you two.”

“No!” I shout at the same time as Emerson. “No, you—”

“But you can?” She looks between us. “Both of you can die for the city but not me?”

Emerson steps forward. “Zurine, you’re like a sister to me. I won’t let you, and I comm—”

She wraps her arms around him, and he lets me go to embrace her. “You’re the only brother I’ve had, not in blood but in our souls. My king, it has been an honor to know you, and don’t you dare command I don’t do this. I told you once that my life was nothing before you, and I meant it. I’ve been happy, free, and at peace in your court. It has been everything for me. Everything, Emerson.”

“I will not let you do this for me,” Emerson begins, but she smiles at him, and he stops. Zurine bows her head at Emerson, who looks broken, and she turns to me. I can’t lose her too.

She kisses my cheek before hugging me tightly. “Don’t do this. There has to be something else. Anything else. I have the swords—”

“Some power is never meant to be used,” Zurine gently whispers. “My sister, my friend. My queen. Goddess above, I will be thankful forever that I got to love you.”

“I love you too,” I cry as she lets me go.

Emerson tries to grab her, but she steps back. “No. Don’t you dare take this from me.” She points at the lava, at the destruction coming for our city. “I was born to nothing. Nothing. In a world where being nothing meant you got used and abused until you wished for death. If you die, no one will be alive to stop that world from continuing. I won’t let you stop me. I didn’t have a life before you. There was nothing. I was nothing. I didn’t want to live. Didn’t want to exist. I didn’t even know that there could be peace and happiness. Friendship and love.” She looks right at me, her purple and blue eyes alive and bright. Her silver hair flows around her shoulders in the breeze, ash sticking to her. “But there was. You were a brother to me through everything, and I am choosing to protect my family and the hope of a world where people like me are born to something. To hope. I’m choosing to protect you, my king and queen, because I know that you will protect this entire world.”

“Zurine,” Emerson croaks as I cling to him, my legs weak. I can save her; the swords—

The swords warm in my hand, almost burning me. This is the moment that the sword warned me… the deal I made. I can’t save Zurine. It was Zurine. My heart cracks as she looks at me and smiles widely before turning away.

Magic like I’ve never felt other than from Emerson explodes out of her in silver waves of sheer, freezing ice. It hits the lava in an explosion of mist, mist made of ice. Her power is beautiful as it swarms the lava, stopping it and spreading all the way to the mountain. She doesn’t stop and her magic grows, powerful and special. Just like Zurine Quarzlin. The ice spreads and spreads as I hold on to Emerson, and he holds onto me. She screams, the power coming from her impossible, and yet, it’s working. Emerson holds me, holds me tight because he needs me to hold him too. When the entire volcano is pure ice, silver and glistening, sunlight streams through the sky onto Zurine as she turns into ice.

Until there is nothing left of Zurine, the savior of us all.

ChapterSeventeen

Iglance up at the stone statue of Zurine as sunlight pours down from the clear skies, and in the distance above the mountains, I see a small rainbow. It’s beautiful here and if she were alive, she would think the statue is too much. Snowflakes make up her dress up to her waist, and she holds a sword in her hand. Her long hair looks like it’s moving in the wind, and the sculpture’s captured her face perfectly. It hurts to look at her sometimes, to know I won’t hear her laugh, see her smile. Sadness washes down my spine, and I shiver, tugging my cloak around me as I glance at the plaque at the base of the statue.

Zurine Quarzlin, Protector of Wyvcelm, who fell in the last war. Forever loved.

Three fae children run past the statue to the rows of water fountains behind her that lead the path into the distance. More snowflake statues mark the path, and I watch as one of the kids runs around it before going after her friends. They must be going back to the newly built city, a free city for fae, supernatural and Wyerns to live together if they wish. The fae and supernaturals are welcome in our city, but old hate dies slowly, and we all think they feel safer out here. The lava flattened everything out here, turning it into an ideal place to build on. We started building, rebuilding what will be a great city here not long after the end of the war. I think it’s a perfect memorial for her. She marks the path of the free, something she fought for. We’ll never forget what she did for us. I touch the base of the statue, looking up at her. “I miss you, Zurine. It hardly feels like it’s been eight months since you…” I drift off for a moment, my pink hair blowing around my face. “He misses you too.”

Lorenzo steps up next to me, arching his neck. “Hello, my lost friend. I don’t come here nearly as often as I should.”

“Considering the pressure you’ve been under since the war, and healing yourself, I’m sure she doesn’t mind,” I respond, because we both know Zurine cannot.

Lorenzo sighs, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a tight hug. “How have you been? Anything to tell me about?”

I shake my head as he lets me go. Lorenzo has been on a mission to search the destroyed cities for survivors, to offer help where we all knew it would be needed. I know he volunteered to go not just to help, but to look for the elemental gods. To make sure none of them are coming for his mate, who hasn’t spoken to him since the war. Sadness reflects in the depths of his eyes, and I know Posy is the cause of it. I can’t fix them. “Nope, you?”

We walk together, away from the statue and towards the gates that lead to the Wyern cities. My own guards follow close behind us, and I’ve given up trying to lose them. Emerson doesn’t trust everyone in the cities with me, so if I’m out here, then I have guards near me. “The elemental gods have disappeared, and there is no hint of them. We found many, many fae in need out in the world and brought them back with us. Some have stayed, but we left them with supplies to rebuild on their own. I will send Wyerns back to check on them every few months.”

“That’s a good idea,” I offer. I don’t know what to say about the elemental gods. I know they haven’t broken any of the rules I set for freeing them. I’d feel it if they did.

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