Page 14 of Fates of Monsters

“Of course, my queen,” he respectfully answers, and Zurine nods once.

I wait until the room is silent and take Emerson’s hand tightly in my grip. “When I spoke to Nerelyth, she told me something. Something that you need to hear.” I clear my throat, unable to keep the tears from wetting my eyes. “Felix and her, they were in a relationship. They were in love. It was sweet to watch how much they fell for each other in the Conquest of the Sea. All of us saw it, and how happy he was with her. He risked his life for her, cared for her. It was clear he was quite obsessed.”

Nathiel grins. “Never knew he liked sirens. He never dated or took anyone serious…” He pauses when he looks into my eyes. “Does she know where he is?”

I make sure to look right into his eyes. “He’s gone,” I say quietly. “I am so sorry. He was killed by the Rift King because he loved Nerelyth. He was killed to break her soul, and it worked.”

“NO!” Nathiel screams in pain, and Zurine bursts into tears, grief overwhelming everyone in this room. Felix was a good male, and he will not be forgotten. The ground shakes and snowflakes fill the air as Emerson lets me go and heads to his friend. He pulls him into a tight embrace as he howls and roars, turning into his monster form and losing all control. My heart shatters once again, seeing him break. Louie did this.

I walk to Zurine and hold her as her magic fills the room with snowflakes and makes it bitterly cold. Posy is pretty silent, but even I can tell she’s shaken silent. I lead Zurine out of the room with Posy and back to her room, leaving Emerson to calm his friend through the grief. I step out of Zurine’s room and look at Posy.

“So, what’s the plan and why don’t you want your mate knowing about it?”

ChapterTen

Posy simply looks at me for a long time, and for once, I can’t read her expression. I’m not surprised she is silent after I’ve told her everything in her room, and she knew it would be a long talk when she invited me in. This room is dark, everything from the black bedding to the walls that are black too. But the ceiling has hundreds of painted stars in every inch, and within them are tiny fae lights, so it actually looks like the starry night sky. There isn’t much personal in here, but she hasn’t had time to settle it. Everything I’ve told her is a lot to take in, and it’s personal. I’ve explained everything that I learned in the visions before Junepit City was destroyed, about her mother and what she wanted with Paxton, the earth god’s son. Now, she was still talking after learning all of that, but the fact I’ve just asked her to take me to her mother so we can make a deal with them has her silent.

She blinks. Once. Twice. “You want to offer them a deal? In exchange for breaking them out of their prisons, you want them to join us in the war?”

Crossing my arms, I nod once. “Yes.”

She places her hands on her hips. “You want to work with them after you’ve just learned they are complete monsters? They literally tortured your great grandmother, your ancestor, and you still want to let them out?” Her eyes are filled with a mixture of confusion and worry for me. I get it. I sound insane right now. “She’s my mother and I absolutely think you should not let her out, even if I didn’t know what you told me. She is a very powerful goddess, who wasn’t known for being kind to mortals.”

“Posy.” I blow out a breath. “What makes you think I have a choice? I mean, yes, they’re dangerous, but they’re also extremely powerful. Right now, we have an army at our doors. They are more powerful than us, but maybe not the four elemental gods put together. It’s that simple.” I rub my forehead. “The Rift Kings and Queens will be with Louie and stand against us. There’s one sword.” I raise my hand to touch it over my shoulder. “One sword and one of me. There are many more of them. If they team together, we’re done. Our best chance is separating them to fight one on one. We need more than us to do that and survive.”

“But—”

“No, Posy. I won’t see my mate die, or you, or anyone else because I didn’t ask when I know I can. We can convince them together,” I interrupt her. “I’m willing to make a deal with some of the most evil beings to ever be in this world in order to save all of us.” I pause. “I need you there.”

“I’m not going to see them! No! This is insane!” she snaps. I get why she is angry, but it doesn’t make this decision any easier. We don’t have time to argue this when Louie could be here at any moment. I don’t know why he isn’t already here.

“Then we die. It’s that simple. We die because we won’t be able to win against him. He’s evil. They all are and they will kill us,” I whisper. It feels wrong to even say it, like speaking it out into the world might make it come true. “This sword, the pressure you all have put on my shoulders… I can’t do it alone.”

“You won’t be alone, Calli,” she replies, but her eyes speak the truth: I would be alone. Even Emerson won’t be able to save me, and he would die trying. I would die trying to save him, too. There isn’t a world where I want to live with him not at my side.

“There is an old god with them. We are playing in a war of gods, and we are not gods. There’ll be nothing left but them. They will wipe this world and continue on.” I lift my head. “Can’t you see this is the only way? I think the goddess showed me everything, not only to warn you and Paxton, but to show me their power and what they can do. With them, we would stand a chance. A real chance.”

Posy walks to the window, putting her back to me. “What about Paxton? She’s going to want him, and if she is free, then nothing stops her. I’m not letting her have my cousin. He is a few doors down with his friend, and he is a funny kid. Innocent. She would destroy him.”

I think of the small boy with dark green hair, who reminds me of lying in freshly cut grass, feeling the earth under my fingertips. The earth god’s son is a risk. “If his father gets out, there’s a very good chance he’s going to come after his son and want to take him back. His mother is dead, and she clearly didn’t want her mate to touch their child.”

“We’ll make a part of the deal that they cannot speak to Paxton until he is old enough to make his own choice,” I suggest. “I won’t let anyone take him. We’ll make sure that whatever we offer them in terms of a deal means they can’t touch any of the children. That includes you, too.”

Posy stares out the window, over the dark mountains, for a long time. I can almost see every scenario playing out in her mind the same way it has mine, and she is coming to the same bitter conclusion. We need them. Even as a bat, I thought she was one of the smartest people that I have ever known. Eventually, she turns back and nods just once. “To my mother, then. I hope we aren’t wrong about this. Have you told Emerson or anyone else?”

“No, he would want to come with us, and his temper would make sure we never get their help,” I admit. “I love him, but perhaps this is better left to the females.”

“Aren’t you worried about my temper?” She arches an eyebrow.

I grin. “You’re her daughter. She can’t try to kill you for it.”

Posy sighs, grabbing daggers off the side of a bookcase in her room. “You’ve thought this through.” I had a lot of time to think about what we could do if we ever got back to Wyvcelm. “I should have known my mother would turn out to be an evil sociopath.”

“If Lorenzo were here, he’d make a joke right about now,” I fondly offer.

She frowns at me, softer than usual, and just for a second, I wonder if it’s even possible for them to work out. I know she doesn’t hate him. Posy looks away and I get brave. “About Lorenzo—”

“No, don’t even go there if you’re going to say mates are all fucking magical rainbows and I should ride my own rainbow to happy town,” she interrupts.

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