Page 26 of Fates of Monsters

I tell her gently, “I know you needed space and time to heal, and I’m glad that you took it.” Even if she did come back for the baby, I am very excited and I hope the baby gets everything from her mothers magic, not the Rift crown magic her father was possessed with. We don’t talk about anything else as Emerson leads us to our house in the mountains, one used for guests. I sit down with Nerry on the couches as she feeds her baby next to me.

“I did want to ask about the sirens. Have you heard anything from them? I sense the seas are angry…”

“They’re scattered around, but I doubt they will come out of the waters after what they did in the war,” I tell her gently. “Much like the witches, they are our enemies.”

Nerry is silent and I wonder what she is thinking about her people just as Lorenzo comes in, his eyes widening, and he quickly turns away to give Nerry some space. “A baby? You had a baby?” He coughs. “I mean, congratulations.”

I chuckle at how shocked he sounds. He basically blindly stumbles into the kitchen at the back. I can smell whiskey from here. “Just going to see my brother and Nath. I didn’t see anything!”

“You best not have, you bastard,” Nathiel jokingly greets him at the door, pulling him into an embrace, smacking his back. Laughing, they both head into the kitchen—to have a drink with Emerson, I’d bet. After Leia is fed, Nerry hands me her daughter to hold. She soon falls asleep in my arms, and I kiss her forehead as Emerson steps into the room. I can see his eyes visibly soften when he sees me holding a baby. “I like this look on you. Maybe we should re-discuss what we talked about earlier?”

I look at Nerry, who is grinning. “I think you best take Leia back before my mate gets anymore wild ideas. I’m happily baby free for now.”

Nerry laughs, taking her daughter back and standing up. “We will catch up more later? Maybe at the castle?”

I shake my head. “The castle is going to be busy for a while. We are bringing people back from the Rift today when I use the swords for the final time. We have been sending them food for a while until we got the housing situation sorted.”

Emerson looks at me. “It didn’t help that your fae friend Ailen found the Flames and offered them our library as their new home. The little shits burn everything.”

I shrug. “You’re the one who made Ailen one of your court, along with all my fae friends. It’s not my fault that he came with frie—”

“Pests. They are not friends,” Emerson points out. I mean, he isn’t wrong. The Flames are happily hoarding all the jewels, good books, and anything of value in the library. They say it’s for safekeeping, but then we have to give them gold coins to see our things. Emerson is not a fan. I think they’re pretty funny.

“Are you sure it’s safe to bring them from that world?” Nerry asks me. She hasn’t been here, but this discussion has been brought up in the courts a hundred times over, by nearly everyone. No, we know it’s not going to be completely safe, but leaving them there in a world that is quite literally dying is cruel when I can do something to help. Plus, it’s time for the swords to go back to the Rift, and they should be left in that world alone. No one should be able to have that kind of magic, and I don’t want it here anymore. The magic those swords have is too much, too chaotic, too dangerous.

I hug her one more time, so happy to have her back. I didn’t know how much I needed my best friend until she was back. After losing Zurine, and with Nerry gone away, I felt alone in support. Posy is… well, off the rails and ignoring everyone, so she hasn’t been the greatest. Emerson, as much as he is always there for me, is a king and isn’t the same as talking with my girlfriends. “We will give them a chance. Everyone deserves a chance.”

“A chance,” Nerelyth agrees, hope shining in her eyes.

Emerson flies me up to the castle after we say goodbye. He leaves for the throne room, and I make a detour to get the swords, dodging through the crowds of Wyern and fae setting up to help anyone who comes through. Bundles of food and boxes of clothing, extra fae lights, and more are scattered everyone. No wonder Emerson is grumpy. The castle is a mess. A Flame flies right past me, dropping embers on the ground, and I stomp one out before getting to my room. Emerson is right, they are pests. Dangerous pests. I smile to myself as I get to our room. I grab the swords at the end of my bed, removing the magic Emerson set around the swords to hide them from view, before going back to the throne room. Most people bow when they see me, and I stop to talk to a few of them before carrying on. The throne room is packed and they part for me until Emerson comes into view on his throne. I take my seat next to him, and he claps once.

Everyone goes silent, looking at us. I will never get used to that. “Today is one that will be remembered as mercy. We, as Wyern, have changed in this war and learnt to take people into our city. To protect everyone who needs help. The people coming here will need our help, and I am asking that you welcome them as your own. They are my people, like each of you, the moment they come through here. Female, child, or male. They need our help.”

He nods at Ailen, who steps forward with a blank blue leather-bound book. There are rows of them in the library, and in them, is every name of everyone in this city. There is a new book for new births, and this one will be for everyone who comes in. The books have our blood in the leather, and signing it signals they are accepting us as their king and queen. “We are ready, my king and queen.”

I smile at Ailen, who has really found his place here. I make a cut in the air with the swords right in front of the throne. The portal rips through the air, gently shaking the floor, earning gasps from all around before it spreads. My body feels weak from the hit of magic it took to open it, and Emerson stays at my side. It never gets easy, but at least I don’t pass out with two swords this time. A square portal fills the space between the thrones and us, and on the other side, I can see my parents. They step through first, their paleness such a contrast to everything here. Their eyes widen as they look around. “Hello, mom.”

She sobs, pulling me into her. Emerson shakes my dad’s hand before he hugs me next. Mom turns back to the portal, and I see the crowds of people waiting on the other side. “Come on. It’s safe, I promise.”

“Let us help you. This world is alive and bright and safe,” I tell them all, my voice echoing. “I am Queen Calliophe and this is King Emerson. We welcome you.”

A female with dark hair, carrying a small little boy, steps through first. He looks terrified as he grips her side, and he is so, so thin. Ailen steps forward. “Please write your names or tell me. Then one of our friends will give you provisions and show you the way to a room or house in the city. You’re safe.”

The female nods, looking at me. “Thank you.”

My parents wait on either side of the portal, guiding them, and I say hello to each one, along with Emerson. This is what I was born to do, to save them. To lead them out of the darkness. It takes at least five hours to get everyone out of the world. We still wait another hour, just in case anyone else comes, but it’s silent. Empty.

Ailen steps to my side. “Two thousand and thirty-two people counted. Including babies.”

It’s a sad amount of people to be left from an entire world. But we will make sure our world does not have the same fate. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Do you want me to come?” Emerson asks from my side.

The swords burn in my hands. “No, I should be the last one in that world. It’s time to leave the swords in peace.”

He kisses the side of my head before watching me go. I step through into the Rift, the world I was born into. The world that caused so much pain for too long. The thick grey world spreads out in front of me. I slam my swords into the ground, right next to each other, before letting them go. “You’re free now. Together. This is your world. No one’s using you for your power anymore. Thank you for letting me save my world. Our world will do better.”

I glance at the swords one more time before stepping through the portal, into my mate’s arms. We both turn back, watching as the swords melt down into pure gold on the ground. The gold morphs into stars, bright, beautiful stars that spin over and over before shooting up into the sky, right as the portal shuts forever. I smile at Emerson. “It’s over. What do we do now?”

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