A SHADE OF VAMPIRE 84: A MEMORY OFTIME

BELLA FORREST

C O NT E NT S

Also by Bella ForrestProblems reading?Family tree

1. Sofia2. Esme3. Derek4. Tristan5. Esme6. Tristan7. Esme8. Tristan9. Taeral10. Taeral11. Esme12. Sofia13. Esme14. Esme15. Derek16. Esme17. Nethissis18. Nethissis19. Tristan20. Tristan21. Tristan22. Esme23. Esme24. Esme25. Derek26. Ridan27. Esme28. Derek29. Kailani30. Amane31. Esme32. Tristan

ASOV 85: A Shard of SoulRead more by Bella Forrest

A L S O B Y B E L L A F O R R E S T

DARKLIGHT

(NEW! Vampire romance)

Darklight (Book 1)

Darkthirst (Book 2)

Darkworld (Book 3)

Darkblood (Book 4)

HARLEY MERLIN

(Fantasy/romance/adventure)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)

Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)

Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)

Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)

Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)

Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)

Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)

Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)

Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)

THE GENDER GAME

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Gender Game (Book 1)

The Gender Secret (Book 2)

The Gender Lie (Book 3)

The Gender War (Book 4)

The Gender Fall (Book 5)

The Gender Plan (Book 6)

The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

THE CHILD THIEF

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Child Thief (Book 1)

Deep Shadows (Book 2)

Thin Lines (Book 3)

Little Lies (Book 4)

Ghost Towns (Book 5)

Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

(Supernatural romance/adventure. Completed series.)

Hotbloods (Book 1)

Coldbloods (Book 2)

Renegades (Book 3)

Venturers (Book 4)

Traitors (Book 5)

Allies (Book 6)

Invaders (Book 7)

Stargazers (Book 8)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

(Supernatural romance/adventure)

Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

A Gate of Night (Book 6)

A Break of Day (Book 7)

Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

A Spell of Time (Book 10)

A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

An End of Night (Book 16)

Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

A Wind of Change (Book 17)

A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

A Vial of Life (Book 21)

A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

A World of New (Book 26)

A Web of Lies (Book 27)

A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

An Hour of Need (Book 29)

A Game of Risk (Book 30)

A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

A Day of Glory (Book 32)

Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

A Race of Trials (Book 35)

A King of Shadow (Book 36)

An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

A Power of Old (Book 38)

A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

A Tide of War (Book 41)

Series 6: A Gift of Three

A Gift of Three (Book 42)

A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

Series 7: A Call of Vampires

A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

A City of Lies (Book 55)

A League of Exiles (Book 56)

A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

Series 8: A Voyage of Founders

A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)

A Search for Death (Book 73)

A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)

A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)

A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)

A Fate of Time (Book 77)

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires

An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)

A Game of Death (Book 79)

A Veil of Dark (Book 80)

A Bringer of Night (Book 81)

A Circle of Nine (Book 82)

A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)

A Memory of Time (Book 84)

A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

A Shade of Dragon 1

A Shade of Dragon 2

A Shade of Dragon 3

A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

A Shade of Kiev 1

A Shade of Kiev 2

A Shade of Kiev 3

A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

(Contemporary romance)

A Love that Endures

A Love that Endures 2

A Love that Endures 3

THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

The Breaker (Book 2)

The Chain (Book 3)

The Keep (Book 4)

The Test (Book 5)

The Spell (Book 6)

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

(Supernatural romance)

Beautiful Monster 1

Beautiful Monster 2

DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

(Adult thriller/mystery)

Lights, Camera, GONE

Write, Edit, KILL

For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

Join Bella’s VIP email list and be the first to know when her new books release. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

Copyright © 2019

Nightlight Press

Cover design by Okay Creations LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including informationstorage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a bookreview.

P R O B L E M S R E A D I N G ?

If you experience any problems reading this ebook—such as pages skipping, etc.—it’s aKindle glitch. Just delete the ebook from your device and re-download it, and the problemshould solve itself. If not, contact Amazon’s customer support; they’re helpful andefficient.

F A M I L Y T R E E

If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree

“V

S O F I A

alaine!” Corbin’s voice rumbled through the Nightmare Forest, cold and demanding.Esme groaned in frustration. “He won’t stop.”For the past twenty minutes, we’d been staring at the considerable army of Aeternae

soldiers, Crimson guards, Darklings, and Knight Ghouls that Corbin Crimson, Master ofDarkness, had brought to the north gates of Orvis. The Darklings had occupied Dieffen asa ploy to draw our people there, so they could attack them and follow anyone whohappened to survive the unexpected insurgence. Fortunately, the entire crew hadreturned alive, though Ridan was still nursing some of his Reaper scythe wounds.Unfortunately, the Darklings had been able to track them, thus reaching the protectiveshield that Lumi and Kailani had cast over Kalla’s village.

At almost the very same moment, Derek had broken the green bead, signaling he wasready for an extraction—whether that meant he was in immediate danger, we didn’tknow. But the Darklings had blocked the entire area around Orvis with death magic, andour Reapers couldn’t teleport themselves out of here. We had no way of reaching Derekuntil we got out of the death magic’s range.

The protective shield itself was not capable of withstanding powerful Reaper spells—ofwhich the Darklings had plenty—for long, and neither were any of us. Our only option wasto evacuate, but even that was an awfully tricky scenario.

“He’s hoping to bring down my defenses, brick by brick,” Valaine murmured, unable totake her eyes off her father. The man she’d trusted her whole life, her protector, hadturned out to be the very man leading the charge against her. In many ways, Valaine andThayen shared a few crucial things in common—the young prince’s mother was a DarklingWhip, a sociopathic opportunist who was working hard to convince an entire empire thathers was the right way, no matter how bloody.

“You’re not going out there,” Tristan reminded her.“If I do, you’ll all be safe,” Valaine replied.Kalla scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Corbin will never let us walk out of here alive. If

there’s one thing I know about the Darkling leadership, it’s that they’re all spitefulbastards. You know that, too. Your memories should serve you well at this point.”

“I want to believe that my father isn’t beyond salvation.”“But he is,” I said. “We can’t trust him. We can’t trust a single word that comes out of

his mouth. Right now his sole purpose is to kill you, Valaine, so he can reset the cycle andkeep this whole nightmare going for another ten millennia.”

Kemi came back from a quick tour of the village’s border, joined by the Soul Crusherand Kelara. “It’s not looking good,” the Senior Aeternae said. “They have Darklings andKnight Ghouls positioned all around Orvis, and they have canons ready to fire if we try totake the shuttles.”

“We can’t use the shuttles,” Kailani replied. “We’ve already established that. Our onlyway out is through an underground tunnel. Lumi and I can open one up, but we’ll needhelp holding the structure’s integrity to prevent the whole thing from collapsing andburying us all.”

“The Seniors will gladly assist with that,” Mira said, keeping her voice low. We wereonly about fifty yards from the northern entrance where Corbin and some of his mosttrusted lieutenants stood, unable to see us. Not sure how impervious the Aeternae’s earswere to swamp witch magic in this case, we all assumed there was a possibility that theymight still hear us. So we did our best to keep out of earshot.

“We’ll get the villagers out first,” Seeley said quietly. “Kalla can lead that group. Thewitches will stay at the front with some of the Seniors to open the tunnel farther out. Therest of us will follow right behind the people of Orvis.”

“Some of us should also take care of the village itself and the shuttles,” Ridan addedwith a grunt, holding his side. Amane had an arm around his waist, holding him close.“Once the Darklings break through the protective shield, they’ll be looking for us.”

Lumi nodded. “One of the Reapers will seal the tunnel once we’re all a safe distanceaway.”

“We’ll have to blow the shuttles up, too,” I said, though my heart felt heavy at thethought of losing such precious magi-tech. We had no way of getting the vessels outsafely, since the Darklings had learned to look for air ripples—a sign of movementbeneath the invisibility spell. It was the one fault of this kind of Word magic and notsomething we had the time or the energy to fix. Not with the enemy basically breathingdown our necks. “Get everything we can carry out of the shuttles first, but everything elsemust be destroyed. The last thing we need is a Darkling with our technology.”

“I say set fire to the village, as well.” Kalla sighed, then continued. “Let them findnothing but flames and ashes in our wake.”

“We’ll do what we can to keep them off our tracks.” Lumi took my hand. “As soon aswe are safely away from Orvis, Sidyan and I will get Derek. It’s killing me that we’re notable to go immediately.”

“The Darklings are a huge pain in our asses right now.” I heard my voice tremble everso slightly. “Derek has Maya with him. All I can do is hope she’s able to keep him safe.”

The one other thing that gave me a semblance of comfort was the fact that weweren’t alone anymore. It wasn’t just our GASP team. We had Reapers and a few ghoulsleft. The Seniors and all the young fighters of Orvis were on our side. We had Valaine andKalon, Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore. We even had Thayen, the brokenhearted crown princeI’d sworn to keep safe and as far away from his depraved mother as possible. We hadTrev Blayne, too… and Word magic.

“One question remains,” Mira said, her gaze occasionally darting back to a remarkablycalm Corbin. “In which direction should the tunnel lead?”

“West,” Kalon interjected. “We head west, toward the rocky shores.”Mira’s eyes lit up. “I think I know the perfect place. We’ll end up eight hundred miles

north of the imperial palace.”“The Nightmare Forest stretches far west,” Kalla agreed. “We’ll have to be quiet as we

leave Orvis, but also as we move through the tunnel. We cannot risk the Darklingstracking us by sound. Corbin will almost certainly realize what we’re doing.” She paused,glancing back at her people—all of them gathered around the dark tower, quivering andsilently waiting for her reassurance. There wasn’t much of that left, but I trusted Kalla tobe able to guide her people in the right direction. “I’ll get them organized.”

Lumi moved next to Kailani. “The two of us will head to the westernmost point of thevillage. We’ll open the tunnel there.”

“And we will join you,” Mira declared. “I did not come all the way out here after twomillion years on an isolated island to have to deal with Corbin and his Darkling ilk. Ourstrength is of better use by your side, helping to hold the tunnel up.”

“We have enough building experience from our time on the island,” Kemi added with aproud smile. “Count on us.”

I watched them leave, unaware of how fast I was breathing. Every time I heard Corbincalling out Valaine’s name, my anxiety peaked to new levels. I knew he wasn’t juststanding there waiting for his daughter, the Unending, to come out. No, he had a plan,and his Darklings were probably already implementing it. They’d figured out theprotective shield’s limits and dimensions. Whatever death magic they had, they could useit to bring the swamp witch spell down. Time was definitely not on our side.

My stomach churned as I thought of Derek, and I prayed to all the possible andimpossible deities that he’d be okay. That Lumi and Sidyan would get to him in time,once we were all safely removed from this nebulous mess.

The villagers responded quickly to Kalla’s instructions. They scattered to their homesand gathered their most precious belongings—only things they could carry through thetunnel. Every single blood reserve was bottled in wooden flasks and handed over to theSeniors, who would hold on to them in order to ease the villagers’ passage to the westcoast. We all needed supplies, and we wouldn’t be able to risk returning to the surfacealong the way.

“How long do you think we’ll be in the tunnels?” Thayen asked me.“I’m not sure. A few hours at least.”“Then why are we taking the food with us?” he replied.Rose had an answer for that. “We don’t know what kind of conditions we’ll find once

we reach our destination. The less we have to travel for sustenance, the better.” Shelooked at me, and I could see the concern drawing a deep frown between her delicateeyebrows. “We’re going to get through this,” she said, and I found her attempt to comfortme endearing. I knew she was anxious and angry—just as I was—that we had no way ofreaching Derek anytime soon.

“And I’ll be coming with you,” Thayen sighed.

“You don’t want that?” I asked.He nodded. “I do. I was worried you might leave me behind, since you’ll be getting

Derek back soon.”Kneeling before him, I gripped his bony shoulders and smiled gently. I had to make

things as clear for the boy as I possibly could. “Thayen, I’m not returning you to yourmother unless it is truly what you want,” I told him. “Not only because I am deeply fondof you, but also because I cannot bear the thought of you becoming infected by Danika’smalice. She has done enough harm already. I want you to stay with us if you’re willing…do you understand me?”

“I do.” Thayen sighed, nodding slowly. “Thank you, Sofia.”“Don’t thank me yet. We’re nowhere near the finish line.” I got back up and took his

hand in mine.Rose shot me a grin. “You’re really good to him, Mom.”“I’m instinctively very protective of him. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”“He’s safer with you,” Valaine said, tears gathering and glazing her dark eyes. “We’re

all safer with you.”I felt the urge to hug her, to tell her that everything would be okay. But I couldn’t

make such a promise—not to Valaine, who needed to find a way to shed her Aeternaeshell and remember who she truly was. I worried about her, just as I worried aboutTristan. He’d fallen in love with her, with the Unending, and I didn’t see it ending well…for either of them.

Esme and Kalon had troubles of their own. They’d grown closer. I could tell. Bothphysically and emotionally. But Petra and the Darklings threatened to destroy everything.Hell, Petra was dying to tear Esme’s head off. And to think we’d come to Visio simply tofind a day-walking cure. Things had certainly evolved—they’d long since gone fromslightly complicated to an endless maze of intrigue and suffering and bloodshed.

We couldn’t walk away from this fight now. The day-walking cure had become aperipheral concern. We had bigger problems now. As I watched Lumi and Kailani maketheir way to the western edge of the village, I knew we were in for one crazy ride.

I

E S M E

’d awakened early this morning to find Kalon’s arms around me, and now I wasin the midst of deadly danger, surrounded by the enemy’s forces.

The Darklings had Orvis surrounded, and they were determined to get tous. To get to Valaine. We’d made incredible progress in helping her remember who shetruly was, but our work was nowhere near done. And with Corbin quite literally at ourdoorstep, we needed to get her as far away from here as possible.

Leaving the Visentis boys with Thayen and Sofia, I took Kalon with me to help withthe evacuation. On the western edge of the village, Lumi and Kailani got to work. Theirbodies lit up white as they summoned the Word’s power and knowledge, the air vibratingand tickling my skin. The Seniors were gathered around, waiting to assist, while Kalla’shushed orders could be heard somewhere behind us as she encouraged her people tohurry and not load their satchels with more than they could carry.

I listened to the muffled cries of children—Rimian, Nalorean, and Aeternae alike—asthey stayed close to their mothers, preparing for a most dangerous voyage. We’d have tobe careful even once we were safely in the tunnel due to the way the Darklings had ahabit of foreseeing all sorts of situations. It would only be a matter of time before theyfigured out what we’d done and tried to track our path.

Lumi’s and Kailani’s lips moved, and the magic began to take physical effect. Theground rumbled and mildly shook beneath our feet before it gaped open approximatelyfive yards ahead. I wondered how far the shake-up spread. Looking towards the edge ofthe village, I didn’t see anyone on the enemy side reacting to any tremors. Maybe we’dget away with this. As I turned my attention back to the hole, I marveled at its darkmouth stretching wider, the dirt pressing back to form rounded walls as the openingdescended deep into the ground.

A low whisper was exhaled from the bottom, dust rolling out. The witches stood stilland continued with their chanting, the tunnel opening wider until we could all see itclearly. Ridan went in first, using his flaming breath to light several torches beforemounting them in the hard walls. So far, so good.

“Our turn,” Mira mumbled as she made her way down, accompanied by Arya, Kemi,and a couple dozen Seniors who’d borrowed tools from the villagers. They moved fast,carrying wooden beams and arched pieces of metal that they quickly fashioned into a

relatively sturdy structure. The first hundred feet soon looked safe enough for passage,and I breathed a sigh of relief when the rest of the Seniors joined them.

Lumi and Kailani descended as well, opening the tunnel further. It became asynchronized collective effort to build it up, and I couldn’t believe how fast they wereprogressing. There was a rhythm to their movements—a beat they were all following—and it paid off. We’d have the first mile of tunnel ready before the hour’s end.

“They won’t stand there forever,” Kalon said, nervously eyeing the Darklings who’dgathered along the protective shield. “Corbin will get tired of yelling for Valaine.”

“I know. But it won’t be easy for them to break the spell,” I replied. “They’ll be able todo it, but it won’t be instantaneous. The more we get done below before that happens,the faster we’ll get everybody out of here. And the more likely we are to avoid beingfollowed.”

Some of the villagers had already gathered a few yards behind us, their satchelspacked and their children quiet, ready for a perilous journey. It was either this or certaindeath, and I felt sorry for them. In a way, our people had brought the danger of Darklingshere—though, judging by what Corbin had said earlier, Orvis wouldn’t have lasted muchlonger even without our presence. The evil would’ve found its way through the NightmareForest eventually, and every single villager would’ve been killed or enslaved for rebellingand living outside the empire’s norms.

An Aeternae feeding on animals was unfathomable to a society that had becomedependent on Rimian and Nalorean blood. A whole village of Aeternae, Rimians, andNaloreans living in harmony like they did in Orvis was an abomination, and Corbin wouldbe perfectly fine with killing them all. Just one more reason why I couldn’t bring myself toleave this place behind. I knew Kalon would’ve come with me, no hesitation, but Icouldn’t walk away from these people that way.

Sofia, Rose, and Caleb brought the kids over. To my surprise, Thayen seemed to beleading the Visentis boys, who constantly stared at and listened to him with great interestand fascination. If Thayen made it through to the very end of this horrific tale, Ienvisioned a grand life ahead for him. The boy had the makings of a true leader, and Iwas willing to bet he’d learned it all from his father, Acheron. Danika was too far downthe rabbit hole to be anybody’s role model.

“How’s it going?” Sofia asked, glancing into the tunnel. Amber lights flickered as Ridancontinued with the illumination deeper underground. Amane reached him quickly, refusingto let him out of her sight. He could stand on his own now, the healing potions workingtheir literal magic, but even so, she didn’t want to be away from him.

Amal and Hunter were busy emptying the shuttles of everything valuable that theycould carry. Once all the supplies and portable tech were cleared out and ready fortransport, they would set up explosive charges on both vessels, loaded with pulverizerpellets. It was the only way to keep the magi-tech out of the Aeternae’s hands.

“Surprisingly fast,” I said to Sofia. “The Seniors are really good at this.”“Yes, the subterranean structure is solid,” Kalon added. “Once the first three miles are

ready, we’ll be able to leave.”“Can’t we evacuate sooner?” Sofia asked, her brow furrowed. “I worry the Darklings

will start their attack soon.”“We need room down there,” Kalon said. “If we’re going to seal this access point, that

is.”Seeley came over, joined by Rudolph and Nethissis. “The farther out we dig, the

better,” the Reaper chimed in. “We’re limited by the Darklings’ death magic. I estimate atleast a couple of miles out before we can even teleport.”

“Where are the other Reapers?” I asked, looking around.“They’re helping the Aeternae boys with some fire spells,” Seeley said. “Our own

explosive charges, let’s call them, placed all through the village. When the Darklingsbreach the protective shield, they’ll be in for a hot surprise.”

Tristan and Valaine moved away from the northern gate, their footsteps rushed andtheir faces paler than usual. “It’s starting!” Tristan hissed. They ran toward us as a flashof light burst upward against the protective shield.

My heart jumped into my throat. This was it. The moment we’d all hoped would fail tocome. The Darklings had begun their offensive maneuvers against Orvis, determined toget past the cloaking spell.

On our side of the village, they’d all raised their scythes, whispering chants andslashing at the barrier. Every blow caused iridescent ripples to spread out. Soon enough,the entire dome glowed, overwhelmed by the flurry of death magic attacks. They couldn’tsee through, so the chances of them figuring out what we were doing were relativelysmall. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was the best we had in these circumstances. Thetunnel entrance would be sealed once we were all out, anyway.

“What do we do?” I asked.Rose and Caleb brought the remaining villagers out of their homes and grouped them

with the others. Kalla spoke to them, trying to reassure them as best as she could, butthe Darklings’ attacks weren’t helping. They were terrified.

“We hold them off,” Seeley said. He handed an extra scythe to Nethissis. “We’ll coverthe north gate. Sidyan will take the east with Kelara and Soul—“ He paused, his earstwitching as he listened. The other Reapers were communicating with him, I realized,mobilizing for the defense strategy. “Night and Morning will handle the south, and Widowand Phantom will join you here in the west.”

I nodded, watching Seeley, Nethissis, and Rudolph rush to the north. They brushedpast Valaine and Tristan, who finally reached us, almost breathless.

Rose and Caleb flanked Sofia and the boys, their pulverizer weapons locked andloaded, their backpacks filled with everything they’d been able to get from the shuttles.Amal and Hunter came back, carrying several bags loaded with more pulverizer ammoand swamp witch spell paraphernalia. We took a few minutes to distribute the weightaround, each of us with a backpack or a satchel ready. Even Thayen and the Visentis boyswere given a load to carry.

The more we did to prepare for what would come next, the more anxious I became.The loud bangs erupting from the protective shield startled me. I could see Corbin’s figurebetween the black stone houses as he continued striking the barrier with one cripplingblow after the next. The tension was rising. The air crackled with an uncomfortable

mixture of dread and anxiety.“How are we looking down there?” Sofia called out.Kemi rushed up, his face and white silk garments covered in dirt. “Start bringing the

people down. We’re two miles in.”Kalon and I stepped back. Kalla and the villagers were the first to descend. About two

hundred innocent lives depended on us, and I was determined to make sure they allreached the west coast safely.

Reapers’ scythes glimmered white at all four cardinal points around the village. Theyreleased flurries of pulses that burst outward and beyond the protective shield. We allducked as Phantom and Widow launched their own. The defense worked—each shotthrew the Darklings back and broke several bones in the process. On our side, the KnightGhouls snarled and scratched at the barrier, desperate to get through.

Small fissures formed, gradually spidering across the surface, spreading anddeepening as they reached for the top of the dome.

“It’s not going to last much longer,” Sofia murmured, staring upward. Her eyes filledwith horror as she clutched Thayen closer.

“Mom, take the boys and go!” Rose said.“What about you and Caleb?” she replied, suddenly alarmed.“We’ll be right behind you,” Caleb assured her.Though hesitant, Sofia did as she was told and nudged the boys down into the tunnel.

Their figures became black against the amber lighting backdrop. Moments later, theywere gone. The village of Orvis was now empty except for some Vision horses and whatremained of our troops.

With all the violence around us, I finally saw the tranquility of the Nightmare Forest.In the absence of Darklings and evil, it was a beautiful yet dangerous place. The sabretigers and the poisonous vipers, the creatures that lurked between the old trees withsprawling crowns seemed harmless—mere creatures of wilderness struggling to surviveand prosper. The Nightmare Forest was not a welcoming place. Not at all. But it didn’tdeserve to be soiled by the Darklings’ presence. Heck, the entire planet would be betteroff without them.

Kalon looked at me, his cold blue eyes set on mine. “Are you ready?”“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said with a heavy sigh.“We’re moving!” Caleb announced, taking Rose with him down into the tunnel.Amal and Hunter were next, with Kalon urging them along. The Faulty gave me two

small controls, each with a red switch and a wireless transmitter antenna. “Once we’re alldown there, flip them both,” she said. “It’ll detonate the shuttles.”

Kalon and I held our ground and scanned the area around us. The Reapers were hardat work, while the remaining ghouls darted through the homesteads and scared theVision horses out of their stables.

“What the hell are they doing?!” I croaked.It soon became obvious, as the horses galloped toward us and into the tunnel. I

counted twenty, and they would come in handy later. The ghouls chased after them,growling and snickering to one another. This was quite the feat they’d accomplished,

considering that Vision horses and pretty much any other animal were a natural foodsource for the ghouls. They’d been instructed to do this, though. I could see Trev Blaynesmiling as he watched the last of the former Reapers descend. He went after them,whistling and guiding them deeper underground.

“The shield will come down soon,” Phantom said, looking at me from the edge of theprotective spell. “I’m calling our people back.”

“I’d love nothing more than to take all these bastards on!” Widow scoffed. “But theMaster of Darkness is not someone to trifle with. Not until we figure out exactly howmuch death magic they know and what spells they might have learned from the SpiritBender. They keep surprising us, and I’ve had enough of that.”

“No one is going to blame you if you run from the Darklings,” Kalon said. “We’re all inthis together.”

Widow shook his head. “It’s not something I would be proud of.”“We can whimper about it later!” Phantom snapped and pushed him away from the

shield just as a piece of it came shattering down like broken glass. Several Knight Ghoulssnuck through.

“Fire at will!” I shouted.Kalon and I unloaded several pulverizer pellets into the ghouls and the Darklings who

tried to follow them through. Seconds later, they were reduced to puffs of silvery ashes,and Phantom managed to patch the broken area with a death spell of her own.

“It’s not going to last!” Phantom said, grabbing Widow and joining us by the tunnelopening. She slid to her knees and drew several symbols on the ground with the tip of herscythe. “I’ll break these when we’re all down there.”

Parts of the shield came down, more shards of glowing magic falling from the dome.Light danced across its surface, now visible and luminescent. The protective spell wasfailing, finally succumbing to the Darklings’ attacks. Seeley and Nethissis returned,followed by Rudolph. Soul, Kelara, and Sidyan reemerged, as well. Night and Morningappeared last and were adamant that Tristan and Valaine go down into the tunnelimmediately.

“Come on!” Morning said. “Your turn, sister!”“What about you?” Valaine asked.Night smiled. “We’re coming with you, of course.”“Esme…” Tristan said, breathing heavily. “Don’t linger for too long. Please.”“I’ll be fine,” I replied, nodding at Valaine. “Get her out of here.”“The Darklings have breached the barrier,” Soul announced. “They’re coming.”The Reapers quickly took Nethissis, Valaine, and Tristan into the tunnel, leaving only

Kalon and me to handle the detonation. I took a moment to look at everything one lasttime. The black stone walls. The looming tower. The narrow and beaten paths. Orvis hadbeen a good place to live, despite the dangers surrounding it. Despite the NightmareForest breathing over it with its rustling leaves and hungry growls. It had brought mecloser to Kalon, and it had forced me to face the very truth of this world. I would miss it.

The Darklings ran between the houses. The gold and silver armor glistened as thesoldiers advanced through the village from all directions. Corbin led the Crimson troops

from the north side, as the last shards of the protective spell came down crashing andsplintering, each piece twinkling before fading away.

“This is it,” I whispered, moving back.“Let’s do this,” Kalon said, his finger on the red switch.I nodded, and we both flipped them at the same time. Two balls of blinding white

light expanded from the eastern edge of Orvis. They swelled brighter, then burst,releasing a devastating wave of pulverizer mist. It devoured everything in its path for ahalf-mile radius. Houses and stables vanished, turned to silvery ashes.

It caught some of the Darklings and the Aeternae soldiers as well, their figures fadinginto nothingness. I heard Corbin shouting, telling his people to get as far away from it aspossible. He couldn’t see us yet, so Kalon and I descended into the tunnel as anotherround of explosions rocked the village, this time from within.

The Reapers’ charges had gone off, reacting to the shuttles’ destruction. The groundshook, and we slid across the mud of the tunnel floor. Phantom stood at the bottom withher arms crossed. She’d been waiting. The rumbles and moans of a village beingdestroyed echoed all around us. My skin erupted in goosebumps, and chills rushed downmy spine as I pictured the chaos above us.

“Time to seal this off,” Phantom said.Kalon grabbed my arm and pulled me up. Together, we started running, following the

torches and the hushed voices ahead. Behind, I heard Phantom whispering. Brieflylooking back, I watched her turn around and bolt towards us. In mere seconds, she’dcaught up and even gone past us, moving like the wind. The tunnel entrance collapsed,chunks of dirt and stone falling in.

No one would know it was even there, assuming there was anyone left to look for us.The earthquakes continued, making the ground shake beneath our boots. We keptrunning, no longer looking back.

“Corbin made it out,” Phantom said, as if reading my mind. “He wasn’t the only one,either. Those who were fast enough joined him. We’re not done with them yet.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I replied breathlessly. “We got out. We’ll lose them eventually.”All we had to do was keep running and make as little noise as possible. It seemed

almost too easy. Kalon and I caught up with Tristan and Valaine, the rest of our crewvisible ahead. But with everything that had happened, with all the twists and turns thathad nearly gotten us killed, I couldn’t help but doubt the apparent simplicity of the taskahead.

What were the odds that we’d make it through to the west coast unharmed, or thatwe’d manage to elude the Darklings after months of them staying one step ahead of us? Iwasn’t sure I really wanted to know the answer.

A

D E R E K

n hour had passed since I’d broken the green bead, and there was still no sign ofLumi or Sidyan.

The longer I stayed in this place, the more danger my people were in. I’dgathered enough intel, and there wasn’t much left for me to get out of Danika or Petra orany of the other Whips—not to mention Corbin.

I was also horrified by everything I’d witnessed. Danika had tried to kill Petra, gettingher hands cut off in the process. Petra had fled and was currently in the wind, most likelysearching for her sons. Her absence scared me the most, because she was now a threatto our crew. Petra was a resourceful and cruel Aeternae, and I knew she’d stop at nothingin order to accomplish her objectives.

I had no idea where Corbin was, but it couldn’t be anywhere good. Since theircreation, the Darklings had been keeping a copy of the Spirit Bender’s soul. They’d storedit in crystal shards, each piece implanted in the Whips. Twelve shards that were nowneeded to bring him back. After all the trouble he’d put us through during the Hermessiwars, the very idea of dealing with him again made my blood curdle.

Danika had already killed two of the Whips to get the shards before she tried to dothe same to Petra. The problem was that the high priestess had taught the Lady Supremea couple of tricks, one of which involved transferring the shard to her next of kin. InDanika’s case, she’d chosen Thayen. The poor boy was in mortal danger because his ownmother was ready to kill him in order to extract the shard, and Petra was about toimplant hers into one of the Visentis boys for the same reason. Though enemies for now,Petra and Danika were working toward the same sickening end—killing their children inorder to bring the Spirit Bender back. They were awful. Truly awful beings, and I lookedforward to the day I’d see their heads removed. They didn’t deserve mercy.

Maya paced the room, and I could tell she was nervous. Unable to get past the rune-marked steel bars of my cell, she kept busy by sniffing the ground on a regular basis,shuddering whenever she brushed her stumped nose over the dried blood Danika had leftbehind. Two Darklings had carried her out to an infirmary after the incident with Petra,and I’d been alone ever since, stewing in my own juices. Listening. Waiting. Hoping thiswould all be over soon. I did find some comfort in knowing Danika was temporarilydisabled and thus unable to spy on me. Since that traumatic encounter, Maya had

become much more alert. I wasn’t sure how good she was at sniffing out an invisibleDarkling, but she was certainly doing her best.

“I don’t know what’s taking so long,” I grumbled, my gaze fixed on Maya. “Theyshould’ve been here by now.”

The little ghoul shrugged, continuing to move around. We were both restless, eager toget out of here before things got any worse. I’d already tested the Darklings’ limits here,and it was only a matter of time before Danika changed her mind and decided to kill me.

“You know, I haven’t seen any of the other Whips around. I guess Petra was right.They’ve been making themselves scarce, aware of what’s coming. It’s incredible howselfish they are, considering how devoted they claim to be to their cause.”

Danika had used a loophole to spare herself, and Petra was looking to do the same.Fortunately, the other Whips had not gained access to that knowledge; otherwise, theyalso would’ve murdered their offspring to save themselves. This mindset was disgusting,but it also spoke volumes about the Darklings. For a faction claiming to fight for theAeternae’s survival and protection, none of them seemed to shy away from killingAeternae to satisfy their own desires. For an organization founded by someone like theSpirit Bender, however, it all made sense. A terrible leader cultivated terrible people, andit showed.

Maya growled softly, settling close to my cell. She was getting agitated, her big,beady eyes searching my face, but I had nothing reassuring to say.

“I don’t know where Lumi and Sidyan are.” I sighed. “They should’ve been here bynow, and I can’t get hold of them. The green bead was my only option, since Danikabroke my Telluris. Whatever Lumi might’ve given me to communicate with her, Danika orthe other Whips would’ve found it. To their credit, they are fast learners.”

Every minute that passed made me more anxious. My cell had always been small, butit was starting to crush me. The air compressed in my lungs, making it harder for me tobreathe or to ignore the chest pain caused by my anxiety. Beads of sweat trickled downmy temples as I leaned back against the wall.

The silence was excruciating. I had no idea what was happening. I was completely cutoff from my people and the outside world. It made me feel small and helpless, which Ihadn’t experienced in a very long time. It was something I’d hoped I would never have todeal with.

“We could try to find a way out of here,” I said, after some thinking. “But that mightbackfire. I think the Darklings have this place rigged in case I attempt an escape. Itwould also put you at risk, and I don’t think Sidyan would forgive me if anythinghappened to you, Maya.”

She purred, blinking slowly as she looked up at me. Despite her grotesque features,there was something intrinsically kind about Maya. In contrast, the Aeternae were allbeautiful, yet capable of such dark and awful things. Things that made them look faruglier than a little ghoul.

“Besides, even if we did get out of here, Lumi and Sidyan might still show up. TheDarklings could get them. I mean, they’d already be riled up by my escape, so the alertwould be high,” I continued. “No, I can’t leave.”

I would stay, but for how much longer? What if Lumi and Sidyan could no longer get tome? What if something terrible had happened? The thought alone was enough to sendmy blood rushing, causing my skin to tingle.

An ache settled in my heart, so I closed my eyes and thought of Sofia. I hoped she’dbe okay. I prayed that she’d be safe, no matter what came next. I had to be ready for atruly unpredictable future. My odds of survival in this cell were limited, at best. I was atDanika’s mercy, with no guarantee that Lumi and Sidyan would save me… and Danikawas an evil woman. The evilest I’d seen in a very long time.

“You could go out to find Sidyan,” I suggested to Maya, but she shook her head. Iknew what that meant. “You wouldn’t be able to find him, huh?” She shook her headagain. “Would he be able to find you?” She nodded this time. There had to be aconsiderable distance between Maya and Sidyan for that to be the case.

Either way, we were pretty much stuck here, waiting for Sidyan and Lumi’s return.Should the unimaginable happen, should I be forced to leave this place before my friendscame back for me, I knew I could count on Maya. But it wasn’t a very comforting thought,because I’d be out but left without a sense of direction.

I’d find my way back to Sofia eventually. I knew that. But time was of the essence andfinding Sofia and the others on my own would take precious hours I simply did not have.In the end, I’d have to be ready for anything while hoping for the best. It was aloathsome scenario, and I had no control over its parameters. I’d been left at the mercyof fate.

And she was never a good companion.

O

T R I S T A N

nce we were outside the Darklings’ range, our positions shifted within the tunnel.We were no longer running but rather walking. About fifty miles ahead, Lumi andKailani were leading the charge, opening the tunnel further, while the Seniors

aided with the infrastructure. They’d already run out of iron and wood to use for thesupport system, but the bowels of the earth were generous with large rocks, which theSeniors used instead. This was an incredible feat we’d accomplished in the span of merehours, and I was astonished by the grandeur of our collective effort, considering thecircumstances. We were opening and extending a tunnel that would’ve taken much longerto build in less stressful conditions, but the Word’s power was coming through for us on awhole new level—on top of that, we had two hundred highly skilled and exceptionallystrong Senior Aeternae helping. That clearly counted.

The farther west we got, the harder the ground and the easier the Seniors’ job, sincethe tunnel was gradually becoming self-sustaining and no longer at risk of collapsing overus. Ridan, Amane, and Amal stayed with Kalla and her people while the rest of our GASPcrew followed close behind them.

Sofia kept Thayen close, flanked by Rose and Caleb. Hunter walked behind them withTrev, Esme, Kalon, and the Visentis boys. Behind them, Trev still herded the Visionhorses.

The Soul Crusher, the Night Bringer, and Kelara helped teleport the Orvisians acrossshort distances, just so they’d remain at the front, where they were better protected incase of a surprise attack. It was the best we could do for them until we left the Darklings’range completely. We’d discovered early on that they’d used a different kind ofteleportation blocking spell.

Esme occasionally glanced back at me, and I could tell that she was worried. We wereall fleeing the worst kind of trouble—worried was our natural state of mind at this point.Seeley, Rudolph, and Nethissis stayed with Valaine and me, as did Morning and Phantom.The Reapers were able to teleport across smaller distances now, a sign that we weremoving away from whatever death magic the Darklings had used to stop them in Orvis,so Sidyan and the Widow Maker frequently visited the surface to make sure we weren’tbeing followed. Sidyan couldn’t take Lumi out to get Derek until we got all the people tosafety. Fortunately, that wasn’t too far in the near future, judging by the speed with

which we were moving.I found the blocking spell curious, nonetheless. It didn’t act like a circle that we had to

get past, but rather a beacon whose intensity dimmed the farther we got from Orvis.Corbin must’ve considered the possibility of us tunneling out of there, after all, so he’dopted for the beacon-type blocker to make it as hard for us as possible to lose theDarklings. That meant we had a little bit more speed-walking to do before the Reaperscould teleport us all into Roano.

“What are they doing up there?” I muttered, realizing they’d been gone for more thanten minutes this time.

“Throwing any followers off our tracks,” Seeley said. “We might be underground andquiet, but we all know the Darklings are resourceful. Until we get far enough away to beable to teleport across a larger distance, a little bit of death magic serves to distract theKnight Ghouls and counteracts any tracking spells the Darklings might use.”

“Out of curiosity, why do the Darklings call them Knight Ghouls?” I asked. “We’ve usedthe term quite a lot since you and Nethissis escaped their clutches, but where is this termcoming from?”

Seeley shrugged. “I’m not sure why they refer to them as Knight Ghouls, but I assumeit’s got something to do with the fact that they’re trained and loyal to them, albeit byforce. Frankly, I think it’s just a way to make their whole operation sound nobler than itactually is.”

“There’s nothing noble about forcing Reapers to eat souls so they can do yourbidding,” I grumbled, unable to hide my disgust.

“Do you think we’re safe from my father now, Seeley?” Valaine replied.The Reaper exhaled sharply, making Nethissis smile. It wasn’t a warm expression—it

was loaded with bitterness. “I doubt we’ll ever be safe,” Nethissis said in his place. “Aslong as the Darklings are out there, operating in public and fully condoned by theempire’s upper echelon, we won’t get to rest much. They’re determined to catch us.”

“To catch me in particular,” Valaine said, her tone serious.“And all those who’ve helped you,” I reminded her. The Darklings’ cruelty extended far

beyond their primary targets. “We’re all in danger, but we’ve made it this far. I trust we’llreach the west coast and buy ourselves some time while we work on your memories.”

“We’re almost a hundred miles from Orvis already, which is incredible, but the Seniorsand the swamp witches are really coming through for us,” Seeley said. It was meant asan encouragement, until he got to the remaining distance. “We’ve got about threehundred left before we hit the coast.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Phantom grumbled, walking behind us with Morning byher side. “I’m not a fan of tight spaces.”

“Ah, right. You spent a long time locked inside Thieron’s Phyla, the stone of life anddeath,” I said, drawing from my knowledge of the First Tenners and their more recentwhereabouts prior to the Hermessi wars.

“And that was as tight a space as you can imagine,” Phantom breathed, reaching ahand behind her. The earth closed up, the tunnel coming down with slow, rumbling rollsof dirt and minerals and stones. “I’m looking forward to reaching the surface again.”

“We all are,” Nethissis replied. “Lumi can’t leave with Sidyan until we get the peopleto safety. Kailani needs her for the tunnel. Meanwhile, Derek is waiting. I can onlyimagine what’s going through his head right now.”

“At least our plan is working so far,” I said. “All we can do is keep going.”Valaine shivered, and I immediately wrapped my arm around her shoulders, holding

her close as we walked, listening to the plethora of sounds slipping from the crowdahead. They were all trying to be quiet, but it couldn’t be helped. Someone was bound towhisper. Another was bound to sneeze. A child had to cry. A Vision horse neighed. Wewere doing the best we could, but we had no control over the people’s impulses,especially since many of the villagers weren’t used to combat or recon situations.

“You said my father escaped from the blast,” Valaine said to Phantom. “Are you sure?”The Reaper nodded. “I saw him just before I closed off the tunnel entrance. Another

minute, and he would’ve seen me and our escape route, too.”“What about the others?” Nethissis asked.“The Darklings, you mean? Many perished, but there were enough of them to survive,

too. I’m afraid I can’t estimate what’s left. I do know they’re all the more determined totake us down now. We, the Reapers, would likely survive and get out, but the same can’tbe said about everybody else.”

“Is that why you’re all here with us?” Valaine asked. “Because you wish to protect us?”Phantom smirked. “I’m here to protect you, knowing you’ll do all sorts of foolish things

to keep as many people alive as possible. Please don’t endow me with a moral compass.I don’t need one.”

“Well, your motivation is good enough for me,” I said quietly. “So thank you.”“Don’t thank me yet,” Phantom retorted. “I doubt you’ll like me or any of my

colleagues much once we bring the Unending back.”I frowned. “What do you mean?”“There’s no happily ever after in store for you and Valaine, Tristan. I hope I’m not

telling you something new here,” Phantom said, stealing a glance at a pouting Morning.“What?”

“You’re being cruel,” Morning whispered, though I could definitely hear her.“I’m being honest,” Phantom insisted.Valaine groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s fine. I think we’re all aware it’s just going to

get harder. I can feel it.”“I’m not sure what the future holds,” I said. “But I’m not leaving Valaine or the

Unending’s side. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”Valaine gave me a long look, and I found warmth in the dark pits of her black eyes.

This was an odd sense of comfort I was getting, but I’d take it. I needed her with me, andshe needed me. There was no denying that. Valaine’s journey was the hardest. The painit caused her was excruciating, and I knew she’d do anything for me, just as I was willingto do anything for her. I felt my lips stretch into a smile. I pressed them against hertemple and froze.

Her skin felt cold. Perhaps too cold for an Aeternae, and certainly not the way I’d felther before. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“Why do you ask?” she replied. Her breathing was shallow.“Your skin is like ice.”Morning immediately reacted, almost shoving me out of the way as she got between

us and put her hand on Valaine’s forehead. “Oh crap,” the Reaper murmured.“What is it?” Phantom asked.“It’s coming,” Morning said, giving me a startled look.“I’m confused.”Valaine grunted, wobbling on her feet. “No… oh no, not now…”“What’s happening?” Nethissis managed as Seeley and Rudolph pulled her away from

us. Valaine, Phantom, Morning, and I were left behind, the temperature dropping aroundus as though a blizzard were about to fill the tunnel with ice and snow and death.

“Darkness… it’s coming out,” Valaine cried out, dropping to her knees. Thoughterrified of the pain that it would bring upon my body and soul, I knelt in front of her,clutching her hands. “No, Tristan… get away from me.”

She tried to pull back, but I wouldn’t let her. “We’ll get through this, Valaine.”“You don’t understand.” Phantom gasped, her galaxy eyes wide with what I could only

describe as fear. Unimaginable fear. “If she unleashes it now, she risks killing every singleliving creature within her reach. I’m not saying she can kill you specifically, since you’vealready survived multiple episodes, but she’ll release Black Fever. The Aeternae aren’tsafe.”

“Plus, we don’t know what such concentrated darkness will do to the Rimians and theNaloreans,” Morning added. “It’ll show above, as well. The death that comes out of oursister’s suffering… it’ll give our position away.”

As the Reapers spoke, I felt Valaine’s hands softening in mine. Her shoulders slumped,and the corners of her mouth turned downward as she looked at me. I saw the sufferingin her eyes, and I felt it, too. She was terrified of what she might release, of the damageshe might inflict upon the innocents we’d sworn to protect. They were all within herrange, and the tunnel had to act as a kind of conduit, making everything infinitely worse.

“Valaine, look at me,” I said, cupping her face and bringing her lips closer to mine.“You’re going to get through this. Listen to my voice, darling. Breathe in and out. Don’tleave me here, okay?”

She nodded, but she had trouble concentrating. Her eyelids were drooping, and it wasonly a matter of time before she’d pass out and give in to it all. The worst part was that Icould feel it. The darkness. It was oddly familiar. The kind of pain I’d felt before, deepwithin my bones. I wasn’t ready to feel it again, but what could I do? Run? No, Valaineneeded me.

If I could absorb even a fraction of what she was about to release, I might be able toprotect at least some of the people in the tunnel. My sister and Kalon were the closestand in clear danger. I couldn’t let anything happen to Esme.

The urgency of our situation amplified as Seeley and Rudolph took Nethissis fartheraway, and Phantom and Morning got down on their knees, joining us on the ground andgripping Valaine’s shoulders, as if preparing for what would undoubtedly come next.

I looked to my left, seeing Esme and Kalon not far ahead of Seeley. The Visentis boys

were close to Kalon, so they also risked catching the Black Fever. My stomach churned,an ache spreading through my torso as my lips parted.

“Run, Esme! All of you! Run!” I shouted.Despite our need for silence, I couldn’t keep quiet while the darkness oozed out of

Valaine and spread in every direction. My muscles hardened as my chest was constrictedby an invisible force. Black ink seemed to fill my veins, visible through the pale skin. Thefever was quick to follow, setting my flesh on fire as I struggled to remain upright.

Valaine was as stiff as a board, the whites of her eyes black, dark veins spideringaround the eyelids. Her breathing was barely audible, the cold air biting into my hot skin.This was it. The darkness. The result of millions of years of suffering caused by the SpiritBender. Valaine was consumed by it, so much so that it was now looking to feed onsomeone else. No one was safe. Not even me.

But as I held on to her, as I braced myself for the nothingness to swallow me whole, Iknew we had another shot at digging through her memories. “Valaine, I need you tolisten to me,” I whispered in her ear, knowing she wouldn’t be able to respond anymore.Catatonia had already taken over. “I need you to listen, Valaine,” I repeated. “I need youto follow my voice, because we are not letting this… this suffering claim any more lives.”

My confidence was impressive, considering how my body was already succumbing tothe Black Fever. I wrapped my arms around her and looked at Morning and Phantom.Neither appeared reassured, so I had no certainty about what would happen next. All Ihad was my faith in Valaine.

I hoped it would be enough. I hoped it would save us all.

I

E S M E

was told to run, but my feet had suddenly turned to lead.Looking ahead, I saw Nethissis being dragged away by Seeley and Rudolph.

She didn’t want to go with them, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Souland Kelara were working hard to zap the Orvisians farther through the tunnel with a clearsense of urgency. Behind us, I could see Tristan and Valaine on their knees. My brotherlooked pale—his face as white as a sheet of paper, black veins darting across his face.Valaine seemed stiff, her eyes fully black with dark veins stretching around them.

Morning and Phantom were there, too, but they were helpless. Horror filled my soul,and my instincts flared as I understood what was happening.

“Esme, that doesn’t look right,” Kalon said.“I don’t think we should be here,” Ansel added, holding Tudyk’s and Moore’s hands.

The rest of the crew kept moving through the tunnel. We weren’t even halfway there, andI had a feeling our problems were about to get worse.

“Ansel, take your brothers and run as fast as you can,” I said to the boy. “Don’t lookback. Keep running and tell everybody else to do the same.”

“What’s happening?” Moore asked, glancing back at Valaine.“The darkness,” Kalon muttered, his voice low and raspy and dripping with fear.

“Ansel, do what Esme told you. Now! Run!”The air grew heavy, supercharged with electrical particles that crackled through my

hair. The energy rippled over my skin, sending icy shivers down my spine as I grippedKalon’s shoulders.

“What about you?” Ansel asked Kalon.“He’s right. You need to go, too,” I said, my voice breaking. “Once the darkness hits,

you’ll be susceptible to Black Fever.”“I’m not leaving you!” Kalon argued.“You have to! Dammit, Kalon—I can’t let my brother stay behind alone, and I’m a

vampire. The Black Fever might not kill me.”“We both know what’s coming out of Valaine might be a lot worse than just the

normal curse,” Kalon snapped. “I can’t go without you.” He paused to look at his brothers.“Ansel, go!”

The boys didn’t want to leave, but they had no choice. Ansel started running, dragging

Moore and Tudyk away with him. Having Kalon with me under these circumstances didn’tfeel right, but I couldn’t stop him. My heart thudded almost painfully in my chest as Ilooked over my shoulder.

Phantom and Morning were shouting something, but the sounds never made it to us.Time seemed to slow down, the tunnel darkening as the torches Ridan had left behind onthe walls died out, one by one. With every flame that died, I felt closer to the coldembrace of death, and I didn’t want to be anywhere near it.

But I couldn’t leave. I needed to get to Tristan. The longer he held on to Valaine, theworse he looked, and the harder it got for him to even keep his head up. There was noway to describe the forces that came out of Valaine’s Aeternae vessel. They thickenedthe air and drew layers of frost on the tunnel walls. Steam rolled out with everyexhalation.

“Tristan!”He couldn’t hear me. He wrapped his arms around Valaine and held her close. There

were tree roots poking out through the tunnel walls, and they began to blacken and rotbefore gradually drying and falling off like gangrenous limbs. I remembered Tristan’sdescription of Valaine’s previous bout of darkness, and the similarities were downrightterrifying. I knew he had to stop her, to help her get back to the surface of herconsciousness, but she was hurting him.

I couldn’t let that happen.Kalon’s voice broke through. “Esme, don’t!” he shouted, though I was already running

toward Tristan. I reached my brother in a single short breath, and the disease hit me likea physical blow. Hard and merciless, right in my chest. I heaved, struggling to retain mysenses as I grabbed Tristan’s hand and tugged with all my strength.

There wasn’t much of it left, however. My arms were soft, like jelly.“Esme, get away!” I heard my brother say.“No, I’m not leaving you!” I screamed.“You’re getting sick,” Phantom murmured, her voice echoing in the back of my head.Valaine’s lips parted, her head tilting back. “What’s happening?” I asked, nausea

raising bile in my throat. Smoke… black smoke came out of Valaine’s mouth. It smelledlike smoldering tar, and it felt like the purest form of suffering. It broke my heart to seeher like this. The symptoms of her Unending condition were getting worse with every oneof these episodes.

Tristan inhaled some of the black smoke, and his eyes rolled up into his head, whiteas marbles. He froze, just like Valaine.

“What the hell is happening?!” I gripped his shoulders and shook him as hard as Icould. Morning swiped out a hand, releasing a flash of light that briefly blinded me. I wasthrown back, hitting the ground.

“Get away from him,” Morning said.I scrambled to get myself back up, and I started running. Adrenalin coursed through

my veins, but I didn’t stop running. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Tristan. There wasn’tanything I could do to get my brother away from Valaine. She wasn’t listening. Shecouldn’t hear him. She’d lost all control, and the darkness spreading out of her was killing

everything in its path, including the trees growing above. I could think of no better trail toleave for the Darklings, no better proof that Valaine was dangerous.

Of course, I also understood that none of this was her fault and that freeing her wasabsolutely imperative, but… this was my brother. Tristan was falling apart, stricken by theBlack Fever, and I wasn’t sure he’d survive it, even though he was a vampire. This was awhole new level of intensity for this disease-like curse, and I worried that none of us weresafe.

Valaine’s suffering was lashing out against all forms of life now, not just the Aeternae.I couldn’t be anywhere near her, so I bolted through the tunnel, desperate to put moredistance between us. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt like this. It killed me to leave myown brother behind, but I had no choice.

My legs gradually softened, and panic struck me hard. I fell. My whole bodysurrendered to the disease. Black ink filled my veins, dancing beneath my white skin. Thefever burned through me like the fires of an inferno, and I understood there wasn’t muchtime left. Something dragged me farther away, and I struggled to free myself. Glancingup, I caught a glimpse of Kalon.

“Kalon! We need to go! Now!” I cried out.“I know!”We both glanced back to see what I’d left behind. Though smaller in the distance, I

could still see them. Tristan and Valaine were leaning on each other, tendrils of blacksmoke stretching and swirling around them. Phantom and Morning had pulled back,staring in disbelief as the smoke swelled and swallowed my brother and Valaine.

I heard myself scream. It echoed through the tunnel. I froze. There was a thud behindme. Moments passed in agonizing silence as I managed to pull my gaze away from thatlethal darkness. Coughing and heaving still, I looked down and found Kalon on his side.Black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He quivered, sweat dripping from everyinch of his skin. He looked awful. This was the Black Fever hitting him. It was spreadingfaster through the tunnel than I’d originally anticipated. My symptoms were gettingworse, as well.

“Oh no,” I whispered, my mind switching gears.Tristan was stuck with Valaine. I wanted to save him, but I couldn’t touch him

anymore. Kalon had already fallen under the Black Fever’s influence, and unless I got himas far away from here as possible, I’d lose him.

Grief threatened to tear me apart, but I found a sliver of strength somewhere deepinside me, and I hooked my arms under Kalon’s shoulders. Planting my boots firmly intothe ground, I pulled him up and started backing away, my leg muscles twitching andburning under our combined weight.

Unable to take my eyes off Tristan completely, I witnessed everything that happenedas I struggled to get Kalon out of harm’s way. The black smoke moved around my brotherand Valaine, forming a strange ball, like a revolving planet. Morning and Phantom staredat it, their scythes out and glistening. Whatever this was, it was filled with rage and tearsand approximately five million years of misery. It wouldn’t be easy to overcome.

“Kalon, hang in there,” I mumbled, my lips moving slowly.

I was growing sluggish. All the effort I’d put in was withering away, leaving my bodyfrail and unable to react. The Black Fever had taken a firm hold over me, its symptomssettling in and sabotaging my attempt to at least save Kalon.

“No, please… no, just a little while longer…” I sobbed, tears rolling down my cheeks.I landed on my back with Kalon’s upper body on top of mine, pinning me down. Lifting

my head, I watched the black smoke dissipate, revealing my brother and Valaine. Tristancollapsed in front of her, his head resting in her lap.

“Tristan …”A peculiar kind of warmth enveloped me. It tasted bitter, like surrender. My muscles

softened. My bones gave out. My very soul broke as I witnessed the end. It was comingfor us all, dark and infinite, inconsolable and wretched. Tristan loved Valaine too much togive up on her. Kalon loved me too much to watch me die. I loved Kalon too much towatch him die... The things we did for love were incredible and scary and baffling all atonce.

I passed out, clinging to a twinkling thread of hope that maybe, just maybe, theuniverse might not give up on us. That it might reward us with salvation because thesacrifices made in the name of love were the noblest of all.

I fell into the darkness, feeling that hopeful thread as it slipped through my fingers,leaving me with nothing. An absolute and empty nothing.

“I

T R I S T A N

’m so sorry, Tristan.”Valaine’s melodious voice was crystal clear in the middle of this vast nothingness. It

wasn’t death. It wasn’t suffering, either. It was a familiar kind of limbo. I was tempted toworry about the physical world. I’d caught a glimpse of my sister crying and falling. Treeroots rotting and blackening. The darkness that had taken over Valaine was muchstronger this time. It was different, too. More intense… weighing me down in a way ithadn’t in the past. I wanted to get back to the surface, but I understood that we werehere for a particular reason.

Yes, she was having another episode, but this time it had taken us deeper,somewhere we’d been before. She’d triggered a trance state, and I didn’t have the timeor the energy to wonder how she’d done it. All that mattered was that we were here, andwe had to make the most of it before people on the outside died.

“Can you hear me?” I called out, though I had no sense of myself.“Yes.”“I can hear you,” I said. It was peaceful here, in the nothingness. I’d missed this

feeling.“I don’t know how we got here,” Valaine replied. “But I can’t see you.”“Neither can I. I mean, I can’t see you or myself… it’s like I left my body out there in

the real world.”“That’s probably what happened.” Valaine sighed. “I’m hurting people, Tristan. How

do I make it stop?”It was a difficult question, with an equally difficult answer. There wasn’t a solution in

sight—at least not one that might satisfy all our requirements. It broke me to have to tellher this. “Valaine, I don’t think you can make it stop. My guess is that we can only ridethe wave and see where it takes us.”

“But your sister, Kalon… all those innocents out there…”“Let’s see where this darkness leads us, Valaine. We must be here for a reason,” I

said. “Maybe it’ll eventually lead us back to the surface, ideally before it’s too late. Howare you feeling now?”

She took a moment to answer. “I’m fine, actually. I feel fine. Calm. At peace, even.There’s nothing here, and I can’t explain it.”

“It’s weird, yeah. It’s a peculiar place, but I think it serves as our starting point justlike it did before,” I replied. “We can’t do anything for the outside world, but we can dosomething here. Do you think Phantom or Morning are with us? Maybe they just can’thear us.”

“No, I don’t feel them.”“Then we’re alone. All the more reason for us to go through with this, Valaine.”Silence settled between us once more. I basked in it. I found peace in it, just as she

did. I wondered if death would be like this when my time came. All things had to end atsome point. We vampires only had the illusion of immortality, not the true sense of it. Iwas more than happy to settle for that, but I also had to wonder what lay beyond thatlast breath. Would it be like this? Empty and quiet? Devoid of absolutely everything?

And how long before I’d lose my mind in it? We all craved a semblance of suchshadowed silence, but I doubted we could take much of it. Our whole lives are spent inthe midst of sounds—our voices, nature, traffic, the wind and the foaming seas, thepeople we surrounded ourselves with, gunshots and fireworks, music and laughter… howlong before we’d go crazy in the absence of it all?

“Do you see it, Tristan?” Valaine asked. I didn’t answer right away, my mind still stuckon the whole insanity idea. “Tristan?”

“Yes, sorry. See what?” I was having trouble tearing myself away from that odd trainof thought. Then again, it didn’t need to be odd. After all my brushes with death, it wasonly natural that I’d start asking myself such things, especially since I was getting a tasteof such intense and unrelenting stillness.

“The golden thread.”Looking around, I finally noticed it. A slim little thing, barely a silken string, almost

invisible but for its golden reflexes. “It’s weak,” I said.“It’s distant,” Valaine replied. “Let’s follow it…”Reaching out, I felt the thread’s delicate texture tickling my skin, though I could see

no skin to speak of. I held on, moving in its direction, flowing with it across the vast andempty sea. Soon the darkness dissolved into a rich canvas of colors and shapes.

“Tristan, this is from a very long time ago,” she concluded, her breath wavering. “I canfeel it. Like a forgotten dream that’s finally coming back.”

I found myself in the middle of a narrow street paved with rounded pieces of stone. Itstretched and snaked up a coast, the ocean raging to my left, its waves crashing andpummeling the tall and rocky shore. The salty breeze was strong, and I could taste it onthe tip of my tongue. Glancing down, I realized I wasn’t really here. I was merely aviewer in someone else’s memory. Valaine. There she was—walking up the street, herface obscured by a dark green velvet hood, the cape flowing behind her.

This was a different version of the Unending. Young-looking, though given the setting,she was close to ten thousand years, for sure. The fear in her black eyes was all toofamiliar. She constantly glanced over her shoulder, worried someone might be followingher.

“Valaine, is that you?” I asked.“Yes. You can see me?” Her voice persisted around me.

“It’s strange. I used to witness it all through your past eyes, but now I seem to be onthe outside,” I said.

“You’re getting it easy, then. I’m inside her. I have no choice but to go where sheleads me. Here’s the funny thing. I know her name. I know it in my heart. I remember it!”

“Who is she?” I asked, staying close to the Aeternae woman in the dark green cape asshe made her way up the street. Ahead, a city rose with sturdy rock towers and conicalroofs. The clouds gathered overhead like puffs of charcoal dust, and the wind intensified,making the woman’s cape dance around her. The air felt cold. The salty taste lingered inmy mouth.

“Eliana,” Valaine said, the woman’s lips moving as she spoke. I doubted Eliana waseven aware that we were here watching her. That Valaine was inside her, using her tocommunicate with me. “Her name is Eliana.”

What an odd moment this was. I couldn’t look away.“How do you know?” I wondered aloud.“I just do. I’m bound to her on a deeper level. Or maybe I’m just more alert, more

aware of everything this time around. Her name echoes inside me. I’m Eliana.”“Do you know where you’re going?”“This is Roano,” Valaine replied. “I recognize it. Kalla described it to me before. The

westernmost city on the western coast.”It was a big place. Imposing, too, with suspended bridges over large houses and

squares. Most of its buildings were tall, each yearning to reach the heavens, all of themcompeting to get there first. There were four watchtowers—magnificent things—robustcolumns with fires burning at the top. They looked to the north, the south, the east, andthe west.

As we entered the city of Roano, I realized this wasn’t a pleasant visit at all. No, wewere walking into a living hell, the city’s streets littered with Black Fever infested bodies.Corpses had been piled up in the squares and set ablaze, the meat melting off the bonesas rolls of black smoke rose and spread out. Screams of agony rippled from nearby.Mothers crying. Husbands cursing their fate. Children begging for their parents to comeback… but there was no coming back from the Black Fever death.

Eliana kept moving, maintaining a low profile as she snuck through the side streets.She knew where she was going. She’d been here before, but never under such direcircumstances. The city of Roano was dying, its Aeternae sickened and fading away witheach minute that passed. The stench of death persisted, replacing the breeze and fillingmy nostrils with a sickening feeling. I stayed close to Eliana.

“She’s scared,” Valaine said through the Aeternae woman.We rushed through the streets until we reached a higher level of the city. Here, a

rounded open space waited, its pavement glazed with dark red blood. A battle wasraging. I recognized the Seniors in their white silk garments fighting… Darklings. Purityfought evil. White silk against black velvet. Claws and fangs against claws and fangs. Partof the same species, yet fundamentally different.

Kemi and Mira were leading the charge against the Darklings, moving like shadowsthrough the expanding brawl. Eliana stayed back, hidden behind a stack of caskets, some

of which had been broken. The blood had already spilled from them, coagulating over theoakwood and turning brown. Aeternae heads littered the entire area, Seniors andDarklings alike. From what I could tell, the Seniors were winning, pushing back againstthe Darklings, unwilling to let them take what they wanted.

“What is this?” I asked.“I think I remember reading about this,” Valaine said. “It’s considered forgotten

history now. This was what led the Seniors into exile. The Battle of Roano.”“What do you know about it?”“The Seniors fought the Darklings here. It was violent and bloody. Innocent Aeternae

were killed in the process, which is why the empire agreed to have them retire on theisland. Well, islands, as it turns out,” Valaine replied.

“I wonder what made the Darklings come out into the open like this. Roano is clearlyaffected by Black Fever,” I said.

“Today, the city dies. It’s why the Battle of Roano remains somewhat obscure. TheBlack Fever hit it hard. On top of that, the Seniors fought the Darklings here. Theremaining Aeternae civilians didn’t stand a chance. Roano has been abandoned eversince.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” I said quietly. Eliana moved away from the battle and kept tothe side streets, going farther north toward the watchtower. “I can see the Seniors aretrying to limit their violence to that particular area. Where’s the collateral damage?”

“Maybe we’re still early in the story, so to speak. Maybe the worst has yet to happen.”Eliana took me away from the violence, but I looked back and saw Mira and Kemi

running toward us. They shouted her name, their faces contorted with fear and horror asthey tried to catch up.

“What are you doing here?!” Mira cried. “Eliana, no! Get away!”“It’s not safe!” Kemi growled, picking up the pace.But Eliana wasn’t having any of it. “I have to stop this!”She raced up the stairs of the watchtower. The higher we got, the tighter the walls

around us. I got dizzy following her up the spiraling steps, but it all took a turn for theworse when we reached the top. A fire burned here, but it wasn’t what Eliana had comefor. No, she’d come for the Master of Darkness and the two Whips accompanying him.The Master smiled, while Eliana tried to catch her breath.

“I’m here,” she said. “Be done with it already. My parents are coming.”My heart sank as I put two and two together. “Mira and Kemi…”“I’m surprised you made it,” the Master said. He had sharp cheekbones, his long blond

hair making him look almost angelic. Beneath his appearance, he was rotten to the core.“I’m surprised you decided to listen, Eliana. Your stubbornness usually gets the better ofyou.”

“Too many people are dying. If I’m the cause, then stop me. I will die to save themall,” Eliana declared.

“Oh no. You’re buying into their lies,” I whispered. There was nothing I could do toprevent any of this from happening. This had already taken place two million years ago.There was no way to change the past. All I could do was witness it.

“Eliana, no!” Mira screamed from below. Feet thudded on the stone steps as she triedto get to her daughter before it was too late.

“You are doing the Aeternae a grand favor, Eliana,” the Master said, raising his scythe.“You shall be buried a heroine. Glory shall be yours in death.”

The Whips sneered by his side, their eyes twinkling with excitement. Outside, the citywas dying. Blood drenched the streets of Roano. In here, the Darklings were going aheadwith their plan, maintaining the cycle that the Spirit Bender had established long ago—anendless stream of lies and suffering from which he had profited the most.

Eliana exhaled sharply, her eyes wet with tears as she stood tall and proud. Thescythe came down, and her head fell off with one swift blow. I gasped, feeling my throatclose up. I watched as Mira and Kemi made it to the top and found her still form. TheWhips vanished, using death magic to teleport themselves away. The Master, however,stayed to rub it in.

“I told you she’d do it,” he said.Mira was devastated. Instantly in tears, she knelt before Eliana’s body. Her lips

quivered as she struggled to make sense of it all. Kemi was livid, his eyes wide withhorror as his gaze bounced between his daughter’s head and the Master.

“You… you killed our daughter,” he managed, shaking like a leaf. His musclestwitched, and I could almost see the rage engulfing him, lava flowing through his swollenveins as he took an attack stance. “You bastard! We were helping her, Endymion! Wewere helping her remember!”

“She would’ve set us all free.” Mira sobbed, no longer able to stand. “She would’veended this. You monster…”

Endymion scoffed, unafraid and anything but repentant. “You don’t understand. Mostof us enjoy the idea of living forever. And you don’t get to decide when it is all over. Youdon’t get to end it. The cycle must continue. The Unending shall be reborn, and next timeit’ll be someone else’s child we have to kill. But the Aeternae will live on. Once againwe’ve stopped the Black Fever from destroying us all. It’s been a good day.”

“You killed our daughter,” Kemi repeated.“And like I said, I’ll kill someone else’s son or daughter next time,” Endymion replied.

“I will do whatever it takes to maintain our glorious empire, to preserve our species, toput eternity in our hands.”

“It’s not right. It was never right!” Mira croaked, her shoulders slumping.“You didn’t mind it for the first million years though, did you?” Endymion shot back. “It

was only when you got tired that this became an inconvenience. Well, you know what,Mira? I’ll make sure you never die. I’ll keep you all alive until you’re desperate to end it,and even then I will deny you that release. Maybe then you’ll understand why theDarklings’ path is the righteous one, and yours is only based on this infantile delusion thatyou can actually free the Unending. You can’t, Mira. No one can.”

“That’s a lie!” Kemi snarled. He lunged at Endymion, but the Master slipped to theside, practically gliding across the floor. Kemi nearly threw himself out the window byaccident, but Mira was quick to grab him in time. “The Spirit Bender locked her here.There has to be a way out for her!”

Endymion laughed. “If there is, you won’t be the ones to find it. I’m afraid your time inour society has come to an end.”

Mira and Kemi stilled, confused. “What are you talking about?” Mira asked.“Look outside. See what the Seniors have done,” Endymion said, putting his scythe

away and crossing his arms. He didn’t even feel threatened by two of the oldest Aeternaein existence. “I may not have been here when the Unending created our people, but I amcertainly here to make sure we live on. For that, I will do anything.”

Beyond the watchtower, carnage was unfolding. The Darklings—many more than I’doriginally estimated—flooded the lower streets of Roano, killing everyone in their path.Fleeing Rimians and Naloreans, civilian Aeternae, men, women, and children—no one wasspared. The Black Fever was already subsiding now that Eliana was dead. But in its wake,a different kind of devastation came over the city. The Darklings were wiping everyoneout, as the Seniors, woefully outnumbered, struggled to stop them.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kemi breathed, unable to take his eyes off the streets.Screams of pain and horror erupted, spreading outward and drowning out the thunder ofan approaching storm.

“Making sure you and your ilk stay out of our business for good,” Endymion said with achuckle.

Mira brought a hand to her chest as if to stop the ache that had settled inside. Theache of losing her daughter who just happened to be the Unending reborn. The ache oflosing another chance at freeing the Unending. The ache of losing her place within thevery empire she had helped build. All at the hands of Endymion and the Darklings.

“You’ve gone too far,” she murmured. “The Lord Supreme will never allow you tooperate in the light. We made sure of that long ago.”

“Maybe. But in time, the people will see that our way is the best. Eventually, a leaderwho suits our needs will come to the throne. And until then, you and all the Seniors willbe gone, tucked away from civilization with only yourselves for company. Rest assured,Mira, that I have other ways to make you all miserable, and I’m just getting started.”

“The Lord Supreme will never believe we did that!” Kemi snarled, pointing out thewindow.

Endymion threw his head back, laughing. I’d seen this sort of dramatic demeanorbefore. “Endymion… sounds like a Visentis, if you ask me,” I mumbled, mostly to myself.

“He is a Visentis. Petra’s distant uncle, to be precise,” Valaine said. She was still herewith me, though she’d lost Eliana’s vessel. I felt an inkling of gratitude that I hadn’t beenthe only one to witness this. The truth about what had happened in Roano.

“Something tells me he will,” Endymion replied. “I’ve made sure to get the rightmessages through to him. In fact, I imagine there’s a convoy of gold guards headed forRoano as we speak. It’s over, Kemi. It’s over. We’ve won once again. We’ll keep onwinning—and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.”

“You son of a bitch,” Kemi hissed, moving to attack Endymion again, but Mira pulledhim back and glared at the Master.

“It’s no use, my love. He’s got Atlas’s scythe. You know what that thing can do,” shesaid quietly. Endymion took a step forward, giving Eliana a brief glance.

“She saved her people. She died with that thought in mind. I hope that will give youboth some much-needed comfort.”

“The only comfort I need is the one that will come after someone tears your heartout,” Mira replied, baring her sharp fangs. “It’s not over, Endymion. It will never be over.Not while I still have a breath in my body. You just killed my daughter. Don’t think for onesecond that you’ll get away with it. Do what you will, but I will find my way back to you,and I will kill you. That eternity you long for… it will never be yours.”

Everything around us darkened. The colors faded. The stone bricks turned to powder,blown off into the nothingness. I found myself at the heart of a pitch-black void again—only this time I wasn’t alone. The city of Roano was gone. The history had alreadyunfolded. But there was someone here with me.

She sat down, her legs crossed and her back turned. Her ink-black hair flowed freely,white silk neatly wrapped around her body. Moving closer, I began to recognize thecreature that stood before me. I remembered the graceful lines of her hips. Her delicateshoulders and long, slender arms.

It was Valaine, but not just Valaine. She looked at me, and I knew those black eyes. Irecognized the pain and the longing that shimmered in those round irises. The full, redlips. The rosy cheeks. It was Valaine, but it was also Eliana. The image of her shifted, andEliana became someone else—an Aeternae man whose face I’d seen reflected on asurface somewhere in our past sessions. I’d found the core of Valaine, the sum of all thepersonas the Unending had been born into.

Some of them I didn’t know, while others felt familiar. I caught a glimpse of Valaineagain, too. She kept changing, the images of her dancing before me like a kaleidoscopeof past lives. Each of them looked at me. Each of them smiled and reached out. Each ofthem had been close to ten thousand years when they’d met their end at the hands ofDarklings.

“You’re the one who’s going to set me free,” a strange voice said, the lips of theUnending’s past vessels moving all at once.

I was dazzled and speechless, trying to make sense of this vision. I had no controlover it. Heck, I couldn’t even focus, the people multiplying and spreading before me likecards on a table. Eliana, Valaine, and everyone else she’d been since the Spirit Benderhad first locked her in. I could only see it through.

“You’re the one who’s going to bring me back, Tristan. I can feel it,” the voice added,making my whole being hum with a mixture of curiosity and anxious worry.

It dawned on me then that it wasn’t Valaine saying this. Not anymore.It was the Unending. She was finally making contact.I’d found her.

I

E S M E

was in a dream, but it wasn’t the good kind.It was a nightmare, and I was powerless to stop it. Darkness surrounded

me. It blinded me, but it didn’t deafen me. I could hear everything. Thescreams of people fleeing from its path. The cries for help. The low hum of deathapproaching, filling the tunnel.

The tunnel.My eyes peeled open. I was in the tunnel. This wasn’t a dream at all. It was reality,

and it was catching up with me so fast, I had a hard time coping. I’d been thrown overKalon’s shoulder. He ran as fast as he could, his breathing shallow as he carried me awayfrom… “Oh God,” I managed, with a clear view of what was coming for us.

I couldn’t see Tristan or Valaine anymore. Phantom. Morning. Blackness had vanishedthem as well as it flooded the tunnel, spreading toward us, ravenous and itching to getus.

“Kalon, you were sick,” I croaked. “The Black Fever…”“I still am,” he said, interrupted by a violent cough. It made me shudder. “But I came

to, and here we are. How are you feeling?”“Kalon, wait!” I tried to get down, but his arm held me firmly in place, hoisted over his

shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I wiggled and squirmed, but he refused to let go. “I canrun on my own!”

“No, right now you need to sit tight and pray it doesn’t catch up with us again,” hereplied dryly, heaving as he struggled to reach the others.

I couldn’t see very well behind me, but I could hear everyone running, their bootsrumbling across the hard ground. Children screamed. Their mothers were too busy fleeingfor their lives to even comfort them.

“Kalon, is that… is that Valaine?” I asked, the view before me jiggling. The darknesswas still coming, and it was horrifyingly fast.

“Yeah, it’s Valaine,” he replied. “She’s out of control. Everything is dying around her.You were out cold, I could barely breathe, but the farther we’re getting from her, thebetter I’m feeling. You?”

“The Black Fever. It’s coming out of her. Raw… untamed…”“Exactly.”

“Tristan is still there with her, isn’t he?” I asked, though part of me already knew theanswer. Tears stung my eyes as I narrowed them, struggling to see something throughthe gloom that was feverishly chasing us.

“I’m sorry, Esme. We can’t get to him. He’s too close to her.”I remembered now. “Kalon, I think I can run on my own. You’re putting too much of a

strain on yourself.”“I’m okay. I just need to—” Kalon grunted in pain. He stumbled, and we fell, rolling on

the ground.He managed to pull himself back up, terror imprinted on his face as he looked at me.

“It’s getting worse…” he managed.The sickness was seeping into my bones and making it harder for me to breathe. He

was right, and I could feel it.“It’s not fair,” I whispered as my vision grew hazy. I didn’t want to give up. We could

still make it, but my body was working against me. Sobbing, I looked back at theencroaching darkness. It showed no mercy, gobbling up everything in its path. Rootsdropped from the tunnel’s ceiling, shriveled and black. Everything disappeared. Soon, sowould we.

My desire to save Tristan had already faded—much to my shame—as my survivalinstincts kicked back in. I looked at Kalon and realized he was the only one I could dosomething for, if only my legs would hold me. Black blood trickled from his nose, but herefused to leave me.

“You know I love you, right?” I whispered. “We have to move, Kalon. Either we bothleave, or we both die in this place. There’s no in-between.”.

“It’s hard to move—” He doubled over with a violent cough, spraying more black bloodonto the ground. He couldn’t get back up. His body gave out, and his knees buckled andbent. I lost him for a moment, but I pulled him into a standing position. His head lolledback and forth, his blue eyes rolling around with no ability to focus. It was definitelyhitting him harder and more intensely than before.

I gathered what was left of my strength and threw him over my shoulder. He’d takengreat risks to protect me, and this was the least I could do for him. My only hope wasthat my brother might survive, after all.

I looked back once more, unable to see anything except the dark energy that washurtling toward us. It was death in its purest form, and it wouldn’t take any prisoners. Icould feel it in my bones.

My options became clear. Either Kalon and I died here, or we tried to survive this. Mybrother would want me to choose the latter. I knew that. I wasn’t sure if Tristan was stillalive somehow—by the grace of whatever forces powered this universe—but I knew hewould want me to fight, to keep going, to relish every single breath of air I had left. Hewould want me to leave him.

And so I ran, once more. With my soulmate bearing down on my shoulder, I ran asthough my heels were on fire. Mom and Dad came to mind, for some reason. Perhapsthey’d be my last thought before dying… I could almost hear them cheering me on, tellingme to keep going, to stop at nothing. I could almost see Grandpa Kyle and Grandma

Anna smiling at us, though most of what I knew of them came from distant memories andpictures from family albums. Despite that, they felt closer to me than ever before.

As my legs moved and my muscles ached, I saw The Shade open up ahead. With itsredwood giants and evergreen canopy. With its night sky and pearly moon. With itsnarrow paths and the colorful Vale. My home. My haven. It had seemed so far until thismoment, yet now it felt within my reach. Maybe this was all part of the process, justbefore the last breath—seeing everything I wanted, everything I’d been through, bothgood and bad. A selection of the greatest hits, the moments I’d cherish long after I’d begone.

But I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to anyone. Not yet. I wasn’t done living! I wasn’tdone loving or fighting, either. The Shade dissolved like a tiny drop of ink in a sea of clearwater, and the tunnel opened ahead instead. The Vision horses neighed frantically. Icould see the others—Sofia, Thayen, Trev… the Visentis boys… Rudolph, Seeley—so Ikept running.

I kept running for our lives while the darkness chased us.Up until now, we’d been the ones to chase darkness. This time, the hunted was more

powerful than anything we had to throw at it, so it hunted us back. If only one of us couldreach out to Valaine. If only one of us could snap her out of her current state.

Maybe then we wouldn’t all have to die in this wretched tunnel.

I

T R I S T A N

kept staring at them. All of Valaine’s past lives were on display from left toright, going on forever in both directions. They stood before me, smiling,dressed in white silk, the void at their feet and above their heads.

“Why me?” I asked. “Why does it have to be me?”“Because you love with all your heart,” they said in unison. The strange voice of the

Unending didn’t come from just one entity. It came from all of them at once, and I couldbarely keep myself together. I’d taken on this task for the sake of truth andrighteousness, but she was right. I was doing it out of love, too. It was by far the mostpowerful of the feelings that had driven me.

“How do I set you free?” I asked.“I can’t remember. Not yet, anyway,” Unending replied. “It’s in here, Tristan.”The vessels brought their hands up, pointing fingers at their temples with incredible

synchronicity. I focused on Valaine in an attempt at concentration, to make sense of whatI was seeing and hearing. I’d become so detached from myself while lingering in thisnothingness that I could barely think. My synapses were faltering, and the last thing Ineeded was a slow mind.

“You’re lashing out,” I said. “You’re out of control.”“I wish I could stop. I really do.”“You have to help me, Valaine.”“Say my name, Tristan.”“Valaine.”“No, say my real name,” they replied.I let out a deep sigh. I heard it, like a sullen whisper. “You have to help me,

Unending.”Valaine smiled, as did the others. “It sounds so good rolling off your tongue like that.”“Can you help me?”“I don’t know. I can try, but like you said, I’m out of control. I want it all to stop.”My patience abandoned me. I cursed under my breath and reached out, pulling

Valaine into my arms and hiding my face in her long, silky hair. “You have to help me,” Itold her. “You have to wake up and put an end to all this. I will go with you to the end ofthe world, beyond all the realms, known or unknown. I will do whatever it takes to set

you free, but please… please, Valaine, wake up.”Seconds passed in gloomy silence, but I felt her softening in my embrace. A smile

tugged at the corner of my mouth as her heartbeats matched mine. We were one, andnothing else mattered. The other versions of the Unending vanished like mirages in acooling desert. The night wrapped itself around us, the chill rushing through my limbs. Ihoped she’d hear me.

Upon opening my eyes again, I found that we were surrounded by a different kind ofdarkness. This one felt real and suffocating, like noxious gas filling my lungs and shuttingdown every organ in my body. My blood thickened, and a wave of pain crashed throughme, making me whimper in agony. Still I refused to let go of Valaine.

We were in the tunnel, in the heart of the very darkness she’d lost control of. Itswirled and raged around us and beyond, spreading far and wide. Valaine was catatonic,kneeling only because I held her up. Her eyes remained fully black, her head tilted backslightly. Eons of suffering rippled out of her, feeding the frenzy, amplifying everything.

“Tristan,” Morning said, making me turn my head.Phantom stood beside her. Soul, Widow, and Night had joined them. Kelara must’ve

stayed ahead to teleport the Orvisians farther away—I figured she had better range, now.The Reapers’ brows were furrowed, and sadness lingered in their galaxy eyes as theylooked at us. I didn’t need to hear their thoughts to know what they were thinking. Icould smell the defeat from a mile away. But I wasn’t ready to give up.

“She’s going to kill everything and everyone,” Phantom said quietly. “All our wards…nothing has helped. We’ve been trying.”

“How are you still alive?” Soul asked, looking astonished.“She wants me to help her,” I replied. “She told me.”“Valaine is out of it,” Night muttered, a single tear escaping from the corner of his

eye.“No, Unending. Unending wants me to help her,” I said. It got their attention. Night

was the first to get closer, though he was clearly uncomfortable. Whatever this energycoming out of Valaine was, it had enough of an impact to affect the First Tenners. Nowonder I’d seen Seeley run away. It probably would’ve been worse for him—not tomention Rudolph or Nethissis. Only I remained standing somehow, in the company ofDeath’s first Reapers.

“You spoke to Unending?” Night asked, his head cocked to the side.I nodded. “In the nothingness. Where we usually go to look for memories. That’s

where she is. I seem to have come back on my own this time.”“What did she say?” Morning asked, her eyes widening. Hope was a fickle and

dangerous thing, but she couldn’t really help herself. They all wanted their sister back.“She needs my help to remember. We need to keep digging into her past,” I said.“How? She’s about to kill the whole planet right now.” Soul scoffed.“I’m not sure, but I know she wants to fight. She wants to be free.” Tears filled my

eyes. Love and grief took over, along with an excruciating form of Black Fever. My skinburned, yet I refused to let go. I held Valaine closely as the curse worked its way throughme.

My insides liquefied. My heart slowed down.“Tristan, she will kill you,” Phantom cried. She looked like a little girl, a sister who was

afraid to lose the people she cared about the most. The Reaper was reduced to tears asshe watched me succumb to the Black Fever.

“I will die if that’s what it takes,” I managed, resting my head on Valaine’s shoulder.“Though… to be fair, I’m not sure… how much longer… I can last…”

My voice was breaking. Forming words had become a laborious process. As much asI’d tried to fight it, the darkness was finally taking me down, one cell at a time. Soonnothing would be left of me at all. Maybe then I’d return to the void where I’d met theUnending. Where it was quiet and peaceful. Maybe then I’d get to test my theory abouthow long it would take for one’s spirit to go mad in the absence of everything that madethis life worth living.

“Death…” I whispered. My last resort had finally come to me. Facing the end in thearms of my beloved had finally pushed me to do the one thing I hadn’t even thought ofbefore. I opened my heart and mind in prayer as I sought Death beyond this realm. “DearDeath… Sacred Death, hear my prayer,” I said, my voice getting stronger.

The wind howled around us. The darkness festered and ate away at me. I washanging by a thread, images flashing through my mind—Esme… Mom… Dad… ourchildhood in The Shade… our numerous adventures in all of Earth’s most hidden places…sharing fruit with the natives of Amazonia… participating in the aboriginal rituals ofsouthwestern Australia—oh, I’d had a lot of fun throughout my short life. There was somuch I still wanted to do, but fate appeared to have other plans for me.

“Death, hear my prayer unto you,” I continued, yearning for my soul to connect withthe Lady of Reapers herself, wondering if she could hear me even though we didn’t sharea telepathic connection. “I need your help. Your daughter, your beloved Unending needsyour help. We’ve come far in our quest, but we cannot go any further. Darkness andsuffering surround us. They eat away at us. I beg you, Death, to give me something,anything, so I can save Unending. So I can love her forever.”

“What the hell is he doing?” Soul blurted.“Praying,” Morning said. “He’s praying to Death.”“Wow. When’s the last time that happened?” Widow asked. I heard the question, but I

couldn’t see them anymore. My eyes were closed as I held Valaine tight and repeated myprayer over and over until my voice echoed beyond the confines of space and time—or soI hoped.

“Billions of ages ago,” Night replied. “Back when the world was still young. Back whenDeath had just made us. Proto-humanoids worshipped her directly, remember? Therewere so many of them, too.”

“Ah, right. The early planets from the In-Between. Before the other dimensionscreated their own life,” Morning said. “Millions prayed to Death every night. She couldhear them.”

“Sometimes she would answer a prayer or two, as well.” Night chuckled.“Do you think she can hear Tristan now?” Widow asked.“We can help him get the message across,” Soul said. A moment later, his voice

joined mine in prayer. “Death, hear my prayer unto you. I need your help. Your daughter,your beloved Unending needs your help. We’ve come far in our quest, but we cannot goany further. Darkness and suffering surround us. They eat away at us. I beg you, Death,to give me something, anything, so I can save Unending.”

Soon they were all chanting with me. Our prayers met in the ether, melding into onesingle voice, one powerful message that hopefully transcended the planes of existence.

“Death, hear my prayer unto you…”“Your daughter…”“Your beloved Unending needs your help…”“Darkness and suffering…”“I beg you, Death,” I said. “To give me something, anything, so I can save Unending.”This was the closest we had ever gotten to the truth. The closest the Unending had

gotten to finding her true self. Maybe the universe would help us this time around. Maybethe Word or other forces in this cosmic vastness would take pity on our suffering and helpget our prayer across.

We were wading into uncharted territory, and we knew little to nothing of what layahead. I didn’t know what to expect, except for my demise. My body was gradually cavingin. Breathing became impossible. Hot and cold currents burst through me. Whatever wasleft of my heart was breaking, but I continued praying.

I had come so far… I had come so close to touching her. The real her. The Unending.It felt surreal—so beautiful, so potentially wonderful that not even death by Black Feverscared me. I was moments away from salvation or destruction. I prayed. We all prayed,raising our voices higher, hoping that she, the wielder of the end, might hear us. Thatshe, the bringer of eternal night, might save us.

Hope would perish last.

D

T A E R A L

ue to the difficulties our people had on Visio and the complexity of theUnending situation, I was compelled to visit Aledras again. Here, Death sulkedas the Time Master, the Nightmare, and the Dream struggled to break another

seal. Around five hundred remained, and each subsequent seal was proving harder tocrack than the one before it.

A chain linked Death’s ankle to the bottom of the frozen lake. Sheer whiteness spreadas far as the eye could see, and snowy forests rose around the edges. To the north,merely a glimmer on the horizon, stood a city with white towers. The Aledrasians werelikely still recovering from their Hermessi trauma, and the weather was often severe thistime of year, so few had the courage to venture this far out.

The wind howled, snow pricking my face as I made my way across the thick icetoward the center where Death sat, her long black hair half white with frost. She didn’tfeel the cold on her skin, but she didn’t look comfortable, either. The Spirit Bender hadmercilessly bound her to Aledras with a thousand seals. I would’ve been glum about it,too. The Time Master moved slowly around her, analyzing each of the black runesimprinted on her body. Some had vanished—broken already—but half remained and grewincreasingly hard to break.

Dream and Nightmare sat on the edge of the ice hole with their bare feet dipping inthe water, while Death had her legs crossed, white silk dress rippling in the wind. Herface lit up when she saw me. “Taeral… what brings you here?”

“You know very well why I’ve returned,” I said. “Our people need help. Your help.”“I heard about the Orvis situation,” Death replied. Time stopped, giving me a

sideways glance. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He seemed tense. “Seeley told me throughour telepathic connection. I asked him to keep me informed.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not enough anymore. Do you even understand what’s going onthere? The horrible things we’ve found…” I scoffed, bringing out Thieron. “If you can’ttrust me, why am I even bothering to hold on to this?”

Death stilled, her expression shifting into something blank, almost lifeless. “I trustyou, Taeral. Don’t ever doubt that. I wouldn’t have asked you to hold it for me if I didn’t.”

“Then trust me with whatever it is you’re still keeping from me!” I snapped. “There issomething more here. There is something about the Spirit Bender that you’re not telling

me. My friends are facing his followers as we speak, and unless we know exactly whatwe’re dealing with, it will likely kill them all!”

“I told you. I told you to keep your people out of this because my Reapers werehandling it,” Death replied. “It’s not my fault you mingled with the undead despite myclear instructions.”

“Right, right! The living cannot have any contact with those beyond. Yeah, we’ve allheard that crap before. But it was your people who reached out. Seeley and the FirstTenners were the ones who got in touch and helped us. And now we’re working together,so instead of droning on about how the rules were broken, how about you help us adaptand move forward?”

“What do you want me to do, Taeral? The Spirit Bender is gone. I cannot do anythingin my current state. The mission is still simple: get Unending out of there and bring her tome, so she can break the rest of these wretched seals! Then I can take Thieron back andput an end to whatever the Darklings are doing. I told you, Taeral. I told you to keepyour friends away from the Darklings because I’m the only one who can handle them.Everything that’s happening now, it’s because none of you listened! Not you. Not myReapers. None of you.”

“Forgive me, but you’re wrong.” Time’s interjection stunned Death. He’d always beenthe quiet one, from what I could tell. He did her bidding and rarely objected. The signs I’dnoted earlier were true, then. The Time Master was disagreeing with his maker, and thatwas a rare occurrence.

“Excuse me?” Death asked, turning to look at him. Dream and Nightmare werespeechless, frozen in place and exchanging nervous glances.

“Even now, you’re not telling him or us everything,” Time said. “You’re holding back.You have yet to explain exactly how much information you gave the Spirit Bender. Whatyou taught him. It’s clearly more than any of us have learned from you. The Reapers areworking with the living because you refuse to admit the scale of this disaster. You arestubborn, thinking a handful of First Tenners will be enough to resolve something thatSpirit took eons to put together. Taeral has every right to be angry, to demand more fromyou.”

“I cannot believe you’re saying such things…” Death murmured.“Am I not speaking the truth? Things would go a lot smoother if you just met some of

Taeral’s demands. More Reapers on the battleground in Visio, for example, would tip thescales against the Darklings.”

“The Master of Darkness chased our people out of Orvis,” I said. “They’re currentlytunneling their way toward the west coast, and Valaine keeps having trouble with herinner darkness. The millions of years that she has spent in that world have taken theirtoll. Her suffering threatens to wipe out the entire planet.”

“You’ve found her. That’s what matters,” Death replied.“No, what matters is that we have to set her free, and we have no idea how to do

that before she wipes out the whole of Visio, my friends included,” I shot back.“Let them burn!” Death hissed. “After everything they did to her, it’s the least they

deserve!”

“Most of them are innocent,” I said. “They don’t even know their true origins. TheDarklings buried the truth. Besides, there are Rimians and Naloreans living there, too. It’sbad enough the Aeternae have been feeding on them for countless generations—now youwant them to perish as collateral damage, too? It’s not fair. No, I reject your premise,and I demand that you come clean. There is something you’re not telling us.”

“Mind your tongue, Taeral! I will be here long after you’re dead.” Death pointed anangry finger at me.

“Oh, enough with the cryptic talk!” Dream shot to her feet, shaking. “First of all, whenTaeral dies, he’ll become a Reaper, so he’ll definitely be around. Second, I’m with Timeand Taeral on this. You haven’t told us everything, and you must. You keep improvising,handing out orders as you go along, because your ego is blinding you. At least admit thatyou screwed up somewhere along the way. Honestly, it’s the only possible explanation asto why you’re being so absurd and irrational.”

The air thickened as Death’s nerves tightened. We’d managed to piss her off. I couldonly hope that the remaining five hundred seals would hold her back, since I’d been toldmore than once that she could be quite temperamental. And for a cosmic force likeDeath, that could result in instant annihilation for the likes of me.

Before she could respond, Nightmare stood up, joining his twin. “She’s right, Mother,”he said. “We’re toiling away here, working hard to set you free. The Reapers and theliving are fighting to bring Unending back to you, to us. We’re all trying to mend thedamage that the Spirit Bender has inflicted upon this universe. The least you could do istell us the truth. We know you’re hiding something else. Just let it out. It’ll feel better, Ipromise.”

“If you don’t tell us, I swear I’ll leave. You can destroy me when you manage to freeyourself. I don’t really care anymore,” Time added. “Seeley nearly got turned into aghoul. Rudolph and countless others weren’t so lucky, and they are now forever doomed.Our sister has been suffering for almost five million years, stuck in a cycle she can’t breakfree of. Nothing you’ve done is as bad as what will happen if you keep withholding thetruth from us.”

Death sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as she lowered her gaze for a moment.It felt like forever from where I stood, gripping Thieron tightly. My knuckles were white,skin stretched over bone. I found comfort in knowing that the First Tenners experiencedthe same frustration I did. Maybe this was the final push that Death needed to tell useverything. I’d known for a while that she’d been holding back. Even during the Hermessiwars, I’d had to drag every word out of her.

“For a long time after I set the First Tenners free, the Spirit Bender stayed close tome,” Death finally said. “I didn’t tell anyone because I cherished those moments morethan anything else. He was kind and patient, always by my side, keeping me companywhile I expanded the Reaper network and watched them all go their own ways. Astructure had already developed, and the senior Reapers were very good at their jobs.There was balance in my world, but I was lonely. Spirit understood that, so he kept mecompany. Out of gratitude, I showed him lesser-known death magic spells.”

“Oh crap. I think I know where this is going,” Dream murmured, hiding her face in her

hands. Death shook her head slowly.“I didn’t know. I think I’ve said this before. I didn’t know he’d turn around and use it

against me or any of you,” she said.“You’ve already told us this. I mean, we’re aware Spirit learned most of his death

magic from you,” I replied.“But you don’t know the extent of the knowledge I gave him. Only Spirit and Unending

were granted such access to the very depths of death magic. Unending learned beforeSpirit… before I… before our argument, followed by her departure. She learned before Ieven made her siblings, during a time when I’d thought she and I would be enough forthis realm. Point is… I took them both back to the primordial layers of my power. I taughtthem the core elements of my craft, and they were able to use them to create otherspells. New seals and rituals. Stuff even I hadn’t thought of.”

“Death magic is made up of building blocks,” Time explained for my sake. “The top ofthe craft is what you’ve seen for yourself. A cast spell, a seal, a circle to keep us bound,that sort of thing. It all stems from the building blocks, a group of ten words and ahundred sub-words, as we call them. As First Tenners, the closest we ever got to the verycore of death magic was in learning about twenty of the sub-words. Think of them asingredients. If you know them individually, you can mix them around, either by followingan established recipe or by forging new spells and seals. The ten words are at the centerof it all.”

“And I taught Unending and Spirit five of those words. Which is why Spirit was able totrap me like this, not to mention what he did to his siblings,” Death replied. “And whywe’re having such a hard time freeing ourselves from his spells. Spirit used words andsub-words, most of the latter being familiar to the First Tenners, but the recipes are…different. So breaking them is a bit of a guessing game, combined with a lot of strength.”

I gasped. “Hold on, let me see if I’ve got this straight. Death magic is based on tenwords and a hundred sub-words.”

“And thousands of sounds,” Time added. “A regular Reaper only knows the soundsand, if he or she is lucky, a few sub-words. The words are normally occult, hidden fromour knowledge. Except for Unending and Spirit, it seems.” He shot Death a reprimandinglook.

“What exactly are the implications here?” I asked.Time ran a hand through his curly hair, his galaxy eyes shimmering with a mixture of

anger and anxiety. “It means the possibilities are pretty much endless as far as Spirit’smagic is concerned. And solving every seal he’s cast would take longer than we have,considering the turmoil on Visio. We need Unending to wake up and tell us what sheknows. She might not be able to free herself if Spirit went the extra mile on her seals, butshe would at least know what words and sub-words he used to bind her.”

A weight settled in my stomach as the whole picture came into focus. Death hadhanded the nuclear codes to her most dangerous son, and he’d gone ahead and done theworst with them. At least I understood what Death had been holding back, and why herego had prevented her from admitting it before now. I tried to put myself in her position.Sadly, I had to accept that I probably would’ve done the same thing, given the damage

that Spirit had done.“Is there any connection between death magic and Word magic, since you use these

so-called words and sub-words and sounds?” I asked, the connections falling into place inmy mind.

“The Word, as you call it, functions on the same elements. Words, sub-words, andsounds. A collection of spoken elements in a language known only to its disciples, withthe power to alter the fabric of time and space and beyond,” Death said. “Death magic isdark. Not evil, but dark. Bound to the shadows and the nothingness that exists outsideexistence. Word magic—or as I prefer to call it, life magic—is light. Not necessarily good,but bound to light and fire and energy, to existence itself. Various other forms of magicstem from these two.”

My head was reeling as I tried to grasp this new information. “What about the witchesfrom the Sanctuary? The jinn? The Lamias and the Druids and their magic?”

“Most of them are distant descendants of the Word. The Sanctuary’s white witchesand the jinn are born as such, but they’re bound to life and connected to the Word, evenif it never speaks to them,” Death said. “The black witches—now extinct of course—werethe same, but with threads from death magic. The combination was dangerous, and itcorrupted them over the years. It transformed them. Druid magic also stems from theWord. But like I said, their origins are deeply buried in the past, in a time that no oneremembers. My brother was generous with his powers. He handed them out to the living.I only had reign over the dead, and I didn’t see the point of magical ghosts, so I keptdeath magic to myself… at least until I made the Reapers.”

“So all the witches from all over this cosmos, regardless of their type and power…they’re all linked on an ancient level to the Word. Like the swamp witches,” I said.“Consider my mind blown here.”

Time scoffed. “Death and the Word have been around since the beginning of theuniverse.”

“Since before, actually,” Death corrected him. “But these are details. Purely trivial andunimportant. What matters is that, in the end, there is nothing I can do to help youagainst the Darklings, Taeral. I gave Spirit too much knowledge, and I don’t know whathe did with it.” She paused, the corners of her mouth dropping. “I’m sorry.”

It was all too much for me. I felt the need to just crouch and take deep breaths as thewinter winds intensified, the cold biting my cheeks. Groaning, I closed my eyes for amoment, trying to figure out what else there was to do. My friends on Visio were introuble, and they needed all the help they could get. But what sort of assistance could Iprovide now that Death had finally come clean and told us the whole truth about Spirit?

“They’ll have to find a way to set Unending free without killing everybody else,” Deathcontinued, her gaze fixed on the ice at her feet. “Until I have my freedom and Thieron inmy hand, I cannot fix anything. And there is no number of Reapers that can help, either. Igave Spirit too much power without considering the repercussions until it was far toolate.”

Suddenly, Death started shaking as if lightning surged through her. Gasping, she fellon her side, her whole body convulsing, her limbs twitching. Dream and Nightmare

rushed to help her, but they didn’t seem to know how.“What is going on?” Dream managed, her galaxy eyes wide with horror.“Why is she… what is this?” Nightmare asked, looking at Time, then at me. I offered a

shrug in return, since I was the last person on Aledras who might provide an answer.Time, on the other hand, was smiling. “Do neither of you recognize this?” he replied.“What did I say about cryptic talk? Out with it!” Dream snarled.“Someone is praying to her,” Time said, hands slipping into his pockets. “I haven’t

seen this in a very long time. I’ll admit… it’s astonishing.”Nightmare sucked in a breath. “Holy smokes, Time’s right.” He sat back, watching

Death’s convulsions with calmness and a childlike curiosity. “Someone is praying to Deathherself. Not some invented goddess from the pits of a distant galaxy. No, Death. OurDeath. The true Death.”

“I take it that’s not a regular occurrence?” I asked.Time shook his head. “A long time ago, before the Reapers were made, Death walked

the worlds where there was life. She took it upon herself to reap the souls of the earliestcreatures, to send them into the beyond. Back then, Death was young, almost playful,and she occasionally revealed herself to those she considered special.”

“Special, like the people whose spirits she kept close in her palace on Mortis?” I asked.“Pretty much, yes. Some lived to tell the tale, though, and they worshipped her. They

established cults in her name. They prayed to her, knowing who she really was. Andwhenever they did that, this happened,” Nightmare said. “It looks bad, but it’s not.”

“She always said it felt amazing,” Dream said quietly as the convulsions subsided, andDeath appeared to sleep, her lips stretching into a satisfied smile. “Despite the shakingand the passing out, she welcomed each prayer, claiming it made her feel rejuvenated.It’s weird, I know.”

“Mind you, it’s been forever since she’s experienced an actual prayer,” Time said. “Ididn’t think there was anyone left in the world of the living to worship Death directly.”

“I take it they all died out?” I said.Dream sighed. “I don’t even think their planets exist anymore. All things come to an

end, remember?”With a deep inhalation, Death opened her eyes, and I nearly got sucked into the

endless darkness that lay inside them, stretching infinitely beyond everything known andunknown. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, tucking a lock of silky black hairbehind her ear. We all watched her quietly, waiting for her response.

“I… I haven’t felt like this since… I can’t remember,” she whispered, graduallyreturning to reality.

“You received a prayer, didn’t you?” Dream asked, and Death gave her a faint nod.“Who from?”

Death looked at me. “Tristan. It was amplified by Soul and the other First Tenners. Icould hear them, loud and clear, as though they were right here with me.”

“What? Tristan? How?” I croaked, my heart leaping.“I guess it was an act of desperation. Something is awfully wrong on Visio, and they’re

losing control of the Unending’s misery,” Death said. “I should’ve seen this coming…”

“Dammit. What can I do? What can we do?” I asked. My feet were already burning. Iwas itching to get out of here and head straight to Visio. Death had wanted me to keepThieron away from the Darklings, but I felt like I’d be of better use there than anywhereelse. Sometimes the benefit outweighed the risk.

Death gave her Reapers a glance. “I’ll give you Time, Dream, and Nightmare.”“Yes!” Nightmare exclaimed, raising his fists to the sky as if he’d won some kind of

prize. His enthusiasm was adorable.“They will be better than nothing,” Death said to me. “I’m sorry I cannot do more. I

will trust you with my first children, and I will trust you with handling Thieron over therewithout getting any of us in deeper trouble. Under no circumstances can you lose myweapon. Do you understand me?”

“Taeral doesn’t even need to show himself unless he absolutely has to,” Time replied.“His wielding of Thieron is nowhere near proficient. It’s better not to risk it. But I can helpmy sister, Unending. Dream and Nightmare, too. They’re more than happy to do whatthey can.”

Death nodded once, shifting her focus back to me. “Go to Visio. Be careful.”I didn’t dare to feel enthusiastic about any of this. There wasn’t much I could make of

the whole prayer incident either, except that Tristan and the others were in a whole lot oftrouble. Death had told Spirit too much. She’d taught him things that were—from what Iunderstood—too dangerous and volatile, and Spirit had used this knowledge against herand against the other Reapers.

But I wasn’t hopeless. At least we had a better understanding of the trouble ahead.We knew more about what it was that we were about to walk into.

“I

T A E R A L

will grant you some authority to use Thieron beyond the parlor tricks you’vealready learned,” Death said, settling on the edge of the ice hole again. She lookedawfully lonely like this. I almost felt sorry for her. “Bring Thieron over here.”

I gave her the scythe, and she lovingly gazed at it for a few moments, admiring itssculpted handle, its curved blade, and the slowly rotating Phyla. There was a bondbetween Death and her weapon. Thieron was, after all, an extension of her power. Nomatter who held this scythe, it would always belong to her. It would always respond toher with its full might and potential.

She pressed her lips against Zetos, the blade, and whispered something. After havinglearned so much about death magic and Word magic, I was inclined to assume she wasusing some of the basic words to make Thieron obey me for stronger spells. Ironically,she didn’t have the precise recipe of words and sub-words to break her own seals, butshe could still program Thieron to work for me. The entire weapon lit up for a moment,and she gave it back to me.

“There are still limits on it,” she said. “I cannot remove those until I am free. But Igave you everything I could under the circumstances. Time will teach you some spells,should you need them. Only use it if you have no other option. Please, Taeral, I cannotstress this enough—”

“Be careful.” I cut her off. “I get it. Like Time said, I don’t even have to reveal myself.I’ll only use Thieron in the absence of any other option. Believe me when I say that Ireally don’t want to risk losing this weapon. Not after what we went through.”

“Go to Unending.” Death looked at Time, Dream, and Nightmare. “She needs you. Allof you. You are of better use there helping her to freedom than you are here, strugglingwith each of these damned runes.”

“And the Darklings? What protocols shall we follow?” Time asked.She released a deep breath, biting her lower lip. “I’m not sure. It would be unpleasant

for you not to work with the rest of your brothers and sisters in arms. Follow their lead.See what they tell you. I trust Seeley’s judgment, despite his emotional attachment toNethissis.”

“Whoa, the Lamia witch? Where’d you get that from?” Nightmare chuckled.“I know everything about you,” Death reminded him with a dry smile. “Even the things

you think you’re keeping from me. Therefore, I know what’s in Seeley’s undead heart.”“A feeling our kind seldom experiences,” Dream murmured. “I’m impressed.”“A Reaper fell in love with a living creature who then became a ghost,” Nightmare

replied. “That’s not impressive. That’s just weird.”“Don’t be cruel,” Dream hissed. “It’s romantic. Star-crossed lovers, so to speak.”“And you’re all digressing,” Time said. “We’ll follow the current protocols. Seeley is

more or less in charge, and our First Tenner siblings will fill us in on all the details oncewe get there.”

Death lay on her back with her calves submerged in the ice water. A snowstorm wascoming, painting the distant forests white until they vanished from sight. Thetemperature continued its drop, my inner fire dimming as I began to feel the cold. Itseeped into my bones, stiffening my muscles.

“I don’t know how this will all work out,” Death said. “In the end, one way or another,sooner or later, I shall be free. I only wish to see you all still living when that happens. Bewary of the Darklings. My instinct tells me they have death magic they haven’t usedbefore, words and sub-words mingled into proprietary spells left behind by the SpiritBender. Even in the nothingness, he continues to haunt me.”

“What’s the nothingness, exactly?” I asked, as I’d heard this term before—not onlyfrom Death, but also from Tristan’s account of his trances with Valaine during theirmemory recovery sessions.

“I think the word is pretty self-explanatory,” Death replied dryly. “It’s the lack of life.The absence of light. The void, the true void where nothing exists. That is where Spirit isnow. That is where Thieron sent him.”

“So he didn’t move beyond, into the world of the dead,” I concluded.“No,” Time replied. “That would’ve been a gift to the Spirit Bender, since he would’ve

taken his powers with him into that realm. Not a good idea, and Thieron knew it.”The scythe carried Death’s reasoning and intelligence, too, I realized. “What’s the

beyond like?” I asked. I’d wondered about it frequently after I’d been introduced to thisnew and fascinating facet of the universe, but I’d never dared voice such a question. WithDeath still trapped, I figured it was worth a shot, at least. She’d already told me so much,it would be a pity not to ask.

“You’ll find out when your time comes,” Death said, her tone clipped. “It’s not for youor anyone else to know.”

“Technically speaking, I won’t, because I’m destined to be a Reaper, remember?”My response caught her off guard. She paused, blinking rapidly in a bid to get her

bearings. “It’s not for you to know, Taeral. The afterlife belongs to those who crossbeyond. Period.”

I didn’t like the answer, but I doubted I’d get more out of her. Time didn’t seemsatisfied, either. Dream and Nightmare were too creepy and nonchalant to even care,judging by the absent looks on their faces. They were probably dying to get to Visio.

“We don’t know, either.” Time glanced my way. “We only usher the spirits beyond. Butwe never get to peek behind the curtain.” His brow furrowed briefly, and I took it as asign to stop pushing the boundaries here. In Death’s presence, the Reapers couldn’t tell

me much. I had plenty of follow-up questions. Maybe Time would answer once we gotaway from Death.

“Is there anything else you need to tell us before we leave?” I asked Death.She raised an eyebrow at me. “I’ve bared my soul to you already.”“You don’t have a soul,” I replied. “But I get your point.”“Stay in touch,” Death said to Time. “I will be here, waiting.”“Should we send you some Reapers to at least keep you company while we’re gone?”

Nightmare asked, but Death waved him away.“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine here in the company of snow, silence, and ice.

Perhaps I’ll lure a wandering soul, if I get bored. I’ll listen to their life story, should I findmyself in need of entertainment.”

Time took my hand while Dream and Nightmare placed theirs on his shoulders.Electricity crackled around us. Flashes of light danced at the corner of my eye. My skintickled and pricked here and there, my throat burning as though I’d swallowed lightning.My heart raced, my pulse throbbing as I tried to understand what was happening.

Dream giggled when she noticed the terrified look on my face. “Oh, you’ve nevertraveled with Time like this before, huh?”

“Explain what this is,” I managed, my throat closing up.“Transmutation,” Time replied. “We’re going to ride as pure energy.”“Whoa. Okay. What’ll it do to me?” I asked, feeling myself torn apart, limb by limb. He

gripped me tightly and held me up, offering a faint but reassuring smile.“We’re all pure energy, deep down. I’m merely reverting us back to it,” he said. “It will

only hurt for a second.”“Define hurt!” I shouted as the pain became unbearable.Every atom in my body suffered. Every cell burned. My skin was torn clean off the

muscles. The muscles were stripped from the bones. The bones were pulverized… and Iwas suddenly nothing and everything at once. Death’s beautiful and timeless facedissolved into a black sea filled with twinkling stars.

The universe itself warped around me. I heard the low hum of nearby interstellarexplosions. Of plasma bubbling along the edge of galaxies. I felt the rush of the voidagainst my whole being as we shot through space at an incredible speed.

Panic would’ve taken over had it not been for the temporary absence of a body. I’dbeen reduced to a darting mass of electrons, racing against the light of the sunsthemselves as the Time Master took us to Visio. In the midst of this cosmic insanity, Iwould’ve imagined myself smiling.

I was on the wildest ride of my life.

F

E S M E

or a while, I was convinced I was running pretty fast, despite the weight ofKalon on my shoulder. Desperation had pumped me full of adrenaline, and

my legs seemed to be moving just fine. It was only an illusion, I soon realized. I wasslowing down.

Seeley, Nethissis, Rudolph—they were farther ahead, getting smaller in the dimly litdistance. Sofia and the others were mere figures moving against the narrow amberbackdrop as the tunnel continued to forge its way through to the west coast.

Behind me, the darkness swelled, rife with pain and misery. I could feel it licking atmy nape, eager to devour me. As much as I tried, we were falling behind. The BlackFever symptoms were amplified, the fever boiling through my veins, setting my skin onfire. I coughed dark blood. Kalon was unconscious. I wasn’t sure we’d make it. My kneeswere weak once more.

“We have to…” I whispered. “We can’t let it take us.”Time stood still. Everything paused along with my breath as a powerful white light

exploded behind me. It made no sound, but rather silenced everything as it expanded,and I came to a sudden halt. I looked over my shoulder to see the brightness filling thetunnel. There was nothing behind us other than the pure white glow. Nothing and no one.I exhaled sharply.

For a couple of moments, I faltered, wondering whether I should run. The Black Feverwas fading inside me. My body was recovering. The fever subsided, and my heart rateslowed down. I took a deep breath, smiling, as I no longer felt any pain in my ribcage.

“What is that?” I wondered aloud, watching the light begin its lazy, gradual retreat—revealing the stones used to hold the tunnel up, the blackened tree roots, the reddish dirtand multicolored pebbles that littered the walls and the hard ground.

Setting Kalon down as gently as I could, I gave him a quick once-over. He was stillpale, a sheen of sweat covering his face, but the black veins were disappearing. Hisbreathing was shallow but even. He was definitely better than when I’d first picked himup.

“I’ll be back in a jiff, I promise,” I told him, hoping he might hear me.My mind was set on Tristan. Worry burrowed a sickening hole in my gut. I wasn’t even

sure he’d survived this round, since it was obviously much more intense and dangerous

than anything else he’d described, but I had to find out. I ran back toward the shrinkingwhite light, until familiar figures emerged about a mile down. I’d thought we’d run fartherthan this, but then again, both Kalon and I had been crippled by the Black Fever. Itmust’ve significantly slowed us down.

Tristan was on his knees, eyes wide open. “Thank the stars!” I blurted, relief washingover me in a soothing wave.

Valaine was on the ground, seemingly unconscious. A few too many Reapers had theirhands on her, each of them whispering something as the black veins around her eyesfaded. I saw Soul, Phantom, and Widow. Kelara, too, along with Sidyan, Night, andMorning. But there were three others I had yet to meet, and their presence startled me.Morning and Phantom must’ve summoned their siblings through their telepathicconnection.

By the time I reached them, I was breathless and thrilled. I wrapped my arms aroundmy brother and held him tight for the longest minute. He shuddered in my embrace as hehugged me back, hiding his face in my hair. His dark and curly hair tickled my face, and Ifelt his tears on my cheek as I moved my head to shower him with sisterly kisses.

“You scared me!” I managed, cupping his face.“I’m sorry,” he replied. “I couldn’t leave her…”“What’s going on? Was that Valaine’s darkness?” I asked, looking first at Tristan, then

at the Reapers. One of them took out a pocket watch, briefly flipping it open. He frownedand put it away. Behind him, the last tendrils of smoky darkness got sucked into whatlooked like an arched blade of pure light. It, too, vanished shortly afterward, and I had aton of questions. I took a few slow breaths, trying to steady my ragged breathing.

“Guys? Gals? Anybody want to clear things up here?” I asked, making no attempt athiding my frustration.

Tristan couldn’t take his eyes off Valaine as the rest of the Reapers pulled back. Sheseemed to be sound asleep and not suffering. It was an eerie sight, but one I imaginedI’d eventually get used to—at least until we figured out a way to set the Unending free.

“Death sent us,” the timepiece Reaper said. “This is Dream, and this is Nightmare,” headded, introducing the twins. I remembered their names from Taeral’s adventures, butlooking at them now, I could certainly see why their names fit so well. Dream looked likesomeone I would’ve liked to embrace upon falling asleep so I could take her sweetnesswith me—despite knowing how deceptive that sweetness was. And Nightmare… well,Nightmare looked like the epitome of the emo current. I had no trouble imagining himdoing his worst to my dreams.

But the timepiece fella, he was the one who commanded my attention the most. Byprocess of elimination and guided only by the weight of his presence among us, Iunderstood who he was.

“You’re the Time Master,” I said, and he nodded.“I’m sorry it took us a while to get here,” he said with a sigh. “Things have been

complicated on Aledras.”“When is she going to wake up?” Tristan asked, staring at Valaine. He reached out a

trembling hand to touch her face, but Dream clicked her teeth, making him pause.

“You don’t want to do that. Let her come back on her own,” she said. “It’s been atough ride for her Aeternae vessel.”

I got up, giving Soul a wondering look and hoping he might have more details toshare. He grunted softly, hands on his narrow hips. “It was her worst episode yet,” hesaid after a moment. “It’s not going to get better, either.”

“The deeper she digs into her memories, the harder it’ll be,” Phantom added.“I found her, you know,” Tristan muttered, glancing up at me. “The Unending. She’s in

there, deep inside Valaine’s subconscious. I can get to her again, but we need a morecontrolled environment. What happened here was insane. None of us saw it coming. Noteven Valaine.”

“I know,” I said. “She would never have unleashed such horror in the tunnel onpurpose.”

“We need to keep moving,” Time replied. “Going forward, we have a way of absorbingthe Unending’s bouts of darkness, but we can’t stay here another minute.”

“Hold on, what way?” I asked.Time frowned. “I got a few tips from Death. I promise I will explain everything once

we reach your destination. Right now, time is of the essence. Valaine left a trail of deathin her wake, and the Darklings will spot the signs aboveground. We cannot let them getto her ever again.”

My questions would have to wait. Shifting my attention back to Valaine, I noticed hereyes peeling open ever so slowly. “She’s awake.” I gasped.

Tristan helped her up. “Are you okay?”Valaine moaned softly, pressing her fingers against her temples. “My head hurts. What

happened?”“Well, apparently we’ve got three more First Tenners on our side, and they’ll fill us in

once we reach the west coast,” I said, quickly summarizing the whole encounter as bestas I could. “For now, let’s be thankful we’re still here and get moving.”

“How much farther do we have to go?” Valaine asked as Tristan pulled her arm overhis shoulders, helping her walk. We made our way back, my heart jumping as I peeredahead, looking for Kalon. Now that the darkness had dissipated, he’d be okay. I wasfeeling better already—proof that the Unending’s episodes of Black Fever weren’tpermanent when they happened like this. It was a strange and inexplicable phenomenon,but I was never the type to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“About two hundred miles,” Sidyan said. “But we can teleport everybody directly tothe coast. We’re outside the Darklings’ magical range.”

Kelara nudged him and Soul. “Let’s go ahead and start zapping people out of thetunnel.”

“By all means. After you,” Soul replied. A second later, he was gone, along withKelara, Sidyan, and Widow. They were able to transport hundreds of Orvisians andSeniors almost effortlessly. The worst had passed.

We walked quickly through the tunnel, as Valaine gradually regained her full range ofmotion. The color returned to her cheeks, her hand tucked inside Tristan’s. Heat spreadthrough me as my body began to relax. I’d be shaky for a little while longer, since the

adrenaline was never quick to go away, but at least I could breathe again.“You three have a lot of explaining to do,” I said to Time, Dream, and Nightmare.

“Especially where your maker is concerned. Why is she so hard to work with?”Dream giggled. “Ah, that’s an even longer story than the one about us coming here.

Trust me, darling—”“Esme, please,” I said, cutting her off.“Trust me, Esme. You don’t want to know,” Dream continued.Ahead, I could see Kalon with his back against the curved wall. He was awake, but he

didn’t look well. Something tightened in my chest. The closer we got, the worse helooked. “This isn’t right,” I mumbled.

“Is that Kalon?” Valaine asked, her eyes widening at the sight of him slumping likethat.

I bolted away from the group and slid to my knees when I reached Kalon. Placing mypalm on his forehead, I felt a burst of nausea shoot through me. “Oh no. His fever is stillup!” I shouted. In an instant, Valaine and Tristan were beside me, teleported by theReapers and carefully checking Kalon’s vitals.

His eyes opened, but they looked empty as they found mine. “Esme,” he managed.“Oh, babe, no… what’s wrong?” I murmured, resting my hands on his chest.“He still has the Black Fever,” Valaine said, her voice trembling as she got up and

stepped back. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as the reality set in. “I did this. It’s notsubsiding like it did with you and Tristan…”

“I don’t get it,” I replied, though deep down I understood. The reality was simply toomuch to bear at this point. I worried I might not have the strength to take it all in, toaccept that unlike Tristan and me, Kalon had actually caught the Black Fever directly fromValaine, the very source of this curse. His Aeternae nature had worked against himsomehow.

“We’re vampires,” Tristan said, staring at Kalon. “The Black Fever hasn’t managed tostick to us, though I don’t know why. Kalon is an Aeternae… and the Black Fever hasbeen killing his kind for a long time.”

“You’re watered-down versions of the Aeternae,” Phantom interjected. “The BlackFever, being a curse aimed directly at them, doesn’t recognize you the same way it doesthose responsible for Unending’s suffering. Your genes are diluted, so the effects of theBlack Fever are reduced.”

“Unless you’re exposed to it like I was earlier,” Tristan added. “I was certain I wasgoing to die before the Time Master intervened.”

“But you’re healed now,” Phantom insisted. “Kalon isn’t. That’s your difference, rightthere. If held under control, the Black Fever wouldn’t kill you. Its only focus is on theAeternae.”

“What do we do?” I asked, my eyes stinging.Kalon gave me a weak smile. “We get me somewhere isolated, so others won’t get

infected. The last thing I want is to get the Seniors sick,” he whispered.I wanted to cry, but there was simply no time for it. My only option was to hold it all in

and keep going until I could find a moment alone to let it all out. Time crouched in front

of Kalon, pressing the scythe against his shoulder.“I’ll put you to sleep and in a subtle form,” Time said. “It’ll slow down the curse’s

progression, and it’ll keep you isolated from the living. You’ll be like one of us. Unseen,unfelt, but still here.”

“Amane and Amal have been working on a cure,” I murmured. “Maybe we can trysomething once we reach the western shore.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Esme.” Nightmare scoffed, gazing into the distant end of thetunnel, where the amber lights were starting to shrink and vanish as Sidyan, Soul, andKelara teleported the people out of there. “It’s a curse. It’s not a disease. The bestanyone can do is slow it down. Only the Unending knows how to stop it, and she’s not theeasiest to get to.”

“Show some respect,” Dream reprimanded him. “Esme is obviously fond of thisAeternae, you tool.”

“I’m just being honest,” Nightmare grumbled.“Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around your kind,” Tristan retorted, giving Phantom

a nod. She must’ve irked him with something at some point.“It’s me. It’s my fault. I got him sick.” Valaine sobbed. Kalon tried to touch her, but

Tristan pulled her back and took her in his arms, while Time whispered a spell, his scytheglowing against Kalon’s shoulder.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Kalon said. “The only ones responsible are the Darklings.”“And Spirit Bender. Let’s not forget about that a-hole,” I muttered.“He’s going to disappear now, but he’ll still be here with us,” Time assured me, and I

gave him a faint nod.Kalon touched my face, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I’ll be back in a jiff,”

he said, and I chuckled, knowing he’d definitely heard me earlier. He shimmered away,and Time lifted him off the ground. He threw him over his shoulder, then nodded at me.

“We’ll work something out. Let us leave quickly.” He sighed. “We must lose theDarklings.”

Valaine was a crying mess. My brother was still recovering from his near-deathexperience. Kalon was in a subtle form and unconscious, stricken with Black Fever. I hadno idea what my condition was, except for the fact that I was still standing. Emotionally, Iwas crushed, but physically… I still had a few kicks left in me.

Time was right. We had to leave, and we had to be fast. Lumi and Sidyan needed togo after Derek, while the rest of us were tasked with finding a safe spot somewherealong the west coast for the people of Orvis to stay, and for our crew to regroup and drawup a new strategy. The Darklings had pulled one over on us, and we’d nearly losteverything.

My heart ached, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Kalon. Those few kicks I stillhad in me… I planned to use them until my last breath.

W

S O F I A

e appeared out of thin air on the very edge of the continent.I took a deep breath, welcoming the cool ocean breeze into my lungs.

The tunnel’s damp closeness had been suffocating. This felt like freedom, and I was filledwith newfound energy. Looking around, I tried to do a head count, but my mind was amess. Picking up on my angst, Rose was quick to ask the others to check amongthemselves and make sure no one was missing. Some minutes later, I could breathe withgreater ease. The Orvisians were all here, alive and well, as were the Seniors.Approximately four hundred present and accounted for. Ridan was okay and stood flankedby Amal and Amane. Rose and Caleb were with me, along with Thayen and the Visentisboys. Trev and the ghouls had stuck together for some reason, along with the Visionhorses.

Nethissis and Seeley were accompanied by Rudolph, Lumi and Kailani, Hunter, Sidyan,Soul, and Kelara. Tristan also appeared, joined by Esme, Widow, Morning, Night,Valaine… and three Reapers I couldn’t immediately identify. There was somethingfamiliar about them, stemming solely from their appearance. Taeral had described themto me with a level of detail that made them almost recognizable.

“What just happened?” I asked, still catching my breath.I’d seen the darkness of pure death and misery coming after us in the tunnel. I’d

guessed it had something to do with Valaine, but we’d all been too busy running for ourlives to communicate, let alone take a moment to investigate. Now that we were topside,I needed answers. Everything had happened so fast, my mind struggled to catch up as Ipulled Thayen closer to my side, determined not to let anything bad happen to him.

“A number of unpleasant things,” Soul said, looking rather annoyed. “Valaine let offsome steam, though she had no intention of doing such a thing.”

“That explains the darkness we’ve all been fleeing,” Mira said softly, giving Valaine aconcerned look. “You seem better now.”

“I am, thanks to them.” Valaine gave the three new Reapers a friendly nod. “Theyfigured out a way to contain these… episodes.”

“And who are you, exactly?” Mira asked the strange Reapers.“The Time Master, Dream, and Nightmare,” Soul said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Our siblings. The last of the First Ten.”

Time gave us a quick rundown of what happened in the tunnel with Valaine, thoughhe didn’t provide very many details about how he was able to absorb her devastatingdarkness. We now knew Taeral had pushed Death into sending Time, Dream, andNightmare our way, and we had a better understanding of the danger posed by Spirit’slegacy. We were also told he’d stayed behind to keep Death company in the absence ofthe First Tenners. Lumi, Kailani, and Nethissis were particularly fascinated by the basicelements of death magic—the words, the sub-words, and the sounds.

Lumi was quick to make the connection between death magic and the Word. Timeconfirmed that the two forms of magic were primordial and at the source of every otherpower in existence, including the jinn and witches from the Supernatural Dimension, andthe Druids and Lamias from the In-Between.

“We’re pretty much screwed then,” Kailani concluded. “The possibilities are endless,given the number of words and sub-words in combination with sounds, so we can’tpinpoint exactly what formulas the Spirit Bender used for the Unending’s seals. We needthe higher-ups among the Darklings to tell us. Or Unending herself, provided Tristan getsto her again.”

“Provided I also get Unending to remember,” Tristan said. “It’s complicated.”“Where’s Kalon?” Ansel asked, his brow furrowing as he looked up at Esme. She

shuddered, her eyes glistening as she tried to keep herself together. Just seeing her likethis felt like a kick in the gut.

“He’s ill,” Esme replied. “The Reapers are keeping him in a deep sleep and subtle formto prevent him from infecting other Aeternae. We were too close to the darkness when ithit. Tristan and I are vampires, and we seem to have a better recovery rate. Kalon wasn’tas lucky.”

“No!” Tudyk gasped, horror gripping him and his brothers. “Not Kalon…”“I’m sorry,” Esme said. “I tried to get him away from it, but we both fell under its

influence. He pulled me back, then I pulled him back… I was weak. Not fast enough.”“I’m the one who should be sorry,” Valaine interjected. “It’s my fault.”Tristan shook his head. “No. We’ve been over this already. Spirit is the one to blame,

along with his Darklings. This is all on them, and you’ve done the best you could withwhat you had.”

Ansel held his brothers close, his lower lip trembling as he glanced at the Reapers.“Can we see him?” he asked, but Time shook his head slowly.

“It’s not a good idea,” he replied. “Not now, anyway. If we release Unending, we cansave your brother and anyone else affected by the curse. Unfortunately, we cannotresurrect those who’ve already died because of the Black Fever, but I’m hoping Kalon willsurvive long enough. His deep sleep and subtle form are slowing down the curse’sprogression. Making him visible to you has risks.”

Ansel lowered his gaze. He was clearly disappointed, but he understood the situation.Thayen sighed, his hand nestled in mine. I gave the boy a faint smile, hoping it mighthelp reassure him that we were all going to be okay. I wasn’t certain of it myself, buthope had yet to abandon me.

“Valaine’s crises will go differently from now on,” Time said. “We’ve got it under

control.”“How?” I asked.“That’s for us to know,” Time replied dryly. “The solution was provided by Death

herself. Let’s leave it at that.”“Well, at least we finally know why Death hasn’t done more to help in our fight

against the Darklings,” Lumi grumbled, pursing her lips.Kailani scoffed. “She gave Spirit way too much death magic information, and he

learned to use it against her. Are we sure there’s nothing we can do to get ahead of analready destroyed Reaper?”

“Even if you were to try out unlimited possible formulas of death magic, we cannotprovide you with the actual words, sub-words, and sounds needed, anyway,” Time said,shaking his head. “It’s bad enough Spirit got them. The last thing we need is for the livingto learn this stuff, too.”

“Normally, I’d be offended by your statement, but in this case I actually get it,” Lumisaid. Pausing for a moment, she looked around, and I was tempted to follow her gaze.“Sidyan and I need to leave right now. Derek is expecting us. What will the rest of youdo?”

I started to answer, but Tristan had a suggestion. “We can go to Roano. It’ssomewhere near here,” he replied, staring somewhere to the north. “I recognize thiscoastline.”

“From my trance, yes,” Valaine murmured.Mira and Kemi looked at each other, then back at Valaine. “Do you remember Roano?”“I do now,” Valaine replied, growing more emotional. “I remember you, too.”“What is she talking about?” I asked.“One of Unending’s reincarnations was Mira and Kemi’s daughter, Eliana,” Tristan said.“Oh wow,” I breathed. The pain they must’ve felt upon losing her. No wonder they

were so restless and on the verge of tears.“I’m not her,” Valaine managed.“I know.” Mira sighed. “But she’s a part of you. A part of the Unending.”“Roano is a few miles north of here,” Kemi interjected, trying to focus on the mission

ahead. “It’s an abandoned city. It’s been empty since we were last here. One of the deadplaces, as we called them—much like Astoria and a few others—where the Black Feverand the Darklings did so much damage that no one wished to live there anymore.”

“It’ll serve as a sanctuary,” Kailani said. “The Reapers and I will put up defenses,along with a cloaking shield. Hopefully the Darklings will have lost our trace from wherewe were teleported.”

“Mom!” Rose almost screamed, staring at me with big, round eyes. Her hood cast ashadow over her face, but her astonishment was still easy to read.

“What?” I asked, slightly confused.“You’re not covered,” she croaked. “It’s daylight!”For a moment, I froze, panic clutching my throat. Looking down, however, I quickly

realized that everything was okay. I didn’t feel any different. In the rush to get out of thetunnel before the darkness destroyed us, I’d forgotten to pull up my own hood prior to

teleportation. I’d been standing in the hazy daylight for several minutes now, and it hadno effect on me whatsoever.

Excitement and relief took over, filling me to the brim with a warm and fuzzy feelingas I understood what was happening. The day-walking cure had worked. Amane andAmal were still quiet and gawking at me, and I finally saw why—they must’ve beenstunned the moment we’d arrived here, unable to utter a single word.

I laughed, spinning around with my arms stretched out as I welcomed the filteredsunlight’s embrace. Once this fresh hell was over, I’d go back to The Shade. I’d step ontoSun Beach, and I’d feel the full blast of summer on my skin without burning up.

“It works. It friggin’ works!” Rose said, restless and giddy.Caleb grinned. “Amal, Amane, you two are amazing. It’s time to expand the test

group. Hook Rose and me up, will ya?”“As soon as we settle in Roano, we’ll prepare more doses,” Amal said with a glance at

me, unable to stop herself from smiling. “We’ll strengthen the formula as well, so the curecan act faster. Now that we know it’s working properly, we can intensify the treatment.”

I couldn’t help myself. I took the Faulty twins in my arms, hugging them both with allthe love and gratitude I could muster. Enough time had passed since I’d gotten a dose,and it seemed to have worked beautifully. It had bonded with my genes, and all I neededwere a few more shots to make sure the process was permanent and irreversible. Myheart swelled with pure, unadulterated joy, but it was short-lived.

Damn… every good moment we’d had on Visio had a crappy expiration date. I turnedto Lumi and Sidyan. “Please bring my Derek back to me,” I said.

They both nodded, and Sidyan took Lumi’s hand, his scythe lighting up white. A splitsecond later, they were gone, and the rest of us turned our attention to reaching Roano.We’d survived the Darklings’ attack. I was pretty sure we’d lost them somewhere beneaththe Nightmare Forest when the Reapers teleported us out of there. We’d made the day-walking cure happen, and we’d kept Thayen and the Visentis boys safe. It didn’t feel likea clear triumph, but at the end of the day, it was a victory.

The war had yet to be decided, but this battle had been won.Shortly after Lumi and Sidyan’s departure, the Reapers took us to Roano. There wasn’t

much left of the old city except dusty foundations, wall fragments, and four decrepittowers at the north, south, east, and westernmost points. The ocean raged against therocky shoreline beneath, waves crashing and foaming over the jagged dark gray stones.Toward the mainland, I could see the outskirts of the Nightmare Forest, its trees tall andcrooked and gnarly beneath the emerald canopy. Behind us, a cobbled road snaked alongthe coast to vanish behind a cluster of vertical slabs of white marble. Silence reignedsupreme. The memory of the horrors this place had seen still lingered, deeply embeddedin every inch that remained standing.

Roano must’ve been a beautiful city in its day. The ghost of it had retained some of itsoriginal elegance, and the towers sulked against the hazy, reddish sky, as though waitingfor someone to climb them again after two million years.

“The Darklings committed a massacre here,” Tristan said. “Valaine and I saw it.”Kalla and Arya led their respective people through the city, helping them find shelter

and assisting with the settlement as best they could, while Trev guided the horses to anaturally formed pond somewhere on the lower east side near the fractured defense wall.Seeley left Rudolph in charge of the ghouls, and the creatures ran off, eager to hunt inthe nearby Nightmare Forest.

“You had a vision in the tunnel?” I kept my voice low. “What exactly did you see?”“The Seniors were framed that day,” Valaine said. “Mira and Kemi and their people

were trying to save me, but the Master of Darkness at the time —a Visentis by the nameof Endymion—got to me first. Well, I got to him, actually. I sacrificed myself, thinking itwas the only way to save the Aeternae.”

“Eliana was always stubborn.” Mira sighed. “Kemi and I did our best to protect heronce we realized who she truly was. Our mistake was that we didn’t tell her the wholetruth from the very beginning. Endymion poured poison in her ear, and in the end, shebelieved him. We were too late.”

“By the time we got to her, Endymion had already killed Eliana,” Kemi added, hisvoice low, his every word cutting through me like a hot knife. Few understood his andMira’s pain like I did. I’d lost Ben twice now, and I would never forget the agony of hisdeath. The emptiness it had left behind.

“The Lord Supreme had sent us to Roano because it had been overrun with Darklings.They’d become brazen back then,” Mira said. “Eliana had come with us because we darednot leave her back home on her own—not after we’d intercepted several messagesaddressed to her and signed by one of the Whips, who’d beckoned her to meet with theMaster.”

“It was all a ploy,” Kemi replied. “Many people died here because of the Black Fever,and the Darklings slaughtered the rest of the survivors, making it look like we wereresponsible. We were deemed too violent and bloodthirsty and stood accused of causingtoo much collateral damage in our fight to eradicate the Darklings. We took many of theirpeople down in that melee, but the odds were stacked against us.”

“It was with a heavy heart that the Lord Supreme, of the Crimson dynasty, forced ourretirement,” Mira added. “We were surrounded by too many gold and silver guards. Backthen, the Crimson guards were practically an army on their own. We were outnumbered,and despite our standing and experience, we were taken to the islands. It was there thatwe realized our retirement had also been expertly orchestrated by the Darklings. They’dinfiltrated the government at the highest levels. Our only link to the outside world wasthrough Darklings. No one knew what they had done to us. The death magic barriers, thesuicide-prevention charms… they kept us well fed, sure. They delivered constructionmaterials and other things when we needed them, but we were prisoners there.”

Kemi let out a deep breath, one he seemed to have been holding for a long time.“Mira and I lost our daughter and freedom in the span of a single week, along with ourlast chance to help the Unending before the Darklings got to her. We outlived ourchildren…”

“Didn’t you try to get Eliana to remember her past lives?” Tristan asked.“The Darklings were circling too closely,” Mira replied. “I worked with her on a couple

of occasions, looking to coax her memory a bit, but she struggled too much with the guilt

of having caused the Black Fever. The circumstances were different compared to whatthey are now. You found Valaine relatively early compared to us, and that gave you anedge. Eliana’s mental state was much too fragile, and Endymion was annoyinglypersuasive.”

“I know how horrible it is to lose a child,” I said to Mira and Kemi. “And I know it’s notthe kind of pain that you ever bounce back from. I was fortunate to see our son comeback to us, twice—I’m sorry you never got that opportunity.”

“Valaine here is the closest we’ll ever get to Eliana again,” Mira murmured, looking atLady Crimson with a warm half-smile. “I’ll take whatever fate tosses my way.”

Time cleared his throat. “Considering all the craziness that has happened to this point—and even though I have a way of containing Valaine’s darkness—I think we shouldisolate her from the rest of the group. It’s safer for everyone, including Valaine.”

“The north tower,” Tristan suggested.“Where Eliana died,” Valaine murmured. “Yes. It might help jog my memory.”“We’ll take Kalon up there for the same reason,” Time said to Esme. “If I put him in

one of Soul’s interdimensional pockets, he’ll be safe from Unending’s darkness.”“Yes, there are multiple rooms in the tower,” Mira replied. “It’s a good idea.”Esme didn’t have much to say about any of this. Ashen with worry and barely able to

formulate a full sentence, she just nodded her faint agreement. We were close to eitherbreaking through and releasing the Unending or losing everything and everyone in a flurryof unknown death magic.

There was no way of knowing what advanced tricks the Darklings had learned fromthe Spirit Bender. There was only the hope that Valaine would reach the Unending withinher before the Darklings would find us in this ruined city. Meanwhile, my husband wasstill in the lion’s den, and my nerves stretched beyond their limits as I wondered if Iwould get him back.

I could walk in the daylight now, and I couldn’t even enjoy this momentousbreakthrough. There was no celebration. No music or dancing. No laughter or relief. Onlythe fear that everything could come crashing down around us at any moment.

K

E S M E

ailani came with me to the north tower. We needed her magic to rebuildthe top of the structure. Using nearby chunks of stone in a breathtaking

display of telekinesis and a shapeshifting spell, Kailani took the rubble and raised it to thetop, laying it brick by brick until the tower glistened beneath the hazy sky.

“Thanks, Kale,” I said after she finished working her magic.“Don’t mention it.” She gently squeezed my shoulder. “Hold tight, Esme. We’re not

done fighting yet.”I must’ve looked like hell for her to feel the need to say such things. Tearing up, I

gave her a faint smile. “I know. It’s just that I’ve had Kalon by my side until now. It feelsempty without him. I’m not sure that makes much sense…”

“Of course it does,” Kailani said. “I’d feel the same if someone or something tookHunter from me. You fell in love, Esme, at the worst possible time. For what it’s worth,you’re not the first or the last,” she added with a chuckle. “The most powerful and mostenduring kind of love flourishes in the face of adversity, so all you can do is keep pushinguntil you reach the end. We’re all headed in the same direction.”

“Soppy love tales aside, we need to get moving,” Time interjected. I’d almostforgotten the First Tenners, Tristan, and Valaine had come along. “I’ve got an idea.”

He led the way into the tower and up the spiraling staircase. Dream, Nightmare,Phantom, Morning, and Soul followed. I was next, along with Tristan and Valaine. Kailanitook Widow back with her to help with the protection wards around the city. Kelara andSeeley had already set up a broad range of defensive circles, but more was needed tomake sure Roano lasted longer than Orvis had in case of a Darkling attack.

“What was your idea?” I asked as we reached the top.Time stopped in the middle of the room, briefly gazing out the window. “Soul and I

can put together a chamber of sorts,” he said. “A time spell inside an interdimensionalpocket.”

“Ugh, like the one I put inside Zetos,” Soul muttered.“Exactly. Tristan, Valaine, Morning, and Phantom can stay in it. Time will slow down

inside it, making days pass while hours unravel out here,” Time replied. “They’ll be safe,and I will be around in case they need me.” He paused and looked my way. “I can do thesame for Kalon. Slowing time in his interdimensional pocket will tamper with the curse’s

progression. The Black Fever will take longer to… you know, kill him. He’ll have hours inthere, and you’ll have days out here. By my calculation, this double shift will increaseyour chances of awakening Unending before the Black Fever offs Kalon.”

My stomach felt heavy, bile rising and burning my throat. As much as I hated beingaway from Kalon, it was his best chance at survival.

“How far do your time manipulation powers extend?” Tristan asked as Valaine settledby one of the windows, looking out at the ruined city below. Glimmers of familiaritypersisted in her black eyes. I could tell she was remembering moments from her lasttrance.

“After she gave Unending the power of immortality, Death became more reservedwith the abilities she bestowed upon us,” Time replied. “I cannot change the past, but Ican look into it. I can go as far as it takes, provided I have precise parameters to follow.It’s not an easy process. Sometimes it takes days to find a single moment, for example. Ican peek into the near future, as well. I’m talking half a day, tops… but that’s a trickierability. Circumstances change. Once certain decisions are made, the future changes. If Ilook into the future now, it’ll show me one thing. If I look into the future five minutesfrom now, it’ll show me another. It’s a volatile process, at best.”

“Isn’t that similar to what Seeley did? During the Thieron trials, he admitted toanalyzing the possibilities of survival for each of the GASP agents involved. It’s how hedecided to give Acantha the nudge to put herself forward as the Eirexis sacrifice,” I said.

“What Seeley has is more of an instinct, rather than an ability. He’s able to analyzeand determine odds based on the known facts,” Time explained. “My power is closely tiedto the flow of time and the events that may or may not unfold.”

“And you can stop time,” I said. “That’s your main characteristic, right?”He nodded. “Within certain limitations. I can slow it down. I can speed it up. I can

stop it altogether. The longer I grasp the timeline, the longer I manipulate it, the harderit gets. Eventually, exhaustion sets in, and my soul wears out… I’m less functionalafterward, so I’ve learned to work with a handful of minutes in everything I do. Thatbeing said, I’ve developed some spells that can target one or a few people at once,lasting beyond my natural abilities, which is what I’ll be using in Soul’s interdimensionalpockets.”

“Right, so slowing time down for Kalon, speeding time up for Tristan and Valaine,those are such spells,” I said, drawing my conclusion and hoping I’d gotten it right.

“Yes.”“My brother and I will split our duties between the protection of Soul’s pockets and the

protection of the city,” Dream said, hooking an arm around Nightmare’s. “Provided, ofcourse, you don’t have any more stupidly suicidal missions like Dieffen in mind. BecauseI’ll want to be there to watch your asses get kicked again.”

Her snicker got on my nerves, but she was right. We needed to bring a new game tothe table where the Darklings were concerned. While Valaine and Tristan worked onfinding the Unending, the rest of us would have to find another approach to our enemy.The Darklings were determined and armed with unknown levels of death magic, whichthey would gladly use against us the first chance they got.

I didn’t even realize there were tears in my eyes until Time revealed Kalon, who wasstill sleeping soundly over his shoulder. “I’m going to slow time down for him,” Time said,putting Kalon down for a moment. He whispered a string of words into the blade of hisscythe, which he then pressed against Kalon’s temple.

Soul picked Kalon up and carried him downstairs. I heard a door open and close, thenSoul came back up with a flat smile. “It’s done. He’s tucked away. All good.”

“You make it sound so easy,” I murmured.“It’s not. You will all have to watch my back going forward,” Soul warned me. “If I get

severely injured or knocked out by death magic or another scythe, my hold on theseinterdimensional pockets will weaken. I might even lose them altogether, and chancesare I won’t be able to find them again.”

“Wait, what?” I croaked, suddenly alarmed.Soul shot me a cold grin. “The void between dimensions is fluid. The pockets I open

are like bubbles in water. They keep moving, but I’m connected to them while conscious.If I lose the connection, they slip away. And the void is endless.”

“You’re putting a lot of responsibility on our shoulders,” Tristan muttered.“It is what it is. As unstable as they might be in my absence, they’re still the safest

place to be for the likes of Kalon,” Soul insisted. “Which is why protection from theoutside is paramount, because that’s still a risk.”

“Ugh… how’s that a risk?” I asked, groaning with frustration. “Can a Darkling get intothe pockets?” It seemed to amuse Soul, yet it irked me beyond any tolerance limit I hadleft.

“A skilled one? Sure,” Soul replied with a cold grin. He had a weird way of coping withtrouble, I realized. He didn’t take it in stride, but rather laughed in its face. “Since wedon’t know what type of spells the Darklings learned from Spirit, I can’t exclude thatpossibility. Knowing my deceased brother well, I imagine he’d have cooked up formulasto mess with all of us First Tenners, not just Unending. A fact further evidenced by Time,Morning, and Night’s capture.”

The Night Bringer scoffed. “Thanks for the reminder.”At least Kalon was safe for now, and I’d do my best to make sure no one got to him.

Looking at Tristan, I noticed the concern embedded in his expression as he stole glancesat Valaine. “How are you two holding up?” I asked.

“Eager to get moving with the whole remembrance thing,” Valaine said. “I’m donewatching the people closest to me suffer and die.”

Soul clapped his hands once. “Well, then—let’s go.”“Where, exactly?” Tristan replied.“Into an interdimensional pocket,” Soul shot back. “Wasn’t that part clear already?”“Yes, I got that. But where is it? I don’t see it,” Tristan said.The Soul Crusher smirked, wiggling his scythe as he drew an invisible line in the space

between them. A faint shimmer persisted in its wake, like a suspended thread of silverysnowflakes trembling in the wind. “After you,” Soul said, motioning for Valaine to gothrough it first.

Tristan followed, as did Phantom and Morning. They’d stuck with Valaine until now,

and they seemed determined to see this through to the end. Time offered me his arm.“Would you like to see it?” he asked, and I nodded slowly.We entered the pocket, where darkness prevailed. Soul was still working on the

contents, I realized, as a room began to form around us. The wooden floors. The plasterwalls, the flowery tapestry. Flickering sconces and old cherry wood furniture. It lookedoddly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“I’ve been here before,” Tristan muttered, turning around in confusion, trying to makesense of what he saw. “I’ve seen this somewhere…”

“It’s your old Shade house, the one that your grandparents, Anna and Kyle, built,” Soulreplied, glowing with satisfaction.

“How would you possibly know this stuff?” I asked, utterly befuddled.Phantom sighed. Clearly, this wasn’t the first trick he’d pulled. “Don’t go there, Esme.

My brother has some exceptionally creepy methods. Believe me when I tell you that youdo not want to know the details of how he got into your heads and latched on to one ofyour dearest memories. It’s what Soul does.”

“You’d use this as psychological torture if you had the chance, huh?” Tristan askedSoul, who offered an excited nod in return. “You’re crazy.”

“Nope. Merely a psychopath. There’s an important distinction,” Soul replied. “Thatbeing said, your haven is ready.”

Time etched various runes into the walls, each of them briefly lighting up once theywere completed. When he was done, he turned around to face me. “Time flowsdifferently here now, so let us return. Mere fractions of a second will have passed in thetower.”

I hugged my brother tightly. “You be careful in here, okay?”“And you be careful out there,” Tristan said. “I’ll see you soon.”Shifting my focus to Valaine, I gave her a hug, too. “Don’t give up,” I whispered in her

ear. “Keep digging until you find the Unending. Tristan has seen her once. I know you’llget her out, eventually.”

“Thank you, Esme.” Valaine gave me a weak smile. “And I’m sorry. I never—”I cut her off. “Shush. Tristan’s right. Not your fault.”Time took my hand in his, and we both stepped back at once. Everything warped

around us, and I found myself standing in the room at the top of the northern tower. Soulappeared beside me and gave me a playful nudge.

“Don’t be a downer,” he said. “You’ve got more allies these days, vampire. Your oddsare better than they were a week ago, for sure.”

“I’ll stop being a downer when Kalon is awake and healthy again.”“That, I’m afraid, depends solely on Unending,” Time said quietly, and I hated him for

being right. We’d done everything we could. The rest of the journey to find the Unendingbelonged to Tristan and Valaine.

Kalon’s life was in their hands, and I knew they would stop at nothing to get him back.I had no idea where this would all lead, but I’d formed a vision of the future, and itinvolved Kalon and me exploring countless corners of this vast universe. It heldadventures and precious moments of love and peace. It offered smiles and light and

everything that was sweet and wonderful about this life.I didn’t envision some kind of heaven with Kalon. There were monsters ahead, too—

and dangers and terrible risks. Evil wouldn’t leave this world. Someone would always findways to hurt the innocents. But all these concerns were ephemeral because I wouldn’tface them alone. We’d face them together. Provided, of course, that what we’d set inmotion here on Visio panned out before the Darklings got to us again.

I

E S M E

left the north tower with a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. All ourhopes hinged on Valaine’s ability to dig deep into her memories and past livesuntil she found the Unending. Kalon was in a deep sleep, stuck in a different

time and tucked away between dimensions. We’d found refuge in Roano, but this placewasn’t entirely safe. We’d lost the Darklings for the time being, but I couldn’t be sure howlong it would take for them to find us again. Their level of determination was terrifying,even to someone like me. The worst part was that Death was unable to help us becauseshe’d given the Spirit Bender way too much knowledge of death magic long ago.

The pessimist in me insisted we were screwed six ways from Sunday. The optimistlooked to brighter days again, putting perhaps a little too much faith in Valaine’s ability toovercome her current obstacles. The realist was stuck somewhere in the middle—unwilling to surrender but terrified by the thought of losing Kalon.

Ansel waited outside a structure that looked like it had once been a house, thoughonly the foundation and a short portion of a wall remained. Tudyk and Moore had usedsticks and some cloths from the Orvisians to put together a makeshift shelter. Both werehard at work trying to figure out a way to make the thing hold, since every gust of windknocked the sticks down.

“What are you up to?” I asked, noticing Ansel’s deep frown. “I think your brothersneed your help.”

“Nah, we’re okay,” Tudyk replied.Moore smiled, picking the sticks up and checking their lengths again. “Ansel was never

the builder in our family.”“I’m better off sitting here, doing nothing,” Ansel grumbled.“Where’s Kalon?” Tudyk asked. “Is he with the Reapers?”I sighed, stopping in front of Ansel. “Yes. They put him under a time spell. It’s

supposed to slow the Black Fever down. While days go by out here, hours go by in therewhere he’s sleeping.”

“What are his odds of survival?” Ansel asked. “Be honest, Esme.”“High, if Valaine succeeds in her task,” I said, doing my best to tell the truth without

breaking their hearts. Mine was already in tatters. I couldn’t let them suffer, too. “And Ihave faith in her.”

“What if the Darklings kill Valaine like they intended? Will that save Kalon?” Anselasked.

I shook my head. “No. It would be too late for Kalon if that were to happen. I knowwhat you’re thinking, and it’s not a good idea. The only one who can stop the Black Feverforever—the only one who can undo what has happened to Kalon—is the Unending. Noone else.”

The boys exchanged fleeting glances. “Do you know if our mother is still with theMaster and the other Whips in the palace, where Lumi last saw her?” Tudyk murmured,gripping a stick tightly in his hands. I wasn’t sure what to make of his emotional state.

“No, I’m sorry.”“I miss her.” Moore sighed, his shoulders dropping. “I mean… I know what you mean.

I get it. We all agree it’s the truth. But I miss her.”“She’s your mom. Of course you miss her,” I replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact

that she’s harmful—to you and everyone else here. I don’t think she’s been a goodinfluence. Frankly, we don’t intend to let Petra anywhere near you.” I frowned. “Thatmight not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. You belong here in Roano withyour brother. Not out there doing Petra’s dirty work for her. She’s messed you all uppretty badly, and I won’t let her harm you anymore.””

Movement caught my eye somewhere to the right. Trev was walking toward usaccompanied by a ghoul. It was one of the survivors from Dieffen, I realized, though thecreature didn’t seem familiar. The look on Trev’s face told me everything I needed toknow. He was in the worst of moods, and I had an idea why.

“What’s the latest on Kalon?” he asked as he reached us. “Seeley mentionedsomething about a sleeping spell, but I didn’t catch the details. I need you to tell me,Esme.”

“Kalon is okay for the time being,” I said. “The Time Master put him in one of the SoulCrusher’s interdimensional pockets. He slowed his biological clock down, too. Days will goby out here, while only hours will have passed in there. It’s the only thing we could do toslow down the Black Fever’s evolution.”

My blood simmered whenever I mentioned Kalon’s condition. Part of me wanted tocurl up in a dark space so I could cry the rest of my days away. Despair circled me like ahungry vulture, waiting for my surrender, eager to tear me apart and shatter the last ofmy defenses. But looking at Kalon’s brothers, I couldn’t bring myself to give up. We werespiraling into a kind of madness, and I wasn’t sure how it would all turn out. I only knewhow I wanted it to turn out.

Love had blossomed in my soul, which had become bonded to Kalon’s forever. Whatwe had was unique and out of this world, and it made the thought of losing Kalon somuch worse. But he was still here. I had to remember that. I hadn’t lied to the boysearlier. His survival depended on Valaine, but I had faith in her. What worried me wasthat Valaine might not have faith in herself… she’d been through so much and wasfrequently oscillating between anger and sadness, determination and abandonment. Iwasn’t sure which one she’d pick in the end.

“Is he awake?” Trev replied after a moment’s thought, his gaze wandering over to the

boys.“No. He’s in a state of deep sleep, which further contributes to keeping the Black

Fever from advancing,” I said.“I suppose I can’t see him?”“No. I’m sorry. He’s in isolation,” I answered quietly, knowing how bad this must feel

for Trev. He and Kalon had been best friends for years. Hell, Kalon was the one whoturned him into an Aeternae. They had a long history together, and the inability to dosomething to help Kalon was clearly eating away at Trev. I reached out and put a handon his shoulder. “I can’t promise you he’s going to be okay,” I added, my voice wavering,“but I can promise you we’re all going to do everything in our power to save him.”

Trev gave me a weak smile, then shifted his focus to the boys. “You’re not doing itright,” he told them. “You need more than a bunch of sticks to put together a shelter.”

Tudyk and Moore stopped, staring up at Trev. “What do we do then?” the youngestasked.

“Rocks. You need rocks,” Trev replied. “Come on, I’ll help you. Let’s gather as manychunks of stone as we can. We’ll carry them back here, and you’ll have cover by nightfall.”

Glancing up at the sky, I realized why they were so focused on building shelters.Clouds gathered in lazy charcoal rolls overhead. Rain would be upon us by nightfall. Thereddish haze was painted over with an incoming storm. As lightning flashed above, Iwatched Trev take Ansel, Moore, and Tudyk with him to find rocks for a shelter. I found asense of comfort in knowing that the former Rimian was looking after them in Kalon’sabsence.

While they were off to do their thing, I headed back to the city’s old center, whereghouls had begun returning with prey from the Nightmare Forest. We needed fresh bloodfor the Aeternae, and the creatures had brought back everything they’d been able togather after feeding themselves. They’d returned with an impressive variety of largepredators and plenty of deer-like animals, so I got to work.

Filling a couple of satchels with fresh blood, I set them aside for the Visentis boys andTrev. It was the least I could do, considering that Kalon had basically gotten himselfinvolved in this mess because he wanted to do the right thing. Because he’d refused toleave me behind when Valaine’s darkness came for us.

I

D E R E K

’d spent the past half hour trying to jimmy the lock on my cell. Naturally, it waswarded with death magic, but that hadn’t stopped me from trying. It wasbetter than sitting around doing nothing. Maya had recovered a nail from one

of the corners of the room, possibly from a former piece of furniture. It was long and hardenough to do the trick. Hopefully.

I could hear the internal mechanism of the lock clicking as I wiggled the nail in there,but I had no luck actually opening the damn thing. Sweat dripped down my temples, andanxiety gnawed its way through my stomach, spreading fire up my throat. I’d becomeclaustrophobic, desperate to get out of here. Hours had passed since I’d broken the greenbead, and still I’d seen no sign of Lumi and Sidyan.

I’d become convinced that something had happened, and that I might have to leavethis place on my own. That, in itself, offered a series of challenges, since I knew therewere at least two Darklings posted outside, just beyond the iron door. The lock wascharmed, and I was pretty sure Danika had put other measures in place to stop me fromleaving. Maya could take me away, but she couldn’t get past the steel bars of my cell,each one covered in warding runes.

“If only I could get past these,” I muttered, running my fingers down one bar. I feltthe power of each carving tickling the tips of my fingers. Each carried a certain weight, adark energy I could almost sense somewhere in the depth of my being.

Maya growled, equally frustrated, her beady eyes glimmering as she analyzed therunes. She bared her long white fangs for a moment, shaking her head and steppingback, as if telling me she couldn’t do anything about this, either.

“Well, I know they’ve warded this place to stop Reapers from taking me away, butwhat are the odds that they might’ve overlooked something on the physical side ofthings?” I asked a rhetorical question, knowing Maya wouldn’t have the words to answer.I was only fooling myself. Danika was a stickler for details, that much I knew for sure.She would never leave a lock I might be able to break.

A single thud sounded outside. I stilled, and seconds later, I heard a second thud. Twobodies had fallen—likely the Darklings guarding my cell room. The iron door opened, andin walked Lumi and Sidyan.

The Reaper cast a delicate, shimmering spell across the room, and narrowed his eyes

as he analyzed every corner carefully. “This place is clear, for now,” he muttered. Thetwinkling layer vanished, the dark stone returning to its original sleek sheen. “We mustbe careful with what we say, nonetheless. You never know.”

Relief washed over me with such a crippling intensity that I nearly lost the strength inmy knees. I’d been worried sick, with several hours’ worth of time spent wondering whathad been holding them back. All sorts of scenarios had crossed my mind, most of themdark and bloody and heartbreaking.

“Took you forever,” I muttered, unwilling to show my concern, since both Sidyan andLumi appeared to be okay.

“I’m sorry,” Lumi replied as Sidyan closed the door behind them. “We couldn’t get toyou sooner. We had to evacuate Orvis.”

“What?” I croaked, my blood running cold.“Corbin showed up with a whole friggin’ army. They followed some of our people from

Dieffen. It’s a long story—I’ll fill you in once we get you out of this place,” Lumi said.“Right, speaking of… Danika plans to bring the Spirit Bender back,” I replied. It didn’t

bear waiting. I’d been dying to tell them about this from the moment I’d first learned itmyself. Sidyan froze, galaxy eyes wide as he gawked at me. Maya purred by his side,pleased to see him intact.

Lumi was as pale as a sheet of paper. “I’m confused.”“The Spirit Bender took precautions,” I explained. “He made a copy of his soul and

tucked it inside a crystal, which was fragmented into twelve pieces. One fragment wasthen implanted in each of the twelve Whips. If the pieces are reunited and his soul isextracted from the crystal, the Spirit Bender will return with all the memories he had upto the point he made the copy.”

“What in the ever-living—” Lumi was about to let out one hell of an expletive, but shestopped herself with a deep breath.

“I know. It’s insane. The pieces are passed on from one Whip to the next throughsome kind of ritual. But in order to bring the Spirit Bender back, the Whips have to besacrificed, since the pieces are embedded in their hearts. The issue is that Danika andPetra found a loophole,” I added. “The shards can also be transferred from the Whip to aclose blood relative. In Danika and Petra’s case, it’s their sons. Danika put hers inThayen’s heart when he was just a babe. Petra has run off, stating she’ll do the same toone of her boys before Danika gets to her. I had to tell you this now before anything elsehappens. It’s important.”

“You’re absolutely right, it’s important,” Sidyan blurted. “I thought we’d gotten rid ofthat son of a…” His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes for a moment, keeping themtightly shut. He breathed out before looking my way again. “I’ve passed it on to theReapers. They’ll disseminate the information accordingly.”

“We have to leave,” Lumi reiterated. “I’m sure the Darklings are just dying to get tous, and those guards outside couldn’t have been the only ones keeping you here.”

“Well, the cell is warded, so I need Sidyan here to work his magic,” I replied dryly.The Reaper knelt before the lock and used the tip of his scythe to fiddle with its

interior mechanism. I figured a professional tool of death magic would be infinitely more

effective than the rusty old nail I’d been working with.Lumi kept an eye on the door, her ears twitching as she listened to every sound.“Is everybody okay?” I asked her while Sidyan kept working the lock, his lips moving

in the utterance of a spell to assist him.“Yeah. We all made it out of there,” Lumi replied. “It was a collective effort—we’ve

got about two hundred Seniors on our side now. Esme and Kalon came through for us, bigtime.”

“And Sofia? Rose?”“We found a safe place,” Lumi said. “You’ll see.”A snicker broke the silence, making us all jump. We looked around, trying to pinpoint

its source, but I couldn’t see anything. “Damn, I was hoping you’d tell him the location ofthat safe place,” a familiar voice said.

“Drezel,” I mumbled, fear tightening in my chest.He finally appeared in front of the northern wall, scythe in his hand and a grin slitting

his face from ear to ear. “I watched you first, from another room, using a little spyingtrick. My eyes were the wall,” he said. “I waited, wondering what you hoped to achievewith that flimsy little nail of yours. Of course, I knew someone was coming for you, andwhen I heard that your people had escaped from Orvis, I figured some of them wouldcome for you, sooner or later. Lo and behold, I was right. So, I thought I’d make my waydown here and meet your friends. Have you had time to catch up yet?”

“Do you have any idea how skeevy it is to spy on people like this?” I retorted, puttingon a disgusted grimace. “We put your kind on official records back home.”

Drezel had seen me, but he’d not heard me or our conversation prior to his sneakinginto the room—at least that was what I’d gathered from his statement. Splitting thisparticular hair didn’t do much good, anyway. The Darkling cat was out of the bag now.

Sidyan refused to even look at him and instead remained focused on the lock. “I don’thave time for this garbage. You two need to handle him.”

“Easy for you to say.” Lumi scoffed, her hands glowing white as the Word hummedfrom within her. She was ready for a fight—so was Maya, for that matter—but I wasn’tsure they’d be enough. Drezel wasn’t bold enough to fight us on his own.

“No one’s leaving,” he said, raising his scythe slowly. “The Master will want to take hisfrustrations out on someone, and you three are the perfect punching bags.”

A vicious fight broke out as Lumi unleashed all the wrath she could summon. Blindingwhite pulses shot from her hands, each aimed directly at Drezel’s head. He used hisscythe to block most of the hits, while dodging the others. I was helpless behind thewarded bars, forced to watch my friends battle evil without me.

Maya darted toward the Whip, her claws extended, but Drezel swerved and cut heracross the back. It was deep enough to make her fall and land on her belly, screeching inagony. Lumi switched up her attacks with a mixture of energy shots and fireballs, movingaround the room to keep Drezel in front of her at all times.

But the Whip kept trying to reach Sidyan, and Lumi on her own wasn’t enough to keephim at bay for very long. I crouched before the Reaper, adrenaline coursing through me.“How much longer?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” he hissed. “It’s a layer of spells that I’m dealing with, not just one.”“Better make it quick. Drezel is coming for you,” I shot back.Lumi was thrown against the wall by one of Drezel’s defense spells. Maya struggled to

get back up and take him on, but she could barely move. The Whip sneered in Sidyan’sdirection, and terror clutched my throat.

“Watch out!” I shouted, but it was too late.A pulse escaped from Drezel’s scythe, but Sidyan dodged it. A second pulse followed,

and Sidyan dodged it again. The third came too fast, however, and it caught Sidyan rightas he swerved in for an attack. It hit the Reaper right in the chest, knocking himunconscious.

“Dammit!” Lumi snarled, pulling herself up. Every inch of her glowed white with thefury of the Word now, though I wasn’t sure it would be enough against a seasonedDarkling Whip. She fought him with everything she had, but he still had the upper hand.

Maya threw her head back and released a bloodcurdling scream. It echoed throughthe room and beyond. Moments later, it was met with low growls coming from beyondthe iron door. Drezel frowned for a second but kept his focus on dealing with Lumi. AsMaya finally managed to stumble toward Sidyan, four ghouls entered the room, comingstraight through the closed door.

They were massive creatures with translucent skin and taut muscles, drool hangingfrom their fangs in viscous tendrils. At first, I thought they’d come for us, until I noticedthe absence of collars, the standard method of keeping them under control. Drezel didn’tseem happy to see them.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he muttered and slapped a hand against the wall.Energy rippled outward, causing the bricks to tremble as dust fell off.

The ghouls had come to help Maya. They jumped Drezel, and he was finallyoutnumbered. Maya shook Sidyan with considerable force in a bid to wake him up, but itwasn’t Maya who got the Reaper’s eyes wide open again—it was the squealing of the oldiron door as it was pushed open.

Drezel was no longer alone, and we were in deep trouble. The energy ripple I’d seen…it must’ve served as a signal to call the others. Perhaps he’d not expected such a quickreaction, as Danika walked in, wearing metal prosthetic hands while she waited for herown to grow back. The scythe had been fitted in one of them, its blade shining with thirstfor blood and life. She raised it defiantly, giving me a sideways glance and confidentsmirk as she cast a spell against the Knight Ghouls.

They all fell to their knees, crying and growling in agony as Danika whispered anincantation, further amplifying their suffering. “You don’t walk away from the Darklingsyou were born to serve,” she said, and brought her scythe down. The motion forced thecreatures against the hard floor with some kind of telekinetic power. They couldn’t move,and Lumi was on her own again.

Things didn’t look good.A click caught my attention, and I saw Sidyan in front of my lock again, the cell door

sliding open as Maya helped him up. He’d done it. I was free. Without hesitation, Istepped out just as Danika let a curse slip.

“I was going to keep you alive, Derek, but you’re more nuisance than pet at thispoint,” she added, pointing her weapon at me. Lumi attacked Drezel again, while theghouls were continuously tormented by Danika’s spell. I had no intention of letting herwin this one. I had a wife to get back to. A daughter. Our friends. They were all countingon my return, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to die in this festering nest of evil.

“Frankly, Danika, I’ve had enough of your crap,” I replied, my fangs and clawsextending. There was no death magic on my side, but I had my will and my experience toback me up. Maybe it didn’t mean much to her, but who I was had always been mysalvation, and I had to trust it would get me out of trouble this time around, too.

I bolted forward before she could react. Danika brought her scythe up as a means ofdefense, but she wasn’t fast enough. I struck with my left hand first, the claws slashing ather stomach. Blood sprayed out, and she gasped, jumping back as I went in for a secondhit. She quickly caught up, raising her blade whenever I lashed out, but she didn’t havetime to use her death magic on me as long as I kept her busy with physical combat. Ifthere was one thing Danika had never learned about me, it was my speed.

After everything I’d survived, I’d learned that quickness could keep me alive. Thiswasn’t my first time fighting for my life, and it showed. Danika met my blows with acertain grace, but it wasn’t enough. Suddenly, she stilled and cried out in pain. I lookeddown to see that Maya had sunk her fangs deep into her leg. Blood poured from thewound as Danika reared back to strike the ghoul. I knew one blow from her scythe wouldpotentially kill Maya.

I cut her across the chest, drawing more blood. Danika fell back, hitting the wall. Shebrought an arm over her torso, the metal hand clanking as its mechanical fingers moved.Drezel’s head rolled by her, and she gasped. “No…”

Lumi darted to my side and pulled me away. Instinctively, I grabbed Maya.“Come on!” Sidyan shouted.“I’m not done with you, maggots!” Danika snapped, her scythe illuminated white as

she cast more death magic at us. I didn’t even want to know what this particular spellentailed. Judging by the pure hatred that glowed in her eyes, it was a nasty one.

A bright blue orb of condensed energy formed between us and Danika, swellingmenacingly as she raised her voice during the incantation.

“Oh crap,” Sidyan managed as he leaned back against the cell bars.Lumi, Maya, and I were pulling farther back—desperate to reach the Reaper—when

the orb came at us. It looked like a miniature blue sun, the heat it released making myskin sizzle. It would burn us all to a crisp if it hit us. Or something much worse.

One of the Knight Ghouls scrambled off the ground. Danika must’ve released whateverhold she’d had on them in order to create the orb. Maya whimpered, but the ghouljumped and took the full brunt of the spell. The blue light swallowed him whole,disintegrating him in the process. He was gone in the blink of an eye, and the orb wasstill coming for us.

For a moment, I doubted I’d live another moment. But Sidyan’s grip on my wristchanged everything. I heard Danika screaming. “No! Get back here! No!”

A split second passed. The orb was inches away, burning so hot that I cried out from

the pain until… it vanished. It all vanished. The cell. The room. The palace. Danika.Drezel’s head. The Knight Ghouls. The thundering of Darkling boots in a nearby hallway.

We’d escaped. Slipping through the fabric of space, I allowed myself a smile.I’d live another moment after all.

I

E S M E

’d just brought the blood satchels over to the boys’ shelter when a flurry ofvoices erupted nearby. I turned just in time to see Rose and Caleb rush up themain road toward the city center.

“He’s back!” Rose shouted.“Derek,” I muttered under my breath, then ran after them.Sofia and Thayen were making their way to the center from the western part of the

old city. Kalla, Kemi, Arya, and Mira weren’t far behind, while Kailani and some of theReapers came in from the north. I could see the watchtower from here. A painful littlepang throbbed inside my heart as I thought of Kalon. He was up there, sound asleep, andI had no way of helping him. This sense of helplessness had me constantly on edge, butmy only option was to accept that it was out of my hands.

Easier said than done.As soon as I made it to the city center, I saw Derek in the middle with Lumi, Sidyan,

and a severely injured Maya. The Reaper knelt to check her wounds while Lumi took acouple of deep breaths before Kailani jumped and wrapped her arms around the swampwitch.

Sofia reached Derek in the blink of an eye, showering him with kisses. He held herclose for a while, letting her love him with everything she had. I didn’t need to imaginewhat their separation must’ve been like. Thoughts of Kalon sent another jolt of painthrough my heart. He was still close by, yet I missed him so much already.

“You’re alive,” Sofia managed, tearing up as she cupped Derek’s face, fondly lookingup at him. He smiled gently. “Thank goodness you’re alive, baby.”

“I’ve missed you,” he replied. “Sofia, you were the only thing that kept me going inthere. You have no idea how good it feels to see you, to hold you again.”

Soul scoffed. “How much longer do we let the sugary stuff go on before we get downto business? We’ve got a Spirit Bender issue to discuss, apparently.”

“Shut up and give them a minute,” Kelara shot back, nudging him in the ribs. Nethissisand Seeley looked particularly gloomy, as did the Night Bringer. The Widow Maker’s maskprevented me from seeing his expression, but I was pretty sure he was equally miffed—about what, though?

“I know you’ve only been away for a matter of days,” Sofia told Derek. “But it felt like

a lifetime to me.”“Hush, darling. I’m here now. That’s all that matters,” Derek whispered, dropping

several kisses on her pink cheek before he looked up at the rest of us with a solemnexpression. “Soul is right, I’m afraid. We have a lot to talk about.”

“You mentioned the Spirit Bender,” I said to Soul. “What’s that about?”Seeley gave me an apologetic smile. “We only just heard from Sidyan ourselves. He

communicated it to us while he was still in the palace.”Derek exhaled sharply and gave us the full account as we gathered silently around

him with increasingly heavy hearts. The Spirit Bender had taken a spectacular set ofprecautions, it seemed, making good use of the words he’d learned from Death. No onehad seen this coming, not even his creator. And definitely not the Reapers, who were stillreeling from the shock.

That wasn’t even the worst part. Upon hearing what his mother had done, Thayenburst into tears. Sofia held the boy close, but he was impossible to console.

“My own mother…”“I’m sorry,” Derek said to him. “I’m deeply sorry you were dragged into this.”“She wants to kill me…”“We’re not going to let her get anywhere near you,” Sofia replied, holding back tears

of her own. “You’re safe with us, Thayen.”“But… I don’t understand. Mothers are supposed to love their children

unconditionally,” Thayen said, sobbing uncontrollably.“Not all mothers are meant to be… mothers.” I sighed. “Case in point, Petra Visentis.

She’s looking to do the same to one of her sons. It’s unconscionable… and frankly, I’mshocked. I thought she’d gladly die for her children.”

“She talked a good game,” Nethissis interjected. “But to Petra, it was always aboutthe mission. About the Darklings. And given how things went between you two, Esme, Ithink we all know which son she’s coming for.”

This wasn’t the first time I’d experienced this kind of crippling fear. Falling in love withKalon had made everything harder, more painful, though I didn’t regret any of it. Butknowing that Petra was now looking to kill Kalon… I couldn’t stomach the thought.

“Neither Petra nor Danika will get what they want,” I said firmly. “I can promise youthat.”

“Mother wants to kill Kalon?” Moore’s voice silenced the group, and I whirled aroundto find him standing a couple of feet behind me, accompanied by an equally stunnedTudyk and Ansel. Trev’s gaze was dark and full of hatred at the mention of Petra’s namedue to her connection to Luna’s death. Now the woman he loathed most was coming forhis best friend, too.

“Oh, Moore,” I uttered quietly, not sure how to explain any of this.“Yes.” Trev intervened, squeezing the boy’s shoulder. “And you and your brothers

need to really examine your loyalties. I understand that you love your mother despite allthe wrongs she’s committed against you, but this time she’s going to kill your brother.Will you stand by and let that happen?”

“No!” Ansel shouted. “Never!”

Tudyk shook his head. “Absolutely not. Valaine is our only hope, and we understandthat. I will do whatever it takes to protect Kalon, just like he did to protect us.”

“Moore?” Trevor asked, but the boy didn’t reply. He just stared at his boots, tearsfalling and seeping into the dried dirt. It was a horrible question to ask a kid, but we hadno choice. He was still a fighter, and we couldn’t afford any risks. We’d come too far tolose it all.

“I’ll deal with him,” Ansel muttered, leading his brothers away. “We’ll be at theshelter. There are rocks that need our attention.”

“Go ahead,” Trev said. “I’ll catch up in a bit.”We gave the boys a minute to get out of earshot before resuming our conversation.

Derek was brought up to speed with everything that had happened in his absence. Soulintroduced him to Dream and Nightmare. Moments later, Time joined us with assurancesthat both interdimensional pockets were functioning perfectly, and that Kalon remainedsafe for now. Tristan and Valaine were working hard and digging through memories withPhantom and Morning by their side.

Mira was visibly disgusted. “I can’t believe the Darklings have gotten to this point.Killing their own children to bring back an absolute monster...”

“They will do whatever it takes to bring back the Spirit Bender. If anyone can destroyeverything we’ve worked for, if anyone can tackle the Unending and push her back, it’shim,” Time said. “And he’s got one hell of an edge with his death magic knowledge.”

“Then we must do whatever we can to stop Danika from reuniting the twelve shards,”Derek said, earning nods from the entire gathering.

“Well, we know she’s not touching Thayen.” Rose gave the boy a reassuring smile.“Kalon is under our protection, too, and—”

“And I’m certainly not going to let Petra touch him,” I cut in, crossing my arms. Bloodboiled in my veins as I thought of the high priestess and the many ways in which I couldkill her. My hatred of her made me quite... creative.

“So that’s one shard they’re not going to get to,” Derek said. “What of the rest? Wemust stop this now. Lumi killed Drezel because she had no choice, and we couldn’t stayeven a second longer to get his body away from Danika, I’m afraid. That means she hasthree pieces. What should we do about the other Whips?”

Kalla let out an audible sigh, drawing our attention. “Based on the Darklings’movements and everything you’ve told us about the Whips’ state of mind regarding thissacrifice for the Spirit Bender, I’m pretty sure we can put out some feelers and discoverwhere they’re hiding before Danika gets to them.”

“Right. Because they’re selfish bastards,” Trev replied. “That’s the only thing workingin our favor right now.”

“Might as well take advantage of it,” Derek said. “We’ll hunt the Whips down first andtake as many of them as we can. We have to make sure Danika never finds them.”

“I have one concern here,” Nethissis said, her brow furrowed. I’d yet to get used toher slightly translucent figure, and I still wished there was something we could do tobring her back. Alas, fate had thrown too many obstacles at us, and we were strugglingto keep the rest of our group alive. “What if Danika has a way of tracking down the soul

shards? I mean, say all the Whips decide to run off and hide. Wouldn’t she have takenthis possibility into consideration already?”

“Most likely, yes,” Derek replied. “Which is why we must move quickly.”“We have to defend Roano,” Sofia concluded. “If Danika has a way of tracking the

shards, then she’ll be at what’s left of the gates eventually.”“Why hasn’t she done that before now?” I wondered.There was no immediate answer, but Kemi offered a theory. “Maybe she didn’t think

she’d have to do this… not until she and Corbin reached the decision to resurrect theSpirit Bender.”

“It’s also possible that the tracking process isn’t all that easy,” Mira surmised.“Otherwise we would’ve seen the bitch by now.”

Arya nodded. “She’ll likely go after the easier targets first. That’s the pattern sheestablished with the first two Whips she took down. Danika is working her way up.”

A moment went by in absolute silence as we all looked at each other. We werecreatures of different worlds—some modern and others from ancient times—and werepresented varied cultures across three dimensions of this vast and immutable universe,yet we’d joined forces, as mismatched and as scared as we were, to make things right.To give the natural balance a nudge. To restore what the Spirit Bender and his cohortshad destroyed.

Beyond the uncertainty of how this might end, the one thing that persisted in myhead, with crystal and undeniable clarity, was the thought that none of us would go downwithout a fight. That we would swing and kick and punch and claw our way through theevil and darkness until our very last breaths.

“We’ll have to split up into teams for this,” Sofia said after a while.And split up we would. The city of Roano needed defenses, and there were a bunch of

Darkling Whips out there who needed killing. In my mind, I made Kalon a promise that Iwould rather die than break—I promised that I would keep him safe, and that we wouldbe together for as long as we could. For as long as the fates allowed it.

Petra was not going to get her way. Not while I was still alive.

T

N E T H I S S I S

here was so much to deal with, I’d almost forgotten about my own demise.Being dead had been less uncomfortable than I’d first imagined,

especially since Morning had been kind enough to cover me in white silk. Dyingcompletely naked had never been the plan, that was for sure. Being able to wield aReaper scythe and cast death magic hadn’t been part of the agenda, either, but I took itas a win.

Small victories made the afterlife just a little bit sweeter.I had no promise of ever returning to my life. Danika had burned my body out of spite,

which meant I had no flesh to go back to. My connection to the Word had vanished themoment I died. My abilities were gone, and I only had my ghostly form to rely on now.

Even so, I had to keep going. The Darklings weren’t going to stop until the cycle wasreset. I doubted any of us—except, perhaps, for the Reapers—would survive such adefeat. The enemy was determined to destroy everyone and everything in their path inorder to secure the Unending’s constant cycle of misery and forced rebirth. They’d alreadykilled me, and I wasn’t going to let them take any of my friends. No one else was dying.Not on my watch.

We all had something to look forward to, no matter how small or how complicated itmight turn out to be. My situation was still fuzzy, since I was temporarily stuck betweenthe world of the living and the world of the dead, but even I still had something to fightfor: I did not want to become Knight Ghoul chow.

“Some of us should focus on Roano’s defense,” Sofia said.“I’ll stay,” Seeley replied.“Me too.” I sighed. “We’re better together.”He gave me a gentle smile, and I knew there was so much more he would’ve liked to

tell me. Later, perhaps, when no one was watching. It had been a while since Seeley andI had had a moment of peace with just the two of us. It had been a manic rollercoasterride through fire and storms and evil and soul-crushing dangers for what felt like a verylong time.

Time cleared his throat. “I will stay, as well, to look after the interdimensionalpockets. Phantom and Soul have relatively similar abilities, so she can help withmaintaining the integrity from within. Morning will stay too, since she and Phantom are

working with Tristan and Valaine.”“Which means I’m cleared for field ops, huh?” Soul chuckled, then pointed a warning

finger at Esme. “Don’t forget, sweetheart. I cannot get knocked out; otherwise, you’re allscrewed.”

“Is this your way of asking me to watch your six?” Esme retorted.“I’ll watch his back,” Kelara muttered, giving him a most daring sideways glance. Oh,

there was definitely something brewing between Kelara and Soul, and I couldn’t help butwonder what that would be like, considering they were both preceptors of death andwhat lay beyond life, with a potential eternity laid at their feet.

“I’m staying in Roano, as well,” Esme said. “Ansel, Moore, and Tudyk need me. AndI’m obviously not leaving Kalon alone. Not with his psycho mother out there.”

“You have me and the whole of Orvis behind you,” Kalla declared, then glanced atThayen. “The same goes for you, young prince. You’re in our care until this wholenightmare is over.”

“As long as we’re together, I’ll be okay,” Thayen murmured.“Sofia and I will have to discuss our own involvement in Roano’s protection,” Derek

said. “We might have to join in on the Whip hunts, too.”Kailani stepped forward. “Hold on. Let me suggest something. Ridan, Amane, and

Trev—you three can form a Whip hunting party. And you can take some ghouls with you,since they all seem to like Trev a lot.”

“Sounds good. I’m getting stronger,” the dragon replied, one arm stretching aroundAmane’s shoulders. “I will be more than happy to chomp the head off a Whip or two, ifyou’ll let me.”

“As long as I get to participate,” Amane said, putting on a playful smirk.“You two have a whole different kind of kink going on there, huh?” Soul chuckled.Amal raised a hand. “I’ll stay back. We need healers in Roano. Besides, Sofia needs to

continue her day-walking treatment. There are a couple of shots left, and Rose wants tostart the treatment, as well.”

Derek’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”“Oh! With everything that’s been happening, none of us even remembered to tell

you,” Sofia said with a gasp. “It’s working. The twins finally got the formula right. I’m aday-walker now!”

By the time Derek had returned to Roano, the sun had already set, hidden behindthick rain clouds. The air smelled of incoming rain, Esme had said. I wished I could stillsense such things myself. I would’ve loved nothing more than to stand out here and feelthe droplets of cold water on my face.

“No way!” Derek exclaimed and hugged Sofia tightly. His eyes were wet. “No friggin’way!”

“Yes friggin’ way.” Sofia laughed. “It’s working. We finally got what we came here for.”“And yet here you are, in no way willing to leave,” Widow grumbled.“Do you think we should all just skedaddle, then?” Rose replied dryly, one eyebrow

raised. Widow offered a shrug in return.“It was meant in a more admiring way,” he said. “The absence of my expression

makes it difficult for you to pick up on the nuances in my tone.”“You know what, screw your nuances,” Soul replied and vanished for the briefest of

moments. He reappeared behind Widow, taking him by surprise. He moved so quickly,Widow didn’t stand a chance. Soul grabbed his head cover and pulled it off to revealWidow’s true face.

“By the stars,” I croaked, breathless.Widow froze in the middle of our gathering, his galaxy eyes round and filled with

horror. I could only imagine how he felt, since he’d never taken that thing off in public.“Oh!” Kelara blurted, equally surprised. “You’re—”“Gorgeous,” I filled in the blank, unable to look away.Soul had likely expected some laughter at least, but he was left looking foolish, still

holding Widow’s gimp mask. Ridan and Trev stifled some chuckles, but everybody was ingenuine awe of the Widow Maker’s true appearance.

His hair was short. Buzzcut short and dark. His face met the golden rule of symmetry,his features almost artful in their design. With his high cheekbones and a straight nose,plus slightly fuller lips and flawless skin, the Widow Maker was an absolutely stunningman. He was pale, but with a delicate, pearlescent sheen that reminded me of Deathherself. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he looked around, obviously horrified.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Widow said, his voice low with barely containedemotion.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad he did,” Esme replied. “Nethi’s right. You’re as hot asmid-July. Why do you keep yourself hidden like that?”

“Because it’s how I want to exist. Unseen. Unknown. With no connection to anyone oranything. The suit protects me,” Widow said.

“Nonsense. The suit is just death energy compressed into fabric,” Soul shot back.“Take a chill pill, brother. I’ve always wanted to see what you looked like, anyway.”

“Satisfied?” Widow retorted.Soul shrugged. “Meh. I can’t say I’m knocked off my feet.”“I am,” Kelara joked.Widow shook his head slowly as Soul glared at Kelara. Their dynamic provided at least

half of the very little comic relief we had around here, and I was grateful for every secondof it. Taking advantage of Soul’s temporary dismay, Widow snatched his gimp mask backand covered himself. At least now I knew what he looked like underneath that thing. Iwouldn’t forget.

“You’ve all ogled me enough,” he said. “Now back to business. Ridan, Amane, andTrev. Sounds good. Soul and Kelara will join you. Ghouls won’t be enough if you’rehunting Whips, trust me. I’ve seen what the bastards are capable of.”

“Fine by me,” Kelara replied.“Meanwhile, I will take Hunter, Widow, Dream, and Nightmare for another hunting

party,” Kailani said. “The more of us that go after the Whips, the faster we’ll get thingsdone. Time is not on our side.”

“Well…” The Time Master tried hard not to smile.“I didn’t mean literally.” Kailani rolled her eyes—though she was holding back at least

a chuckle, judging by the redness in her round cheeks.“Then Derek and I will hold steady in Roano,” Sofia said. “We’ll coordinate

accordingly. There are many things to consider.”Mira nodded. “The rest of us will remain here. The hunting parties going after the

Whips should be small and efficient. I feel we’re of better use here, protecting theVisentis and Nasani children, along with the Orvisians.”

“We can look after ourselves, you know,” Kalla interjected. “But your assistance willbe much appreciated. Let us hope it won’t be needed.”

“I’ve gathered considerable intel on the Whips,” Trev reminded us. “During myclandestine trips over the past week or so, I’ve uncovered some names of possibleassociates and potential locations. So at least we’ll have somewhere to start our searchesfrom. Visio is big, and we don’t want to waste our time searching all the wrong places.”

“Agreed,” Kailani said. “Right, then it’s settled. We leave at dawn, and we’ll spend therest of the night preparing our weapons and supplies. Hopefully, we’ll get some shuteye,too.”

Looking at Thayen, I could see fear swirling around in his azure eyes. He’d seen toomuch for his age, and he’d suffered tremendously at the hands of his own mother. Butseeing Derek and Sofia by his side, I took comfort in knowing they’d do anything to keephim safe. Kailani was right: time wasn’t on our side, and Danika moved remarkably fast.It was imperative for us to get to the Whips before she did.

At least it felt like we had a better sense of direction. We knew where this was going,and we still had the energy to push through and fight. While Valaine worked to rememberherself as the Unending, the rest of us would retaliate against the Darklings in a way thatcould make an actual impact.

With Petra on the loose, I would also have to mentally prepare myself for a futureencounter. She was coming for Kalon. My time in her captivity had taught me a lot, but itdidn’t stop the chills from running down my spiritual spine whenever her name poppedup. She was a true adversary, an enemy to be reckoned with, and we would all have tobe extremely careful. Once Petra set her mind to something, she was almostunstoppable. Almost.

W

N E T H I S S I S

ith the groups and missions established in painstaking detail, I left theothers to their own affairs and took my favorite Reaper out for a walk.

Seeley and I had to do our round of the city, anyway. As we walked, nightfall approached,and the rain began an incessant downpour. Rudolph stayed back with a gradually healingMaya and the other ghouls, content with the day’s hunt. Trev was going to assigndefensive positions to some of them, as well.

Roano was big, and despite its Word and death magic protections, it still neededphysical defenses. We didn’t want a repeat of Orvis, though we had a slight advantagethis time around: the city had been built on higher ground.

Most of the wall surrounding Roano had been eaten away by the passage of time, sowe could see much of what lay beyond. There was a sense of calm coming from theNightmare Forest in the east. It was nothing more than a blanket of darkness at thishour. We couldn’t see much, but the knowledge that it was there gave me a sense ofcomfort. The Darklings could probably survive a trip through those woods, but it wouldn’tbe easy, and that made me feel better.

To the north, only jagged rocks and an abandoned road ruled along the coast. Thesouth worried me, since the road down there connected directly to the imperial city.Granted, there were about eight hundred miles between us and them, but it still mademe feel uneasy. The west was the safest. Nothing but water, a raging ocean withfoaming waves and who knew what swimming beneath the surface.

“There’s a lot on your mind,” Seeley said as we strolled along the old wall. Neither ofus could feel the rain. Our feet didn’t sink into the softening mud. The cold would neverseep into our bones. We’d left the material world behind to linger between life and death.At least Seeley had a sense of purpose. I didn’t.

“You can tell?” I replied, half-smiling.He took my hand in his, and I was thankful that I could feel his touch. It was different

than physical contact, however. Perhaps more intense. I sensed his very soul every time.“You’ve got that look on your face,” he said. “This might come as a surprise, but I knowyou pretty well by now.”

There was a note of pride in his voice. I couldn’t help but smile. “It doesn’t surpriseme at all, considering everything we’ve been through together. These past couple of

weeks have been... intense. I believe troubled times are when we get to really know thepeople closest to us.”

“True friendships are forged in the fires of adversity, right?”“Pretty much.” I chuckled. “I guess there’s a lot on my mind. It would be hard for me

to lay it all out for you.”“I get it. You’ve got your own situation on top of all this,” Seeley said. “And honestly,

I’m still adjusting to everything we’ve learned. I have always known death magic wasmore than just the sounds and sub-words I was taught, but I never dared to ask. I onlytook what my superiors gave me.”

“Spirit must’ve gotten really close to Death for her to trust him so much,” I said.“Meh. I think she felt lonely, thankful he’d stuck around. Remember, we’re talking

about millions of years here, not a decade or a century. That’s a lot of time to spend insolitude, so I get where she was coming from with her gratitude toward Spirit. And hispatience was extraordinary. He’d been harboring hatred toward her all that time.”

I sighed. “It doesn’t come as a shock, then, to see how detailed his plans andcontingencies have been. He thought of pretty much everything, including the eventualityof his demise.”

“Our challenge is to figure out exactly how far he went with all this. Spirit considered anumber of possible scenarios, so we just have to analyze each of these threads andadjust accordingly. Whatever we might consider a measure against him, he’ll likely havethought of and implemented a countermeasure. It’s certainly complicated.”

We stopped near the crumbling base of the western tower. It was round and coveredin dust and reddish dirt, the bricks gnawed upon by the wind and rain of two millionyears. The bad weather didn’t look like it would end anytime soon, and I kept thinkingabout it, even though I could no longer feel its effects. My whole life I’d looked to the skyand smelled the air to determine what the days would be like. Now it didn’t matteranymore, yet I was still wondering. Listening. Sniffing.

“Do we know what’s going to happen to me?” I asked after a while, slowly leaninginto him. “Death did mention keeping me around for a while longer, but… do we knowwhy?”

Seeley shook his head. “No. I won’t reap you anytime soon, that’s for sure. The othersknow to leave you be, as well. Unfortunately, Death keeps serving up limited amounts ofinformation. I ask the questions, but she often tells me to focus on the Darklings, onawakening the Unending, on pretty much anything that doesn’t involve you. I’m frustratedbut thankful you’re still here.”

“The feeling is mutual,” I replied, giving him a warm smile. The way I felt aboutSeeley was pretty much the only thing that kept me going these days. There weremoments when all I wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and do nothing. Feelnothing. But whenever I saw his handsome face, with his debonair smile and his galaxyeyes, I’d come back to life, so to speak. “Has she at least told you why I’m able toperform death magic?”

He shook his head again. “No. But the most obvious explanation is that you’ve gotReaper potential. I reached out to one of my superiors who has access to future records.

Reapers are usually selected randomly upon death, but given your condition and the factthat you’re already manifesting some abilities, I’m thinking your name might have poppedup somewhere. He has yet to get back to me, but I’m patient.”

“You really think I’ll be a Reaper?”“What other explanation is there?” he asked, shrugging and looking perplexed. “Look

at Taeral. He’s already predestined to become one. Why wouldn’t you be like him, too?I’ve turned this over in my head countless times. There’s nothing else that makes sense.But if you are a Reaper, you’ll never cross over. Not until Death releases you from duty,and that could literally take forever.”

I felt a smile coming on as I gazed into his starry eyes. “Would you like me to becomea Reaper?”

Seeley put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. Our spirits met, energyflowing and tingling through me as it released a flurry of delightful sensationseverywhere. It was as if I’d been dropped in a tub of sparkling water, the bubbles ticklingmy skin as they popped. His expression softened as he leaned down to kiss me.

His lips were cool and soft. His breath was absent, but I could swear I felt his heartbeating, drumming against mine. Lights flashed between us, the air crackling at everytouch. He deepened the kiss, and I surrendered, trying to understand the taste of him.Being undead changed everything, including my sensory perception. Touching feltdifferent. The taste wasn’t really there, just the ghost of it. The idea of an aroma, of afragrance. It haunted and thrilled me at the same time.

I focused on what I could perceive, on what I truly felt, in a bid to anchor myself intosome form of reality, and I came to the simplest conclusion. There was more than thisspiritual attraction between us. There was love. I could sense it glowing inside me like aninfant star. Heat rippled outward as his hand settled on the small of my back, our tonguesplayfully meeting.

When he pulled back, I sucked in a phantom breath. “I would love nothing more thanfor you to become a Reaper, Nethissis. Because it would mean you’d stick around, and Iwouldn’t be left on my own again.”

“I would hate to leave you,” I murmured against his lips, closing my eyes for amoment.

“This thing between us, it’s complicated,” Seeley replied. “But I know it’s real.Palpable, even. I love you, Nethissis. I’ve loved you for a long time, and being able to feelyou like this, it’s… it’s incredible.”

My eyes popped open at his words. My undead heart thundered as our eyes met, andI knew, I knew in the depths of my being that Seeley was being truthful, baring his soulfor me.

“I love you. It’s not that I really like you, or that I’ve fallen in love with you, becauseboth terms feel… superficial and ephemeral. No, Nethissis. I love you. It’s an irreversiblecondition, and I may never be able to get away from it. You’re embedded in my soul, andI cannot fathom the rest of my existence without you,” he continued.

I cupped his face and kissed him. I was soft and sweet, putting everything I felt intothis fleeting moment. A peculiar glow emerged between us, and we both looked down. It

came from the cores of our souls. A warm light permeated our spiritual forms, a link thatcould never be broken. This was true love, I thought, in its most naked variant, and itwas ours.

“I love you, Seeley.”“I can see that,” he managed with a smile.“How is it possible?”“I’m not sure, but there’s no other way for me to describe it. It’s what I feel from it, so

why not consider it love?” he replied.We stepped back for a few seconds, watching the glow subside. It was still inside me.

I felt it—a warm permanence that would never leave me, but its illumination fadedslowly. “This is so weird,” I said. “Wonderful, but weird.”

“I’ve heard tales about Reapers falling in love, but this phenomenon was nevermentioned.”

“Maybe the First Tenners can tell us more,” I suggested.He put an arm around my shoulders and beckoned me away from the wall as we

continued our walk around the city. I didn’t feel the rain or the wind or the mud, but Icould feel Seeley on the deepest level. “Let’s finish this round first,” he said, and I didn’tobject, glad for more time with him, alone and away from everyone else.

Yes, I felt our love blossoming, growing stronger every minute. I wasn’t sure whatwould become of me, since I only had a couple of possible futures. With that in mind, Idecided that I was better off living in the now, cherishing every moment I had with him.For as long as the Reapers allowed me to exist as a ghost, I would be happy.

I would be happy because I would be with Seeley.

T

T R I S T A N

he room had begun to shift, with Phantom’s help. It wasn’t Kyle and Anna’splace anymore. We were somewhere else. It was dimly lit by old sconces

flickering on the walls, their soft light dancing across the peeling wallpaper. A brokentable occupied one corner. Something heavy had fallen onto it, splintering the top board.The legs were fractured, abandoned beneath thick spiderwebs. The chairs had apparentlybeen used as weapons at some point. Only pieces remained, scattered on the squeakyfloor.

“Where are we, exactly?” I asked.Valaine sat in front of me with her legs crossed. She didn’t seem to have an answer,

and neither did Morning, who’d settled to my right. Phantom sat to my left, the shadow ofa smile testing her lips. I waited for her to tell me, but it felt like forever before I got tiredand allowed myself a bored groan.

“Come on,” I said. “You obviously know something.”“It’s a memory,” Phantom replied dryly, looking at Valaine.“What, one of mine?” she asked, surprised.Phantom’s ability involved reaching deep into people’s minds and building alternate

realities, dreams that felt real. Taeral and his crew had experienced the full force of herpower about a year ago, during the last stage of the Thieron challenge. She’d donesomething similar here, even though the space provided belonged to Soul.

“Yes,” Phantom said.“I don’t remember this place,” Valaine replied. “I’d know, trust me.”“You’ve awakened lifetimes of memories into your subconscious. Every time you delve

into your Unending past, you unlock more doors. All I need to do is stick my nose inthere, look around, and pluck out a memory I can work with,” Phantom explained. “This isyours, from your days as Eliana, Mira and Kemi’s daughter.”

Valaine’s gaze moved from Phantom to Morning, and then to me. There was grief inher dark eyes, the kind that might never fade away. There was guilt, too. A smidge ofsadness. All this was weighing on her, and despite wanting to do the right thing, Valainestruggled to focus. All the running around and the repeated loss of control over herdarkness had taken their toll. She had the best intentions, but her mind was the primesaboteur.

“You can see into my mind, my memories, even if I can’t?” Valaine asked.“Technically speaking, you can. There is a lot stored inside your head, dear sister. It

just takes focus, which you seem to be lacking,” Phantom said, her slim brows furrowed.“How can we help?”

Valaine thought about it for a moment before offering a shrug in response. “I have noidea. My mind keeps bouncing off these old walls. What was this place? I get that it’sfrom Eliana’s lifetime, but what happened here?”

“I see traces of violence,” I chimed in, and Phantom nodded once.“This is where Eliana was first attacked by Darklings, upon Endymion’s order. She was

almost ten thousand years old, and she’d come to feed the poor. It was a favoritepastime of hers. She’d go into the imperial city’s market and fill up a cart with vegetables,grains and fresh milk in glass jugs, and she’d push it all the way to the south side, wherethe poorest Rimians and Naloreans lived, many of them children,” Phantom said. “Thislittle house belonged to a former palace servant, a disgraced Rimian who’d died of aterrible infection. His children were left behind, starving and crying for days on end. Whenshe heard about their situation, Eliana came to help them.”

The details began to form around us, materializing out of thin air. Broken bottles ofmilk. Fruits and vegetables fallen from their sacks. Bread and oil on a shelf above thesplintered table. And blood, so much blood, congealed across the wooden floorboards.

“Are you putting on a show here?” I asked Phantom, bile rising in my throat as thebodies of dead Rimian children appeared in the corner. They’d died violent deaths, and itpained me to see them. Valaine was even worse, shuddering as tears gathered in hereyes.

Phantom shook her head. “No. The more clearly Valaine remembers this place, theeasier it is for me to render it. I’m able to show you this because of her.”

“Is that true?” I asked Valaine, and she gave me a faint nod.“Okay, so we’re onto something,” Morning declared. “If you’re able to visualize these

past memories, it means we’re ready to dig into another, more ancient life.”Suddenly, Kalon appeared between us. He was asleep, on his back, black veins drawn

down his neck and around his eyes. Valaine gasped, no longer able to control herself. Shestarted to cry, and I moved to comfort her, but Morning placed her hand over mine.

“Don’t. Leave her be. She needs to be able to clear her head without your help,”Morning whispered. I hesitated but eventually accepted her point. We were in here for areason.

“She’s remembering Kalon,” I said.“Yes. Her memories are blending,” Phantom replied.Eliana appeared next, flown across the room. She hit the wall hard, landing on her

side. Coughing and wheezing, she forced herself back up just as two Darklings passedthrough us, crossing the room, determined to kill her. They’d already killed the children.

“Eliana was in the middle of feeding the Rimian boy and girl when two Darklingsstormed the house. They didn’t stand a chance, and Eliana wasn’t fast enough. She’dnever been taught to fight because her parents hadn’t yet figured out who and what shereally was. She’d been raised as a lady of the court. She had her Aeternae reflexes and

instincts, but they were useless against trained Darklings,” Phantom continued.I watched as Eliana tried to fight the Darklings off using her claws and fangs. She was

fast and agile, but she couldn’t foresee the attacks. More than once, her opponents gotthe better of her, knocking her down.

Valaine looked only at me, tears streaming down her cheeks as Kalon’s sleeping figurebegan to dissolve and disappear. “I remember,” she murmured. “They beat me until thedarkness took over, and the Unending awakened…”

Eliana was on the floor. One of the Darklings was about to chop her head off with anaxe, but she caught it by the blade, blood trickling down her forearm. Black veins burstaround her eyes, followed by a smoky pulse. Charcoal tendrils lingered in the air as itshot outward and cast the Darklings away.

She got up for the last time, the air thickening and darkening around her, as if hervery being was gradually eating up all the light in the room. The Darklings managed tostand and tried to attack her once more, but she raised her hands and shot two balls ofblack smoke at them. Each of the peculiar projectiles went right through the Darklings,and they collapsed, bleeding black blood as their insides liquefied. They died in agony,writhing on the floor as Eliana watched with a blank stare.

Chills ran down my spine when I realized she’d killed them with the purest form ofBlack Fever—something I’d only caught glimpses of during Valaine’s blackouts. A momentlater, Eliana passed out, and the air cleared, the sconces burning again. It was too latefor the children, but at least she’d survived.

“I don’t know how the Darklings knew I was the Unending,” Valaine said after a while.“The Black Fever hadn’t begun to manifest yet. They had little reason to suspect me.”

“They must’ve spotted a sign, a symptom. Perhaps you’d gotten too angry once anddidn’t even realize it, much like what happened here. The older you got, the strongeryour true nature became. You simply couldn’t hold Unending’s power down for muchlonger,” I replied. “It’s good that you remember, though. It gives us hope for the future.Just don’t let the thought of Kalon haunt you. It won’t do you any good.”

She let out a deep breath, her shoulders low in defeat. “I know. I’m trying.”“We’re safe in here,” Phantom said. “I can do a lot more for you in this place without

influencing the outside world. If we can reproduce more memories like this, then there’s achance you’ll slip into another trance. You just need to think about how far you wish togo. It’s up to you now. There’s no risk of darkness spilling out and hurting peopleanymore.”

“It’s a controlled environment,” Morning added. “And we’re with you, darling.”Ignoring Morning’s earlier request, I leaned forward and took Valaine’s hand in mine

for a moment. Her skin felt warm, filling me to the brim with newfound hope in the faceof such great perils. As long as we were together, we’d be okay.

“You’ve got this,” I told her. “And I’ve got you.”She gave me a soft smile. “It’s the only thing that gives me courage,” Valaine replied.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.In and out. In and out.It didn’t take long for her to slip into a trance. The room around us disappeared, and

the four of us sat in the nothingness, much like before. This time, however, it wasdifferent. We were all present and conscious as the world around us shifted, following thegolden thread deeper into the Unending’s past.

I could see it clearly, shimmering in the dark. Wanting us to reach its end. TheUnending’s beginning.

I

T R I S T A N

t felt like watching a movie projected all around us, three dimensions ofaudiovisual stimulation that made my heart race. We sat quietly in the middleof it as the scene came to life. The nothingness was replaced with a sprawling

hall. We were inside a palace, I realized. It wasn’t that different from the imperial one,except it was much bigger, judging by the size of this auditorium alone.

Its floor was covered in mirror tiles that reflected the dome-shaped ceiling. Paintingsof gracious Aeternae adorned every inch of it in soft pastels. The scenes depictedgatherings before the Lord and Lady Supreme, who resembled Mira and Kemi. This had tobe part of the first imperial palace, built and decorated under Mira and Kemi’s rule.

Enormous windows dominated the left wall, stretching from the top to the bottom.Light flooded the hall, and I could tell the reddish haze had not been cast around Visiojust yet. This was pure sunlight, and I longed to feel it on my skin again. The day-walkingcure had proven successful so far, and I was eager to try it soon. Until then, I had tomake do with this foreign memory.

Mira and Kemi’s portraits hung on the right wall, along with other paintings and wall-mounted sculptures. At the far end, raised on a gilded platform, were two thrones withornate details and embroidered silk tapestry, fit for a Lord and Lady Supreme. Goldguards stood at every entrance, tall and quiet.

“Where are we?” I asked, having almost forgotten I was still conscious. I couldinteract with Valaine and the Reapers in here.

“The first imperial palace,” Valaine replied, keeping her eyes closed while Phantomcontinued materializing the details of the distant memory she’d tapped into. “Mira andKemi have stepped down from the throne. Their son, Thyme, rules as Lord Supreme. Thisis about twenty thousand years before Eliana was born. We’ve made quite the jumphere.”

I could see Thyme now, sitting in his throne. The Lady’s seat was empty. Anotheryoung Aeternae man stood before him, clad in elegant armor, a dark blue cape hangingfrom his left shoulder, on which I recognized the Visentis brooch.

“I am Eldfenn Visentis,” Valaine continued, her lips barely moving. “MasterCommander of the Aeternae army.”

“And the Unending,” Phantom added, giving me a sideways glance.

Thyme and Eldfenn were talking, and they seemed like good friends. There was acertain closeness between them. A kind of brotherly affection. Thyme’s tunic was simplebut elegant, his chest covered with gold buttons and medals of distinction. A simple bandof gold served as his crown, settled atop his curly blond hair. His inquisitive blue eyeswandered around the room with glimmering curiosity, while Eldfenn’s gaze was dark andbrooding, his hair long and black. The similarities between him and Valaine wereundeniable—not to mention the Unending.

All her reincarnations bore at least parts of her likeness.“What do your parents think of Aelyn?” Eldfenn asked his friend.Thyme wore a confident smile. “They like her. Well, my father approves. My mother

still needs some convincing, but neither protested when I announced the engagement.”“That is hardly an encouragement,” Eldfenn replied.The image shifted around us. We were now sitting between the Lord Supreme and the

Master Commander. I watched their exchange as if it were a tennis match, my headturning with every line. Valaine and the Reapers didn’t move an inch.

“Aelyn is a beautiful and intelligent Aeternae. Her dynasty is noble and just. After all,the Dratch dynasty has been by my parents’ side since the empire’s inception,” Thymesaid.

“Your parents must have trouble letting go of their precious baby boy.” Eldfennchuckled. “Although, to be fair, Aelyn hasn’t been properly vetted. The Dratch dynastymay be an ally, but at least two of their younglings have been arrested on suspicion ofconsorting with Darklings. They pose a risk.”

Thyme rolled his eyes. The subject clearly bothered him. “Not Aelyn. She’s good andpure. She would never—”

“Why won’t you let me check her out then?” Eldfenn replied. “I’ll be discreet. Youknow me. She won’t even know I’m looking into her. Let us get this risk off the table,Thyme, so we don’t have issues going forward.”

“You don’t like her either,” the Lord Supreme concluded. His lips were pressed into athin line. Anger circled him like a starving vulture, waiting for him to give in.

“I cannot trust someone I haven’t vetted myself. Especially someone who claims tolove you. You are my closest and dearest friend, and I will not apologize for my desire todefend you and keep you safe. It’s a central part of my oath as well, if you remember.”

A side door opened, and in came a diaphanous creature. A young Aeternae womanwith long ruby-red hair and emerald eyes. Alchemist fires burned in them, as if themysteries of the universe had gathered inside her, twinkling with every glance. She worea long silk dress—layers of white and deep green tailored to her delicate figure. Her gold-threaded shoes clicked across the mirrored floor, the fabric bouncing around her as shemoved.

“Thyme, my darling!”“Aelyn!” he exclaimed. “You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you back from Astoria so

soon.”“I jumped out of my carriage and onto Lieutenant Farris’s Vision,” Aelyn replied. “It

was taking forever with the convoy, and I was dying to see you again!”

Thyme leaped down from his throne and took Aelyn in his arms. They kissed andwhispered sweet words to each other, while Eldfenn averted his eyes. For a moment, Ithought he’d seen me—or at least that’s what it felt like. We weren’t really there. Oureyes seemed to meet, before he turned his head and offered Aelyn a polite bow.

“Milady, welcome back,” he said.“It is good to be back,” Aelyn replied.The memory faded, the colors melting and mixing as we were transported somewhere

else, to another time. We followed Eldfenn into what looked like Thyme’s private office.The walls were covered in shelves from top to bottom, thousands of books and scrollshaving found their home here. Thyme sat behind his desk reading a message written inblack ink on brown paper.

Eldfenn stood across from him, hands behind his back as he waited.“You went ahead and investigated Aelyn, even though I asked you to leave her

alone,” the Lord Supreme said, his voice low and cold.“I had to, Your Grace,” Eldfenn replied. “It is my duty to—”“Enough!” Thyme shouted and sprang from his chair. “You did this behind my back!

Unsanctioned! I thought you were my friend!”“I am your friend,” Eldfenn said, calm but somewhat tense. I could tell from the

muscle throbbing in his square jaw. “And I was sanctioned by your mother, Lady MiraNasani.”

Thyme scoffed, shaking his head as he looked at Eldfenn. “Aelyn sent me thismessage,” he replied, pointing at the paper he’d just read. “She knows you’ve beeninvestigating her, and she’s deeply offended. Now I’m the one left looking like a fool if Ican’t explain your actions to her—preferably in a way that doesn’t cause her to leaveme!”

“Where was the message sent from?” Eldfenn asked, not really caring about theoffense that Thyme claimed to have endured. Some time had passed since the previousmemory. Tensions had risen. The dynamic had shifted. Trust was a fickle thing betweenEldfenn and Thyme, I realized, and it all had to do with Aelyn.

“Why does that matter?”“Please, Your Grace,” Eldfenn insisted. “I’m asking as the Master Commander.”“Astoria,” Thyme relented. “She’s on her way back now. The message arrived this

morning.”Eldfenn cursed under his breath and left the room. The image drifted away once more,

dissolving into another place. We stood outside a derelict house somewhere in the city. Iwasn’t sure where we were until Valaine spoke again.

“We’re in Baryon. A city east of the imperial capital. This is a Darkling lair. As EldfennVisentis, I was very good at my job. With the Black Fever erupting again, I becamedetermined to protect my people. I didn’t know who I really was.”

We watched Eldfenn go in through the rickety front door. Moments later, it was blownopen by a Darkling. Blood splattered the stone steps leading up to the entrance as theDarkling’s head rolled away in the dark. Sounds of violence erupted from inside. Eldfennwas fighting the insurgents. I heard his roars of anger, bones breaking, the Darklings

dying in agony.But we stayed outside this time, listening as silence gradually took over the old house.

A hooded figure emerged from the corner. She gasped at the sight of the decapitatedDarkling. “Markon, no…”

She rushed to the body, kneeling before it. Her hand settled on his chest, fingerstrembling as she sobbed. A rich lock of ruby-red hair slipped from beneath the hood anddangled in the night’s darkness. Eldfenn came back outside, blood dripping crimson fromhis clawed fingers.

“You’ll pay for this,” she hissed. Hatred burned green in her eyes. It was Aelyn.“That was your lover, right?” Eldfenn replied bluntly. “I knew you were a conniving

bitch, but I didn’t expect to find so much evidence just… lying around.”Aelyn stood, claws extended at her sides. “Thyme warned you not to look into me. I

told you not to waste your time. Yet you persisted.”“Clearly, my time wasn’t wasted at all. Aelyn Dratch, you’re a Darkling. Your lover

was, until a minute ago, a Darkling. All while you’re engaged to be married to ThymeNasani, the Lord Supreme of Visio. Surely, you understand why I cannot simply let thisgo.”

“No one will believe you.” Aelyn took a step forward.“Thyme and I have known each other since we were children. He knows I would never

lie to him,” Eldfenn replied. “You’ve picked the wrong man to play with, Aelyn. It’s goingto get you killed.”

Aelyn laughed, but I could tell her nerves were stretched. She seemed conflicted.Fighting was an option, but Eldfenn clearly had the upper hand. His anger swelled witheach moment that passed, the air thickening and darkening around him.

“Oh no…” I whispered, realizing what would happen next. I had seen this one toomany times already.

“Eldfenn, my mission is sacred. It has always been to the benefit of the Aeternaepeople,” Aelyn replied. “Thyme’s mother is a fool. I represent the future. I shall save ourempire!”

“You’re delusional.”Aelyn’s demeanor changed as black veins appeared around Eldfenn’s eyes. “This can’t

be,” she murmured. “Out of all the people…”“I’m not letting you get away with this,” he shot back, his breathing ragged. In the

blink of an eye, he bolted toward her.She dodged his attack, and he missed her by mere inches. I doubted she’d be so lucky

the second time around. Eldfenn glanced over his shoulder, his rage radiating out of himlike smoke, black plumes lingering around his physical form. Aelyn took several stepsback, her eyes wide in horror.

“It’s you. You’re the source of the Black Fever!” she said.Eldfenn dropped to his knees as though he’d been struck in the head, his chest

heaving as he gasped for air. Aelyn didn’t move but kept her distance. She had some ideawhat she was dealing with. Judging by the horrified and confused look on Eldfenn’s face,this was the first time his symptoms had manifested like this. He seemed to understand

what it meant, and the realization was devastating him.“No…” he managed.“Look at you!” Aelyn said. “I can’t believe this. The Whip told me what to look for. He

told us all about the signs, but I didn’t think I’d ever be the one to see it.”“No!” Eldfenn shouted, pulling himself back up. The black veins were gone, and he

took deep breaths to regain his composure. “No, Aelyn. You’re wrong. This is just mypredator side. We all have it, remember?”

Aelyn smirked. “Not like you we don’t.”“You’re under arrest,” he said. “Come willingly or don’t. It’s your choice.”Suddenly, she was compliant, putting her hands out. “By all means. Let’s see whose

story Thyme believes.”Eldfenn didn’t hesitate to bind her hands with steel cuffs. He escorted her away from

the house, and I knew this wasn’t the end just yet. Morning hummed slowly, and thesound helped me focus. Valaine kept her eyes closed, digging deeper into her memories.

The world changed around us once more, and we were in the throne room again. Itwas dark outside. Candles burned in the chandeliers and across the walls. Only a handfulof guards were present. Thyme sat in his throne, but he looked furious.

Before him stood Eldfenn and Aelyn, the latter still in cuffs. The silence was deafeningas the Lord Supreme tried to take it all in. This wasn’t going well.

“He didn’t believe me,” Valaine said. “I delivered proof, but he didn’t believe me. Hecouldn’t accept that the woman he so desperately loved was a Darkling.”

“There are no markings on her. No sign of Darkling allegiance whatsoever,” Thymemuttered, then gave Aelyn an apologetic nod, clearly pained by her circumstances. “I amtruly sorry, my love. It will all be sorted, I promise.”

“She was outside the Darklings’ nest,” Eldfenn said. “One of them was her lover. Hewas the first to die.”

“Your Grace, my darling, it’s not true,” Aelyn replied, paying no attention to Eldfenn.“He lies! He’s jealous that you love me. He has no proof whatsoever, only an unfortunatecoincidence. I was feeding the poor, Thyme. I’d just finished delivering bread and oil toone of the Rimians living on the south bend of Baryon. You know I go there often for suchthings!”

Thyme looked at Eldfenn. “I know. I sent Aelyn there myself several times, with goldguards to keep her company. What actual proof do you have that she’s a Darkling,Eldfenn?”

“My word is no longer enough?” He was visibly offended. “You’ve never doubted mebefore.”

“You are trying to sentence the woman I love to death. Pardon me for beingthorough.”

“You’re being foolish, not thorough,” Eldfenn retorted. “I will get proof, if you insist.But I will need a few days, and Aelyn must not be set free until then. She cannot betrusted. I know what I saw. I know what she said. And I understand your feelings for her,but the empire’s safety—your safety—comes first.”

Thyme got up, his hands behind his back and his brow furrowed. “You cannot arrest

Aelyn without proof. We have had plenty of cases where silver guards arrested innocentpeople without any evidence. We established certain protocols to stop that fromhappening again, if you remember. In fact, you were the one who sanctioned the changesin the law codex.”

“Dammit, Thyme, would you listen to me for once in your life?” Eldfenn’s frustrationwas obvious, but the Lord Supreme refused to yield.

“No. Remove her cuffs. I will grant you time to return with proof. Until then, Aelyn willnot leave my sight. That is the best I can do without causing offense to my beloved.”

“You’ll regret this,” Eldfenn said and turned away, leaving Aelyn still bound. Hestormed out and slammed the door behind him. The sound echoed through the throneroom. I felt sorry for him. I’d seen the truth, and I knew he was just trying to protect hisfriend.

Valaine sighed as the image changed again. We were on the palace stairs beneath anendless starry sky. The full moon cast its milky light over the building, causing shimmersacross the white marble surfaces. “My desire to save the ones I loved was my undoing,”she said.

A body materialized next to us as the memory developed further. Eldfenn was on hisback, a gaping hole in his chest. His blood puddled and poured down the stone steps,dark and red and glistening under the moonlight. A Darkling towered over him. He heldEldfenn’s heart in his hand, watching as the Master Commander gave his last breath.

“Elias Dratch killed me. Aelyn’s father. All the Dratches were Darklings,” Valaine said.“It was revealed on the night of the wedding when Aelyn poisoned the blood at thecelebration feast. Elias killed Thyme. It devastated Mira and Kemi. They never spokeabout Thyme again after that. It was as if he never existed, because they couldn’t bearthe pain or the shame. They regretted not being more involved in their son’s life,especially after Eldfenn’s warnings.”

“And after Thyme, they had Eliana, about twenty thousand years later,” I replied.“They were not lucky at all.”

“They thought of it as the universe’s punishment for their aiding and abetting of theSpirit Bender. They knew their sins in getting the Unending trapped were not somethingthat would be easily absolved,” Valaine murmured.

In the end, Mira and Kemi suffered greatly at the hands of fate and the Spirit Bender.They’d helped him keep the Unending bound. In return, their first child was assassinated.I remembered they’d had other children after Thyme who continued the Nasani dynasty,but they’d distanced themselves from the empire’s official courts and assemblies. Later,they had Eliana, and we all knew how that had turned out.

I could only imagine the pain of a parent losing their child. I couldn’t even begin toimagine losing two children to the same relentless sort of evil. No wonder they’d growntired of living. No wonder they wanted to be relieved of their immortality, to die of oldage, to never feel such heartache again. The Unending’s history was deeply complicated—her gold thread wove throughout the fabric of Visio and its dynasties.

We’d managed to peel away some of the layers, but I couldn’t see her. Not yet. I’dfound her once, and I’d find her again. I had to. We had no other choice.

T

T R I S T A N

his process was painful for Valaine, but it also got a little bit easier witheach death she remembered. It wasn’t a smooth journey, as each memory

brought back an incredible amount of grief and tears. Every time, I had to watch her gothrough it all. I had to witness every cycle of birth, life, and inevitable death. The factthat she had to relive everything hurt me on a level I didn’t even know existed.

Her pain was my pain, yet she proceeded with grace and poise. Being inside thisinterdimensional pocket had changed her demeanor. It had given her strength andpatience. My presence, along with Phantom and Morning’s, played a part, as well. Valainewas calm and confident, despite the suffering she endured with each memory.

“Where are we now?” I asked as the image continued to change around us. Theblackness had been replaced by another, earlier version of Visio.

The land looked different. Mountains rose where there had been plains. Oceans pulledback, revealing new islands and broader, rocky shores. The planet was everchanging, yetfor the Aeternae time had stood still. They didn’t age. They were destined to live forever,and they were loving it. We’d come to a time when their species was relatively young,and the Unending’s wounds still fresh.

“Nine hundred thousand years since the binding,” Valaine replied. “Mira is LadySupreme. Kemi is Lord Supreme. They do not have children yet, as they’re still adjustingto their immortal lives. They feel guilt toward me… well, toward the Unending. Butthey’re also enjoying the concept of time never running out.”

“And who are you?” Phantom asked.We were taken to a small village on the southern shore. The houses were made out of

straw and red clay. They’d used rocks to create elevated foundations. My guess was thatthey’d had enough experience with the tides to fortify their homes as best as they could.Aeternae children played by the water, the ocean lapping at their tanned feet.

Their parents watched from the edge of the beach, sitting by a crackling fire. The sunwas setting, a flaming red ball that turned the sky crimson and orange as it descendedinto the dark waters. Peace reigned over this period, but it felt forced. Unlike theirchildren, the parents looked unhappy. They wore iron cuffs around their ankles. Valainenoticed my attention being drawn to them.

“They’re blood slaves,” she said. “Before the Aeternae discovered and conquered

Rimia and Nalore, they fed on their own. It’s a piece of Aeternae history that they’vehidden very well. Even the descendants of those who served as ‘food’ don’t know aboutthis. Tired of drinking animal blood, the elites enslaved some of the people—strippedthem of their lands, pushed them into poverty. They basically forced them into slavery.There were thousands of them, forced to live like this, with chains, waiting for theempire’s soldiers to come and collect blood to feed the nation…”

The kids ran around and giggled and splashed water at each other. They didn’t yetunderstand what their futures held, and I felt equal parts sorry and relieved for them. Theformer because the day would come when they would grasp their true reality, when theywould see their blood taken from them—whether they wanted to give it or not. The latterbecause they were still innocent and laughing, enjoying the sun’s warmth on their facesand the ocean’s cool embrace.

“I’m Jacinda Arneth,” Valaine continued, as an Aeternae woman emerged from one ofthe red clay houses. She wore simple and modest linen clothes, her hair black andbraided down her back. Barefooted and smiling, she joined the Aeternae who kept an eyeon their children. “I’m a refugee of sorts…”

They all seemed to like her, even though she didn’t wear iron cuffs. They smiled whenshe was around. One of the women put an arm around her shoulder as Jacinda settled infront of the fire.

“Where’s your uncle?” the woman asked.“Inside, weaving a shirt,” Jacinda replied. “He made himself a new spindle, and he’s

eager to try it.”“Good. Galle can’t be without his craft for too long.” The woman chuckled. “Idleness

makes him stir-crazy.”Valaine smiled. “My uncle Galle and I fled the city because we refused to drink

Aeternae slave blood, as was the new custom. The slaves welcomed us into their villagewhen the elite Aeternae shunned us. So we became refugees. No one wanted us. Not ourown bourgeoisie, anyway.”

“You seemed happy here,” I said.“My joy and serenity were short-lived,” she replied, as Jacinda’s conversation with the

slaves continued in the background.The image warped again, but only slightly this time. It was an early morning, and the

tide was gradually withdrawing. The foaming waters revealed golden sands littered withoddly shaped seashells and turtle-like creatures stumbling and struggling to get back intothe ocean.

Vision horses neighed, their hooves thundering down the narrow, battered road. Therewere dozens of them with silver guards on their backs. They were led by a gold guardwith a somber look on his face as they stormed the village.

The Aeternae slaves ran from their path, the children hiding in the red clay housesand peeking out from the windows. The gold guard—a lieutenant, I suspected—stoppedin the middle of the village and shouted so everyone could hear him. “Galle and JacindaArneth! Come out, now!”

The silver guards dismounted their horses, hands resting on their sheathed swords.

They still carried weapons in this age. No one dared object to their presence. How couldthey, when the slaves were visibly traumatized and terrified of any Aeternae representingthe empire?

“Galle and Jacinda Arneth!” the gold guard called out again. “You have ten seconds tocomply before we start killing people!”

A moment later, Jacinda ran out of one of the houses with her hands up in a defensivegesture. “Please don’t! They’re innocent! They didn’t do anything wrong!”

“There you are,” the gold guard said with a sneer. “Where’s your uncle?”“He’s not here, I swear! He’s out by the shore collecting seashells,” Jacinda explained.

She was shaking, as afraid of the guards as the slaves were.“They scared me,” Valaine mumbled. “They filled me with coldness and dread. I’d

chosen not to live at the expense of my fellow Aeternae, and they resented and punishedme for it. They were bullies.”

“You were accused of consorting with the blood slaves,” the gold guard said, nothiding his disgust as he looked around. “I see the rumors are true.”

“I live here. Is that considered consorting?” Jacinda shot back.“We feed off them. We don’t live with them,” he replied firmly. “Has your exile taught

you nothing, stupid girl?”Jacinda’s expression shifted from fearful to angry. Her hands balled into fists as she

stared the gold guard down. “Is that why you’re here? To tell me that I’m supposed todrink their blood?”

“It’s either that or we take you and your uncle to prison.”“That’s ridiculous! You can’t force me to drink Aeternae blood!” Jacinda shouted.The gold guard slipped off his horse and reached her in less than a breath. She didn’t

see it coming. “I’m stronger and faster than you, stupid girl. Want to bet I’ll make youdrink? Of course, there is also a better alternative that might teach you the right lesson.How about we slap some iron cuffs on you and your uncle, too? If you refuse to drinkfrom the blood slaves, if you’re so fond of them, why not become blood slaves yourselves,huh?”

“Let go of me!” Jacinda tried to free herself, but his grip was merciless, his glovedfingers digging into her arm.

“Did you really think the empire would let you live this way?” The gold guard laughed,mocking her as he watched her struggle. But his amusement was premature, and Iwatched as black veins burst around Jacinda’s eyes.

The darkness erupted in a devastating pulse, and it threw him back. He landed with apainful thud, his insides already liquefied as the Black Fever took hold of him. Jacindafroze, unable to control herself. The Aeternae slaves watched in horror as the silverguards tried to immobilize her.

They all died the moment they stepped toward her. She couldn’t hold back.“I didn’t understand what was happening, but I felt awful. I didn’t want any of them

dead. I’d only asked to be left alone,” Valaine said, her eyes still closed. Her voice beganto change, dropping to a low murmur that sent chills rushing through my body. “I’d onlyasked to live the way I wanted.”

The worst part was that the slaves were getting sick as well, and fast. Left on her ownin the middle of a terrified and infected village, Jacinda couldn’t cope with what she’dunwittingly done. She ran away up the coast, her bare feet sinking into the wet sand. Shetripped and fell a few times, but she kept going, sobbing as she searched for her uncle.

The image moved until it found Galle, who was happily collecting a shell the size ofhis head, covered in pink-and-green striations. “Oh, this will make a fine instrument,” hemuttered to himself.

“Uncle!” Jacinda cried out in the distance. “Uncle, I need help!”Galle stilled, frowning as he watched her run toward him. “Jace… what’s wrong?”“They came for us!” She threw her arms around him. He held her tight, pushing his

worries back as he tried to calm her down. It took Galle a couple of minutes to get her tobreathe properly.

“That’s it, honey. In and out,” he said. “Now, tell me what happened. Who came forus?”

“The silver guards. Someone from the slave villages farther inland must’ve seen ushere,” Jacinda explained. “They came for us. They were going to force us to drinkAeternae blood. The people were scared. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I… I lostcontrol.”

“You need to tell me more. What do you mean you lost control?” he asked.Jacinda’s eyes were glazed with tears, and the black veins returned. My stomach

tightened as I realized what was about to happen. “No…” I whispered. She was losingcontrol again. The grief and the guilt were taking a toll, much like the fear and the angershe’d felt earlier.

“I hurt him. Them. I hurt them all… I didn’t even realize it,” Valaine said.“Uncle, what… what’s happening to me?” Jacinda sobbed.Galle couldn’t answer. Black blood dripped from his nose, and he fell to his knees, no

longer able to stand. The Black Fever took hold of him, merciless and painful. Jacindatried to help him back up, but he stopped breathing. His skin darkened, covered in brokenblood vessels. He gave his last breath in her arms, and Jacinda was devastated.

“Uncle, no…”“It was my fault,” Valaine continued, opening her eyes to look at me. I felt her agony

inside me, rippling and simmering and tearing me apart. “I couldn’t explain it, but I knewI was to blame. It wasn’t something I could live with. I refused to exist because I’d takenso many lives. Maybe the guards had had it coming, but the others… no. My uncle wasinnocent, and I killed him.”

The four of us watched as Jacinda wandered farther up the beach, having left Gallebehind. I lost track of time, unable to take my eyes off the poor woman. She cried andwalked until her legs could no longer hold her. She’d been drinking animal blood for along time, and her Aeternae body was not as strong as the others in her species—muchlike the Orvisians.

Eventually, she reached a patrol. Two silver guards emerged from a lighthouse, andshe didn’t hesitate. Extending her claws, she attacked them, but she didn’t really try totake the soldiers down. One of them cut off her head, and that was the end of Jacinda

Arneth.Normally, the Unending inside her would’ve strived for survival. But the girl had given

up on living. Her body had already begun to shut down as her soul withered. She’d killedsomeone she loved, and she couldn’t forgive herself.

“I had to end myself,” Valaine said in multiple voices.My breath got stuck in my throat. It wasn’t just Valaine talking anymore. All her

reincarnations had returned. This was the Unending, awakened inside Valaine. I’d finallyreached the first of the First Ten for a second time.

This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. It had come on the heels of greatsuffering and death, but it had come, nonetheless. I sat in front of Valaine, but I saw inthe black depths of her eyes that she wasn’t alone. They’d all come to the surface.

Phantom’s hand covered mine. “This is it. We’re getting closer.”My heart had stopped beating.Time had stopped flowing.Unending was reaching out to me.

W

E S M E

ith two teams deployed to search for the remaining Whips, my tasks weresomewhat limited. Thayen stayed with the Visentis boys—under Kalla and

Mira’s close supervision—so I didn’t have to worry about them for the time being. Mybrother was busy with Valaine, Phantom, and Morning, and there was nothing I could doto help them, either.

I went on several patrols around the city, occasionally bumping into Nethissis andSeeley, but it was late at night, and there wasn’t a single soul around Roano. It was as ifthe darkness chased everyone and everything away from this place. Then again, theNightmare Forest was very much alive and full of danger just fifty or sixty miles to theeast.

With every hour that passed, I became increasingly restless. Not bored but definitelyrestless, until I figured out what had been bugging me all along. It shouldn’t have comeas a surprise, however—I missed Kalon. I longed to see him, to touch him, to whisper inhis ear and promise him that everything would be all right. Most of all, I yearned to seehim awake and well, healthy and cheeky and playful as he’d always been.

Newfound energy flowed through me as I made my way up to the north tower,wondering if I might be able to get a few minutes alone with Kalon. Time had mentionedthat it wouldn’t be a good idea to wake him up, but I wanted to revisit that topic withhim. The more selfish side of me ached for a reunion. I just needed to see Kalon awakeand remind myself of why I was doing this.

I reveled in the tomblike silence as I climbed the stone steps. When I reached thedoor leading into Kalon’s room, I knocked twice. Time came out, squinting. He looked asthough I’d just woken him up. “I thought Reapers didn’t sleep,” I said.

“We don’t. It’s a habit I picked up from the living,” he admitted. “I don’t really sleep. Ijust lie down and close my eyes and listen to the nothingness within. It’s very relaxing.”

“Sorry if I disturbed you.”“No trouble at all. These are tough times, and I’m not always comfortable when left

alone with my thoughts,” Time replied. “How can I help you?”I put on my most innocent smile. “Since you’re asking…”“Oh, Esme.” His expression changed from serene to sullen. “You want to wake him

up.”

“Is it really that big of a problem?”He shook his head. “Not really. But if we lose this fight, Kalon will die. Seeing him now

will only make things worse for you.”“I appreciate your concern, but I can handle it,” I said. “I really want to see him. He

needs me, if only for a few moments.”“There’s also the risk of him experiencing a surge in symptoms if he stays awake for

too long. I’ve slowed down his metabolism with my ability, and once I bring him back tothis normal time flow, the Black Fever might try to catch up. Emphasis on might. It’s notlike I’ve dealt with Black Fever before coming here, so most of what I’m saying istheoretical, at best.”

“So he can’t be up for more than what, a few minutes?”“At most,” Time replied. He stepped aside, allowing me to enter the room. “I can give

you a few minutes without putting his health in danger. Sit there in the middle. I’ll bringhim out.”

I did as I was told, crossing my legs and waiting patiently. Time closed the door andwalked toward me, presenting his scythe. Its blade glowed white as he cut through theair with it, creating a slit in the fabric of space. He had unfettered access to Soul’sinterdimensional pocket. Reaching into the blackness that lay beyond, he pulledsomething out—I didn’t immediately understand what it was—a figure covered in layersof translucent glass.

“Kalon,” I whispered.He settled him on the floor in front of me and pressed three fingers into the glass. It

rippled and peeled away like tape until Kalon was revealed. Time leaned closer andwhispered something in his ear. Kalon’s eyes popped open, and he sucked in a deepbreath.

My heart skipped a beat as Kalon sat up, slightly confused from his intense slumber.He saw Time before he noticed me, but when our eyes met, a smile spread across hisface.

“Esme!” he exclaimed, throwing his arm out and pulling me into a hug.Time moved away and vanished, giving us some much-needed privacy. I melted in his

embrace, warmth filling my body to the brim like liquid sunshine. His scent flooded mynostrils—a mixture of musk and leather that made the rest of my senses flicker. Andwhen his lips found mine, I tasted heaven. We kissed as though we’d been apart for yearsrather than hours. We kissed as though this was our last night in this world. Like everysecond mattered more than anything.

“How long have I been under?” he asked, his breath tickling my skin.“Just a few hours,” I said. “And we can’t keep you awake for more than a few minutes

right now. There’s a risk of the Black Fever symptoms coming back twice as hard. You’rebeing kept in a form of suspended animation. As soon as you’re out here, things mightget rough.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said, caressing my face and running his hands through myhair. “How are you holding up?”

Dark veins had begun making their way up the side of his neck, a sign that the Black

Fever still had a grip on him, and that it would not let him go that easily. “I’m okay…Can’t help but feel responsible for your situation.”

“Don’t,” he said, shaking his head. “You ran. You did your best, considering that youwere faced with an impossible choice. I would’ve hesitated, too, if it had been one of mybrothers in Tristan’s place. But you pulled through. We just weren’t fast enough. Herdarkness caught us.”

“I guess…”“What’s the plan, going forward?” he asked.“I’m just looking after the boys, keeping an eye on the city. We’ve sent a couple of

crews out to hunt down the Whips before Danika gets to them.”He frowned, understandably confused. “I think I’ve got some catching up to do.”“You most certainly do.” I chuckled, then did my best to summarize everything we had

learned from Derek regarding Danika, the Whips, and the Spirit Bender’s soul shards. Themore I told him, the bigger and rounder his eyes grew, horror gradually settling onto hisfeatures.

“And my mother?” he managed, his voice barely audible.“We don’t know where she is, but chances are she’s coming for one of you,” I replied.

“She’ll need to transfer her shard into a son in order to survive Danika’s mission. We wereall thinking that Petra might target you—the eldest living son, the one who ruinedeverything for her.”

Kalon sighed, his gaze wandering to the side. “It’s me she’ll want to kill, yes. Ansel,Tudyk, and Moore are still young. According to her logic, their minds can still be shapedand molded to her will.”

“It’s unlikely she’ll find us here,” I said. “Roano is protected with twice as much Wordand death magic than Orvis was. Besides, we’re eight hundred miles from the imperialcity. Out of all the places on Visio, what are the odds she’d come straight to us?”

“I wouldn’t underestimate her,” Kalon replied. “She’s a menace, and I can’t let heranywhere near the boys. I need to be awake, Esme. You can’t put me back to sleep. Mymother is coming, and Danika will be needing Thayen’s heart. I can’t let that happen.”

His heart rate was spiking. I could hear it drumming in my ears as he grew restlessand agitated. I put my hands on his shoulders, trying to hold him down. “Kalon, you’resick. You’ll get sicker if you stay awake, and you’ll be of no use to anyone if you die.”

“At least I’ll die fighting,” he shot back, anger making the blue in his eyes brighter.“You will do no such thing!” I cried out. “I love you, and I’m not going to lose you. Do

you hear me?”He shook his head, his pained expression breaking my heart. “Esme, it’s not just about

us anymore. She’s coming, and she won’t stop until she takes my brothers back. I can’tlet her poison their minds again. I just can’t.”

“Please, listen to me,” I said, hugging him tightly. “We’ve got this covered. The city issafe for now, and I am keeping a close eye on the boys. Petra is never going to takethem away from you, I promise. But Ansel, Tudyk, Moore… they need you. They needtheir big brother, and if you die before we can save you—it’s not right, Kalon. It’s notfair.”

“Esme, my love, they’re my only family right now. I must protect them.”He pulled away from me, trying to get up. The Black Fever had begun to weaken him,

and he had a hard time pushing himself to his knees. I tried to hold him down, but wewere both struggling. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I hated having to do this, butthere wasn’t a better choice available. As if summoned, Time reappeared in the corner,sullenly walking toward us.

“Please, Kalon. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” I said, but my belovedwouldn’t listen. “You’ll only make it worse for yourself, and you’ll put your brothers at riskof infection, too!”

Kalon stilled, reason finally kicking in. Time reached him and placed a hand on top ofhis head. Kalon’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into a deep sleep. I cried hard for thebetter part of a minute as I stared at him, wondering whether we’d actually manage tosave him. With Petra actively looking for Kalon and his brothers, the stakes were higherthan ever. My nerves were crumbling, and I wasn’t sure I’d last until the very end.

“I’m sorry, Esme. I did warn you.”“Yes, you did. But I needed to see him,” I murmured. “I’m not sorry.”“I have to take him back.”Time scooped Kalon up in his arms as the protective spell wrapped itself around his

body like before, layer upon layer of translucent glass. What little light there was in theroom reflected across the surface, fractured in thousands of colored flakes. Momentslater, he was delivered back to the darkness inside the interdimensional pocket, and I feltempty and alone once more.

“There’s nothing more you can do for him,” Time said.I got up, my knees weak. He gripped my shoulder, beckoning me to look up at him.

He smiled gently, and I found sympathy in his galaxy eyes. Normally, one’s gaze spokevolumes, but it was much harder to read a Reaper’s emotions. Time, however, seemed tohave found a way—or so I thought, anyway. Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe everythingwas finally getting to me, and I’d begun to hallucinate, to see things that weren’t reallythere.

“How long do you think he has?” I asked.“I’m not sure,” Time replied. “It could be several weeks, provided he stays under my

temporal spell. In a natural environment—”“Maybe less, considering the intensity of his exposure to Black Fever,” I muttered. “I

know the odds out here. I just wanted to know his odds in there.”“The more you think about it, the worse it’ll be.”I tried to keep myself together, but the longer Time looked at me, the more I began

to unravel. Unable to control the grief, I started crying again. The Reaper sighed and tookme in his arms while I let it all out. Hiding my face in his coat, I sobbed and screamedand released all the angst, all the pain that had plagued me from the moment I’dwatched Kalon fall under the Black Fever’s influence. My heart was broken a million timesover, and I could see no way out of this mess. Time held me tight, allowing me to releaseevery emotion I’d bottled up over the past couple of weeks.

It felt good. Peaceful even, until I noticed something odd. There was no sound. Not a

peep. Nestled in Time’s arms, it was eerily quiet, as if nothing functioned anymore. As ifthe world had stopped spinning altogether. Time, real time, stood still.

Sniffing, I pulled my head back to look at the Reaper. “What are you doing?”“Giving you an inkling of peace and quiet,” he replied. “I thought you might appreciate

it. I can let time flow again, if you wish.”“That’s kind of you,” I said, wiping my tears and taking a couple of steps back. “I’m

better now. Thanks.”The corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re welcome.”He snapped his fingers, and something came alive within me. I could feel the flow of

time again. It was so strange to have been the only one moving and breathing whileeverything else had stopped. What an incredible power he had.

“I would advise you to reduce your visits here,” Time said. “At the risk of repeatingmyself, it doesn’t do you any good to be around Kalon right now.”

“I love him. I can’t just leave him here…”“Esme, I knew love once, too. And while it is a wonderful thing that I would do

anything to experience again, I also remember how easily it can cloud one’s judgment. Isee you. I see what you are capable of. You represent the highest tier of your species.This world and many others beyond have high hopes for you. Victory requires dedicationand concentration. A clear mind. A clear heart. You have neither right now.”

I lowered my eyes, begrudgingly admitting to myself that he was right. If I wantedeven the slightest chance of walking out of here with Kalon alive and healthy, I’d have tofind my strength again.

Sofia’s voice came through on the comms system, startling me. “Esme! Esme, whereare you?” she called out. I pressed the button on my earpiece.

“I’m in the north tower,” I said, glancing at Time. “What’s wrong?”“You need to come to the south tower. Now!”The urgency of her request made my pulse quicken. Without hesitation, I headed

straight for the door. Time came after me. “What is it?” he asked.“I don’t know, but it can’t be good,” I replied.It wasn’t like Sofia to just reach out like that without giving me any details. Something

was going on by the south tower, and I suspected I might need my pulverizer weaponhandy. It looked like fate still had a couple of curve balls to throw at me.

I’d have to keep playing, then.

“Y

E S M E

ou have to be kidding me!” I’d reached the southern tower. There wasn’t much leftof it, except for its crumbling base. It had been built on the edge of the city by the

once-tall gates. We could see everything down the road from here, including PetraVisentis. Somehow, she’d made her way all the way here.

Here, of all places.Time shushed me. “Keep your voice down. She can’t see past the protective shield,

but she can still hear you.”“What is she doing here?!” I croaked, and Time brought an arm up to hold me back.“Mind your temper,” he hissed. “You can’t let her get to you like this, Esme.”I took a deep breath, standing in the middle of the cobbled road. Ahead, Sofia and

Derek were already watching Petra as she looked around, trying to figure out what shemight find beyond the spell. Kemi had joined them. No one said anything. My blood rancold. Our worst-case scenario had already come true, and I had no idea how we weregoing to fix it.

“I’m good,” I told Time. “Let’s go.”By the time we reached Sofia, Derek, and Kemi, Petra was trying to touch the shield.

It zapped her, and she jerked her hand back, cursing under her breath. Her silver hairwas pulled back beneath a black leather hood. I caught glimpses of a dark blue velvetdress as she moved along the shield, probably looking for a way through.

“She must’ve heard about Orvis,” Sofia whispered in my ear. “The shield didn’t exactlysurprise her.”

“How is she here?” I whispered back.Sofia didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know. She hasn’t said anything. She’s been here

for about ten minutes, trying to get in.”Petra got zapped again. She licked the tip of her throbbing index finger, her brows

furrowed as she looked my way. I knew she couldn’t see me, but it still felt like she waspeering right into my soul. I shivered, both hands gripping the pulverizer weapon.

“I could kill her right now.” I sighed. “Maybe I’ll turn the Spirit Bender shard to ashes,too. What’s stopping me?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Derek replied, his voice low. “But I, like you, am curious abouthow she came to Roano. If she can find this place after two million years of

abandonment, Corbin might do the same. There are only so many lucky breaks we canget out of this world.”

“So, what? We engage her?” I asked, and Derek thought about it.“I’m here,” Lumi said from behind us, gasping. “Oh dear.”I didn’t even need to turn around to know the expression on her face. It was a mixture

of fear and bewilderment and anger, much like mine. Lumi stepped forward until hershoulder was next to mine.

“Yeah, we’ve got a problem,” I grumbled.“Has she said anything?” Lumi asked.“Nope. She’s been checking the shield,” Sofia said.Petra revealed her scythe, its blade glinting beneath the moonlight. She pressed its tip

into the shield’s membrane, and it shimmered in faint ripples upon contact. Smiling, shetried to pierce through, but the entire protective dome moaned as light flickered across,coming from all over and concentrating into her scythe.

The resulting pulse threw her back with considerable force, the air crackling withelectricity around her as she struggled to get up.

“At least we know your latest magic works,” I whispered, giving Lumi an amusedsideways glance. “I take it you picked up a new spell from the Word since Orvis?” I asked,knowing she’d have used it before, had she known about it. This had to be a more recentgift from the patron, the Word. It wasn’t even the first time that Lumi was picking upfresh spells along the way.

Lumi nodded slowly. “It’s been a while since it last taught me something new.”“I think we should talk to her.” Sofia eyed me carefully. “With our pulverizers aimed

straight at her, of course.”Petra sniffed the air, her gaze wandering. I could almost hear the wheels turning in

her head before she called out, loud and clear, for all of us within earshot.“I know you’re in there, Derek. Sofia. Esme. I can smell you!”“Of course,” I muttered.“We need to talk,” Petra added. Her eyes narrowed, as though they were smiling. “I

have a lot to tell you.”Derek shook his head. “We shouldn’t. As curious as I am to learn how she got here,

maybe we’re better off just killing her.”“You’ll have to explain your decision to Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore,” I said. “Not to

mention Kalon. No, it’s not right.”“We’ll still have to kill her to get the shard,” Lumi reminded me, even though I’d just

boasted of emptying my pulverizer weapon cartridges into Petra. This was beyondconfusing, mainly because none of us knew why she was here. That was the mostimportant question. “We’re better off doing it now, rather than later.”

“Hold on,” Kemi said. “She’s alone here. There’s not a single hostile scent within amile radius, at least. I’m able to sense an Aeternae, even if they’re cloaked with deathmagic. Trust me on this. She’s on her own.”

That was a good point he was making. Roano was guarded by two hundred Seniors, acouple dozen ghouls, and at least a hundred or more Orvisians who could put up a fight.

On top of that, we had members of our crew and some Reapers ready to go, as well.Petra had come alone, so whatever she was planning, it couldn’t possibly succeed againstso many of us.

Looking around, I gave myself a moment to think things through. I would’ve lovednothing more than to shoot her dead, right here, right now. But like I’d said to Sofia andDerek, such a decision would’ve put me in a difficult position with all the Visentis boys—Kalon included. Yes, they knew Petra was evil, and the younglings were angry with her,as well as deeply hurt, but that didn’t give me a carte blanche to just whack her. Iglanced back at the north tower, visible from where we stood, trying to imagine whatKalon might say about this. It was a complicated situation, and I was right in the middleof it, stuck between a conniving, murderous mother and her innocent sons. She’ddamaged them in so many ways. I didn’t want to let her anywhere near them.

But she was still their mother. The decision about what to do with her belonged toKalon, Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore. The best I could do was try to get a read on Petra. Hearher out. Filter her demands and figure out what to do with her. Sofia and Derek wereprobably thinking the same thing, judging by their silence and the looks on their faces. Itwasn’t a pleasant situation, but we had to choose whichever path led to the least numberof casualties.

My personal opinion of Petra could not influence the Visentis boys. They’d alreadylearned about the awful things she’d done. The lies she’d told. I doubted they would everaccept her again, but I had to be fair and reserved in my approach.

Should she try something stupid, I can just end her and call it self-defense. With thatthought in mind, I took Time’s wrist and pulled him forward. “We’ll go talk to her,” I said.“Let’s see what she has to say when the odds are clearly against her.”

“Esme, wait!” Sofia tried to stop me, but it was too late. The Reaper and I had alreadygone beyond the protective shield, my pulverizer weapon pointed at Petra.

“You’ve got five minutes to explain yourself before I blow you to bits and… well, bits,”I said to Petra. “You’d better not waste my time.”

Petra grew still, her eyes wide at the sight of me. She looked at Time, brieflyconfused, then back at me, and smiled. I wasn’t sure what to make of her expression, butit couldn’t mean anything good. She’d come here with a mission, and she wasn’t the typeto back away from a challenge.

I needed to stand my ground and assert myself. I was done being chased around byPetra Visentis, hated by her because I’d fallen in love with her son. It was time to put anend to this threat, because too many people had gotten hurt already. Her children weresuffering, and they didn’t need any more pain.

“W

E S M E

here are Derek and Sofia? If I remember correctly, they’re the decision makersaround here,” Petra said.

“They’ll hear you out. But first, convince me not to kill you,” I shot back, my finger onthe trigger and itching to pull it.

“Who’s this?” Petra asked, nodding at Time. “New friend?”“I’m the Time Master, one of the First Ten and a loyal soldier of Death,” he replied.

“Anyone fighting against your kind is a friend of mine, because you’re all abominationsdeveloped at the expense of my sister’s suffering.”

“Oh, I see you’re one of those serious types.” Petra chuckled.I clicked the safety off my weapon. “Tick tock, High Priestess.”“I’m here to be with my sons, you wench,” she said, visibly disgusted by my

aggressive persistence. Clearly, she was still unhappy with me. “I’ve had enough of theDarkling garbage, and I have no intention of dying or getting anyone else killed for theSpirit Bender to return, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Last time you saw Derek, you were running away to find your sons so you couldimplant your soul shard into one of them, solely for the purpose of sacrifice and extractionwithout putting your own life on the line,” I replied. “Am I supposed to believe you’ve hada change of heart?”

Petra smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. It was a tense, flat smile that spoke of all thethings she’d do to me if she could—and none of them were pleasant. She put her scytheaway and held out her hands. “Cuff me if you wish. Just hear me out. Whatever I toldDanika was merely to buy myself some time so I could get out of there. The bitch wastrying to kill me.”

“Why should I trust anything you say?”“Because I’m a mother first!” Petra snapped. “Something you couldn’t possibly

understand, which is why I’d much rather have this conversation with Sofia and Derek. Atleast they’d get me.”

“I’m afraid that won’t happen unless you prove your intentions are as honorable asyou claim,” Time said. “Surrender your scythe. Surrender yourself. Then, we’ll considerlistening.”

Petra exhaled sharply, her shoulders slumping as she rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Fine. Take it.” She scoffed, tossing the scythe on the ground between us. “I don’t wantto die by Danika’s blade, okay? I just want to take my sons and get them as far awayfrom here, as far away from the empire, as possible.”

“How did you find this place?” I asked.“Finally, a pertinent question. The Seniors all had tiny magical trackers implanted in

them when they were shipped off to the island. They’re not aware,” Petra said. “Only afew of us know about the implants. As a Whip, it’s been my duty to occasionally keep aneye on them, so I’m able to find them wherever they go.”

That added a new item to our collective to-do list—finding and removing thosetrackers from the Seniors before other Darklings thought to use them against us. Mystomach churned at the thought of all the malice that had gone into the Seniors’punishment. All because they’d wanted to return Visio to normal and release theUnending from her tortuous prison.

“Where are the implants?” I asked, hoping to get more details for Kemi toimmediately act upon. Either way, staying in Roano had just become even riskier. Ironic, Ithought, since we’d initially considered it safer than most other places.

“They were ingested with blood and likely lodged somewhere in their stomachs.They’re made of minuscule crystals that the Aeternae’s organism doesn’t reject, hencewhy they’ve been unnoticed. It’s a proprietary spell created by the Spirit Bender anddetailed in his chronicles,” Petra said.

“Chronicles?” Time muttered, his gaze darkened.“Oh, you didn’t know.” Petra giggled. “He left us a treasure trove of documents. Spell

instructions. Secrets to use against anyone among his peers who might want to comeafter us. I will tell you all about it if you let me see my sons.”

Derek’s voice cut through the brief silence. “Why should any of us trust you, Petra? Allyou do is lie. You tried to kill us more than once.”

He’d come out, joined by Sofia. I didn’t mind, since they were the ones Petra wantedto talk to, and I could use the assistance in case she decided to attack. I didn’t putanything past her.

“I swear, Derek, on my life—on my children’s lives—I was just playing Danika backthere,” she said, her eyes suddenly wet. “She’s insane. She put the shard in her own son.She will kill her own son to bring the Spirit Bender back, and that is something I simplycannot accept. I might understand sacrifice for one’s cause, if necessary, but it must bepersonal. Derek, Sofia… I would never kill my children. I’ve already lost a son and abrother to this conflict, and my soul is forever broken. I cannot take losing another child.”

“You’re a habitual liar, Petra,” Derek replied. “You make it hard for us to believe you.”“I was wrong. I was wrong to bring my boys into the Darkling circles. They would’ve

been better off not knowing, living blissful and carefree lives as nobles.” Petra sighed.“That way, once they learned who I really am and what I do… maybe they would’veappreciated my decision to shield them, to protect them from the foul things my peersand I have done to preserve our species. I cannot go back to fix that, but I can do betterin the future.”

“Your sons would’ve been better off if you’d left them alone,” I said in a low voice.

Petra gave me a cold stare. “I still don’t like you, Esme. Don’t expect me to sugarcoatthings simply because you’re pointing that weapon at me. Your opinion of my parentingskills still means nothing. Just so you know.”

At least she wasn’t trying to play nice with me. I had to appreciate the honestapproach. It made her slightly more believable in my book. Her hatred of me was sostrong that Petra couldn’t even fake liking me to improve her own position.

“We can’t just let you walk in,” Sofia said. “And we definitely can’t just let you takeyour children out of here. The Visentis boys are under our protection, and they willcontinue to be under our protection for as long as we see fit.”

“Fine, Sofia. What do you want from me? What else do you need me to do in order toprove myself? I’ve given you my scythe. I’ve come here all alone. You’re free to kill me, ifyou wish. My life is yours,” Petra replied.

“Information,” Derek retorted. “Tell us everything we need to know about the Whipsand where to find them.”

I glanced his way, surprised by his angle. This was war, and we had to adjust orredraw our strategies where needed. The Senior implants changed everything, so wewould eventually have to prepare for a swift relocation before anyone else thought oftracking them. Kemi was likely already with his people, looking for ways to extract thebones from their stomachs and toss them far into the sea, thus leaving Roano safer thanit was at this point.

The uncertainty of this situation put me on edge, but I needed to focus on theprincipal thread here: Petra and her intentions. I couldn’t bring myself to trust her. ForKalon’s sake, however, I had to at least try to give her a chance.

“I’ll help you find the Whips,” Petra said. A single tear rolled down her cheek, herlower lip trembling. “I’ll help you, just so this can all end.”

“If you help us, we’ll win. The Unending will be free, and you’ll likely lose yourimmortality,” Time replied. “Are you sure you want that?”

“As long as I get my family back, I don’t care. In hindsight, I should’ve found morecomfort in knowing that there is something beyond death,” Petra declared. “Reapers,Death, ghouls, ghosts… they’re all proof of an afterlife. We tend to fear dying because wedon’t know what exists beyond it. Or if there’s even anything there. Truth be told, it’stime I prepare myself for this passage. If the Unending lets me die of old age, I’ll be fine.I just want to see my boys grow up.”

Derek looked my way. “Esme, please cuff her.”I didn’t hesitate, taking out a pair of wrist bands with Word magic inscriptions. I

approached Petra carefully as she put her hands out once more, watching me like ahawk. My heart was beating faster than ever. I hadn’t been this close to her since she’dtried to kill me back at the Visentis mansion.

“Don’t flinch,” Petra whispered as I put one cuff on her left wrist. I heard the metalclick, with only a half-second left to see her right hand coming up, claws long and sharpand eager to slice through my carotid.

“Esme!” Sofia shrieked.I caught Petra’s loose hand and swerved around, twisting her arm in a painful

maneuver in the process. She cried out as I jerked her hand upward, nearly dislocatingher elbow. I reached for my pulverizer weapon and pressed its nozzle into the back of herhead. “Try that again, Petra. I dare you.”

She giggled between agonized gasps. “Had to give it a shot, Esme. I hate you toomuch for taking my sons away to let you off the hook that easily.”

“Well, I’m the one with the power to kill you now. Don’t be stupid. You said youwanted to see your sons, and that means surviving. How do you plan to do that if you’retrying dumb stuff just to get to me, huh?”

“Okay, I yield!” Petra retorted, no longer able to take the pain.I briefly released her and slapped the second cuff on, deciding she’d be a safer bet

with her hands bound behind her back. A chain formed between her wrists. It appeared tobe made of solidified light, glowing. I nearly burned myself touching it, so I moved aroundto face Petra again and gave her a warning look.

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?” she asked.“No, it’s supposed to remind you that you’re on my turf now,” I replied dryly and

pushed her over to Derek. He took a firm hold of her upper arm, while I lifted the scytheoff the ground and handed it to Time. “Here. Best to keep it away from her. I shouldcheck for other weapons.”

“Go ahead, you won’t find any,” Petra said.Time came closer after putting her scythe away and measured the high priestess from

head to toe. “I think she’s clean.”“You think?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I will strip this monster bare, if I have to!”“She’s clean. I don’t sense other weapons,” Time insisted. I took it as a mild

reassurance. It was the best we could get in these dark times.The protective shield shimmered as we approached it, reacting to our presence.

Lumi’s hands came through as she pried it open. It looked like she’d simply pulled back apair of curtains, allowing access for outsiders like Petra. Derek went in first with the highpriestess still in his grip, followed by Sofia, Time, and me.

As soon as she set foot in Roano, Petra stopped, gazing around in fascination. “Wow, Ihaven’t been here in at least a couple of centuries. The ocean and the winds are doing areal number on this place. In about a thousand years or so, I doubt there will be anythingleft.”

“Your people caused this,” I reminded her.“The Black Fever caused this,” she replied, raising an eyebrow as if I truly was the

dumbest, most loathsome creature she’d ever had to deal with. It irked me, but therewere many things I’d do for love. Putting up with her scheming ass was just one of them.

“The Darklings are responsible for the Black Fever through their pursuit of keeping theUnending bound to Visio,” Time said. “You pride yourselves on protecting and saving theAeternae, but all you do is kill hundreds of thousands every ten millennia. You’ve killedmillions over the years, solely to preserve immortality for those of you lucky enough tonot get infected. It’s a pathetic ploy, and the only reason it has worked so far is becauseDeath has been unaware of your activities. The Spirit Bender taught you well.”

“That he most certainly did,” Petra said, sneering.

“It ends soon enough,” I said. “Those who die will have free souls. They will bereaped and sent on their way, not fed to the ghouls. Those who live will do so in harmonywith the others. No one’s life should have more value than anyone else’s. The Darklingswill be destroyed. And the Spirit Bender will never come back. The world is better offwithout him.”

“We might actually agree on that,” Petra mumbled. “Now, let us talk. We have a lot ofcatching up to do.”

Derek obliged, while Sofia stayed back to talk to me. “Esme, we’re not letting her seethe boys yet,” she whispered.

“You can’t tell her about Kalon, either. There are two ways this could go,” I told her.“If she’s being honest, learning about Kalon’s situation will devastate her, and she mighttry to do something foolish to Valaine. I don’t know. If she’s lying through her teeth, thatwould make Kalon the easiest target. Remember, she’s a Whip, so she has additionalknowledge we don’t know about. That makes her extra dangerous, even to the FirstTenners.”

“But Kalon and Valaine are in Soul’s interdimensional pockets. How can she get tothem?” Lumi asked, her brow furrowed.

“I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t put it past her to find a way,” I said.“I’ll stay with Kalon, just in case,” Time replied. Moments later, he’d vanished, and I

felt a sense of relief washing over me at the thought of my beloved being under hisprotection. With Petra lurking around, even in cuffs and without her scythe, no one wasreally safe.

“Esme, honestly… what do you think of all this?” Sofia asked.Lumi and I exchanged glances, and I had a feeling we were both on the same page. “I

don’t trust Petra. I will never trust her. There’s always an endgame with her, and moreoften than not, those closest to her are the ones getting hurt,” I said.

“Even if she is being truthful, she’ll have stirred the wrath of Danika and Corbin. Bynow, we’ve all learned how cruel and spiteful the Darklings can be with the people theyconsider traitors or enemies,” Lumi replied. “Remember what they did to one of theUnending’s reincarnations. They killed her entire family for no reason at all. That aloneshould tell us everything about what kind of retaliation we can expect from theDarklings.”

I broke out in a cold sweat. “The boys will never be safe until we destroy theDarklings completely.”

“Do you really think Petra would kill Kalon?” Sofia asked, her green gaze fixed on me.That was a tough question. It certainly wasn’t impossible. Danika was proof that amother could kill her own child, and she and Petra would be sharing the same motivation—sacrificing their sons to complete the soul shard ritual and ensure their own survival.For that to happen, however, Petra needed certain conditions.

Me out of her way was one of them. “Not while I’m still alive,” I said.“I find it unimaginable.” Sofia sighed. “I still can’t believe Danika is coldblooded

enough to commit such an atrocity. One’s own child… no. Just no.”And yet, it was true and horrifyingly real. Danika was looking to kill Thayen. Why

wouldn’t Petra do the same? After all, immortality could easily make people do crazythings. Selfish and awful things. For millennia, Petra had been serving the same cause asDanika. Had she really turned herself around this time? I’d have to find out. And in themeantime, I’d keep her in my sight. I’d watch her closely. If she was going to trysomething, I’d be there to stop her.

Ahead, Derek walked Petra up the main cobbled road. They were headed toward thewestern tower, and I tried to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. The western towerwasn’t much to look at, but Lumi had assisted with building a few rooms from itsfoundation. It was one of the more secluded parts of the city. Knowing Derek, heprobably didn’t want the others to see Petra here—not yet, anyway. We certainly didn’twant Petra to be anywhere near Kalon, and the western tower did seem like a safer bet,since it overlooked the raging ocean and limited her options in a worst-case scenario.

I wondered what this would lead to. My instincts told me to be careful, and I’d be afool not to follow them. Petra Visentis was in town, and that meant trouble no matterwhat. But she had information, and we needed it more than anything.

T

D E R E K

he tower was only halfway up, thanks to Lumi’s swamp witch magic. Itreigned tall over the surrounding ruins of a once majestic city, though—a

quiet, slender stump that held several rooms used for storage.I could see the north tower from here. At the very top, Valaine was busy tapping into

her past lives with Tristan, Phantom, and Morning’s help. A level below, Time kept Kalonin another spell where deep sleep and death magic slowed down his metabolism in a bidto resist the Black Fever.

As Petra and I stood before the western tower, however, I knew I had to make sureshe didn’t go a single foot outside this place. There was a room at the base of the towerthat I planned to use for Petra. I needed to keep her away from our people, as well.

“I thought this tower crumbled a long time ago,” Petra muttered, tilting her head backto look up, hands cuffed behind her back.

“We rebuilt parts of it, as you can see,” I said. “It provides a better vantage point atthe top. We can see the enemy coming.”

“You fully rebuilt the north tower, as well,” she replied, gazing out into the distance.“We need that for tactical purposes,” I shot back, my tone clipped. “Is this some kind

of recon, Petra?”Changing the subject worked. I didn’t want her making inquiries about the north

tower. She flashed a cold grin. “I’m just curious.”Like I would believe that… Esme joined us, but I couldn’t see Time anywhere. He

must’ve gone back to watch over Kalon. For better or worse, Valaine had backup insidethat interdimensional pocket. Kalon was on his own. The night was gradually fading, anda faint light slowly emerged on the eastern horizon, spreading across the starry sky andsending the moon to the other side of Visio.

“Where are my sons?” Petra asked.“Sofia is talking to Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore right now,” I replied. “It is up to them

whether they wish to see you. If they decide against it, I will not let you near them.”Petra shot me a cold glare. “You won’t keep me away from my boys.”“Your boys might reject you,” Esme retorted, giving her a nudge. “Better get used to

that thought. It’s what you get for killing and lying for an evil cause.”“What you call evil, we call survival,” Petra said. “You keep professing your opinion

about matters you have little to no knowledge of. I can’t see what Kalon ever saw in you.Speaking of, where is my eldest son?”

I wasn’t sure what to tell her, but Esme was quick to answer. “He’s on a mission withTrev and a few others in our group. But trust me, he definitely doesn’t want to see you.”

Lying made sense. It also came easier to Esme, and I appreciated that about her.Usually, the consensus was that good liars made excellent villains, and that terrible liarswere so adjusted to telling the truth that deceit was basically impossible for them. Butthat wasn’t always true. Esme was one of the kindest and most noble people I had evermet—she just had a knack for making things up without getting caught.

She glanced my way and offered a faint nod, while Petra looked up again.“What are we doing here, Derek?”“We’re going to keep you somewhere safe and away from our people,” I told her. “I

don’t trust you for a single second, and I’ll sleep better knowing you’re here under lockand key. And constant supervision.”

“I’m one person against how many?” Petra scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”“You should be flattered that I’m not underestimating you,” I replied, motioning for

her to go in. Time had the upper levels of the north tower covered, and there were plentyof Seniors for Petra to fight off if she wanted to get there from here, so I didn’t worry toomuch. Besides, I’d be with her around the clock. Chances were, Esme wouldn’t let theWhip leave her sight, either.

Petra muttered under her breath but did as instructed and entered the western tower.Once we were in the room, Esme linked a chain to the ring connecting the cuffs, whichshe then attached to a curled spike in the wall.

I crossed my arms, watching as Petra scowled at Esme. “Are you going to bring me achair?” the high priestess asked.

“It’s all yours,” Esme replied, pointing at the floor. “One big chair.”“Start talking,” I said to Petra. “Where are the other Whips?”“I’d like to see my sons first.”“I told you, that’s not up to us. Sofia is with them. Should they wish to see you, they’ll

come here. In the meantime, start talking.”Petra let out a heavy sigh and settled on the floor. She looked uncomfortable with her

hands bound behind her back, but it was one of the few things that gave me comfort. Icouldn’t afford any compromises with this Aeternae. None whatsoever.

Her cold blue gaze settled on me. “I know Trev Blayne gathered a significant amountof intel when he was pretending to be a Darkling initiate. Since he was ousted, however,the Whips have changed their movement patterns and safe houses for their own security.You see, Derek, we’ve become very good at anticipating the enemy’s movements. Themoment word of your escape reached my ears, I knew you’d tell your people everything—including what you learned from Danika and me.”

“It wouldn’t take a genius to figure that one out. How did you hear about my escape?You had already run off,” I said.

“That doesn’t mean I’m isolated from my empire. I have eyes and ears everywhere.Death magic has made a lot of things easier for me.”

“Okay. Then what can you tell me about the Whips’ more recent movements?”Petra scrunched her nose, frowning slightly as she thought about my question. I had a

feeling she was doing some kind of math in her head. “Let’s see… well, Drezel, Rodique,and Icklas are dead. Danika was very effective on that front. That leaves us with RamusMalfa, Fennel Ferris, Marios and Silla Levantes, Lyriana Amos, Jolie Jasperstone, RennertGauss, yours truly, and of course Thayen. Each of us listed carries a shard of the SpiritBender’s soul.”

“I’m not interested in you or Thayen. I asked about the Whips.”“I know, Derek. But I felt you could use a small recap.” Petra chuckled.“The Whips, Petra. We only need the Whips,” Esme replied. “What can you tell us

about the remaining ones?”“Ramus Malfas has a few properties he’s kept off the record. His dead mother is still

listed on the deeds, and he has yet to change them in the imperial registry,” Petragrumbled. “Of these properties, there is one I think he’ll consider safest now that Danikais after him.”

I remembered Ramus from when he’d first come into my cell along with the otherWhips. A handsome fellow with a dark, piercing gaze and an affinity for fine silks andvelvets. Of course, all the noble Aeternae shared that affinity, but Ramus had an extrasartorial flair about it that made him easier to remember.

“Where is this property?” I asked.“North of here and deeper into the mainland,” Petra replied. “Fifty miles past Azten,

there’s a road that leads up to the snowy mountains. As you follow the road deep into thewoods, it splits into two paths. One will lead you around the peak, down the other side ofthe mountain, and into the next town, which is called Mayn. The other, however, will takeyou into the very heart of the forest. Ramus’s father cleared that path when he first builthis house there. You can’t miss it. It’s the only one on the ridge, surrounded by trees andjagged rocks.”

“And you say Ramus will be there,” I said, eyeing her carefully, searching for signs ofdeception. Speaking of good liars, Petra was an expert.

Her means and ends were equally nefarious, but I had to appreciate her talent fordeception. Perhaps it was part of the reason why she loathed Esme with such passion. Incertain ways, Petra and Esme were more alike than they thought. They fought fordifferent causes, but they both put their souls into their work. They were devoted. Theywere excellent manipulators and smooth talkers. They were beautiful and fierce. MaybePetra didn’t want someone who was so much like her to take her son’s heart. But if so,she was wrong—Esme and Kalon were made for each other. I couldn’t imagine building abetter bridge between our civilizations.

Had Petra not been such a monster, I would have sought a friendship with her. I knewthere was plenty to learn from an Aeternae with her knowledge and experience.

“Ramus will be there. I’m certain of it,” Petra declared.“And the other Whips?” Esme asked, unmoved by Petra’s deliberate animosity toward

her. I admired her courage. It took guts to stay so calm around a powerful Aeternae withdangerous death magic skills who wanted you dead. Granted, Petra was bound, but some

risk remained.“Fennel Ferris is probably back home in one of his district’s poorer villages. If you have

a map handy, I’ll point out the rest.”“Which is Fennel’s district?” Esme asked. The more she spoke, the more irritable Petra

became. And the longer I spent in their presence, the better I could feel the sheer hatredthat the high priestess harbored toward the vampire she blamed for stealing her son. Itwas equal parts interesting and disturbing to watch. Little did Petra know that herdemeanor toward Esme told me more than anything she could possibly say about her.

“Bring me a map,” Petra hissed.The door opened, and Sofia appeared in the doorway. Her brow furrowed as she

looked at Petra, then at me. “The boys are here.”“Ah, finally!” Petra exclaimed, her face lighting up.Sofia stepped aside, leaving room for Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore to pass. The Visentis

boys didn’t appear happy to see their mother. Anger flared in their blue eyes. They weredeeply hurt, and Petra’s presence wasn’t making anything better. Nevertheless, Sofia hadgiven them the option to come here, and they’d all decided to take it.

Petra cried softly and tried to smile at her sons. “My darlings… I’ve missed you somuch.”

“Where have you been?” Ansel asked, scowling at her.“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m here now,” she replied.Esme, Sofia, and I stood silently and watched the interaction unfold. Of the three

boys, Ansel was the least excited to see his mother. He was closer to Kalon in thatrespect. Tudyk seemed to be somewhere in the middle—torn between resentment andlonging. Moore had it the worst. Tears welled in his eyes, but he held back, staying closeto his brothers. Petra tried to get them to come closer.

“Won’t you give your mother a hug?” she murmured, her eyes twinkling with a mixtureof grief and affection. I doubted even Petra would fake those emotions. Despite her manyfaults, she was a dedicated mother, though even that had fallen under scrutiny lately. I’dheard her tell Danika she would give her shard to one of the boys so he could die in herplace. Petra had insisted it was a lie from the beginning, but she was extremelyuntrustworthy. Everything she said was to be taken with a grain of salt. “Moore, mybaby…”

“You lied to us,” the youngest boy said, unable to contain his emotions. His handswere balled into small fists, and he was shaking, tormented by the sight of her. “You liedto us, and now you want us to be happy to see you?”

“I did what I had to do to make sure my family survived,” Petra replied, swallowingback tears of her own. “I will never apologize for trying to protect you.”

“By making us Darklings? That was your way of protecting us? With lies and half-truths?” Ansel scoffed. “We know everything now, Mother. We know the truth about theUnending and what our forefathers did to her. What the Darklings are still doing to her.”

She sighed, lowering her head in a gesture of piety. “I always believed I was doingthe right thing. I stand by my actions on the matter, but what Danika wants to do is…well, it’s too much. I had to draw a line.”

“She wants to bring back the Spirit Bender,” Tudyk said. “You don’t want that?”“Not at the expense of my life. I can’t bear to leave this world, not while my children

still need me. And I can do so much better,” Petra said. “If you’d just give me the chanceto explain…”

“You lied to us our whole lives,” Ansel insisted, and I felt a surge of pride. He’d comea long way in a short amount of time. If Petra was seeking forgiveness, she’d come to thewrong people for it. “You poisoned our minds, just like Kalon said. You turned us into evilcreatures. There’s no coming back from that. The things we did to serve you and theDarklings—Mother, it’s horrific.”

“I know. But remember, Ansel, I never said it would be easy. In fact, I specificallyremember telling you there would be tough choices to be made along the road. That themission required strength of character. Being a Darkling means having no hesitation. Ifmurder is required, you do it. Period.”

I cleared my throat, drawing her attention for a moment. “You taught your children—mere boys as young as six—that murder is okay. Petra, you’re definitely not winning anyparenting awards. Cultural differences aside, killing other people should never beconsidered okay.”

“You’ve never killed anyone?” Petra sneered. The boys watched me with renewedinterest. I had to choose my words carefully.

“I’ve killed plenty. But I never reveled in it. I still see their faces when I go to sleep,and I will forever remember each and every one of them. Taking a life is a wretched andawful thing to do, and while I admit it is sometimes necessary, the Darklings take it fartoo lightly,” I said.

Petra rolled her eyes, clearly in no mood for my sermon. But Tudyk had gotten mymessage. “He’s right, you know,” the boy said to his mother. “You never talked to usabout it. All we’ve ever been taught was that people who got in the Darklings’ way had todie. Our mission was sacred, and nothing else mattered. Well, it turns out our missionwas a lie.”

“I, like my ancestors before me, made sure the Aeternae remained immortal. Westopped the Black Fever from destroying us all!” Petra said. “Yes, we had to kill peoplealong the way, but in the end, we save more than we lose.”

“There was always another way,” Ansel cut in. “You could’ve set the Unending freeand offered your heartfelt apologies. She gave us immortality, and she could take itaway. But don’t you think she’d forgive us if we released her? If we stopped all thesebloody games?”

Petra laughed as if Ansel had delivered the punchline to a clever joke. “Oh, my dear,sweet Ansel. The Unending cursed us with the Black Fever, remember? If she’s set free,she will wipe us all out. It’s not that she’ll take our immortality away. No, she’ll do somuch worse.”

“Valaine is our friend,” Ansel replied. “She would never—”“Valaine is not the Unending. She’s merely a shadow of that great power. A

manifestation of the first Reaper,” Petra said. “Whatever Valaine wants now, it will fadeaway when Unending takes back the mantle. And trust me, after about five million years,

there aren’t enough apologies in this world to make up for what was done to her. Ouronly option has always been to keep the cycle going for as long as the Aeternae breathe.”

Ansel shook his head. “That’s not right. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now.”“As it turns out, the odds are more in your favor than mine. I’m merely trying to make

you understand what has driven the Darklings up to this point,” Petra conceded with ashrug. “I’m not willing to get myself killed for the Spirit Bender, so I’ve switched sides. I’mhere with you now, and I’m no longer a Darkling. You will bring the Unending back, andmaybe you’re right and she won’t kill us all. But she definitely won’t grant us immortalityanymore. We will die someday.”

“Better to live a short and meaningful life than an eternity at the expense of others’wellbeing and happiness,” Esme countered, drawing nods from all three boys.

Petra narrowed her eyes. “My dear, sweet Esme, you continue to occupy space in myvicinity. The least you could do is keep your mouth shut. Your voice alone irks me.”

“Don’t be mean to her!” Tudyk snapped. “She’s looking after us. She’s looking afterKalon, too. He’s—”

“Away with Trev, for now,” Esme interjected before the truth came out. Again, Ibreathed a sigh of relief, thankful for her quick thinking.

Petra eyed each of us carefully—particularly her sons—until her gaze settled onMoore. “Forgive me, my darlings,” she said. “There’s only so much I can change aboutmyself after this long life I’ve had. I love you more than anything. That’s why I’m here.”

“Wait, did you say you disavowed the Darklings?” Moore asked, slightly surprised.“Derek can confirm I am no longer their friend,” she said, giving me a sideways

glance. Moore looked my way, and I was compelled to nod in agreement, though I wasn’tat all comfortable with Petra’s full statement.

“From what I witnessed, Danika was determined to kill Petra for the soul shard,” Iadmitted, noticing the high priestess’s relaxed expression. It faded when I drove my pointhome. “That being said, according to her own words, Petra then ran off to find you andtransfer the shard to one of you, so you’d—”

“Die in her stead,” Ansel murmured. He glared at his mother. “Yeah, we heard thatpart. Loud and clear, before you got here.”

“It was a lie! How many times do I have to say it?” Petra groaned. “Come on!”“What do you want from us?” Ansel shot back.“You. My children back. My family,” she said, her shoulders dropping.No one dared say anything. Petra seemed genuine, but I still couldn’t bring myself to

believe a word that came out of her mouth. I kept myself on edge, hyper vigilant andanalyzing her every gesture, making sure I didn’t miss anything.

“For what it’s worth, Petra has agreed to help us,” Sofia chimed in. “I’m not sure howuseful her intel is, but I thought you boys would want to hear it from us.”

“And I’ve allowed them to shackle me and hold me here,” Petra added. “I’m reallytrying to do right by you this time.”

Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore took a moment to look at each other. They were closeenough to be able to communicate without words, reading expressions and guessingthoughts. They’d grown up in a tightly knit environment, and such ease in connecting with

one another seemed natural. Ansel, however, remained unconvinced.“What do you expect from us going forward? Because I have a hard time considering

you my mother at this point.”Petra gasped, deeply hurt by his remark. “That was needlessly cruel.”“It’s the truth. You might as well get used to it,” Ansel replied.“I don’t expect anything from you,” she said. “I only ask that you give me another

chance. And maybe a hug. It’s been a while since I’ve felt your embrace. Please.”Ansel shook his head, but Tudyk and Moore were more open to the idea. Tudyk

stepped forward hesitantly and placed his arms around Petra, holding her tight. He closedhis eyes as she planted a kiss on his cheek, her face lighting in a smile as she breathedhim in. I imagined a mother’s longing to feel her son’s embrace, and the interactionbetween them felt like the truth. Petra was genuinely thankful to receive his affection.

I doubted she’d really learned anything from her experiences, but she did love herchildren. That much was obvious. Moore came closer, and Tudyk stepped back, wipingtears with the back of his sleeve. Petra’s eyes widened, their expression bright and lovingas they settled on Moore.

“My baby boy…”“Please listen to Derek and Sofia,” Moore said, wrapping his arms around Petra’s neck.

“Please, Mother. Enough with the lies and all the killing and stuff. Please.”She whispered in his ear. I couldn’t hear a thing, but at the end of it, the boy nodded

slowly and allowed her to kiss his cheek. He hugged her again, this time around thewaist, but it didn’t last long, as Esme pulled Moore back rather aggressively. “What didyou say to him?” she asked Petra.

“Oh, for… will you stop being such a pain in my ass?” The high priestess scoffed. “Itold my son I love him, that’s all.”

“I’ll stop being a pain in your ass when you stop being such a conniving bitch. Youknow full well why we don’t trust you,” Esme retorted, resting a hand on Moore’sshoulder. The boy looked up at her.

“She’s telling the truth,” he mumbled. “She said she loved me more than anything,and that she’ll do whatever it takes to get me back in her life. That’s all.”

Esme nodded, then urged the boys to come with her outside. “We’ll talk to Derek andSofia about visitation rights later, but for now, we must leave,” she replied. “Petra has alot to tell us, and you have a shelter to finish, kiddos.”

The boys said goodbye to their mother, and she watched them leave the room. Assoon as the door closed behind them, her expression shifted into something much moretense, darker, her gaze finding me. “Bring me a map, Derek.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight for a single moment, but Sofia can help.”My wife nodded. “Frankly, I’m glad to see you’re so compliant, Petra. There might be

hope for you yet.”I doubted it, but Sofia had a way of seeing the best in people. Maybe she was right.

Maybe Petra had lied to Danika about her intentions in a bid to buy herself time and achance to escape from the imperial palace. Maybe she was remorseful with regard to herson. It wasn’t impossible to believe her. It was hard, but not impossible.

While Sofia was fetching a map, silence settled over the room. Petra and I stared ateach other for a few minutes. There weren’t any words left between us, only a sea ofdisdain and distrust. As long as we got something useful out of this conversation, I’d becontent. And if it didn’t come back to bite us in the ass, I’d be downright happy.

E

R I D A N

quipped with new intel from Derek, our crew moved north. We kept our distancefrom populated areas as Kelara helped us jump across dozens of miles at oncewith her death magic. We’d agreed to fragment the journey beyond Azten in

order to assess the land and spot any hostiles along the way. The last thing we neededwas a repeat of Dieffen.

We walked along the wide path leading up the snowcapped mountain. The nightswere cold out here, and the chill seeped into my bones, making me shiver. My inner fireburst once in a while, sending heatwaves through my body and relaxing my muscles.Amane stayed close, constantly looking around, her orange gaze analyzing every singledetail.

Trev walked behind us with Soul and Kelara. In about a hundred feet, we’d jumpagain, since I could already see the fork in the road up ahead.

“Does this remind you of Strava in any way?” I asked Amane.She gave me a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”“Well, you’re back in the wild, constantly looking over your shoulder, hunting,

defending yourself, fighting for your life,” I replied. “Doesn’t it bring back feelings of abygone era?”

“Yeah, sort of. At least Strava was nice and hot. It’s absolutely freezing here,” shegrumbled, and I put an arm around her shoulders.

“Hang in there. We’re almost at the cabin.”Soul chuckled. “Your optimism is adorable.”“And your snark is overrated,” Kelara retorted, stifling a grin.“Is any of Petra’s intel verifiable?” Trev asked. Ever since we’d heard about Petra’s

arrival, there had been an air of tension between us. It wasn’t aimed at each other—itwas just a generally unpleasant vibe. We were all the way out here, while Petra hadmade it inside Roano. That fiend was up to something, I could feel it. Knowing that Derekwas keeping an eye on her did take some of the edge off. “I can understand the Whipschanging their positions and safe houses because I know too much, but how can we besure that Petra is sending us in the right direction? What if we’re walking into a trap?”

His concern was natural, and we all shared it. But at the end of the day, risks had tobe taken. In the absence of better information, we had to try to find out whether Petra

was telling the truth. Ancient fir-like trees rose around us, their rich, dark green crownsloaded with snow. The bark was thick, almost black, and various furry creatures hadfound shelter in its nooks and crannies. I could feel their beady little eyes following us aswe moved.

Silence dominated the area. I figured it was too cold for us to worry about anypredators, until I spotted a large silhouette slumping somewhere to our left. I stopped,forcing the others to come to a halt, as well. “What’s that?” I whispered.

The creature raised its head from the base of a tree, its snout covered in snow. Itlooked like a bear, but it was twice the size of an American grizzly, and its claws werehuge. It didn’t seem at all interested in us. Steam rolled from its nostrils as it dug back in,sniffing and searching for something.

“Fascinated by the local wildlife, I see,” Soul muttered as we resumed our walk up tothe fork in the road.

“It’s a black barnum,” Trev said. “They usually dig for roots, mushrooms, and otherfruits of the earth. They eat fish and any small animals they can catch, but they’re prettyslow. Their claws look intimidating, but they usually keep to themselves.”

I didn’t want to give Soul any satisfaction, but I had definitely developed a fascinationfor wildlife ever since Strava. From the moment I’d first laid eyes on turquoise tigers, I’dbeen mesmerized by what nature could design in different parts of the universe andunder different conditions. Earth’s fauna was just as fascinating, and I was convincedVisio had treasures of its own in the animal kingdom. Because I was a dragon, aconnection to Mother Nature and the beasts she bore had always been there.

“Here it is,” Kelara said as we reached the fork.Splitting in opposite directions, the path gave us an option. If we took the left turn

and followed the snaking trail up the eastern slope, we’d eventually reach the other sideof the mountain and continue through other populated areas. But our business was to theright, where the path vanished between a rich underbrush of silvery and dark green ferns.The forest floor, much like the trees and the bushes, was covered in a thick layer of snow.There wasn’t a single footprint in sight.

In fact, the only thing that defined the trail toward Ramus’s cabin were the jaggedstone markers that poked out from the pristine white blanket. This was an empty placeexcept for the forest and the animals that considered it home. No one had been here in awhile.

“Kailani’s team is headed east, deeper into the central mainland,” I said after gettinga brief message from her via the comms system. “They’re following up on Lyriana Amos,apparently. Petra gave them a location for her, as well.”

“I just hope the high priestess is being truthful,” Trev replied, doubt etched onto hisfeatures as he checked our surroundings. “If Ramus is somewhere around here, shouldn’tthere be a sign of some kind?”

“What, like footprints in the snow? I doubt it,” Amane said. “Remember, they usedeath magic to move around.”

Kelara took my hand, and I held Amane’s. Once we were all linked, she used herscythe to zap us farther up the snowy path and deeper into the woods. Soul was taking it

easy in terms of death magic, since he was directly connected to the interdimensionalpockets that held Valaine and the others. We’d use him in case of emergency, but Kelarawas happy to handle the small stuff.

I’d never get used to traveling this way. The jump disintegrated me entirely, then putme back together somewhere else. It felt strange to be stripped down to atoms, only tobe reassembled later, without a single hair in the wrong place.

“The cabin,” Amane murmured, staring ahead.We could all see it rising from the snow. It had been built from some kind of dark

wood. It looked sturdy, with a tall roof covered in gray shingles. This must’ve once been aclearing, since the house seemed fully integrated into its environment. Trees grew tallaround it, and magnificently large shrubs guarded the corners. A set of narrow woodenstairs led up to the porch. The door was closed, and I didn’t spot any movement in thewindows.

Trev’s nose picked up something. “Someone’s in there,” he whispered. “There’s anacrid stench of fear and adrenaline.”

“Maybe it’s Ramus, soiling his pants,” Soul quipped.A thin thread of smoke rose from the chimney.“Either way, we’re going in there,” Kelara said, making herself invisible. Soul followed

suit, while Trev, Amane, and I swallowed invisibility pills and donned red garnet glasses.Moments later, we crossed the small open area, our boots sinking into the snow. Mymuscles were a little sore. I hadn’t done much winter hiking lately, and the mountain wasnot the friendliest I’d come across, even for the short distances we’d traveled on foot.

We reached the front door and spread out, checking each window as we went.Someone was indeed inside. A figure sat huddled in front of a small fire. Judging by thelayers of velvet and fur he’d wrapped himself in, along with the many gold rings andbracelets he wore, we were definitely dealing with Ramus Malfas.

Soul revealed himself outside the door before nodding my way. “Care to do thehonors?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” I replied with a smirk, eager to make up for my Dieffenfumble. Amane had repeatedly assured me there was nothing I could’ve done to create abetter outcome under the circumstances, but I’d still gotten myself injured, and my egorequired some satisfaction. Handing Ramus’s ass to him sounded like the perfect antidoteto my lingering frustrations.

I kicked the door down, and it splintered into small pieces that flew across the room.Ramus yelped and jumped to his feet, stumbling backward to get as far away from us aspossible.

“Morfuris,” I muttered, making myself visible. Trev and Amane appeared on eitherside, flanking him with their pulverizer weapons, while Kelara stood by the fire. Soulwalked up next to me, smiling.

“I do like some good old-fashioned violence once in a while,” he said, clearly amused.“That was awesome,” Amane added, giving me a playful wink.“Who the hell are you?” Ramus croaked, nervously eyeing the weapons.Kelara sighed. “Give him a minute. He’ll catch on.”

“Oh no.” His eyes bulged with horror. “You’re the outsiders.”“There we go,” Kelara replied dryly.“You’re coming with us,” I told Ramus, but he shook his head.“No. You’re going to kill me, and I don’t want to die,” he said, sweat dripping from his

pale face. “I know three of us are dead already. Danika’s coming for me. If you were ableto find this place, then so will she. I have to leave.”

“We can protect you,” I insisted, though my crew knew I was lying. We had nointention of keeping him or any of the other Whips alive for much longer. Spirit’s soulshards had to be retrieved, so the other First Tenners could find a way to destroy thembefore anyone could use them for nefarious purposes. The only shard that would survivewas Thayen’s. The boy deserved a better life than what he’d been forced into so far.“Come with us, and Danika won’t be able to touch you.”

Ramus’s eyes turned to dark slits as he looked at me. “I heard about your mistakes inDieffen. How can I possibly trust you with my safety? This whole thing has already gonefar enough, and I refuse to die for the Spirit Bender. I’m a devout Darkling, but… this istoo much.”

“Then tell us how to stop Danika. She’s got three shards already,” Trev said. “If youhelp us, we can help you.”

“Danika hasn’t caught us yet,” Amane added. “Dieffen didn’t go as planned, but wesurvived it. We got out. Even now, your Master of Darkness is looking for us. Trust me,we can hide you well.”

Ramus blinked rapidly as he tried to take it all in. He couldn’t stop looking at thepulverizer weapons, and Trev caught on to his obvious curiosity. “This will turn anythingto ashes in an instant,” he said. “Ramus, we have the means to keep you safe. Work withus, and we’ll find a way for you to survive this war.”

“What… what do you want to know, exactly?” Ramus asked, though he had yet tosurrender. I wasn’t sure he’d be foolish enough to try attacking us, but I wouldn’t put itpast him, either. A cornered animal was unpredictable and dangerous. I had to treatRamus accordingly, so I took several steps forward in a bid to assert myself.

“How do we stop Danika from resurrecting the Spirit Bender? Can the soul shards beextracted or destroyed in any way? Do you know where the other Whips are? And last,but certainly not least, we’ll need to know all the death magic spells the Whips and theMaster of Darkness have access to. The more we learn about the enemy, the betterprepared we’ll be,” I said.

“You want to go after my people,” Ramus retorted, suddenly alarmed.“Your people are the ones who are trying to kill you, Ramus,” Kelara interjected.

“We’re only looking to help, provided you help us first. Doesn’t that seem like a fair deal?”He thought about it for a few moments, his gaze never still for longer than a second. I

didn’t like the extreme agitation he was displaying. The sweat and the heavy breathing.For someone who’d been sitting quietly in front of a crackling fire, Ramus looked asthough he’d just run a marathon up and down the mountain. Something was off.

“Yeah… I’ll tell you whatever you need to know, just don’t let Danika get to me. Iheard whispers about Danika having put her shard in someone else, but I’m not sure how

that’s done, and I don’t have any time left to figure it out. She’s coming for my piece.”“And you like living too much to get killed over this, right?” Soul replied.Ramus nodded, wiping some of the sweat from his face with a perfectly folded

handkerchief he kept in his velvet vest pocket. “We’re all still reeling from whathappened. I mean, we all knew this day might come, but we never thought it would… youknow, actually come. The Spirit Bender was invincible.”

“Meh. Not really,” I muttered. “I’ll give credit where it’s due. He was very good at hisschemes, and he really hit the jackpot with Death and her knowledge, but other thanthat, he was just a frustrated little wisp who liked to cause pain for his own gratification.You people have been worshipping a fraud for too long.”

“Mind your words! He gave us power! He helped us hold on to our immortality!”Ramus gasped, looking as though I’d just insulted his mother’s cooking.

“He taught you how to keep my sister in an endless cycle of suffering because youwere all too scared of dying and moving on,” Soul growled. “You participate in a glorifiedform of torture against the Reaper who gave you eternity.”

The Whip shuddered, shrinking under Soul’s burning gaze. “Forgive me.”“Spare me your empty words and help me set things right. Everything you and your

people have done has been to the detriment of the universe itself,” the First Tennerreplied. “Maybe—and I’m making no promises here—when all this is over and Unending isfree, she’ll take pity on those who assisted in her liberation. Because I am already feelingsorry for any fool who thinks they’re going to keep getting away with this.”

“I will tell you everything you need to know,” Rasmus said. “Like I said, just get meout of here. Please!”

Kelara cursed under her breath just as Soul walked toward the Whip. “Crap. No, Soul,wait!” She grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back. “Look by the fireplace!”

Soul frowned but followed her concerned gaze. We all did, and we all saw it. A brokenglass bauble, its shimmering pieces slowly melting onto the wooden floor into a peculiarsubstance, inches from the fireplace. A faint streak of smoke persisted in the air above itbefore it got sucked into the fire. The iridescent liquid evaporated, leaving nothingbehind.

“What was that?” I asked, immediately alarmed.“A signal. Ramus must have broken it as soon as we crashed through his door,” Soul

said, lifting his smoldering gaze and focusing it on the Whip. “You’ve been stalling thiswhole time. You son of a—” Words couldn’t encompass all the nasty things Soul thoughtabout this guy, but it was too late for any form of retaliation. We were no longer on ourown inside the cabin.

One by one, a dozen Darklings appeared out of thin air. The thirteenth was Danika,still wearing mechanical prosthetics for hands, her scythe glimmering. Joining them weresix Knight Ghouls, each one bigger and scarier than the last, strings of drool hanging fromtheir gaping jaws.

“Ramus, you idiot,” I growled, my blood running cold.“What can I say? I’m loyal.” Ramus chuckled. “And a very good actor.”“Not really. We were just too hopeful for a break,” I replied. “You’re a sweating mess,

and your desperation was over the top. I should’ve seen this coming.”“Well, you’re seeing it now,” Danika interjected with a flat smile. “Did you really think

I wouldn’t fool you a second time around? Come on… whatever your name is.”“You planted Ramus here,” Amane murmured, reality finally sinking in. It came with

troubling implications, since we’d gotten our intel from Petra Visentis. “Petra, she… shesent us.”

Danika laughed. “Right. I’m aware.” She pointed her scythe at me. “Merizio Furalis!”I was already calling out to Derek via Telluris in my mind, knowing Danika might hit

me with death magic if she heard me. His voice was just coming through, when a pulseleft her scythe and hit me smack in the middle of my forehead. I nearly fell backward,watching as the pulse ricocheted into Amane’s head, then Trev’s, both of them wincingfrom the pain. Silence followed, as we all realized she’d cut off our Telluris. “How’d youknow?” I asked, genuinely baffled. “I didn’t say a word.”

“I know how Telluris works. This felt like the right time to cut you off, before youyammered on to Derek about our little rendezvous. Let’s keep this just between us fornow.” Danika giggled.

“Yeah, that’s not going to work on us,” Kelara replied, but she looked worried, and theLady Supreme was quick to catch up on it.

“What’s the matter, Reaper? Can’t reach your friends?” She laughed. “The cabin andits entire surrounding area is warded now. We made sure of it. So, like I said…”

“You traitorous piece of trash,” Soul hissed, eyeing Ramus. “We could’ve saved you.”Not really, but why reveal the truth now?“I am loyal!” Ramus repeated himself. “I am loyal to the Spirit Bender. My life means

nothing if he isn’t alive to save us. I give myself willingly to our cause!”Kelara shook her head. “The Spirit Bender was never alive in the first place. It takes

dying to become a Reaper, you abominable tool.”“Semantics!” Ramus snarled. “The truth remains! The Spirit Bender shall come, and he

shall save us all!”“Except you.” Danika rammed her mechanical hand into his chest. He froze, his eyes

round and glassy, as blood spurted from the wound, splattering on the wooden floor. Noone moved. No one even breathed as Danika pulled his heart out, her metal fingersglazed in a darker shade of crimson. “This feels like progress.”

“Wow…” Kelara gasped.Danika shrugged. “He kept trying to get under my skirt, since before I even married

Acheron. I can’t say I’m sorry to see him go.”She’d just retrieved the fourth shard, and I doubted we had any chance of taking it

from her. We were surrounded and outnumbered. Ramus was dead, though still standingfor another second or two. The thud that followed made my stomach churn. He’d died afool. And now Danika was one step closer to resurrecting the Spirit Bender.

The potential horror this entailed made my skin prick, shivers rushing down my spineas I looked at Amane. All we had were a couple of pissed off Reapers and somepulverizer weapons. Well, and we also had my inner dragon, which was now roaring… allfired up and eager to make some noise.

Whether we’d survive this moment or not remained to be seen, but as Amane gaveme a confident half-smile, I remembered other terrifying situations she and I had foundourselves in before. We’d nearly died, more than once, yet we’d always managed to pulleach other back to the surface. We’d fought, tooth and nail, not only to live, but also tobe together and happy and free.

She was with me, and I was with her. It would have to be enough.

I

E S M E

left Petra with Derek for the rest of the interrogation. Not only could I barelystand to be in the same room with her, but I also felt I’d be more usefulchecking on her sons. They had to be rattled by seeing their mother after the

rift that she’d driven between them.The northern tower loomed above me like a silent giant as I walked out. Looking up, I

wondered what Tristan and Valaine were up to and how far they’d gotten with their work.Making my way through the city, I tried to imagine what life here must’ve been like inRoano’s prime with the cobblestone streets flowing up and down the low hill the city beenbuilt atop. The white watchtowers and the buildings rising proudly all over. Aeternaeliving and thriving here. Children laughing and playing.

As I walked through the streets, I could almost see them. To my right, merchantsopened their shops, displaying rivers of colorful silks and twinkling jewels, elegant hatsand fine leather shoes, glasswork and ceramic objects, perfect for the most discerninghomes. To my left, there had to be at least one seller of Rimian and Nalorean blood. In abid to make the conquered people more comfortable with their new lives as bloodsuppliers, the Aeternae might have opened up regular food stores next to theirs.

That way, the Rimians, the Naloreans, and the Aeternae would’ve shopped for food inthe same district. Sustenance would have been treated equally, regardless of whorequired it. At least, that was what I’d noticed in the imperial city, and it was what Iwould’ve done, too, as a conqueror. The Aeternae had set up an interesting system withthe Rimians and the Naloreans being remunerated for the blood they surrendered.Granted, it wasn’t a fair system, because they didn’t have any other option. They weredenied the right to refuse.

Farther down the road, I pictured neighborhoods with three- or four-level houses andsmall front yards. They would’ve had flowering trees and brightly colored shrubs. Perhapssome decorative statuettes and dainty little fences. It must’ve been a beautiful placeonce, but no more. Death had been here, merciless in its advance. The innocent and theguilty had all perished with no discrimination until Roano had become… this.

All I imagined disappeared like a mirage in the middle of a scorching desert, and onlyold stones and faint impressions of a road remained. Ahead, I saw the boys. Ansel,Tudyk, and Moore sat cross-legged in front of their makeshift shelter. Thayen was with

them, and I could tell they were in a foul mood.Sofia and Kalla were nearby, giving the boys some privacy to talk among themselves.

I could only imagine the torment in their hearts. My position on the matter was a difficultone, if I were to be honest with myself. I was fond of the Visentis brothers because theywere innocent pawns in this affair and because they were Kalon’s siblings. I wanted onlygood things for them, but I also hated Petra, and I would’ve liked nothing more than tosee her dead and gone.

Ansel was the first to spot me. He got up, his eyes bright and alert. “Are you okay?”he asked, and I liked him even more for caring about me when he was the one with themurderous mother locked in a nearby tower.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” I told him. “What about you?”“I’m fine,” Ansel said. “As well as one could be under these circumstances.”I looked at Tudyk and Moore. “It couldn’t have been easy to see your mother like that.

I apologize for having to restrain her, but I’m sure you understand why.”“Of course,” Tudyk replied. “She is dangerous. Any one of us could tell you that.”“But how are you holding up?” I asked. “Tell me honestly.”Moore sighed softly. “Why did we lie to her about Kalon?”“Because if she knew, it might make her do something dangerous or irrational,” I

replied.“But she’s cuffed and under Derek’s supervision,” Moore insisted.I shook my head. “That could change. We’re constantly on edge when we’re around

her. I’m afraid that won’t go away, because of who she is and what we all know she’scapable of.”

“You’re worried she’ll go after Valaine or something,” Ansel muttered. “She’d wantretribution for getting her son sick.”

“And if Petra kills Valaine, it’ll ruin any chance of healing him by awakening theUnending,” Thayen chimed in. “Maybe you should tell Petra about Kalon. It might keepher in check with regard to Valaine.”

I hadn’t considered that. This kid was truly phenomenal. There was definitely leadermaterial in him. He didn’t speak often, and when he did, he chose his words carefully.Thayen was by far one of the most valuable Aeternae I’d ever come across, and he hadbeen long before I learned about the soul shard implanted in his heart.

Ansel nodded his agreement. “That’s a good point. If Mother is made aware of thisconnection, she might be easier to work with.”

“I’ll consult with Derek and Sofia about this later. For now, I’m letting theinterrogation proceed without me. He’ll relay all the details to us when he’s ready.”

“Esme, will you be keeping my mother in the western tower?” Moore asked.“Yes.”“Wouldn’t it be better if you take her somewhere else?” he asked, and I shook my

head.“It’s the safest place for her. Rest assured that she is well protected. Time is in the

north tower, but he’ll be able to intervene if she becomes a danger. Though I doubt she’lltry anything. We have you, so she has to play nice.”

Moore’s eyes turned suddenly white, and the blood froze in my veins. “But do youhave us?” His voice sounded different, infinitely colder.

“What’s going on?” I murmured, my senses overwhelmed and confused.Before anyone could respond, Moore lunged at me. I’d forgotten how fast and deadly

this kid could be. Big mistake on my part, because even though he was only six going onseven, he’d already fought in the Blood Arena. I heard Tudyk shout, “Brother, no!”

Moore missed me by inches as I dashed sideways and swerved around for hisinevitable return. He came in for a second attack with his claws, and I managed to pushhim off. It caused him to stumble and fall, but only for a moment.

“Esme, be careful!” Ansel said, pale and sweaty as he analyzed his youngest brother’sbehavior. “There’s something wrong with him!”

“Yeah, I can see that!” I replied, my muscles hard and tense as I braced myself.Moore glided across the dried dirt, both sets of claws glinting in the retreating

moonlight. He slashed at me with his left, and I moved back a couple of feet. He pursuedme, slashing at me with his right, and I avoided him again as I worked to find an openingor the right angle to approach him.

“He’s not himself,” Tudyk said. He tried to pull the boy away from me, but Moore hitback hard, and Tudyk fell tumbling backward, groaning from pain.

Ansel did his best to take Moore down himself, but that also ended badly. With onequick move, Moore gained the upper hand and stood over Ansel, his boot pressed againsthis brother’s neck.

“It’s a spell,” Tudyk managed, pulling himself off the ground.Sofia and Kalla rushed over, and Thayen stayed with them. They were all stunned and

confused. Tudyk and I carefully approached Moore as he focused on Ansel. The teenAeternae tried to fight back, but his kid brother was merciless, nearly suffocating him.

“I recognize the death magic. It’s a sleeper spell. It’s probably been in him for a longtime and was activated somehow,” Tudyk added. We moved around, gaining inches aswe drew closer. “Someone must have used specific words to trigger him.” He paused, hiseyes round with horror. “Oh no. Mother… he’s been active since he hugged her…”

My breathing grew ragged as I tried to find a solution that wouldn’t hurt Moore. Hewas only a child. He had no idea what had been done to him or why he was behaving thisway. “How do we stop it?”

“We need to subdue him,” Tudyk replied. “I’ll tackle him, then you can help me holdhim down.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, and he gave me a slight nod.He darted toward Moore and used his full body weight to knock the boy down. As soon

as they landed, I rushed over and caught Moore’s hands, twisting them behind his back.He cried out, squirming like a restless and ridiculously strong worm, but I managed tohold him down. Kalla brought over a thread of steel, which we used to bind Moore’shands.

“Why do you carry that around?” Tudyk asked Kalla, panting and shivering.“It’s one of the few things that work in holding an Aeternae, at least for a while. Steel

wire is made from the same material used for prison cells, only it’s much lighter and

easier to carry around.” Kalla looked at me. “We brought a couple of rolls with us fromOrvis, in case you need some.”

“Yeah… thanks,” I murmured, allowing myself to sit.Moore’s eyes were still weird. His sharp fangs were supposed to appear threatening,

but all they did was make me feel sorry for him. I ran a hand through my hair, trying tounderstand and accept what had just happened. Ansel sat next to me, feeling his throat.There would be bruising, I was sure of it. There were already red blotches bloomingwhere Moore’s boot had pinned him down.

“A sleeper spell, huh?” Sofia asked, unable to take her eyes off the kid.Thayen nodded. “It’s still in him, isn’t it?”“Yes. We need to find whoever cast it and either kill them or get them to break the

spell.” Tudyk sighed as he fought back tears. “I can’t believe she’d do this.”“Your mother,” I said.“No one else could’ve gotten so close. And very few others have such knowledge,”

Tudyk replied.“I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Ansel said, his voice raspy and broken. “Kalon either.

This has our mother’s signature written all over it. And I think I know when she activatedit.”

It didn’t take a genius to unravel this one. “When she whispered in his ear earlier.” Mytone sounded flat, but I didn’t care. I’d had enough of Petra’s nonsense. Once again, she’dput one of her sons in harm’s way while claiming her family mattered the most.

“She might have been telling the truth about what words she actually said to Moore,but she definitely neglected to mention what those words would do to him,” Tudyk said.“She’s a liar. She’s a filthy, manipulative liar. This stunt could’ve gotten Moore killed if youhadn’t been here, Esme.”

“Even worse, he could’ve hurt us. Or killed us,” Ansel said quietly.“Moore was gunning for me,” I said. “Petra’s had it in for me since the day I laid eyes

on Kalon. What irks me is that despite her claims of being a good mother, she keepshurting you. All of you.”

Sofia scoffed. “What the hell is she trying to prove with this?”“Oh, we’ve got a problem,” I realized, my breath running short as the whole picture

came into focus. Moore watched me, growling and trying to get out of his bindings, but hecouldn’t. A grin slit his face—a devious, hateful grin that mirrored his mother’s hatred ofme. Poor kid. “Petra isn’t here to make amends to us or to her sons. She has some kind ofendgame, and it doesn’t involve her staying a GASP prisoner for long. Moore’s situation isproof of that, and I’m afraid it’s only the beginning.”

Kalla frowned. “Don’t tell me she’s—”“She’s come to get the shard transferred to one of the boys. I’m certain of it,” I said.

“It’s the only reason why she’d try to mess with us like this.”“Derek. Crap, he’s been pretty much alone with her in the western tower,” Sofia said,

gasping.“I doubt he’ll be able to do much if she’s found a way to set herself free. I think Moore

did something else. I think he helped her, somehow. Look at his face,” Ansel said, and we

followed his startled gaze. Indeed, the youngest Visentis boy was still grinning, but therewas a glimmer in his eyes. It told me he knew something we didn’t. “We should all goback to the western tower,” Ansel added. “Whatever Mother is planning has alreadybegun.”

Kalla took hold of Moore, hoisting him up and over her shoulder. “I’ll hold on to thislittle rascal. Tudyk, Ansel, you’d best stay with me, boys. I hope you understand why wecan no longer let you anywhere near your mother.”

Neither objected—except Moore, who flailed like a miniature demon in Kalla’s hold.Despite her being a Nalorean, she definitely seemed to have what it took to keep him incheck, at least while he remained bound.

Sofia and I looked at each other. “We need to head back to the tower,” I said.We both took off running. Moving as fast as our legs could hold us, we glided

breathlessly across the worn cobblestone. Overflowing with adrenaline, my mind startedworking faster than ever, knowing that, in the end, Kalon was still vulnerable, despiteTime’s protection. Even if he stayed inside that interdimensional pocket, it didn’t meanhis mother couldn’t find a way to get to him.

I’d been foolish to think she’d actually care about her children. That the prospect ofher own death might’ve changed her mind. No. Petra had come here with a plan, and sofar, she’d succeeded in executing it. We had to stop her before it was too late.

“I

D E R E K

’m not buying your remorseful attitude,” I said, leaning with my back against thewall.

Petra was still sitting cross-legged on the floor, hands cuffed behind her back as shesmiled up at me. “And I’m not buying your sanctimonious attitude,” she shot back. “Yourpast is full of blood and darkness. It’s written all over you.”

“I’ve grown,” I replied. “Unlike you. Hundreds of thousands of years, and you still donothing but harm to those around you.”

“Please don’t make me repeat myself. Everything I have done has been for what Ithought was the good of my people. I don’t have any regrets.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “None whatsoever? Your sons despise you, Petra. Yourown children, alienated by your lies and machinations.”

“My sons will forgive me one day. When all this is over, they will understandeverything I did and why. You’ll be gone by then. You will be… dust.”

I was missing something here. Petra’s statement was ominous, and I had a feelingshe was holding back. “If you know something, now’s your chance to share. While yourinformation about the Whips will be useful, we can both agree there is more you can tellus.”

“Oh, there definitely is. But my question is, do you really think you’ll live long enoughfor that information to help you?”

“What do you mean?”She chuckled softly. “Derek, if you think you’re going to win this battle against the

Darklings, you’re in for a rude awakening.”“I thought that’s why you came here. To help us.”“I came here to see my sons, and I gave you intel in return. I don’t want Danika to kill

me, sure, but what are the odds the rest of you will survive? Let’s be honest here. You’veall met her. You should know better.”

“Where are you going with this, Petra?”She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “From what I remember, you’re a man

with a pretty big family, right? A daughter and a son. Grandchildren. Great-grandchildren.Some great-great-grandchildren, too, if I’m not mistaken. A brother, a sister, each withtheir own families and equally stellar progenies.”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I watched her closely, waiting for the punchline. There had tobe one coming, sooner or later. I just didn’t understand where it would all lead. In thedarkness of the room, moonlight pierced through the window, glazing the floor in aniridescent glow. Petra glanced down, the shimmer reflected in her blue eyes.

“If you keep going with this so-called war against the Darklings, it won’t be just youthey’ll kill. Or Sofia. Or whoever else is here in this dead city with you. No. Corbin will useall the death magic knowledge at his disposal, along with all the Knight Ghouls, and hewill head straight for your home planet. And once he’s done with you, he’ll go for yourbrother and your sister. Your children. Their children. He will burn your family tree downto the root. And when it’s all done, he’ll set fire to your precious Shade, as well. Derek, ifyou keep pushing against him, Earth will become just another province of Visio. Thehumans will feed us, much like the Rimians and the Naloreans.”

“If that is the future you foresee, Petra, why are you still here? We both know youcould escape if you really wanted to.” My spine tingled. Everything she’d just describedwas entirely possible, and such an outcome was simply unfathomable. Unbearable.Unacceptable.

“I told you, Derek. Have you not been listening? I’m here for my sons.”“You’ll never get your sons back,” I said. “They’ll never go with you, no matter where

you take them. They’re smarter than you give them credit for, Petra. And better, too.”She exhaled sharply. “You know, we were all perfectly happy here in our empire. The

circle of life was simple. We’re born, we live forever if possible, and we keep theUnending’s cycle going so she doesn’t wipe us all out. Simple. Effective. Eternal. Then youcame along and made everything harder. As if we’d ever feel sorry for one Reaper. Don’tbe ridiculous, Derek. They’ll never let you set Unending free.”

“What do you know about setting the Unending free?” I asked.Petra shook her head. “Finally, you’re asking the right questions. I know plenty, but

are you worth such revelations? My bet is you’ll be dead in a day. Two, tops. Whateverknowledge I have, it won’t do you any good.”

“Why are you so certain I’ll die?” I asked. “You keep talking in riddles and circles andvague notions, which makes me consider one of two possibilities: either you knownothing, and you’re just wasting air because you like the sound of your own voice, or youknow plenty, and you’re stalling. Buying time. Which makes your initial motive for beinghere completely false.”

Esme came in with Sofia right behind her. They both looked scared, their breathingragged and fast. “I’m afraid it’s the latter,” Esme said. “She’s not here to be with hersons. She’s here to transplant the soul shard into one of them.”

Petra scowled. “What sort of nonsense is that?”“She put a sleeper spell on Moore. It was activated when she whispered in his ear. He

just tried to kill us,” Esme replied, looking at me.“I tried reaching you through the comms system,” Sofia said.“Nothing came through,” I replied, suddenly confused.“Ah, I’m afraid that was my fault.” Petra lifted her hands to reveal that the cuffs were

gone. A scythe emerged from between her fingers, its blade curved and capturing

fragments of moonlight along its sharp edge. “You see, Derek, I’ve learned a trick or twofrom the Reapers I’ve turned over the years, including this little bit about hiding a deathmagic weapon on one’s person, beyond the physical realm. Using the Spirit’s teachings, Iadapted the spell so that not even Reapers could detect it. My little Moore has beencarrying it with him since he was born, and he had no idea until I activated the… what didEsme call it? Ah, yes, the sleeper spell.”

“That hug he gave you. It was to pass the scythe back to you,” Esme murmured.Fear was quick to implant itself inside my chest as I grasped this new reality. Petra

had already set herself free, and she had a powerful weapon at her disposal. Sofia’s gaspreached my ears, along with the clicking sound of Esme’s pulverizer weapon as sheremoved its safety. A moment later, it was pointed at Petra.

“You lying, heartless bitch,” Esme muttered.Petra was not at all intimidated by the weapon, though she knew what it could do.

Her lack of reaction worried me, and I suddenly doubted whether we had what it wouldtake to defeat her. We had superior numbers, but this air of confidence she exuded… itfelt wrong. Dangerous. Maybe even deadly, if we weren’t careful.

“Finally, some bite with that bark,” Petra replied, raising her scythe. “Now, here iswhat’s going to happen, and there is nothing you can do about it. I’m going to find Kalon.You’ve lied. I know he’s here. He’s close by—I can feel him. I can feel all my sons whenI’m near them. It’s quite literally the first spell I performed after each one was born.”

“Or I could pulverize you right here, right now. After what you just did to Moore, I’mabsolutely certain they’ll forgive me,” Esme said and fired her weapon.

Petra slashed outward with her scythe in a diagonal motion, blocking the pellet’strajectory. It exploded into shimmering blue dust, but the blade survived. Death magicobjects didn’t belong to the physical realm, which apparently rendered them immune topulverizer pellets. The high priestess sneered.

“Once I’ve located Kalon, I’m going to implant my soul shard into him. If Danika wantsa sacrifice, it’s high time she gets the one son of mine who has been a constantdisappointment. I’ve given him all the chances in the world, but he prefers consortingwith a vampire wench.”

Esme shot another pellet, and Petra destroyed it again.“We need another angle,” Sofia said under her breath.“Then, once that’s done, I will gather my surviving sons, and we’ll move somewhere

nice. Maybe a place down south, somewhere with a beach. Or maybe up north, wherethere’s only snow and ice as far as the eye can see. We’ll put it to a vote,” Petracontinued. “Either way, you will lose, and the Visentis bloodline will live on.”

I moved slowly to my right, occasionally exchanging glances with Sofia, who carefullymade her way to the left. We were going to come at Petra from both sides, giving Esmethe opening she needed to take Petra down. The high priestess couldn’t take us all on atonce.

But before we could do that, it was my turn to buy us a few more seconds. “So thatwas your plan all along. Get in here, pretend to be a captive, mess with Moore, then…this?” I asked.

“I knew you wouldn’t trust me completely,” Petra said. “But I needed some time inhere for you to attempt to verify the intel I gave you. I just needed Moore close enoughfor me to do my thing. Fortunately, none of you could resist the idea of holding meprisoner. Predictable creatures, all of you.”

“And what will you do next? Give our location to Danika? You can’t really still befriends after she tried to kill you,” I replied.

“We share a common goal. And we both wish to live in order to fulfill it,” Petra said.“Now, enough of the chitchat. Which one of you wants to die first?”

Sofia smirked. “You still underestimate us, even after all this time.”Petra didn’t get to deliver a snarky reply this time, as my wife and I launched our

attacks. Esme gave us a second before she pointed her weapon at the high priestessagain. Using my claws and speed, I took Petra on with all my might, each blow designedto rip her apart. Sofia did the same, and Petra had no choice but to defend herself usingthe scythe.

Esme released a third pellet. It almost hit Petra, but she ducked, leaving Sofia and meto stare blankly at each other for the briefest of moments. For every action there was areaction, and I feared it was our turn to receive the latter, whether we liked it or not.

Petra muttered something under her breath and kissed the blade of her scythe. Thegesture released a wave of peculiar and startling energy. It hit Sofia, Esme, and me rightin the solar plexus, knocking us back and smacking us against the floor. It felt odd, asthough my bones had suddenly vanished. They were still in me, but I could no longer feelthem. I had nothing left to move with.

My body was now my enemy, as Petra stood over me and laughed, a satisfied grinextending from ear to ear. She looked down at me, unable to resist having the last word.“I won’t kill you, Derek. Our Master of Darkness wants that pleasure, and I wouldn’t daredeny him such a rare joy in this long and complicated life. You will all stay down here fora while, and I shall get on with my business. I’ve got a son to sacrifice. Not an easy thingto do as a mother, but a necessary evil in this case.”

“Don’t… Petra. Don’t... do it!” Esme managed, pinned to the floor and struggling tomove, as her bones were paralyzed like mine.

Petra walked over to her, kneeling and pressing the blade against her cheek. “I’d lovenothing more than to slice you into little pieces. You’ve been nothing but a pain in my assfrom the day you set foot on Visio. Kalon is going to die, and it’ll be your fault. I want youto remember that. In fact, I think I’ll ask the Master to keep you alive, so I can tormentyou with that fact for an eternity. Danika’s not interested in that sort of punishmentanymore, even though she’d been quite keen to try it on Derek, but I do see the appealin spending forever to make you suffer.”

“No… please don’t!” Esme mumbled, her speech slurring. “Don’t... hurt him!”Whatever this spell was, it wasn’t affecting just our bones. It had quickly spread,

disabling other important functions. I found myself staring at Petra, unable to formulate asingle thought, a single word that might stop her. I was helpless and limp, a sack of meatand blood that was absolutely useless.

Petra got up, giving Sofia one last look. “I’m going to enjoy watching you die. But

remember that I’m not doing this just for my own pleasure. It is necessary for the survivalof our species. It’s nothing personal, as far as I’m concerned, but I can’t speak for theMaster. You’ve really pissed him off, kids. And he’s the kind who holds onto a grudgeforever.”

“Please…” I whispered, my lips barely moving.“What’s that, Derek? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of your own failure,”

Petra retorted. The room was spinning, and it became increasingly hard to concentrate,to keep my gaze on a single object. I was losing my focus, and my eyes were starting toclose against my will.

Petra’s heels clicked across the stone floor, fading somewhere in the distance. Icouldn’t see anything. Darkness had taken over, wrapping me in its cold embrace, forcingme to surrender.

The blackout followed quickly, and I was but a blade of grass in the wind, bending tothe will of the universe. Helpless. Damned and useless.

T

K A I L A N I

he marshes were a sight to behold. About five hundred miles southeast ofthe imperial city, nature’s various forces had clashed, creating a peculiar but

absolutely stunning environment. It reminded me of Florida’s Everglades back on Earth—just water and swirling mangroves and evergreen swamps—only bigger, wider, andbrighter.

Visio’s mangroves were enormous, like wood-sculpted snakes that twisted and bent inand out of the perfectly still and brackish water, creating a strange and mesmerizingpattern of dark shadows between millions of massive shrubs. A species of lime-greenmoss spread across the surface, dotted with the occasional spiky yellow blossom. Cicada-type sounds emerged from beneath the mangrove forest, chirping in a steady, clickingrhythm.

Here and there, colossal trees reached for the reddish sky with perfectly straighttrunks as wide as our Shade’s redwoods. At the top, their crowns spread out, heavybranches loaded with emerald and amber foliage stretching and bending under their ownweight. Below, in the few spots of clear water that we could see, brightly colored fish andscaly lizard-type creatures moved, foraging for food around the mangrove roots.

Out here, the world was something else. There was barely a soul around except forthe animals. According to Petra’s intel, some of the Aeternae had chosen to settle here,building small villages deep within the mangrove forest. The nearest city was Tusla,about fifty miles north into the mainland, easiest to reach by boat, following the riverupstream.

Widow stood on the edge of the last piece of muddy land before the mangroves, hisreflection calm in the still, greenish waters. “Lyriana Amos lives here?” he asked, the toneof his voice revealing his incredulity.

“Beyond the water, over there,” Hunter clarified, pointing to a cluster of small islands.They were bordered by shrubs, and the giant trees rose in the middle of each. Everypatch of land had been cultivated, as nature had done her best to create a beautiful andunique ecosystem here. “Between those trees, see?”

Nightmare joined his masked brother, squinting into the distance. “Ah, yes… I seethem. Houses. Who would want to live in this place? It’s damp and soggy all the time.”

“I wouldn’t mind it,” Dream mused, gazing through the water at a school of red-and-

blue fish that swam between the swollen, gnarly roots. “It’s quiet. The marshes keepmost people away. If I wanted privacy, this is where I’d come.”

“Personally, I’d go to a desert. The scorching heat and sudden temperature drops atnight are enough to deter anyone from trying to find me,” Night said. “Everything smellsor bites here.”

“What do you care? It’s not like you have to actually smell or sense a bite anyway.Only if you allow it,” Widow muttered.

“I’m just trying to put myself in the head of an Aeternae, that’s all,” Night replied.“Well, either way, we need to move. Ridan’s team hasn’t checked in on the comms

system yet, and I’m not liking that one bit. Let’s get Lyriana out of here and head back.Something tells me we’ll be needed, especially with Petra still in Roano,” I said.

We knew Lyriana had a shelter in one of the small villages deep within the mangroveforest. We also knew that she wouldn’t be alone, since she always traveled with personalguards, uniformed Aeternae trained to kill anyone who tried to touch her. By that logic,we didn’t expect this encounter to be easy, but I was confident with three Reapers andmy white werewolf by my side. Something had to give.

Making our way up the wetland’s coast, we inched closer to the forest to get a betterview. I could see the lights flickering across the wooden cabins, and the silhouettes ofpeople moving around. A slender system of bridges connected homes above the water,and a couple more served as paths into other villages. This was not a friendlyenvironment. Everything had been built to keep strangers out.

“Time to zap on over there,” Widow announced, reaching out to me.I was about to take his hand so the Reaper might help us get closer to the village

when several boats left the small islands. They were headed toward us, and I wasn’t surewhat to make of that.

“Kale, what are they doing?” Hunter asked, his brow furrowed as he watched them.“I’m counting twenty.”

“Five per boat,” Widow added. “My guess is they spotted us.”“From there? They must’ve been watching, then,” I said. “They must’ve known we

were coming.”“How could they have known? We were careful on the way here,” Dream replied.

“Nah, something else is going on here.”“Well, if they were Darklings, surely they would’ve used death magic to get here

faster. The boats don’t make much sense,” Nightmare said.As they drew closer, the boats gave me a strange feeling—an uneasiness that latched

on and refused to let go. Chills traveled down my spine, ice crystalizing in my veins as Irealized none of the Aeternae on the boats were moving. They were less than a hundredyards away now, and I had no idea what made the boats move, since none of theiroccupants were rowing. I didn’t hear any type of engine, either.

“What is going on here?” I mumbled, trying to find an answer before it might be toolate. The uneasiness built up inside me, pressing down my stomach as beads of sweatcovered my temples. “Something feels off.”

Hunter gripped my hand firmly, and I was compelled to look at him. “We’ve got this,”

he whispered. It prompted a scoff from Nightmare.“Do you, though?”The boats reached us, and they were even stranger from up close. Carved from a

bluish type of wood, they were long and slim, their bottom curves dipping into the water.The twenty Aeternae in them were dead, their hearts torn out through gaping wounds intheir chests. They hadn’t died that long ago—the blood had yet to congeal. Their clotheswere drenched in crimson.

“Oh dear,” Dream murmured, her galaxy eyes widening.“What the hell is this?” Widow croaked.The Aeternae had been bound to spikes mounted in the boats, giving the impression

of standing, living people for those watching from afar. That wasn’t even the worst part.The water rippled behind the boats, so I looked closer until I spotted a Knight Ghoul.There were four of them, one for each boat.

“Ghouls pushed the boats over,” I said with a gasp, terror nearly suffocating me.The fiends hurriedly swam away, leaving their cargo at our feet. Upon a second, more

detailed inspection, I spotted the boxes at the Aeternae’s feet. Fifteen wooden boxes,each carved and painted with familiar-looking runes.

“Death magic,” Nightmare said. “Not the good kind, either.”Suddenly, the runes began to light up red. I had a feeling something would happen

once they were all activated, and that it wouldn’t end well for us. Without warning,Dream grabbed me and threw me back.

I tried to scream in protest, but the loud, eardrum-crushing bang that followedrendered me speechless. I landed on my back with enough force to knock the air out ofmy lungs. For a moment, it was nearly impossible to breathe. The explosion coveredmost of my field of vision with blinding flashes of red and yellow and white. The sound ofwood cracking and splintering. Water splashing. Flesh tearing and falling everywhere.

“Hunter!” I cried out.Once the bang subsided, an eerie silence took over. Even the Visio cicadas had been

rendered mute. I heard a grunt and Dream cursing to my right. Nightmare groaned to myleft. And Widow’s footsteps crunched in the tall grass as he walked over and pulled meupright with one swift movement.

The whole world shifted around me as I tried to regain my balance. “Hunter!” Ishouted again. His voice came through, and relief washed over me like a hot, steamingbath that made every muscle in my body soft and tender.

“I’m okay, honey,” he said. I turned my head and saw him, partly hidden beneathDream. She’d made quite the leap to get to him in time, but she’d managed to protecthim. The forcefield she’d generated had a plethora of sharp nails and black crystal shardsembedded in its translucent surface. None had gone through.

“What just happened?” I asked, holding on to Widow for balance. My knees were tooweak to hold my weight for the moment.

“A death magic bomb,” Nightmare said, getting up with slow and pained movements.Unlike Dream, he hadn’t protected himself from the blast. There were hundreds ofprojectiles lodged in his back, each glowing red as they pierced his—for lack of a better

word—undead flesh. Widow seemed okay, from what I could tell. “It was directed at us.”“Oh, really? I’d thought they were aiming for the Reapers we left behind in Roano,”

Dream shot back, anger sharpening her voice until she got up and saw his injuries.“Brother!”

Hunter reached me in a single breath and took me in his arms. For a moment, all Icould experience was gratitude. We’d survived another incident, though I wasn’t sure howmany such free passes we had left, considering the kind of enemy we were dealing with.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low as he cupped my face and pressed his lipsagainst mine for the briefest, sweetest moment.

“Mm-hm. Dream pulled me and threw me out of harm’s way,” I said. “You?”“She did the same with me, only the blast projected us both into the ground. She’s

heavier than she looks, let me tell you,” he added with a chuckle.“I heard that!” Dream snapped while she checked Nightmare’s wounds, plucking some

of the projectiles from his back. Every extraction made the Reaper whimper and curseunder his breath. “Hold still, and it’ll hurt less.”

“A death magic bomb?” I asked. “Seriously? You guys make such contraptions?”Widow nodded as he surveyed the still waters. There was no sign of the ghouls who’d

delivered the cargo or anyone else, so this whole episode didn’t make any sense to me.Had they been sent by Lyriana, in a bid to keep us away from her hideout?

“They’re not easy to manufacture. The boxes are filled with whatever sharp objectsone has on hand. The runes on each box help convert them into projectiles that can crossbeyond the physical space and cause damage to entities like us,” he said.

“And the dead Aeternae?” I asked. “Their hearts were missing.”“The hearts were inside the boxes. They’re sacrifices, meant as the actual explosive,”

Widow explained. “Think of each heart as a stick of dynamite. In combination with theshrapnel and the runes, they can do a nasty number on Reapers. Given what it takes tobuild such contraptions, surely you understand why this knowledge is dangerous.”

“Do you know how to build one?” Hunter asked.Widow shook his head. “I know of them. I know how they work, but I don’t have the

words and sub-words to put one together myself. None of the First Tenners do—except,of course, for Spirit. This is definitely within his wretched realm.”

“Then it had to be Lyriana,” I concluded. “She probably knows we’re after her. Thisbomb took time and planning. I don’t suppose you can just whip one up in a matter ofminutes?”

Widow shook his head again.“Okay. What now?” Nightmare asked. He hissed from pain as his sister extracted the

last of the crystal shards and carefully analyzed it.“This is obsidian. Volcanic material. Odd to come across it in these parts,” she said. “If

this is Lyriana, she probably has more of this stuff.”“Which means she could’ve built other bombs, right?” I asked.“I shudder at the thought of taking another hit like this,” Nightmare grumbled.Hunter checked the explosion site. Not much was left of the boats. Charred pieces of

wood and bloodied chunks of Aeternae flesh floated in the green water, but he did

manage to fish out a metal tube the size of his palm. Frowning, he checked it from top tobottom until he discovered a lid.

“What’s that?” I inquired, reaching him quickly.“It opens,” he said, unscrewing the lid with careful movements of his fingers. Inside,

there was a scroll. He plucked it out and handed it to me. My hands were still shaking,but I managed to unravel it.

Words had been scrawled in blood. At the bottom, a signature with swirly letters anda wax seal. It was a skull framed by a scythe blade. “This has to be the Darklings’ seal.It’s a little too on the nose, in my opinion, but it’s definitely them,” I replied.

“Is there a message? That thing must have been on the boat, protected by its metaltube,” Widow said, joining us.

I read the text aloud. It wasn’t much, only a couple of paragraphs, but each worddrilled holes into my soul as I understood their weight and significance.

“‘Dear Whoever, if you have survived the explosion, congratulations. I doubt you’ll fareso well in the future, however, for I have made more than one Death Boom. Restassured, all were designed specifically for you and your Reaper friends. Sooner or later,one of them will get the job done. Consider this message not a warning, but rather apromise. You will not kill me. You will not capture me. You will never outsmart me. I leftthe swamp a while ago, but if you still wish to search for me, by all means go rightahead. I doubt you’ll find much except for more Death Booms.’” I paused, scrunching mynose. “Okay, first of all, who calls a bomb ‘Death Boom’? What, is she in kindergarten orsomething? Second, holy crap, she rigged the entire mangrove village with bombs.”

“Keep reading,” Widow urged me.“‘But if you do wish to find me, do not worry. I will find you first. I am Lyriana Amos,

not the first nor the last of my dynasty to loyally serve the Darklings. And if it will be myturn to give my heart to the Spirit Bender before I can kill you all, I shall pass that sacredduty on to my other brothers and sisters in arms. They will gladly finish the job for me. Ifyou think you have any chance of stopping the Spirit Bender’s return, think again. We’vesurvived for millions of years. We shall prevail, and we shall dance on your graves. Yourstruly, Lyriana.’”

“Ah, good to know that if Danika gets to her before she gets to us, she’ll send hersons to kill us.” Nightmare scoffed. “What a bunch of psychopaths!”

“Devoted psychopaths, and therein lies the problem,” I said. “Someone told her wewere coming. The bomb wasn’t designed for just anyone who came to this shore, andLyriana obviously expects Danika to get to her via other means; otherwise, this letterwould’ve been worded differently.”

Hunter sighed. “Petra. She must’ve given Lyriana a heads-up, somehow.”“If that’s the case, then Ridan’s team might be in danger,” I breathed, dread taking

over once more. “We have to get to them… now!”Dream pointed a thumb over her shoulder, toward the mangrove forest. “What about

the bomb or bombs Lyriana hid in there?”“We don’t have time to clean up after her,” Widow said. “Kailani is right. Ridan’s crew

has yet to check in, and if Petra warned Ramus too, they might be in serious trouble.”

Nightmare gave Widow a perky smile. “Would you do the honors then, dear brother?I’d love to do a long-distance jump myself, but I’m slightly incapacitated at the moment.It’ll take a few hours for these injuries to heal, I’m afraid.”

“Take my hand,” Widow said.Once we were all physically linked, the world warped around us and disappeared into

a glimpse of utter darkness. As we drifted through the vacuum of nothingness, I felt myheart skipping beats in anticipation of what we might find on the other side. If Petra hadbeen playing us from the very beginning, then she couldn’t be allowed to stay in Roanofor another second.

I hadn’t trusted her from the very moment she’d reached the ancient city and offeredto help in exchange for her sons, but this was a whole new level of devious, even for her.The Darklings were sacrificing their own people—those they claimed to protect—to builddeath magic bombs against us. They had to be stopped.

A

A M A N E

ll hell broke loose in the blink of an eye.Ridan and I emptied our pulverizer clips first. We missed a couple of times,

destroying parts of a wall and some of the furniture, but we managed to take outseveral of the Darklings who’d surrounded us.

Trev went straight for Danika’s head. Despite her metal hands, the Lady Supreme wasstill fast and agile, moving like a shadow as she avoided his attacks. He lost thepulverizer weapon the moment he aimed it at her, so he only had his claws and fangsleft. Danika was not the type to accept physical offense, and she was swift in herretaliation.

I tried to reload, but two Darklings came at me, so I took out my twin blades andstarted cutting left and right, drawing blood wherever I could. They were faster than Iwas, but I could at least slow them down before going for their heads. My time spent inthe jungle wilderness of Cerix had taught me a thing or two.

Kelara and Soul fought back to back against the rest of the Darklings, but the cabinwas getting crowded fast. The ghouls circled each of the skirmishes, their beady eyeswide, their fangs ready to snap and chomp at whatever crossed their paths. One by one,the Darklings fell, heads rolling across the floor.

Danika set Ramus’s heart aside, and I kept my eyes on it as I fought off a KnightGhoul. It was a big creature that hungered for my flesh, but I hadn’t come to Visio to diein this forsaken cabin in the middle of some snowy woods. I’d come here to protect mysister and my friends, and to make sure that no one took advantage of death magic everagain. The Darklings had plunged this world into chaos, and its natural balance had to berestored. Too many people were in danger, including those I loved and respected.

“If you think you’re walking out of here alive, you’ve got another thing coming,”Danika hissed, casting a spell against Trev. He tried to dodge it, but the shimmeringpulse hit him in the abdomen. He was thrown into the wall, and I could hear his bonesbreaking as he collapsed.

She sauntered toward him, eager to finish the job, but I couldn’t let that happen. Iswerved past the ghoul and directed my blades at Danika. She saw me from the corner ofher eye and pointed the scythe at me, metal hands firmly gripping its handle. The ghoulhurled itself at me from behind, so I ducked. The pulse from Danika’s scythe shot over my

head and hit the creature. Danika cursed under her breath before going for anotherattack, but I brought one of my blades up. Metal hit metal, and sparks flew. I didn’t domuch damage to the hand, but I managed to shove it to the side, releasing the thirdpulse into the floor, which blasted into bits and pieces to reveal the cellar.

Before I could react, Danika sneered and kicked me in the stomach. I fell into theroom below, landing on my back. Every bone in my body hurt, and I stilled on the coldstone and tried to catch my breath. I listened to the sounds above. Roars and growls,whispered spells, and glass breaking. Trev snarled. Shadows moved in the limited view Ihad from my prone position.

“Amane!” Ridan shouted. Fire roared, and its blue light flooded the cellar. SeveralDarklings screamed in agony. Their bodies rolled on the floor above, thumping andsquirming, desperate to shake off the strange, azure flames. That had to be Reaper mojo,since Ridan’s fire was natural, and it only came from his dragon form. He’d yet to makesuch a move, but I doubted he’d hold out as a human for much longer.

“I’m okay!” I yelled.Moments later, I managed to get myself back up. A ruptured structure beam was

within my reach. My long knives were nearby, so I grabbed and sheathed them. I climbedback up, my joints aching as I struggled to grip the floor above to leverage my way out ofthe cellar because it was coated with blood and hellishly slippery. The fight was gettingworse.

Trev could barely move. Two of the ghouls had fallen, along with a dozen Darklings.But Danika was dangerously close to taking Soul down, and we had to stop her before itwas too late. I pulled out one of my knives and threw it at her. Danika heard thewhistling of metal in flight and stepped back. My knife got stuck in a wooden pillar, andshe set her sights on me once again.

“Amane, get the heart!” Ridan said, veins throbbing in his neck.“Oh snap,” I managed, realizing what was about to happen. “Kelara! Soul! Trev!

Duck!”Danika gave me a confused look while I listened for a familiar sound of bones

snapping and clothes tearing. I’d called it. Ridan went full dragon, and I hit the floor as heexpanded into a massive beast with thick dark scales and an amber underbelly. The cabinexploded from within, wood and iron beams and glass and chunks of furniture flying inevery direction.

“Holy moly!” I heard Soul exclaim, laughing with delight at what was probably anawe-inducing sight.

Ridan was huge in his dragon form, and he couldn’t exactly control who he stepped onwith his massive claws. Several Darklings were crushed, their entrails splattered andspread across the broken floors. The cold air from a suddenly open space seeped into mybones, kicking my blood into motion.

Danika had fallen in the snow, dazed by the sudden appearance of a dragon. Shehadn’t seen this coming, and the thought gave me tremendous satisfaction. I scrambledback to my feet and searched for Ramus’s heart in the last place I’d seen it. A place thatno longer existed, unfortunately. Ridan couldn’t have anticipated this particular hitch.

“Where the hell is it?” I muttered.My gaze wandered around, trying to make out the heart in the rest of the debris that

littered the thick blanket of snow in this small clearing. Soul and Kelara went after theremaining Darklings. Trev was unconscious and bleeding. His condition wasn’t fatal, butwe had to get him out of here as quickly as possible.

Ridan’s spine-tingling roars echoed through the woods, making the trees tremble andshed their snow. The ghouls were foolish enough to take him on in physical form. Ridanspat fire at them—a thick and unforgiving stream that set them alight. He then snappedhis jaws around them, tearing limbs and heads off like it was a twisted game. I couldalmost see the excitement and pleasure in his big, amber-colored reptilian eyes.

But the heart… I couldn’t find it. Meanwhile, Danika was in the process of getting up. Ionly had seconds to get this done, and my pulse was racing. Eventually, I spotted thelonesome organ under a broken ledge. I made my way through the snow to grab it, but asudden burst of cold air smacked into me, and I fell.

“Na-ah-ah! That one’s mine, silly,” Danika said, scythe glowing white as she walkedtoward me. Her smirking satisfaction was short-lived, however, as fire swallowed herwhole. The screams tearing from her throat made me quiver.

Ridan had gotten her good. I managed to retrieve Ramus’s heart, then rushed over toTrev’s side and put his arm over my shoulder. Planting my feet firmly into the frozenground, I helped him up just as Ridan finished scorching the daylight out of Danika.

“We need to go!” Soul cried out. “Something’s happened in Roano!”Danika screeched as she ran toward a mound of snow, flames dancing on her

reddening, melting skin. She screamed from the bottom of her lungs as she struggled toput the fires out, but Ridan gave her another round of dragon breath. Even in such agony,she didn’t let go of the scythe, and I knew that had to be the only thing that kept herfrom dying.

“Ridan! Retreat! We’ve got the heart!” I shouted, and the dragon turned his attentionto me, huffing and puffing as he moved away from Danika. The rest of the Darklings andthe ghouls were dead, and we’d gotten what we’d come here for—albeit the hard way.

“Ah. And I thought you might be in need of assistance,” Widow muttered, suddenlyappearing to my left. Kailani, Hunter, Nightmare, and Dream were with him, and theylooked startled and worried, partially covered in soot and minor scratches.

“What happened to you?” I asked, out of breath.“It really is a story worth telling another time,” Nightmare said. “Let’s go. Now!”Before Danika’s fire was completely out, Ridan shifted back into his humanoid form,

prompting the Reapers to squirm and moan in protest. “Good grief, man!” Widow turnedaway.

“You perv!” Soul mumbled, looking away.“Sorry!” Ridan shot back. “Shifting doesn’t include clothes.”I slipped Ramus’s heart into my satchel, and we all linked hands. Trev leaned into me,

and that was all the physical contact he needed. A few more minutes without any healingpacks, and he’d pass out again.

Danika looked terrible, black-and-red crusts covering her whole body. That long

blonde hair was gone. Her clothes, too. The prosthetics had melted, and I could see someof her bones through the charred flesh. As long as she had the scythe on her, shewouldn’t burn completely. Now the fire was out, but she was far too weak and in toomuch pain to even try to move.

“I’ll kill you!” she bawled. “I’ll kill you all!”“What’s with the fried chicken?” Hunter asked Ridan, pointing a thumb at Danika.

“New recipe?”I couldn’t hold back, bursting into laughter as Kelara teleported us away from this

snow-laden clearing. We’d left death and destruction in our wake, but we’d managed toretrieve Ramus’s heart. Danika still only had three shards of Spirit’s soul, and the damageshe’d taken would take a while to heal. Even with death magic protection, dragon fire hadmanaged to do quite a number on her.

As soon as we reappeared in Roano, however, more trouble waited for us. Seniors wererushing toward the north tower. Dozens of them, their fangs and claws out, aggressionradiating from them. There was a general air of danger in the city, and it hung heavy andthick, like smoke.

“Ridan, here,” I murmured, pulling a simple one-piece set of overalls from my satchel.I always carried one just in case he needed it. The perks of dating a dragon…

“Something’s wrong,” Widow muttered.“We don’t have Telluris to reach out to Derek anymore, either,” I said. “Danika burned

our comms, too, with that pulse.”We made our way up the cobbled road, looking around carefully as we went. The

Orvisians stayed back, giving each other confused and worried looks. There was no signof the other Reapers in this part of Roano. I didn’t see Esme or Sofia anywhere. Or Kalla.Only more Seniors running, eager to take someone or something on.

Finally, I spotted Arya farther ahead. “Arya!” I shouted. “What’s happening?”She stopped and turned around, surprised to see us all here. I put Trev down and

handed him a healing pack filled with nutrients and swamp witch potions designed tospeed up his recovery. He’d already been trained on what this stuff did, so he just tore offthe top and chugged the whole thing down.

Arya walked over. “Petra did something,” she said. “One of the Visentis boys told us.”“What did she do?” I asked, once again feeling the cold grip of fear, its icy fingers

tightening around my throat, squeezing and cutting off my air supply.“She had Moore attack Esme. Then Esme rushed back to the western tower, saying

Petra wasn’t here to help us at all,” Arya explained. “That’s all the boys could tell me, butthey were worried about Esme, so I mobilized the Seniors at once. A couple of themconfirmed suspicious activity in the north tower, and they had also spotted Derek, Sofiaand Esme running in there. Petra must’ve set herself loose, somehow, and found Kalon.”

The Reapers and I looked at one another. Less than a second later, we were allrunning with Arya, the north tower rapidly rising ahead. By the time we reached its mainentrance, the first signs of trouble emerged. Derek and Sofia held the Seniors back,

urging everyone to keep their distance.“We don’t know what she’s capable of, and we—as living creatures—can’t do anything

against her,” Derek said. “Lumi and Esme and Time are up there. Hopefully, they’ll beable to get her out.”

“Get her out from where?” I asked.“Kalon’s room,” he replied, his voice strained. “She got to him.”“Let us help!” Mira insisted.“You can’t,” Sofia replied. “I wish you could, but you can’t. Petra is capable of killing

any of you. We can’t lose any more people. Besides, she’s sealed herself in the room withKalon’s interdimensional pocket. No one has been able to get through so far, not evenTime.”

“What the hell happened?!” Kailani blurted. She quickly checked Sofia’s healingbruises, then Derek’s. “You two look like crap.”

“Petra. Petra happened,” Derek said, and gave us a brief rundown of the eventsleading up to this moment, including a more detailed description of the sleeper spell thehigh priestess had activated inside her own son and the scythe he’d carried his whole lifewithout even knowing it.

The more he spoke, the more my nausea intensified. I swallowed back bile as I lookedup at the tower. “When we came to, Esme was already running up towards the northtower to catch her, but it was too late,” Sofia continued. “Petra blocked access to Kalon’sroom.”

“We should’ve seen this coming,” Hunter muttered. “We should’ve checked her morecarefully for hidden weapons.”

“You wouldn’t have found anything,” Soul said. “Judging by what Derek just told us,Petra mastered the art of Concealment, which is how we hide our scythes from sight bymanipulating the laws of space and matter. She used it to hide a weapon on heryoungest son, an inconspicuous carrier. So, when Time checked her, he didn’t seeanything.”

My heart beat erratically, and I couldn’t sit still for another moment. I couldn’t letEsme stay up there alone. “Where’s Amal?” I asked, hoping my sister wasn’t involved inany of this.

“She’s safe in the eastern tower, working on the day-walking cure,” Mira said. “I wasvisiting her when Arya called us all out.”

“And the Visentis boys?” Ridan replied.“With Kalla. They’re also safe,” Sofia said.“I have to see this for myself.” I dashed around her, heading for the tower.“Amane, wait!” Sofia shouted, but it was too late. I was already running up the stone

stairs, spiraling upward until Esme and Lumi came into view. They stood in front of anopen doorway. Time sat on the floor next to it with his back against the wall.

“She’s been playing us,” I said. “Petra’s been playing us.”Esme whirled around, exhaling deeply when she saw me. “You’re okay. And the

others?”“Trev took a hit, but he’ll live,” I replied with a nod. “You?”

She frowned, a muscle ticking in her jaw. “She’s trying to get to him.”“And she will succeed,” Time said quietly, his gaze lowered. “Petra has the power to

reach into Soul’s interdimensional pockets.”I moved closer, standing next to Esme and Lumi. I could see Petra from here, the air

glimmering in the doorway. She’d put some kind of shield up to hold us all back. She gaveus a sideways glance and smiled.

“Oh good. An audience,” she said.Her scythe lit up a strange blue color unlike anything I’d seen before. It had a faint

violet glow, and it felt… ominous. She moved the scythe slowly, the blade’s tip leaving adark trace in the air as her lips moved. Petra was whispering a spell.

“She’s opening the pocket,” I croaked.

A

E S M E

s soon as I’d come to, I’d run up here, knowing Petra would find Kalon. Indeed,she had. Not only that, but she’d somehow managed to outsmart the TimeMaster. She’d kicked him out of the room and placed a powerful shield against

the door and the walls, effectively prohibiting anyone from entering.And now she was cutting through Soul’s interdimensional pocket while we watched.

Terror froze the blood in my veins while rage lit fires in the pit of my stomach. I was amiserable mess of hot and cold, shattered by the speed with which everything had goneawry. We couldn’t have spotted that second scythe. We’d been fooled. It wasn’t the firsttime, but it was definitely the last. I’d make sure of it.

One way or another, Petra was not walking out of here alive. The only problem wasthat she was moments away from reaching Kalon, and that would further put him inharm’s way.

“Why would you do this?” I asked. When she didn’t answer, I slammed my fist againstthe defensive spell. It pushed me back like a surge of electricity, making my skin buzz. Ishook it off. “Petra, he’s your son!”

Amane put a hand on my shoulder in a bid to comfort me, but nothing could help.Nothing, except Kalon’s safety. Lumi continued analyzing the shield, using one glowingindex finger to slowly touch the glimmering membrane as she tried to understand what itdid and how it could be broken.

Time was disillusioned and self-deprecating because Petra had thrown him out of hisown space. “How did she do that?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around this fuzzyconcept.

“It was in the Spirit Bender’s chronicles. Instructions on how to outfox each of his FirstTenner brothers,” Time said. “She knows who I am because I told her.” That had to hurt.I certainly sympathized with the Reaper. An entity of his domain and talents, outdone bya resourceful Aeternae. Yeah, that had to sting.

“Meh, I would’ve figured you out, anyway. Spirit gave us accurate descriptions of eachof his brothers and sisters. With that timepiece, you instantly stood out,” Petra replied.

“She used an altered expulsion spell by editing the wards I carved into the exteriorwalls of the room. As soon as she came in and uttered the subwords, I was thrown out,”Time said to me. “All this, just so she can get her own son killed. It’s despicable.”

“He’s my son, like everyone keeps reminding me, yes. But he’s also a traitor,” Petrasaid. “And I like living too much. I thought I’d already explained myself.”

“I need you to do it again, because I simply can’t fathom how a mother would do thisto her own child! You gave birth to him! You raised him. He’s a part of you, and you’regoing to get him killed!”

“He made his choice the moment he allowed you into his life,” Petra spat. She slippedthe scythe into the dark cut, using her other hand to open it wide. Smiling, she put thescythe away and reached into the nothingness, feeling for something until she found it.Well, until she found him. Kalon. “There you are, honey…”

“Petra, if you do this, I swear I will kill you. No one will save you. I will cut your headoff and ruin everything!”

Lumi clicked her teeth. “And I’ll watch with great delight. I swear I’m not a sadist, butshe really deserves it.”

“Is there no way to get through?” Amane asked Time.“No. She used words I never learned,” he replied, his crippling disappointment

apparent.“It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” Amane said.“I have tried! Every attempt to take this thing down results in electrocution, the kind

that hurts both the living and the likes of me! It doesn’t work. I don’t know the words.”“Wouldn’t Death know them?” I wondered, my gaze fixed on Petra as she slowly

pulled Kalon’s crystalized form from the nothingness, my heart shrinking painfully in mychest.

“Sure. But she wouldn’t know what combination was used for this particular spell,”Time reminded me. “That has always been the trouble with the words she gave the SpiritBender.”

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Petra again. “You’re making a big mistake. Wecould have protected you.”

“What, you think once the Unending was free, she’d grant me amnesty?” Petrachuckled, openly mocking me. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would be the first to be snuffed out ifthe undead bitch gets free. No, I like my Visio just the way it is, thank you. I’m aDarkling. I’ve always been a Darkling, ever since I was a little girl. This is the only way,and I was fortunate enough to learn this transfer spell. Kalon has caused me nothing butgrief, so maybe it’ll feel less horrible when Danika tears his heart out and completes theSpirit Bender’s soul. Either way, our founder shall return, and there’s nothing you can doabout it.”

“You won’t win. I promise you!” I snarled, but it only made her laugh harder.She made me feel helpless. The pain in my chest expanded as she set Kalon’s figure

on the floor. With the tip of her scythe’s blade, Petra cut open the crystalline coating inwhich Time had kept Kalon. I could see him now. He seemed so peaceful, immersed in adeep sleep. He didn’t deserve what Petra had planned for him. I couldn’t let her do this tohim.

Soul and the other First Tenners joined us, all of them sullen and worried as they triedto get past the barrier. None succeeded, which only amused Petra even more. It wasn’t

like we could break down the wall to get to her. The exterior wardings she’d modifiedprotected the entire room. Therefore, the barrier didn’t solely apply to the doorway or thewindows.

“Try all you want. I spent years learning my magic,” she said. “I’m going to make youall watch so that you learn this lesson once and for all. The Darklings are here to stay,and we will prevail. The Unending will continue her cycle, and you will all fail!”

“Technically, that’s not true,” Seeley said, coming up the stairs with Nethissis andKelara by his side. “Death will be free eventually, and she will wipe you all out ofexistence. At best, you’ll buy yourselves a couple of centuries.”

“Not if we bring the Spirit Bender back,” Petra retorted, straightening her back as shelooked at Seeley. “From what I’ve learned, the Spirit Bender was the one who sealedDeath in the first place. If we restore his presence, our empire will survive and thriveforever.”

Widow leaned into Lumi. “Any luck yet?”“With Word magic? No. I was hoping you might have something,” she replied.“If Time—who’s better versed in this than we are—couldn’t hack it, I doubt we could.”

Widow sighed, revealing his scythe. “But maybe some good old-fashioned violence will atleast put a dent in the damn thing.”

He rammed the enormous blade into the defense spell. It blew back in a spectacularfashion, tossing him against the wall. His scythe dropped and fell down the stairs,clanging incessantly until it reached the ground floor.

“Dammit,” Widow muttered and went down to retrieve it. By the time he was back,we’d definitely learned something.

“Yeah, so good old-fashioned violence won’t help either,” Dream replied dryly, thenpursed her lips as she scowled at Petra. “You’re going down for this, I promise you.”

“Mm-hm. Yes. Plenty of threats in the face of the inevitable. You’re all pathetic,” Petrasaid, unbuttoning Kalon’s shirt. She knelt beside him and cut a small incision into hischest.

“Don’t!” I screamed. “Dammit, Petra, don’t do this!”Amane held me back, as I was about to kick and punch the crap out of the defense

spell, even though I knew it would shake me to the core, and not in a good way. Istruggled to free myself, but she didn’t let go even as I cried and called out Kalon’s nameover and over, hoping he might hear me. Hoping he might wake up and stop Petra beforeit was too late.

“Kalon! Kalon! Open your eyes! Kalon!”Petra snickered, opening the top part of her dress to reveal the smooth, pale skin of

her chest. She cut herself the same way she’d cut Kalon, then pressed the tip of the bladeinto his incision. Almost instantly, a golden thread appeared, connecting the cuts. Theblood became incandescent as Petra inhaled deeply and proceeded with an incantation.

“I thought the transfer would take weeks!” I said, alarmed by the speed with whicheverything was happening.

“Oh, honey, I know more words and subwords than Danika. There is more than oneway to transfer a shard. I’ve had thousands of years to work my way up to this moment.

Did you really think I’ve come unprepared?” she replied, wincing from pain. “Granted, it’sless comfortable than the old-fashioned method Danika used, but it does the job muchfaster.”

The more she spoke, the more horrified I became, unable to do anything to stop thismadness. All I could do was scream and shout and hope my beloved might hear mebefore it was too late. “Kalon! Please! Wake up!”

“It’s no use,” Soul said, hands balled into fists. “We’re going to have to find anotherway to stop her.”

“How?” I asked, tears blurring my vision. I felt them running down my cheeks, and itjust made me feel all the more useless, as I stood crying while my beloved’s fate wassealed. What were the odds I’d succeed in protecting Kalon from Danika once Petratransferred Spirit’s soul shard into his heart? As per Derek’s account from his prison cellconversations with the Lady Supreme, she was the one who had to extract the shards,since she’d started the process. She was the one who’d be coming for Kalon, and therewas no stopping that maniac.

“I don’t know yet,” Soul replied. “But we did get Ramus’s heart away from Danika.Plus, she’s burned to a crisp right now, so I’m not sure how long it will be before she’shealthy enough to track us down again.”

“What do we do with the shard we got, then?” I asked. “Do we destroy it?”“I’m not sure we can do that,” Soul said. “I’ve already tried. And it burn. Breaking the

shard would only produce smaller pieces, still usable for a soul reunification, so that’s outof the question. Crushing it would produce the same result, though it would certainly leadto more tedious repair work, I suppose. Fire was our only option, and the pieces seem tobe impervious to it. I’m worried Spirit might’ve foreseen this, too. He’s the type ofoverthinker to take precautions for pretty much anything.”

“That doesn’t mean we won’t find a way to destroy it,” Amane said, looking at him forsome kind of confirmation.

“Absolutely,” Soul replied. “We’ll figure something out.”Hope was a dangerous feeling. It circled me like a starving vulture, waiting to swoop

down and consume me. I feared it almost as much as I feared losing Kalon, because hopein the face of such adversity was a double-edged blade. And in this case, a single cutcould mean the death of the one I loved.

Petra seemed to relax as the golden thread swelled between her and Kalon. Thetransfer had begun, and my very soul was breaking into pieces. She produced a smallglass bauble filled with dark smoke.

“Oh, come on!” Kelara snapped, genuinely annoyed. “Seriously?”Soul groaned, his frustration obvious. “Ugh, not again.”“What… what is that?” I asked, my voice trembling.“This? This is a delightful trinket. Not easy to make or to come by… ouch!” Petra

paused, clearly uncomfortable. Her relaxation had only lasted a couple of seconds. Thewhole transfer process was clearly taking a toll on her body, as she twitched from variousphysical aches. “But it will let Danika know where I am as soon as I break it,” shecontinued, getting over her discomfort. “You see, once the shard enters Kalon’s heart, I’ll

bring her over. If you thought your Dieffen and Orvis mishaps were bad, wait until theMaster comes to Roano’s gates with the wrath of all Darklings by his side. You will regretthe day you set your sights on Visio.”

“Whatever happens, Petra, you will not live to see it. We will settle this score,” Ireplied, shaking in Amane’s firm embrace. “You will not live to see what you’ve beenpromised.”

“Not even the First Ten can handle what’s coming,” Petra declared. “I’ve come too farto lose it all to a worm like you. You’re insignificant, Esme. I thought you would havelearned that by now. You’ve brought this upon yourself, and now you will have to staythere and watch for hours and days on end until Kalon’s heart is Danika’s for the taking.”

I still struggled to fully grasp how a mother could do this to her own son, but therewas nothing I could do to stop the transfer. As the minutes ticked by, and we all watchedthe inevitable unfold before our eyes, a new situation arose. Kalon would have Spirit’sshard. And I would have to protect him at all costs. Kalon would be like Thayen, and thathurt me beyond words.

We’d only just fallen in love. We’d only just bound our souls to one another.As much as Petra was enjoying herself in this moment, I couldn’t bring myself to grant

her this victory. I wasn’t alone up here. I had Reapers—some ancient, some younger. Ihad my brother, currently holed up in Valaine’s memories, determined to bring theUnending back to the surface. I had Derek and Sofia, Rose and Caleb, Lumi, Kailani… Ihad friends up here and waiting down below, too. Seniors and Orvisians. A handful ofghouls and Kalon’s brothers. Trev. A dragon.

No, Petra had not won this battle yet. This battle would only end with Petra’s lastbreath. Everything else? We’d handle it, one way or another. Kalon and I would survivethis. I had made him that promise, and I intended to keep it.

T

T R I S T A N

he next past life that Valaine and I visited wasn’t like all the others.It felt different. This time, I could see the world of Visio through the eyes

of a little Aeternae girl. I took comfort in knowing we wouldn’t witness her death, thistime around, since her reincarnation was much too young at this point. It was early in themorning, and the sun was pouring through the large windows of a massive hallway.Outside—beyond the elegant frames and smooth glass—the east wing of a mansion roseproudly, featuring turrets and a reddish brick façade. Below was an interior court withlavish gardens and water fountains. Gardeners worked on the hedges, trimming andcleaning them.

The little girl was at home here, and it felt good to see all this. She looked forward tothe first blossoms of spring. Opening one of the large windows, she felt a chill run throughher limbs. Mornings were still cold this time of the year, but it would gradually warm upduring the day. The land was gradually thawing, and she’d had enough of the snowywinter.

One of the gardeners looked up and saw her. He smiled and waved, and the girlwaved back. Her father had taught her to always be respectful toward other people, nomatter who they were or where they hailed from. There were no Rimians or Naloreans insight among the service staff, so I assumed that we’d made it back to a time when theAeternae empire was still growing.

The little girl, however, couldn’t care less. She didn’t even know there were suchcreatures as the Rimians and the Naloreans. In her mind, only the Aeternae existed, andthey were beautiful and graceful, violent and everlasting. The combination startled andfascinated her at the same time, but she would soon grow up and accept these variousfacets of her species.

She closed the window and continued with her promenade through the sun-kissedhallway. The walls were painted a delicate shade of cream with white baseboards andcrown molding, together creating a tasteful contrast to the dark hardwood floors. Shewondered why her parents hadn’t used marble like she’d seen in other mansions, untilshe remembered her father once said that the wood would help keep this place warmduring the winter. She was glad, because she loved walking barefoot.

White stone statuettes adorned the hallway, mounted on bronze pedestals. They were

portraits of the girl’s mother, father, grandparents and great-grandparents. Each carriedthe features and grace of the Razelyon dynasty, with small noses and cupid’s bow lips,oval faces and round, peach-like cheeks. There was glory in their name, for they’d stoodtall and proud alongside the Nasani and the Visentis bloodlines from the very beginning.She had been taught to cherish her legacy.

Looking up, the ceiling was painted, covered in scenes of the Aeternae’s birth. Sherecognized some of the key figures that were there that day, including her uncle Kemiand her aunt Mira, the Aeternae Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio, succeeding theUnending herself. The Razelyon and the Nasani dynasties shared a common gene frombefore they were all made Aeternae, and that made them closer to one another than toany other noble family. Her grandparents were up there, as well, heralding the arrival ofthe Unending. They had studied the skies for years, and they had seen the bright lightcoming to Visio.

At the time, they’d been worried that the light might destroy the planet, but as itapproached Visio, it had begun to slow down. In the middle of the scenes, the Unendingwas depicted wearing a white dress and black gloves and featuring long black hair andruby-red lips, her skin like porcelain, her eyes filled with stars. Endless rays of white lightbeamed out from her form to spread all across the ceiling, granting immortality to theAeternae. Of course, the Visio people were not known as Aeternae at that time. Not yet.

“We were Trakkians,” the little girl murmured. Creatures of habit and invention, ofcomfort and progress, of boundless curiosity and dreams of a brighter future. They’d livedto be a hundred years old and considered themselves lucky. Now, however, they wereAeternae, looking forward to forever. She wondered what it must’ve been like for hergrandparents to say goodbye to their mortality.

At the end of the hallway, there were two rooms across from one another. On theright was her parents’ bedroom. Their voices could be heard through the closed door.They were engaged in a heated argument, and it made her feel queasy. She hated whenthey argued, though it seldom happened. On the left was the girl’s bedroom. She stoppednear their door for a while, listening to the exchange.

“We cannot let anyone suspect her,” the mother said.“She has a hard time controlling her instincts, my love. She’s stronger than her

previous incarnation. It will be revealed sooner than later, I’m afraid. The Darklings arepaying attention, even though the last Black Fever cycle ended less than a decade ago,”the father replied. “I’m confident some of them were present at her birthday celebration.”

“Do you suspect anyone in particular?” the mother asked.“Perhaps among the Shatal or Amos families,” the father said.They were talking about the little girl. She’d been having strange moments lately, and

hearing them discuss this so feverishly made her feel bad. She liked seeing them happy,always smiling and looking forward to their days together. But lately they’d beenspending more time together behind closed doors, arguing over their concerns about her.

“We must tell the Lady Supreme, at least,” the mother insisted. “You know Mira wouldgladly help. If our daughter is the Unending, she will want to help set her free. We have asmall advantage now, because the new cycle has only just begun.”

The little girl had a hard time reconciling this suspicion of theirs with who she was.She didn’t feel like the Unending, and she wasn’t sure how that even worked. There weretimes when she lost herself, when she didn’t remember what she’d done and where she’dbeen. Could that be what had them so worried?

“You’re right,” the father said. “But we’ll need to seek a personal audience with her,which is difficult these days, especially with the Darkling resurgence. We’re nowhere nearanother Black Fever outbreak for now, but if Maira begins manifesting more of thatdarkness, someone will certainly fall ill. If anyone puts two and two together and startssuspecting Maira…”

The little girl’s name was Maira. Maira Razelyon. Her parents were Issa and GeorgiosRazelyon. By blood, they were Mira and Kemi’s second cousins, and their families’ closerelations had led to the little girl being given a name inspired by the Lady Supreme’s own.

Walking away from the door, she went into her room and stopped in front of themirror. She might have been named in honor of Mira Nasani, but she was nothing likeher. Her hair was long and curly, the color of black ink. Her skin was pale, and her eyeswere a blue so dark, they appeared almost black. At moments like these, she felt asthough she looked more like the Unending.

She wondered how much truth there was in her parents’ suspicions. She rememberedmoments when she’d felt the sudden cold darkness rush through her, as if she’d justdipped her toes in ice water. At night, she was never really alone. As soon as she put herhead down on the pillow, she’d sense the embrace of someone or something filling herwith yearning and a sense of familiarity, as if she’d spent her short life missing out oncertain parts of herself. It was difficult for her to understand her own nature, but she triednot to give it too much thought.

Her mother had taught her that there was more to life. That she should enjoy thesunlight and the wind, the perfume of flowers and the color of the sky. She should feelthe rain on her face, the ocean lapping at her feet, the snow melting in her hands. Therewere wonderful things, and there were curious things—scary and sad things, too, andthey all came with life. Her lessons were why she didn’t keep her mind occupied with herstrangeness for long.

She looked at her own reflection for a while. Her nanny had chosen a champagne-colored dress with gold thread embroidery and tulle sleeves. She’d put ribbons in the girl’shair and a gold pendant on a delicate chain around her neck. For a moment, she didn’tfeel like herself anymore. I didn’t feel like myself, either. It felt strange, but there was thefaint anticipation of something else coming...

Deep down, I felt sorry for her. She was going to die someday—maybe soon or maybein ten thousand years or so, like the others. The cycle would be reset. It had alreadyhappened. Maira just didn’t know it. Gradually, her image started to change. She grewtaller. Older. She wasn’t Maira in the mirror anymore.

The fabric of her dress shifted, losing its color and sparkle. It became white, thepurest white I had ever seen, tightly sewn around her bosom and flowing freely down tothe floor in translucent layers. Her hourglass figure was faintly visible beneath. Her hairhad grown long and straight, each thread made of luscious black silk. Her face… oh, her

face was beyond beautiful. Her eyes pierced my soul, hiding countless galaxies and solarsystems within them, each twinkling in a myriad of colors. Her lips were blood red andfull, capturing a drop of sunlight with a mesmerizing glint.

This wasn’t Maira anymore. It was her. The Unending, and Maira was suddenlyterrified and confused. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she didn’t moveaway from the mirror, either. The woman in the reflection was the Unending, and sheheld out her hands. Black leather covered her slim and delicate fingers. Each movementwas graceful, almost an impression rather than a physical act.

“Maira… you must remember,” the Unending said.The girl stood frozen in place, staring at her strange reflection.“You must remember who you are. They’ve done us harm. They’ve trapped and

tortured us. If you don’t remember, they will do it again, and each time you wake up, itwill become harder to remember.”

“Unending,” Maira murmured. “You’re the Unending.”“I am you, my darling child. And you are me. Please, remember!”I felt her agony. Her desperation. I felt it all as though it were mine. But there were

other feelings growing inside me, of different intensities. Curiosity. Hopefulness. Love. Somuch love, I realized, at the sight of this incredible entity. Finally, I was seeing theUnending for who she really was. Her true face, with snow-white skin and cherry lips anddark hair and troubling eyes…

I had fallen in love with Valaine, yes. But I had also fallen in love with the Unending,long before I’d ever set eyes on her. She stood before me now, her reflection rippling inthe mirror as she implored the little girl to remember, and I made myself a promise.

A promise that I would stop at nothing until she came back. Until she was free.“You must remember,” Unending said.“I’ll help you remember,” I told her, though I wasn’t sure she heard me. After all, I

wasn’t really there. This moment had already happened, millions of years ago. This wasthe past, and it couldn’t be changed.

But then Unending smiled softly. “Tristan, my love…”My heart stopped. She’d definitely heard me. The Unending had heard me.“Help me remember,” she said. “Stay with me. Take my hand and help me

remember.”She reached out, her fingers pressing on the other side of the mirror. I touched the

cold surface through Maira’s little hand. I wasn’t sure what would happen. Suddenly,everything shifted. The room vanished, Maira included, and all that was left in the middleof the nothingness was the Unending and me, touching each other’s hands.

Power surged through me. Power unlike anything I’d felt before.“We finally meet face-to-face,” I whispered, my heart swelling.Unending gave me a faint nod. “I thought this day might never come…”Her voice echoed through me. I’d made it. I’d found her, and she had found me.

Outside, the world was falling apart. The Darklings had caused enough death andsuffering to earn themselves eternal damnation. Innocent people had been dying.Reapers had been tortured and forced into forsaking themselves. The universe as we

knew it had come to an end a couple of times already.But in here, it was quiet and peaceful. Just me and the Unending.I’d made a promise, and I intended to keep it. The next time I went back to the

surface, back to the real world, I would do it holding the Unending’s hand. It was time forher to return.

The universe needed her.

A S O V 8 5 : A S H A R D O F S O U L

Dear Shaddict,Thank you for reading A Memory of Time!ASOV 85: A Shard of Soul releases February 3rd, 2020.Pre-order your copy now and get it delivered automatically on release day:Amazon US: Tap hereAmazon UK: Tap hereAmazon Australia: Tap hereAny other country: Tap here

See you there.Love,Bella x

P.S. Join my VIP email list and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new book out.Visit here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

(Your email will be kept 100% private and you can unsubscribe at any time.)P.P.S. Follow The Shade on Instagram: @ashadeofvampireFacebook: www.facebook.com/BellaForrestAuthorAnd Twitter: @ashadeofvampire

R E A D M O R E B Y B E L L A F O R R E S T

DARKLIGHT

(NEW! Vampire romance)

Darklight (Book 1)

Darkthirst (Book 2)

Darkworld (Book 3)

Darkblood (Book 4)

HARLEY MERLIN

(Fantasy/romance/adventure)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)

Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)

Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)

Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)

Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)

Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)

Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)

Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)

Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)

THE GENDER GAME

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Gender Game (Book 1)

The Gender Secret (Book 2)

The Gender Lie (Book 3)

The Gender War (Book 4)

The Gender Fall (Book 5)

The Gender Plan (Book 6)

The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

THE CHILD THIEF

(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

The Child Thief (Book 1)

Deep Shadows (Book 2)

Thin Lines (Book 3)

Little Lies (Book 4)

Ghost Towns (Book 5)

Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

(Supernatural romance/adventure. Completed series.)

Hotbloods (Book 1)

Coldbloods (Book 2)

Renegades (Book 3)

Venturers (Book 4)

Traitors (Book 5)

Allies (Book 6)

Invaders (Book 7)

Stargazers (Book 8)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

(Supernatural romance/adventure)

Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

A Gate of Night (Book 6)

A Break of Day (Book 7)

Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

A Spell of Time (Book 10)

A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

An End of Night (Book 16)

Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

A Wind of Change (Book 17)

A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

A Vial of Life (Book 21)

A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

A World of New (Book 26)

A Web of Lies (Book 27)

A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

An Hour of Need (Book 29)

A Game of Risk (Book 30)

A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

A Day of Glory (Book 32)

Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

A Race of Trials (Book 35)

A King of Shadow (Book 36)

An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

A Power of Old (Book 38)

A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

A Tide of War (Book 41)

Series 6: A Gift of Three

A Gift of Three (Book 42)

A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

Series 7: A Call of Vampires

A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

A City of Lies (Book 55)

A League of Exiles (Book 56)

A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

Series 8: A Voyage of Founders

A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)

A Search for Death (Book 73)

A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)

A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)

A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)

A Fate of Time (Book 77)

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires

An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)

A Game of Death (Book 79)

A Veil of Dark (Book 80)

A Bringer of Night (Book 81)

A Circle of Nine (Book 82)

A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)

A Memory of Time (Book 84)

A Shard of Soul (Book 85)

A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

A Shade of Dragon 1

A Shade of Dragon 2

A Shade of Dragon 3

A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

A Shade of Kiev 1

A Shade of Kiev 2

A Shade of Kiev 3

A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

(Contemporary romance)

A Love that Endures

A Love that Endures 2

A Love that Endures 3

THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

The Breaker (Book 2)

The Chain (Book 3)

The Keep (Book 4)

The Test (Book 5)

The Spell (Book 6)

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

(Supernatural romance)

Beautiful Monster 1

Beautiful Monster 2

DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

(Adult thriller/mystery)

Lights, Camera, GONE

Write, Edit, KILL

For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

Join Bella’s VIP email list and be the first to know when her new books release. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com