Page 141 of Summer of Sacrifice

Her attention flicked from Winnie to Grimm. “Right, Papa?” He huffed a tearful laugh, and Talan turned back to her successor. “Cherish that you live in a hearthtale with your cirque master.”

Tears streamed down Winnie’s face as she nodded, unable to speak.

Talan reached up and squeezed Winnie’s shoulder affectionately. “I also want you to know that Lilette is with us.” Winnie sucked in a shaky, garbled breath. “We watched over her the best we could during her glorious, adventurous life. She lives in our home now in the Afterlife. Lady Death had her brought to us when she passed.”

Winnie hit her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, and Aggie rushed to her side, kneeling to rub small circles on her back. “Just breathe,” she whispered to Sister Winter.

“Thank you, thank you,” Winnie cried. Talan knelt on her other side, and Hissa stepped forward, encircling her arms around Sorscha’s waist.

“Look at me,” she commanded, and Sorscha did, a sob hiccuping out of her as their eyes met. “Sister Spring, your feelings are not a burden. You are no burden. Your friend”—Hissa smiled mischievously, bending and swaying to ensure Sorscha kept eye contact—“the pretty one…Gaius.” Sorscha laughed. “He is right. You don’t hide anymore. Understood?”

Nodding vigorously, Sorscha jumped into Hissa’s arms, squeezing her tight until they all chuckled and Hissa finally set Sorscha down.

Monarch approached Seleste with a gentle smile. “That makes it your turn, Sister Summer.” She reached forward and put a hand over Seleste’s heart. “You are not weak for choosing kindness.” A torrent of emotion came out in a sob from Seleste’s chest. “I’m going to say that again and you store it in your heart, hm?”

Seleste nodded, tears streaming.

“Seleste, you are not weak for choosing kindness. You are not weak for being who you are.” Monarch moved her hand from Seleste’s heart to her cheek, and Seleste leaned into the touch. “Your Summer boy waits for you, dearheart.”

Seleste tried to inhale, but her lungs had ceased pulling in air.

“The one who gave his life to put our father on the throne. He waits for you in the Afterlife. Your King Caliban.”

Everyone gasped, and Aggie scrambled to her feet. “What? Caliban?” Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, to the point Seleste thought Aggie might faint. “I– I– Seleste, I?—”

She ran for her Sister Autumn. “Shhhh.” Hugging Aggie to her chest, both of them sobbing afresh, she murmured against her hair, “You didn’t know who he was, Aggie.”

She only cried harder, guilt over one of her greatest traumas pouring out of her by way of tears.

Seleste looked to Talan, still clutching her Sister Winter on the floor. “I thought it was Athania who wrote that Order. With the goddess quill.”

Talan stroked Winnie’s hair once and stood from her side. “It was. I have been in the Afterlife much longer than my Sisters.” She smiled apologetically at Grimm as if she knew saying such a thing would hurt him. Judging by the look on his pained face, it very much had. “But my Sisters used everything, every tiny thing, to bring about this day. That included the death of King Caliban Bardot. Athania wanted our father on the throne, and she knew the maternal family line he would hail from.

“When it became clear to her that we planned to have that maternal line marry into the Earl of Bellvary’s lineage, she had Seleste render Caliban sterile, to ensure he had no heirs. However, she did not consider that his family’s blood would live on through his sister, Elsie.”

Seleste let out a long, slow breath. Her sweet Elsie girl.

“Athania’s actions effectively made the Peridot men next in line for the throne. When she saw fit, she sent Aggie to take Caliban’s life. From there, a ripple effect took place. Aggie was tortured alongside her lover—the bodily form of Thanasim, Lord of Night, at that time.”

Ira.

“Chresedia placed a man called Emile von Fuchs in the seat of Grand Magus, and had him retrieve Fleurina from Eridon.”

Belfry left Grimm’s side and stepped forward. “Our mother lived on, and our father was reborn yet again. This time, as Thackery Frederic Peridot III and Athania only aided in our plan set forth ages ago with her Orders steeped in blood.” She walked to her mother and took her hands in hers. It was nearly like looking at Aggie and her reflection, save for that dimple.

“Sister Autumn.” She laughed, a sweet moment tinged with all the intricacies of their relationship. “Equal darkness and light in this life, carrying the Source of all magic within your soul. This is it, Mummy.” Agatha bent her head, a tear falling and splashing onto the floor. “Everything we’ve sacrificed for. It’s time.” Lip wobbling, Belfry looked from Agatha to Grimm. “It’s time to break the spell.”

Grimm stepped forward, weaving his fingers through Agatha’s. “When the spell is broken, we will intercept Chresedia, as we’ve done countless times before. But now we have reinforcements.” He looked to Winnie, Seleste, and Sorscha, who all nodded. “She will try, as she always has, to take the power of Lord and Lady Magie de la Nuit, expecting us to throw her into another realm again if she fails. However, this time, I will unbind her.”

“So mote it be,” Belfry said quietly, motioning her parents forward.

“And we will end this once and for all,” Aggie finished for Grimm.

Aggie and Grimm clasped hands, facing one another as Winnie, Seleste, and Sorscha made a small circle around them. Talan, Hissa, Monarch, and Belfry held hands, encircling them all.

Aggie’s voice rang out,

Déliez la magie

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