Page 99 of Shadow and Smite

“Very well,” she nodded. “Help me rebuild, and I’ll give you my blessings when you leave.”

“Ayla, you’re brilliant.” Zayne kissed my cheek, and my core warmed. “Together, we will rebuild the Shadow Court.”

Epilogue

Zayne

Ayla slid her hand against the stronghold’s wall, humming as she walked. She practiced spellsinging, using resonance to reinforce the structure.

This was her final pass. We were prepared to leave.

After a month, Ayla’s antlers had grown as long as her palm. The effort of rebuilding grounded her, giving her the chance to understand her magic.

With time, more than her magic had settled. She now radiated a new confidence. More than her playful certainty, she walked with a deeper self-assurance. It was damn sexy.

It had been a necessary month of healing. For her. For us.

Ninti trotted beside her, offering her a steady stream of support. She had trained Ayla well, guiding her fledgling healing magic into a power that could rebuild the stronghold. The Firewolf had been essential in reconstruction, eager to provide an extra spark of power to whomever needed it.

Eleanor was secure—or at least as safe as possible. Today, we would begin our journey to Mer and unravel the mystery of Calindra’s diamond shard.

Taking a step back, I admired our work. Even in Gloom’s low daylight, the stronghold appeared transformed. We had repaired the walls and ceiling, cleaning the remaining apartments to make space for our new court.

I had destroyed the barn where fae had been turned to Shades. With countless rites for the dead, I dismantled the ice-blue coffins and liberated ghosts. Last night, I burned the building down.

We had inventoried the other outbuildings. The livestock seemed to thrive under our care.

Gloom remained, slowing our pace, but the oppression diminished. The air remained stagnant but was purged of rot and death.

About twenty of us had gathered here, a fledgling Shadow Court. We grew accustomed to the way Gloom stiffened our minds, and each night we gathered around the fireplaces and celebrated life.

We kept busy. Working, building, and planning. We took care of our queen. At night, we dreamed.

“There.” Ayla grinned, appreciating her handiwork. A frown flickered across her lips. “I never thought I would be sad to say goodbye.”

I reached for her hand, thankful for her warmth as her fingers entwined with mine.

For a time, this had become our home. Now Captain Vanessa waited for us at the dock, her boat readied for our journey.

Vanessa was now the proud owner of theUmbral Star.While we had remained in Point Bethia, she accepted transportation jobs on Eleanor’s behalf, using her newly acquired boat to move passengers and goods.

She had happily accepted my contract for our upcoming journey. Apparently, all the other jobs had been too dull, and she expected ‘something far more interesting’ from Ayla and me.

“We’ll be back,” I promised Ayla.

“We will,” she agreed. “Should we see if Eleanor is awake?”

“I hope she’s ready.” Either way, it was time to leave. We had already lingered as long as we could. We hoped to leave Gloom by sunset.

“Rhett messaged me,” Ayla said. “He’s on his way to Mer. We’ll meet him there.”

“Good,” I replied. We needed all the help we could gather to unravel the mysteries of the shard bearers.

Hand in hand, Ayla and I walked down the long hallway of the stronghold. Ninti at our side, we approached the throne room.

As we passed, I eyed the door of our former apartment. It wasn’t much, but for a time, it had been ours. Here we had explored our budding relationship, cuddling at night, intimate with our kisses.

Ayla wasn’t ready for more than kissing, not since the incident with the Brand. I ached for her, and she wanted me, but her body clamped up every time we made sexual advances. She needed more time to heal, to find herself at home in her body.

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