Page 59 of The Magic of Eternity
I watched as Fischer moved beneath me, stalking his way toward his victim. She hadn’t seen him yet, but oh, this was going to be a reckoning. Asrael was still distracted by me, allowing the Exiled, Vaeryn, his brother, Sloane, Faris, Kai, Cam, Bram, and Khol to all attack at once. I sent out a wave of power just before they reached him, effectively decimating any type of magical shield that he was using, and doing the same for Laurie.
Fischer’s eyes were black, and Laurie was scrambling backward, having finally seen her death. Guppy held his hand out, holding her in place. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear the words. Laurie thrashed back and forth, grabbing her head in agony, and I knew that his magic was deep within her brain.
I watched as Laurie’s own magic turned against her with the influence of Fischer’s power invading her mind. Vines crawled out from her body and quickly found their way around her neck. They tightened, and her legs kicked, while her fingers frantically tried to wedge themselves between her skin and the vines that were suffocating her. Fischer stood there with his arms crossed, as he stared down at the woman who had inflicted the same type of death upon him.
It was poetic justice, and I was glad that he was getting this moment. He may be the one who would get the credit for killing her, but gods knew this was a win for all of us. I watched as the life slowly left her body, her eyes wide, like she couldn’t believe that she’d been bested. I just felt pure relief; I didn’t have to worry about her any longer. She would never harm my children or my men ever again.
With Laurie dealt with, my eyes drifted over to the fight with Asrael. It wasn’t much of a fight anymore. Blood was pouring out of him at an incredibly fast rate. Knives, blades, and swords stuck out of his body like he was a pin cushion. His knees finally hit the ground, and he was swallowed up by the crowd of angry men.
Magic surged, swirling through me like a cyclone. If I thought the power I’d had before had been monumental, it was nothing compared to this. A burst fired out, forcing my head back to the sky, my arms outstretched, and everything went white.
“Where am I?” I demanded, looking around. It was in some type of void. Everything was white here. Just nothing but never-ending blankness. No people. No sound. “Hello?”
“Hello, child. You’re here.” They appeared from the nothingness like apparitions, their makeup as gaudy as ever.
“Where are we?” I asked the two seer women who had been a part of this from the beginning. Their tinkling laughter flooded the space.
“We are neither here nor there,” Roberta replied.
Matilda made her way toward me, taking my hands into hers. “You’ve done it, Saige. You fulfilled the prophecy.”
I just blinked. “What do you mean? It’s over then? Is it really over?” I could hear my voice cracking with emotion.
“Yes, my child. It is over. The stars are happy and impressed by you and your mates, your tenacity, and the fact that throughout all of this, you never lost who you are at your core. Selfless, pure, kind, and generous. You didn’t know what was going to happen when you made the decision that you made, but you decided to trust in your fate.”
I could feel tears running down my face. I couldn’t believe that it was finally over. “What happens now? Am I alive?”
Both women laughed. “Yes, you are alive. As for what happens now... What do you want?”
What do I want?What a question. It had been so long since I’d really given that any thought because the last several months had been all about survival. Getting from point A to point B in one piece, outsmarting enemies who knew more than I did, and now, I was supposed to know what I wanted?
“Say the first thing that comes to mind. You know what it is,” Matilda encouraged me, squeezing my hands.
“I want forever... with them,” I replied.
“Then forever it shall be,” the two women replied in perfect sync.
Suddenly, I was rushing through the white void, like I was being sucked through a vacuum. Matilda and Roberta were gone, and I found myself with my feet firmly planted on the platform once again. Asrael’s body was slumped on the ground, his head fifteen feet in the opposite direction. Everybody was staring at me, and I began to shake, the adrenaline and aftereffects of the battle taking hold of me. My men didn’t hesitate. They ran for me, and I collapsed into their arms with a cry.
“It’s over. It’s really over.” Someone was shushing me gently, while another ran their hand through my hair, soft lips pressed against my throat, and a warm body found its way against my back.This is exactly what I want.“We did it. We really did it.”
I laughed, even as the tears just kept falling. I let them wash away the taint of evil and trauma. It felt cleansing, purging this darkness from my soul, and as I stood there, the sounds of applause and cheering started up, growing louder and louder.
“Long live the queen!”
Oh, my moon maidens. I was no queen, but I was too freaking tired to argue.
“Gods, I don’t think I will ever get used to that feeling,” I cursed as I stumbled forward, bracing myself on the back of a chair. “Where are we?” Bram had jumped us somewhere within the castle, and while I was grateful that we didn’t have to walk as we were all exhausted, I still didn’t like that sensation of hurtling through space and time.
“These are the king’s quarters,” Bram announced. “It’s large enough for all of us to sleep here. Since I figure that is what we’d all prefer?” He looked around the room questioningly.
“Yes please,” Saige sighed. “I need all of you in my line of sight for the rest of my life after all of this.”
“How do you feel, baby?” Cam stepped up beside her, tugging her against his large body.
“Like this isn’t real. Like everything that happened was a joke, and any second Asrael’s gonna come take you away from me again.” She believed that to be true; I could tell by the panic in her eyes.
“That’s not going to happen, sweetheart,” Fischer piped up from the wall he was leaning against. We all looked like hell, battered and bruised. Though we were already healing, largely in part thanks to Faris’ power.
