Chapter Fifty

I TOWERED IN MY MONSTROUS ocean body, watching down below as the water deposited the Fae who'd chosen peace back into the Valley of Wisps. Once they were all safely back on land, I took a deep breath and looked inward.

I'm ready to go back.

I felt myself shrinking and rushing through the air at the same time. Everything blurred as I bounced and drifted like a small wave through the trees until, finally, I slowed at the edge of the field. All eyes turned my way as my watery figure slowly planted my feet on the ground.

With each step I took, I felt myself almost rebuilding. Each step became easier and more solid, and I looked down to see my skin starting to reappear peachy and fleshy. My feet and hands were first, with the change climbing upward. I turned my fingers over, watching my body slowly go from water to flesh once more, and hair fell over my shoulder in blue waves.

"Bria!"

I looked up to see almost all those I loved rush toward me, but none of them were as quick as Rune. He barreled into me, crushing me against his body, and the sharp intake of breath seemed to choke him.

"Thank God," he gasped. "Thank fucking God you're okay."

I squeezed my arms around him, holding onto him like the anchor he'd always been for me.

"And naked," Dallas added as she came up on the other side of Rune. She handed me the fitted leggings and shirt that had fallen from my body when I'd turned into water. Tears flooded her eyes, and she sniffled. "We thought we'd lost you."

I offered her a reassuring smile. "You didn't. It's weird. I still feel like I'm floating a bit."

When I finished putting on my tattered clothes—the shirt covered mostly everything, but there was a gaping hole in the fabric along my stomach where Elias's sword had run me through—Rune grabbed my left hand and slipped the silver ring that had fallen off back onto my finger. He brought my hand up to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

Rune and Dallas stepped aside so I could see all the Fae gathered in the field. Silver-and-blue stood opposite gold-and-green, but both groups stared my way expectantly. They were still divided, still separate and unsure of how to interact, but it was a start.

Squeezing Rune's hand, which still held mine, I stepped forward with him at my side.

"Today marks the end of a long, trying era in the history of Water and Land Fae. It also marks a beginning. The start of a new partnership. A new foundation on which to grow. A new chance at life. It won't be easy. There's a lot of hurt that still exists between us all. But we can work through it. We can face it, Water and Land Fae alike. Together."

Rune thrust our joined hands high into the air and yelled, "Together!"

The cheer from those gathered was instant. "Together!"

A moment of relief, a sense of being weightless, hit me, and instead of pushing it away since much work still had to be done, I let myself embrace it. I let myself look at the Fae who embraced and cheered, and the Fae who fell to their knees with relief because it was finally over. The war had passed. Peace was just around the corner.

I looked up at Rune with tears cascading down my cheeks. "We did it, Rune."

He smiled down at me and placed a kiss on my forehead. "We did it, baby."

The bright feeling of accomplishment lingered even as I set to work with Rune. The two of us divvied up tasks that needed to be done. Those who'd passed in the battle needed to be collected for proper burials, the wounded needed tending to, and arrangements needed to be made for all the Land Fae now without their King. It was a lot to manage, but Rune and I were handling it the best way we could—together.

Realizing the numbers of fallen Fae made breathing harder. There were countless faces I recognized from the greetings I did when Water Fae first arrived on Morardia, forever frozen in pain. Even tougher to see where Aidan and Yasmine, who clung to each other as they sobbed over a dead Talia. Even though we'd never been close, seeing their trio down a person made me sick.

As I finished healing a Wolf Fae, I noticed someone walking toward me. I stood and turned to find my mom drawing close to me. Things had been so chaotic that I hadn't had time to really see her or process her presence, but now that the dust had settled, nothing was stopping me.

Her warm grin was contagious. "My darling, Bria."

Lip quivering, I fell into her open arms and squeezed her tightly. "I can't believe you're really here."

She held me to her, running her hand over my back. "It's because of you. I was already trying hard to force myself back as the battle drew near, and when you were walking onto the field, I heard you calling. The water heard you. And, together, it all brought me back."

I leaned back to look at her. "So, you're here for good?"

She cupped my dirty cheeks. "I'm here for good, Dewdrop."

I fell back into her arms and held her tightly. Finally. Finally . My mother was here with me.

Rune hovered beside us, and when she and I pulled apart again, my mother's glistening blue eyes met his. Rune immediately bowed his head. "Alesta. I'm Rune. I'm—"

"Balgair's son," my mother interrupted, her voice growing thick with emotion. "You look just like him. Very handsome." Her wistful expression turned somber. "I'm so sorry about—"

Rune shook his head, knowing exactly what she was about to say. "Don't be. She … She's in a better place now. For that, I'm grateful. There was no helping her here. Maybe my dad can help her where they are now."

My mom placed a hand on Rune's arm, then quickly pulled him in for a hug. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but he quickly relaxed in her arms and hugged her back. Seeing the two of them—my husband and my mother—was nearly enough to make my heart burst.

As Rune and I got back to work, a noticeable presence was missing as we coordinated teams and Fae; someone who was typically always by our side for tasks such as this.

Feeling the first prickle of dread since returning, I looked at Rune. "Do you know where Jesiah is?"

Rune's features immediately tightened with grief. He nodded and pulled me back toward a place on the field that I didn't want to go.

Many Fae were scattered across the vast area, their sobs filling the air as they went to find loved ones who didn't make it. Hearing and seeing them made my throat constrict, but not as badly as the scene in front of me did.

Jesiah was crumbled on his knees, cradling a limp Akira. His forehead pressed against the smaller man's, and he wept silently, his tears rolling down his cheeks and onto Akira's. Bassel, Avana, Carlos, and Ardley stood behind him, holding each other. Avana sobbed with her head leaned on Bassel's shoulder, and the Liger's face was scrunched up in agony. Carlos seemed to be fighting back his tears as he had his arms wrapped around Bassel, but they still managed to fall. Ardley had his hands on his hips, his head tilted back toward the sky, and eyes closed as he cried.

Fresh tears clouded my eyes as Rune and I knelt in front of Jesiah and Akira. Jesiah didn't move or look our way. It was like he didn't even know anyone was there. It was just him and our fallen friend.

"I just got you back," Jesiah whispered against Akira's face. "Please. Please come back."

Akira stayed still and quiet.

He'd always stay quiet now.

A hole opened up inside my chest, and I fell into it, aching and wishing for Akira's light to come back but knowing it never would.

"It's my fault," Rune lamented roughly. His head hung and tears fell. "That arrow was meant for me. He—He saved me."

Jesiahs's lips trembled as he pulled back to look down at Akira. "Of course he did."

Rune stared at his best friend. "He—He wanted me to—" Rune stopped as sobs choked him. Inhaling deeply, he finished, "He wanted me to tell you that he loves you."

Jesiah's eyes fell closed again. His shoulders shook as he wept. "I love you, too. Fly high for me, my sora . Fly high and beautiful like you always have."