Epilogue

Maureen

The town of Ever Graves perches high atop a ridge on jagged cliffs with fog so thick you can't see two feet in front of you. The air is dense and crisp, chilling me to the bone. I can see my breath on the window.

We drive past unmarked graves. They line the dirt road that zig zags up into the mountains. I try to not look down. As we climb in elevation, the road narrows, the edge getting closer. I shudder as I imagine what would happen if one were to fall off, into the ocean below—they'd be dead before they knew, the surface shattering their bones on impact, like glass.

I lock eyes with Atlas in the rearview mirror and he gives me a wink. "Don't worry, pretty girl. We're almost there."

Valentin turns his head to look at me. I'm sandwiched between Riot and Felix in the back seat. "Draven is going to meet us at the front gates and show us where to go. They're having a party for us."

All my life it's just been me and my parents. I always wished our family was bigger. I wanted grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. But now that my wish is about to come true, I'm nervous as fuck. The only thing I know about these people is that they kicked my pregnant mother out when she didn't marry the man they chose for her. Do I even want to know them?

Riot squeezes my thigh. "We don't have to stay long, love. Just until you get your answers."

I nod. The closer we get to Blackwell Manor, the more my Erebus sigil burns. This town is shrouded in darkness. It seduces me, caressing my thoughts with shadowy whispers and promises of lust and sin.

I release a deep breath. "There's something about this place… it feels so wrong."

Felix grabs my hand. "That's why I left… I never felt right here. There's too much darkness. Too many secrets protecting evil things."

"Villette said the same thing," I murmur. "But your brother, Bones, he's never left. And Atlas, your cousin, Aries, is still here. And my cousin, Draven… I don't understand. How can they live with this feeling every day?" I've always been drawn to dark things, dirty things, but this is something different. Something so sinister it's hard to breathe without shuddering.

Felix stares out the window, his gaze fixated on the trees, as if he's straining to see something that lurks in the shadows. "This place has a hold on them. It's hard to break free. Some embrace it and thrive while others descend into madness. I was the latter. My parents sensed it and sent Villette away first. Then me. Bones… well, you'll meet him. He belongs here."

When we reach the top of the mountain, the fog clears, revealing the town center. The streets are lined with cobblestones and lit by lampposts. It looks old—vintage—like something out of one of Felix's Victorian novels.

Riot, Atlas, and Valentin's gazes dart around as they take it all in, mesmerized by the sight as much as I am. Felix just stares straight ahead. He rubs his hands together, clasping and unclasping his fingers as if he's about to freak out.

I cover his hands with my own. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know…" he breathes.

Riot stretches his arm behind me to squeeze Felix's shoulder. "We've got you. Remember, we're the devils of Raven's Gate, the new elders of Nocturnus. Nothing can hurt us anymore."

Val looks back at me and smirks. "And we're strolling in here with a Blackwell. That alone gives us protection."

A nervous tickle flutters in my belly. It's still hard to believe that I come from one of the most powerful bloodlines in Melancholia. I was just the Sheriff's daughter back in Wickford Hollow. We weren't dirt poor but no one considered us noble or influential. Now… that's all about to change.

Spanning only ten blocks, it doesn't take long for us to drive through the main street of town. With the lamplights and cobblestones behind us, another forest approaches.

"Your family estate is just on the other side of these trees." Felix takes a swig from a vial of nightshade. "We'll be there in a few minutes," he rasps.

Atlas and I lock eyes in the rearview mirror again, his expression darker this time. He reaches back and I instantly grab his hand. "You stay close to us, pretty girl. Family or not, I don't know or trust these people one fucking bit."

"Agreed," Riot adds. "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."

Felix smiles for the first time since we arrived. "Quoting Sir Walter Scott now, are we? I think I'm rubbing off on you, Riot."

"You're not the only poetic one in the group, Professor," Riot teases.

Val snorts. "Always the competitive one."

The truth is, they don't have to tell me twice. "I have no intention of leaving any of your sides tonight. Not after what happened at Graves Estate…"

The guys collectively tense as they're reminded of the night they left me alone with Holden Graves. The night I was tortured and humiliated. I don't bring it up to make them feel bad or guilty. But I'm still working through my issues. Saying it out loud instead of brushing it under the rug makes it easier.

"That will never fucking happen again," Riot grits out.

I kiss his cheek. "I know. But I'm still never leaving your side again."

He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest. "Fuck, no. Never."

We ride in silence for the rest of the way, each of us lost in our own pensive thoughts. It feels like it might be our last moment of peace, as we have no idea what we're walking into.

When we pull up to the front gates, my stomach knots. The Erebus sigil on the back of my neck crackles, threatening to unleash the darkest parts of me. I take a deep, concentrated breath, and will it to simmer. Fuck. I'm close to having a full blown panic attack.

A tall, muscular black-haired man emerges as the thick iron gates creak open. He nods at Atlas and motions for us to follow. As we drive alongside his willowy figure, I can't take my eyes off him. He's my cousin, the first relative I've ever seen.

He side eyes the passenger window and chills creep across my neck when his gaze finds mine through the tinted windows of Atlas's SUV. What the fuck?

But my attention is pulled from him when we arrive at the main entrance. Blackwell Manor is about the size of Tenebrose Academy, sprawling far and wide across the dense marshland. It's juxtaposition is odd, strange, unnatural, as it towers over wet foliage, overgrown brush, and swampy lagoons.

Felix follows my gaze. "Welcome to Southern Melancholia…"

When we exit the SUV, I stagger back against the door, unprepared for the heady scent of bougainvillea and jasmine. It overpowers the oleander and nightshade. The wind is warm and humid. It sticks to my clothes, dampening my skin almost instantly.

The man who let us in stalks over, his gaze fixated on me. When we're face-to-face, my pulse races. His eyes look just like mine. Like burnt honey. We stare at each other, dumbfounded. I wonder if he's thinking the same thing.

Felix breaks the silence. "Draven," he addresses the man. "Meet your cousin, Maureen Blackwell."

His eyes are cold, expressionless. The muscle in his jaw twitches as he clenches his teeth. "Welcome."

Am I though? He looks unimpressed.

I stick my hand out, anyway. "Nice to meet you, Draven. I've been wondering about you all for so long."

He arches an eyebrow before conceding. I shiver when his ice-cold hand wraps around mine. "You might regret that by the end of the night."

It sounds more like a warning than a threat. A nugget of wisdom from a man whose spirit has clearly been crushed by the weight of this family. From the hollow look in his eyes to his rigid posture, it doesn't take me long to see he's got some serious trust issues.

Riot, Atlas, and Val make their introductions as well before we follow him up the massive stone steps. Draven couldn't look more disinterested if he tried.

When we approach the double doors, sounds of music underneath nervous chatter pour out, and my stomach knots. "How many people are in there?"

Draven clucks his tongue in annoyance. "Twenty or so. But the only one you should concern yourself with is Grandmother."

Penny Blackwell.

Fuck. Now I get to finally meet psycho granny. The stories about her alone give me so much insight as to why my mother is such a bitch. I almost feel sorry for her. Until I remind myself of my affectionless childhood.

"Are Lib's parents here?" Atlas asks before downing another vial of poison.

Draven nods. "Your Uncle Gemini and Aunt Rose are inside, along with your cousin, Aries. My parents are here as well."

Felix snickers. "I'm guessing mine are not."

Draven tilts his head and flashes him a murderous glare. "No. But Bones is here, of course."

From what Felix has told me, Draven, Bones, and Aries are a tight group—best friends and heathens who enjoy terrorizing the town because they can. Our families are founders, powerful and rich. Untouchable.

The front doors open up to a lavish foyer. A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, illuminating the marble floors and cherrywood staircase. The air is cool, a nice reprieve from the humidity outside.

All the fixtures on the doors and windows are made of pure gold and encrusted with diamonds. I look down at my black pants and black cashmere sweater and feel underdressed, cursing myself for not wearing something fancier.

"Fuck, I need a drink," Felix mutters.

"We all do," Draven drawls back.

"Well, lead the way then, sunshine," Val mocks. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "He might be a robot."

I stifle a laugh as we follow my new cousin down the hall and into the crowded sitting room. I don't have to try hard because the second we enter, the chatter stops and all eyes are on me.

Fuck.

Looks of horror mixed with pity are hurled in my direction. What do these people know that I don't?

A white-gloved server hands us each a cocktail—gin martinis. I take a sip and wince. It brings me back to the first party at Nocturnus House when Libra ordered me one. It was before she knew that I had never met any of my family. Before she reminded me that I'm one of the heirs to the Blackwell Gin Company.

Draven walks me around the room, my guys in tow, and proceeds to introduce us to everyone. They are polite but reserved, eager yet suspicious. But if there's any doubt that I am who I claim to be, that is quelled the second I lay eyes on Penny Blackwell. With her dark hair, though streaked with gray, and her honey-colored eyes, she's a much older version of me.

The crowd parts as she crosses the room to me. There is no longing in her gaze. No kindness or warmth or even any of the pity that the others expressed. She approaches cautiously as if any sudden moves on her part might spook me and make me attack.

My grandmother looks at me the same way Laurent Erebus looked at me that day in the cabin—like I'm something to be feared and hated.

I don't dare speak as I wait for her to finish assessing me. The guys stand closer, protectively, and every single one of my sigils burns.

"We'll shall speak this once. But after tonight, I do not want to see you again." Her voice is deep and raspy from what sounds like decades of cigarettes and gin.

A twinge of sadness stirs in my chest. I did not expect her to be happy to see me but she's colder than I could ever imagine. This woman has no love for me or my mother. No remorse for kicking us out twenty-five years ago.

I nod. "I have some questions."

Her eyes narrow at me. "Not here. Discretion is the tallest pillar in our world. It's what separates the wolves from the sheep. We shall talk in the library."

And as if she gave a command through her mind, the rest of the crowd turns away from us, picking their conversations back up as if we'd never entered.

As promised, the guys don't leave my side. Riot, Atlas, Val, and Felix lean back against the leather couch, their gazes trained on my grandmother. To someone not from our world, they might look silly or over dramatic for being cautious around a seventy-year-old woman. But this is Melancholia and this woman is a Blackwell. We'd be fools to not be on guard.

She wastes no time getting to the point of me being here. "What do you want to know, Maureen?"

My name sounds strange on her tongue. Like she swore to never utter it.

Well, I can be blunt too. "Why did you send us away? Was it because my mother didn't marry who you wanted her to? Was my father really that repulsive to you that you couldn't bear to have a grandchild born from him?"

Penny walks over to the hearth and gazes into the fire. "I warned your mother so many times but she wouldn't listen. She was always a stubborn girl. And a precocious one. Has she really never told you the truth?"

A wave of nausea rolls through me. My sigils are ringing like alarm bells in my ears. Something in my gut tells me I'm not going to like the truth. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking. She says you kicked her out because she got pregnant by a man you didn't approve of. My father, Sherrif Mason Gray. But she has never shown any love for me or my father. I think there's more to it and I want you to tell me."

She snickers. "Mason Gray is not your father. He was my groundskeeper who your mother manipulated into pretending he was so she wouldn't have to face what she did."

I look at my guys one by one, my heart hammering in my chest. They all lean forward, just as intrigued as I am at this point. But Felix's face pales. A flash of recognition sparks in his eyes. What the fuck? He just figured out something that we are all still on pins and needles waiting for.

I feel my cheeks burn with resentment. "Who is my father then, Penny? And what the fuck was so bad about him that you cut us off?" I'm done being polite with this witch.

She turns to look at me, her eyes wild with anger. "A very long time ago, the devil came to Ever Graves. He fell in love with a mortal woman. He became obsessed with her. But she rejected him. So he placed a curse on this town. You see, every time a girl is born here, the devil gives her a nightmare man. An entity that will never leave her side, taunting her until she either gives in or goes mad. And if she gives in, the devil wins. And he spreads more of his evil seed."

All the blood rushes to my feet, dizzying me. I sit down on the couch next to Riot before my knees give out. I don't want to hear any more. I think I already know. I swallow hard, willing moisture back into my mouth. "What do you mean… give in?"

Penny hisses. "I'm not going to spell out the debauchery. The filth. Women of this town have always resisted. I resist every night. But your mother was weak. She let him… impregnate her." She almost chokes on her words. "That vile creature is your real father. You're an abomination."

Her revelation knocks the air out of my lungs. No. This can't be true. But it is. I feel it in my bones. In my sigils. Fuck.

I look at Felix. "Is this why Lib and Villette were born in Raven's Gate? To avoid the nightmare man?"

Felix runs a shaky hand through his dark hair. "I always thought it was just a myth. A spooky nursery rhyme to scare children. But my parents are superstitious. All of the families here are. They don't give birth to girls here anymore. They go somewhere else when it's time."

"Oh, fuck," I whimper as a gurgled cry lodges in my throat. "What the fuck am I?" I feel like I'm losing control over my sanity as the room starts to spin.

Val grabs my face. "You are our firecracker. Our dark queen. You're Maureen Blackwell, the woman we all love. Fuck this old hag. She doesn't deserve to know you."

Penny gasps at the insult.

"Yeah, Maur, fuck her," Atlas adds. "I don't care if you're part devil or raven or whatever. You're ours. That's all that matters."

Riot glares daggers at Penny, his fists clenched. He's on the edge again, wrestling with his own inner demons so he doesn't erupt into a rampage.

Tears stream down my cheeks. "Your fathers knew. That's why they were after me. They weren't trying to bargain with Penny, they wanted to leverage me with the fucking devil himself."

My grandmother clucks her tongue. "You should be thanking me for sending you away. Thanks to me you were born in Wickford Hollow and don't have a nightmare man haunting you for the rest of your life."

I wipe my tears away with my sleeve as my fury builds. "Oh, is that why you did it? For me? Fuck you. You think you're better than us because you resisted temptation? Like you're some holy saint who deserves more than the rest of us? Congratulations for keeping your legs closed but fuck you for turning your back on your own flesh and blood."

Her mouth twists in horror. "I did what I had to do to protect this town and the rest of my family. I will not let the devil win. He's stronger when you're here."

"Enough!" Riot roars. "Just fucking stop. Don't you see? He already has won. Not because his nightmare man tempted your daughter. Not because Maureen was born from it. No. The devil won the second he succeeded in ripping apart your family. The instant you turned your back on them. I bet he's laughing at you from hell right now."

She presses a button on her desk and the library doors burst open. Six armed guards file in, pointing guns at our heads. "I will not listen to this blasphemy any longer. Get out of my house and don't ever come back."

The guys form a circle around me, each of them ready to take a bullet for me. A part of me wants to call on my sigils, on the ravens, and show these assholes their guns can't hurt me. A darker, more devious part of me wants to call on the devil himself. My true father.

The nightmare man is just an extension of him. That's what terrifies her the most. I feel sorry for my mother now. It doesn't excuse how she treated me. But I do pity her. I wonder if she's been plagued by the nightmare all these years or if he went away after she gave in.

Maybe someday I'll ask her.

I hold up my hands. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Grandmother," I say to piss her off. "I just have one more question and then you'll never see me again."

She nods at her security detail and they lower their guns. "Fine. Then I want you gone. I have set up a trust for you and you'll continue to receive shares of the Blackwell Gin Company. It's the least I can do since I know you did not choose this."

I grit my teeth. How fucking sweet of you. "Why aren't there any ravens in Ever Graves?"

She snickers. "Because the devil sent them all to Raven's Gate. They watch over the ones he didn't curse. They watch over you."

Fuck.

I am the devils daughter.

"Goodbye, Penny."

She looks back toward the fire. "Good riddance," she whispers.

Draven, Bones, and Aries wait for us by the SUV—one final escort to ensure we leave their town. I keep quiet as they say their goodbyes. I don't have the energy to speak, still processing what just transpired. To my own surprise, I don't feel shame or disgust, just relief. I finally know who I am and where I come from. And it makes me love the father who raised me even more. Sherrif Mason Gray loves me like I'm his own. There's true honor in that.

I look around the group, noticing Bones and Felix's tense exchange, their defensive stances while they argue about him joining Nocturnus. I catch a snippet of the conversation between Atlas and his cousin Aries—they still haven't heard from Libra and they're concerned.

Fuck. I hope she's okay.

Riot and Val stand on either side of me like bodyguards, their gazes trained on the heathens of Ever Graves. This fucking town. Fuck. I'm grateful I wasn't born here. I never would have met Bailey if I had been. My sorry excuse for a grandmother did do me a favor.

More relief fills me as we climb into Atlas's SUV and drive away. It's done. There's no more secrets, no more enemies to face. It's just us now—me and my devils of Raven's Gate.

"I think I'm going to change my major," I announce.

"To what, pretty girl?" Atlas asks.

I look at Felix. "I want to be a psychologist at Tenebrose. It's odd that they don't have one. Maybe I can help students who are like us."

"I think that's an excellent idea, Little Raven." He plants a soft kiss on my temple. "They'll be lucky to have you."

Riot squeezes my hand. "Are you okay, Firecracker?"

I feel calm and steady, like a weight has been lifted off of me. "I actually am. We won. No one can break us. Ever."

"We can only break each other… in the best possible way, of course," Val teases.

As we laugh together, the love between us is palpable, our bonds—unbreakable.

And now we get to go home and live our lives in peace.

We can drink, fuck, read poetry under the stars, fall deeper in love…

Ruina nostra salus.

They are my ruin and my salvation. And I am theirs.

Over and over again until the ground opens up and swallows us whole. Because any other fate would be worse than death.

Because no other fate exists.