32. ~Xavier~

32

~Xavier~

No!

This wasn’t happening.

It couldn’t happen.

Orpheus Hart couldn’t fall.

The fucking Dark Fae Prince could not fall.

It just didn’t compute.

The barriers took another hit after Talon suddenly leaving it, as Saryan did the same, rushing over there and skidding to his knees on the other side of Ore opposite Tal.

The look on Saryan’s face was absolutely wretched.

I saw it take him a shitload of effort just to focus.

And then he crossed his hands over his son’s heart and delivered a massive jolt of his power that had Ore’s unmoving body jolting violently.

Fuck.

“Shit, again. Do it again, please,” Tal begged him, tears streaming down his face now, his hands trembling.

Saryan did, but nothing happened.

Marlowe teleported in next, right beside him.

“Help me,” Saryan pleaded, his voice breaking.

I saw Marlowe physically jolt as he took in the scene.

He managed to get himself together and moved beside Saryan, then ran a glowing palm the length of Ore’s body. “Love, he’s—”

“No,” Saryan growled. “No.”

Tal sobbed, stroking Ore’s hair, his whole body trembling with his grief.

And then Saryan rose to his feet and turned both his palms up, calling his silver power.

Violent winds ripped through the area, thunder rolled through the sky.

Silver lightning sparked everywhere.

“Don’t. Don’t do this,” Marlowe called out, getting to his feet too.

“I won’t let this be my son’s fate,” Saryan ground out, his power continuing to gather dangerously. “I will pull him from Spiritus myself.”

Holy hell, that was what he was doing?

It was the unthinkable.

“You could tear a hole through the veil itself!” Marlowe warned. “You will perish, Saryan! Stop! Stop this madness!”

“The madness is Orpheus dying here this night.”

“He wouldn’t want this,” I heard Tal utter, as he continued stroking Ore’s hair.

Saryan looked out at him.

Tal continued, “He’ll never forgive himself if you die for him. He’ll never be the same.”

Saryan’s resolute gaze wavered, his magic flickered. He looked to Marlowe.

“Please,” Marlowe beseeched him. “Please don’t do this. I’ll be here for you. I’ll help you through it. I love you.”

I heard a shriek from Alena and looked to see that she was being pulled right into the vortex of the portal.

I eyed Vanessa. I couldn’t leave her to hold the barrier alone. If it fell we’d all die in seconds.

I went to call out to the others, but the words never left me, as a flash of indigo light lit up the area.

The next thing I knew, my dad was teleporting in.

His magic was back!

He grabbed Alena’s hand, his sheer power yanking her right back from the portal.

And then he guided her other hand, helping her direct the wrath of the celestial plane toward Lenora.

It worked and in moments the vortex locked onto the correct target.

Lenora was shrieking again then—this time in pain and not just unadulterated rage—as the magic she’d stolen began being pulled out of her. Visibly pulled out of her, streams of white power being drawn from her and being vacuumed into the portal.

With his free hand, my dad thrust his own stream at our barriers and I felt the weight of it diminish greatly as he added his might to it.

“No!” Lenora was screaming then, as she convulsed violently, the magic being drawn out at a rapid-fire speed now. She collapsed onto the ground, writhing uncontrollably and just screaming and screaming as the celestial magic was ripped from her.

And then the surge of magic attacking the barriers suffered the same fate, being siphoned into the portal, until it was finally safe for us to drop our magic.

“Now,” I heard my dad tell Alena. “It’s done.”

Alena spoke the incantation to close the portal and I watched the door shrink then disappear into the ozone.

A gurgling sounded and I looked to see Saryan using his free hand to strangle Lenora magically as she lay helpless on the grass. He twisted his hand and snapped her neck, ending her miserable life in one brutal instant.

My dad noticed, took in what else he was trying to do, this regarding Spiritus, then broke from Alena and rushed over to him. “Stay your hand, old friend. Do not do this.”

“I can’t simply—”

Alena skidded to her knees beside Orpheus. “Drop your power, I know how to save him.”

Stunned, Saryan frowned in thought, then pulled back his power and touched down right beside Marlowe who wrapped his arms around him tightly.

We all gathered around as Alena pressed both hands over Ore’s heart, then squeezed her eyes closed as her golden glow started to emanate.

She grunted as it grew more vibrant, before turning completely white like her mother’s.

I watched in awe as it spread and enveloped her and Ore entirely.

“Come on, come on, take it,” she murmured to herself. “It’s mine to give. Please.”

An explosion of white light obscured our vision for several moments.

And then I heard Ore’s heartbeat.

I blinked rapidly and couldn’t believe my fucking eyes as I saw his chest rising and falling again, then his fingers twitching.

His eyes opened a moment later and he gazed out at us all crowding him, confusion spreading over his face.

“Welcome back, little prince,” Alena said, beaming down at him.

He choked and rolled onto his side.

Saryan was there helping him to his feet, with Tal rooting himself to his other side within the next second.

“Shit, what the—you’re back. You’re here… you’re here with us again,” he cried, his hands all over Ore.

Orpheus frowned. “I died? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Lenora killed you,” Elliot told him.

“And Alena brought you back,” Vanessa added.

Ore looked out at her incredulously. “You gave me your white light?”

“I couldn’t simply allow you to die, could I?”

“Alena, I—”

“And now nothing can kill you.”

“Seriously?” Tal asked, tears still filling his eyes.

Talk about his worst fear coming true. But now with this… with what Alena had done, it could never happen again.

“He’s basically invincible now, Tal,” I told him. I eyed my dad. “Right?”

“In essence, yes.”

“Hell, we’re going to hear about this nonstop now,” I jested.

Ore smiled out at me. “I’ll do my best to keep my ego in check.” He reached out and stroked Alena’s hair. “Especially given the fact that it’s all down to my little angel here bringing me back from death.”

“ Thank you,” Saryan suddenly exclaimed, throwing his arms around Alena and holding her tightly to him.

Orpheus reached out and rubbed his shoulder. “Father, I’m okay. I’m okay now. I’m here.”

“We’re all here,” Elliot spoke. “All still standing.”

“It’s over,” I added, gesturing around the area. “It’s all fucking finally over.”

“The war is won,” Orpheus breathed.

“Our enemies broken and defeated,” Saryan ground out fiercely.

Marlowe came to him and held him close again, knowing he was still reeling from watching his son die. Hell, we all were. It would take some time to move past, for it not to haunt us. All of it would.

But we were here to do that, to go on living, and to live freely now this nightmare was behind us.

Orpheus, Alena, Talon, and I exchanged a heartfelt smile as the beautiful realization settled over us.

Then Orpheus thrust his fist into the air and cried, “The war is won!”

Cheers, whistles and celebratory chatter erupted all around.

It was over.

It was really over.