37. Hellena

37

HELLENA

" S o, that's it?" Alaya scans the room, giving me a skeptical glance.

She's hopping on one foot, her other one lifted off the ground, clearly in pain. Otherwise, she's exactly like she's always been, a snappy, smartass pain in mine.

"Um. Yeah. There's nothing left." I fill them in, divulging the abbreviated version of my dad's message, what transpired before they arrived to save the day.

"Kind of a letdown," Ora admits, flapping her lips.

"I don't know, that was pretty intense, all things considered," Tell sniffs. He's bright-eyed, cool and light, like always. But something's different. He's mellow. Not a twitch to be seen, even hidden behind a joke or a funny face.

"Not what I meant." Ora sighs. She's somehow evolved in my eyes as well. Stronger. More vibrant. Not just a wild child badass, but a tried and true badass. A leader.

Sing's standing right next to her, as weird as ever.

Gavin shrugs, leaning into me to let me know he's there. The calm that always lingers around him is deeper, more self-assured.

And Evan, right beside me. He's been through so much, yet he holds his head high. Not with arrogance, though.

We fall silent in the wake of the chaos.

Take a breath.

It's over.

Some of our guys came to take Aunt Rachelle away a few minutes ago. She was completely catatonic. Unresponsive.

Tell gave them orders to take her to Norris, his nurse friend.

That's all I can give her in the way of pity. Or sympathy.

To see that she gets help somewhere far, far away from here, in a guarded cell for the rest of her life.

The seven of us stand around, none of us willing to make the first move to leave. We should.

Evan's still a bit shaky at my side, his arm as much draped over my shoulder as it is resting there for stability.

All three of my guys are standing around me, as close as they can be. And I welcome the proximity. The warmth.

Goddess, they look good, too.

Or maybe it's the adrenaline and danger.

But dirty, a little bloody, and unshaven have me a little riled up.

Wow. I need to get my priorities straight. And I need a shower. And a bottle of wine.

"So, no more Sinful?"

"And no Sinful treasure?"

"No more Sinful influence. No more control."

"Sanctum is just… Sanctum Harbor?"

"It's free to heal. And start over. New." I smile, meeting each of my friends' eyes. It's a sort of unspoken agreement, acknowledgement that we did it. That we won.

"Why is everyone so down?" Sing asks suddenly, raising one eyebrow. "We should be celebrating."

"Man has a point," Tell agrees, his hands out to the sides.

"Tequila and tacos?"

"Fuck yeah!" Alaya throws her fist in the air, tipping over as she slips out of Ora's grasp.

Sing's arm is under her, scooping her up before she can fall, his other arm looped around Ora's waist, pulling them both close. When he realizes what he did, his eyes pop.

"You're in so much trouble, Nighthawk," Gavin chortles, shoving Tell ahead of him and leading the way toward the exit.

Evan and I follow, not wanting to be apart.

Then Alaya and Sing, the latter still reluctantly supporting Alaya with her sprained ankle and likely concussion.

We're a few feet up the ramp when I glance back, noticing Ora is standing in the middle of the room looking down.

"Or?"

"Yeah?"

"You comin'?"

"Um, in a minute. Did anyone else notice the six rings on the floor right here?"

"What?!" I'm dashing back toward her, curiosity getting the better of me.

Right in the center of the room, carved right into one of the cement floor squares…

Six concentric grooves, starting with a choker-sized ring, getting smaller and smaller. With a marble-sized hole in the center.

Just like…

One by one, each of them joins us, handing me the red-gold heirlooms, clicking each one into place. Sing, Alaya, Ora, Tell, Gavin, me. And finally, digging into his pocket, drawing out Rachelle's necklace, Evan.

I pop the stone out of the setting, a perfectly round red orb.

And drop it into the middle.

Something rumbles under our feet.