28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Thea

W hen my shadows moved away, Exile stood in front of me. It had been two days since my father called for a peace treaty with Crimson, and I was running out of time.

The shambled buildings and hot, sticky nighttime air felt like home when I glanced around. Emotions bubbled up as I glanced at the prison I lived in for years. My plan was almost in motion, so it was a good time to tell Sybil and everyone that I did it and soon they’d be able to go home. I gripped my bloodstone tightly in my hand, calling out to Lyra to come to me.

Slowly, I walked toward the town square, where Fallon held so many meetings. My heart was wild in my chest as I rang the bell. Excited anticipation coursed through me as I waited impatiently for everyone to arrive. Fae started spilling from their homes and towards where I stood. Gods, I didn’t realize that many of us survived. The number seemed off, like it was at least double what it was when I left.

They all stared at me with a sense of sadness, and I realized they thought I had died again. Sybil and the twins rushed to me, but I held up my hand.

“Hello everyone,” I yelled out to them. “I’ve come to share some exciting news with all of you.” I smiled at the crowd. “I broke—” My words died on my tongue when I saw her. The woman with her small child. The hair on my neck stood up as confusion hit me like an arrow. The mother with her small son, who begged me for food, stood in the crowd. Her son was holding onto the blanket I had stolen—the one I buried with them. They had died. Why were they here?

My eyes frantically flickered through the faces in the crowd. The man I had killed to protect Sybil in our home, whose eyes were white and possessed-looking, stared at me. The couple next to him made my chest tight with uncertainty. The woman who clung to her dead husband and took her own life was watching me. Was I in a dream? My focus moved back to the woman and her young son. The boy couldn’t have been older than five, but we had been here for eight years. Was that part of Exile—no one aged ?

“Thea…” Kaz’s sad voice broke through my panic. “It’s alright, maybe next time.”

“I broke my curse,” I spoke to all of them. “How are all of you alive? I watched several of you die. Why do the kids never get older?” Something was wrong.

Their faces looked sad and devastated even when I called them out. Part of me had expected anger because this was some sort of trick. I stepped backward as if that would protect me from what they would say to me.

“Thea, we can explain.” Fallon was the one to talk first.

“I’ll talk to her.” Sybil stepped forward and grabbed my hand in a comforting way. “She deserves to hear it from me and the boys.”

Fear gripped me.

“Why is no one happy? You all get to go home and live a normal life.”

I was blabbering on, but my mind was not making sense. They all stared at me, and I felt a crushing sadness because something was wrong. Maybe I had broken the curse in the wrong way. Maybe I didn’t do it, and this was all a sick and twisted dream.

I pulled my hand from Sybil’s, worried that something bad was going to happen. No one left; they all watched as I sank down to sit on the makeshift stage. Sybil kneeled in front of me, tears already gathered in her pretty blue eyes. The twins each stood to one side of me like I might bolt.

“You did so good, Thea. We are so proud of you.” She started.

They didn’t look proud of me. No, they looked devastated.

“You’re right, you did watch some of these fae die.” Her eyes closed tightly, like it pained her to tell me what she needed to.

“I’m so sorry, Thea. I wish things could have been different, but they aren't, and now we can all move on.”

Confusion settled deeper into my mind. My eyes shifted to the light breeze I felt. Della stood by as well, looking somber and heartbroken. Her star-colored eyes filled with guilt when she saw me.

“Why are you here?” I demanded an answer.

“It’s alright, Thea; she is here for us,” Sybil whispered.

Here for us.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I stood up. My emotions couldn’t be held in as my fire mist exploded and twisted around me in an angry vortex.

“We all died.” Kai was the one to finally say it.

My fire died immediately, and my darkness clawed its way up. The swirls on my skin glowed so damn bright it hurt my black eyes to see it.

“No,” I said. “You aren’t dead. You can’t be dead.” I started crying uncontrollably. Did I let them run out of food and supplies?

“Yes, we are. We died the day you were cursed.” Kaz frowned at me. “You don’t remember because you were dead too. Cassius was bargaining for you back. He doesn’t know that we had been killed.”

“You’ve been dead this whole time.” My father was right. Sybil and the twins and everyone were dead. “Why didn’t you tell me!”

“We couldn’t.” Sybil shook away her tears. “You needed a reason to fight, a reason to break your curse because you couldn’t remember Cassius. But it was like we didn’t have all of our memories either, or some of them twisted to make a different version of what happened. We didn’t remember we were dead until Cassius saved us last year, and we couldn’t tell you.”

Ardella moved forward, and I wanted to spit at her for taking them from me. These fae had been my family for eight years. Sybil and the twins were my family long before that. When I had no one in Cerithia, it was them who saved me.

“Thea, that day in the clearing, Cassius and I made that deal to save your soul. My brother put all of these stupid rules in place, including you being kept in Exile. All of these fae you see asked to stay until you broke your curse. To make this better for you, so you weren’t so lonely. I granted that to them because they felt like they owed you for saving them.” Ardella’s voice was still peaceful. My anger was slowly turning into a consuming grief.

“I didn’t save them if they are all dead!” The ground shook with my devastation.

“You saved us from our father.” Kaz squeezed my hand. “You risked everything to save us. Our father had all of us locked away in Cerithia, and he was planning to execute us, but you and Cassius stormed Cerithia and freed us. You did save us.”

I looked over all the fae standing in front of me, watching me with a deep sense of sadness.

“When we first got to Exile, we couldn’t remember anything that happened right before we got here. Our memories were gone too. It wasn’t until Cassius came and made us leave Exile last year that we remembered. We didn’t know that we were dead until a few days after leaving here, but we couldn’t tell you. The curse prevented us from saying that, and we didn’t remember details of how everything happened,” Sybil sobbed loudly to me. "Cassius could see us because Della allowed him to, to make sure you didn't find out until necessary."

My eyes squeezed tightly as tears streamed down my face. I shook my head as if that would make all of their words untrue.

“You once asked me who the other wisps were, and I lied,” Della confessed. “It was them.” Her hand swept around to all the elite magic fae watching us.

My head turned slowly as I stared at all of them. A sense of pride filled me. Slowly, they all shifted to wisp forms in front of my eyes. All around me, a rainbow of glowing orbs softly lit the night with a myriad of colors. Their lights pulsed gently, filling me with a sense of love before shifting back to their normal fae bodies.

“They protected you as much as they could,” Ardella said, frowning down at me. “I wish I did not need to take them, but I simply cannot let them stay.”

My eyes stung with deep emotion as I stood up and hugged Sybil and the twins tightly to me. How was I supposed to let them go? Sybil was like a mother, and the twins were my best friends...brothers. They turned towards Ardella.

“May we stay and talk to Thea for a little longer?” Kai asked. Ardella smiled and nodded.

Most of the fae shuffled into a guard formation. In the blink of an eye, all of the adults flashed in their crimson uniforms and saluted me.

“It was an honor to serve you in life and death, Captain Thea Valeska,” Fallon called out, and they all smiled at me as I saluted them, and then they were all gone. Tears spilled from me as shock was coursing through me.

“Here, sit.” Kaz helped me find my seat on the makeshift stage. Ardella stood there with them. At first, no one said anything.

“I don’t want you guys to go,” I sobbed. “You guys are my family.”

“We wish we could stay too, but this is the way it has to be.” Sybil gave me a sad smile. “We need to tell you what happened. It’s part of the reason for your prophecy.”

I nodded.

“Cassius tried desperately to help break the binding on your magic that your mother did when you were a child. He was so scared of losing you, so he said he was going to find the seer that foretold your prophecy. Cerithia had not made an attack for months, so we didn’t expect them to while he was gone.” Her eyes glazed over like she was reliving that day. “We were all living in Crimson by then, most of us as guards. You came and saved us when you realized what your father had been doing.”

“You gathered all of us and brought us to Crimson,” Kai began to speak. I nodded because I remembered that .

“Cassius had been gone for days when you insisted on going outside. You said something was wrong,” Sybil said. Flashes of that morning started coming back to me. “When we got out there, Cerithia had already advanced on the castle. We still don’t know how they got there without detection. But you immediately started fighting, and we tried to protect you.” Sybil’s voice was wavering.

“Cassius showed up right as your magic was about to kill you off for good. He said he knew what to do. So, we protected you two as you lay in the castle grounds. Then he stabbed you, and your magic exploded from you. We all went flying at the force of it. When we woke up, your father had already had us locked up.”

“How?” They had elite magic.

“He used a witch that had been a rival of your mother.”

“Our mother helped him,” Kaz frowned.

“Don’t worry, I made sure your mother suffered in death.” My eyes flashed red as my brothers looked proud of me.

“They killed us all with a simple swipe of their hands. They couldn’t get to you because Cassius and the gods were there. When Ardella realized we were all dead, she offered us a place with you or the option to move on. It was clear we chose you, always would.” Kaz smiled .

Rage consumed me. My father had killed them all and tried to kill me. Shaking my head, I tried to control the darkness clawing its way out of me.

“Don’t.” Kaz grabbed my hand. “It’s time to stop holding it in and let your powers all the way out, Thea. Then I want you to go and make them pay for what they took from us.”

I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and stopped trying to push the dark back inside. Finally, i t whispered as I let it slither its way out of me. It turned and twisted up and around me, clawing its way into every part of me, and as it did, power surged through me. It rippled in waves around me, and there was no way to force it back inside of me now that it was free.

Sybil and the twins smiled at me when I glanced at them. My clothing had all turned black, and I had constant ribbons of darkness floating around me. My vision pulsed black. My veins were black under my pale skin.

“You have some work to do.” Sybil smiled fondly at me. “It’s our time to go.”

“B-but Atticus, I promised him I would get you out and home to him.”

Ardella stepped forward as Sybil’s eyes filled with tears. I would have to tell him that she died years ago .

“Atticus is waiting for you, Sybil.” Ardella smiled. “He did not want to live without you.”

Sybil burst into tears at this news.

“But how did he know?” I asked. “I spoke to him not that long ago.”

Della frowned at me.

“That was not Atticus you were talking to in the forest.” Then who the fuck was it? “That little boy had illusion magic, and Cassius paid him to make him look like Atticus so he could talk to you. He thought you hated him for killing you and wanted to speak with you but didn’t want to upset you.”

“Clever boy,” Sybil laughed. “I cannot wait to see Atticus,” she muttered as she glanced at Ardella.

“We should go.” Kaz frowned, and all I could think of was Lyra. Just then she appeared a short distance away.

“Wait,” I whispered. Lyra was going to be devastated. Now with my memories back, I could remember how much she and Kaz loved each other. Kaz glanced at me oddly, but then turned when he heard Lyra.

“Kaz?” she whispered.

His chest seized when he saw her.

“Lyra.” He ran at her, picked her up, and hugged her. I frowned as he kissed her, and she sobbed with happiness because she didn’t know that it was goodbye. Kaz held her face as she talked and cried.

I couldn’t hear what he said to her, but I didn’t need to because a cry tore from her as she fell to her knees, screaming as if her heart had been ripped from her. Tears fell down my face as I watched him sink to his knees in front of her as she begged him not to leave her again.

I turned from them to give them privacy. Sybil hugged me first, then Kai. What did you say to someone for the last time? No words came to me, and I felt stupid for not knowing what to say.

Kai stepped forward and hugged me tightly again, giving me a kiss on the top of my head.

“Love you, sis,” he whispered, but I could hear him crying. “I wish I could watch you make Cerithia pay for what they’ve done. Maybe we will get to know each other in another life.” He pulled back and gave me his handsome smile once more.

“I love you too.” I cried as he started to disappear. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

He smiled. “Tell Cassius I said bye, and thanks for taking care of you.” Kai took two steps backward from me and disappeared, and it was a knife through my chest.

Sybil smiled brightly and hugged me so tightly I thought she’d crack my ribs.

“You were never sick.” I looked her over. She frowned and shook her head no.

“You needed a reason to leave and find a way to break the curse. I really did think I was, until Cassius saved us. I realized it was one of the memories that was twisted to make sense of everything.”

“I’m sorry I was such a stubborn shit,” I laughed softly as I cried.

Sybil laughed too and hugged me again.

“It was an honor to have known you, to call you a friend, family.” She smiled. “You will do great things, Thea. Make sure you give Cassius a hug for me and keep that boy in line. He loves you so much, so I don’t worry about you. He will take care of you with everything he has.”

“I know. I love you, Sybil. I’ll make my father and Jesper pay.” I promised.

She squeezed my hand once more before stepping backward towards Ardella and disappearing.

When I turned to Kaz and Lyra, she was sobbing into his chest as he cried. A moment later he kissed her and grabbed her hand, walking over to where I stood.

“Thank you for letting me say goodbye to Lyra." His eyes found mine, and I nodded. He stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “Give them hell, Thea.” Kaz smiled and gave me a kiss on the head like a big brother. He squeezed me in another hug, like he couldn’t help himself. “And live for all of us.”

“I promise.”

He turned to Lyra, who shook her head and begged him not to go.

“I love you.” He smiled at her as he wiped the tear from her cheek.

“I love you too.” She cried.

He kissed her again and stepped away from her.

“Please, take me with you,” she begged Ardella. “I do not want to be without him.”

“Lyra, no.” Kaz frowned. “You have a long life ahead of you.”

“It means nothing without you!” Her voice was unwavering. “I have lived eight years alone, and I do not want to spend another without you. I want to go to the next life with you. Please, Kaz, you are my mate. Life doesn’t feel good without you.”

Mate. I didn’t know they were mated.

Kaz cried silently as she broke apart in front of him.

“If you wish to go with him, I will take you,” Ardella said.

“Lyra…” Kaz whispered, but she stood and hugged him tightly, kissing him.

“I’m going.” She smiled. Lyra turned to me and bowed before hugging me. “I am sorry, Thea, but I cannot live without him.”

I nodded because I understood.

“I hope our souls cross paths again.” I smiled at them.

Lyra grabbed Kaz’s hand, and they walked forward together, disappearing.

Della frowned at me.

“I am sorry that I didn’t tell you.” She looked so guilty, but I understood. I wouldn’t have fought so hard to leave.

“I’m not angry with you; I’m angry at my father.”

She smiled at me before she disappeared. I stood alone in Exile, and it felt so wrong. All my memories of my time here played in my mind, and they only fueled my rage and hatred for my father and Jesper. I hated them with everything I possessed.

I walked to mine and Sybil’s home and sat at the table I made us. It was heart-wrenching to know what my own father did to my family. How could he be so cruel? Loud, heartbreaking sobs escaped me as all the memories from Exile crashed around me. I would have spent more time with them. I would have told them how much they meant to me every day if I had known that my time with them was limited. Glancing around the small home I shared with Sybil, I could picture her making bread .

I could picture Kaz and Kai telling me how I could beat their asses in a fight. My throat stung with emotions as the tears seemed never-ending. I didn’t know how I could ever move past their loss. I sat in the silence of Exile reminiscing about my years here. Then my darkness dug its claws into me, not relenting. She wanted me to picture all the ways I could kill Cerithia’s royal family and Jesper.

My mind raced with all the things I could do to make them pay, and after a long while, I smiled.

Their days were limited, but first I needed to meet with Falgon and Akecia’s kings.