Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The mirror had vanished, but its voice echoed all around me. "You claim to have chosen love."

I scowled. "What game are you playing? I did ." Anger and violence strengthened my words.

The mirror continued. "You must solve a puzzle. If you fail, you'll remain here forever, and your friends will kill each other."

The blood drained from my face. A puzzle? God, no pressure there.

Uneasiness gripped me, and I broke out in a cold sweat. "What kind of puzzle?"

"The vault door puzzle will prove whether you are what you claim. To obtain what you seek, you must complete all the pieces of your life. Lying will not open the door for you or your friends. If you die, not only do you remain here for eternity, but your friends will lose their lives."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Yes, you've said that before," I grumbled. How did all their lives rely on me? I wasn't anything special. Only someone who loved her mate, her brother, and her friends dearly.

But I had no time to dwell in self-pity. I had a job to do, and I was the kingpin for getting out of this mess.

I put on my big-girl panties and approached the vault door. Its surface shimmered and rearranged itself. What emerged was a vast, intricate network of glowing lines and nodes. A constellation of sorts, but unlike any I'd seen in the night sky.

The nodes pulsed with soft light, and as I looked closer, I realized each one contained a tiny scene. Moments frozen in time. I recognized faces. Justice, Damon, Zara, my brother, and others I loved. Yet there were also strangers, events I didn't recognize, moments yet to come.

At the center of this temporal constellation was an empty node, larger than the rest. Surrounding it were four concentric rings, each holding multiple nodes. Lines of light connected some nodes to others, forming a complex web.

A voice emanated from the vault. "To unlock the path forward, you must complete the Temporal Constellation. Choose wisely which moments to connect, for time is a delicate tapestry. One wrong connection could unravel all."

A massive hourglass materialized behind me. So, this task had a time limit.

I realized I could move the nodes, rearranging them within their rings. When I connected two nodes correctly, the line between them solidified and glowed brighter.

But it wasn't as simple as connecting events in chronological order. Some connections only worked if they represented a thematic link, an emotional bond, or a cause-and-effect relationship that transcended linear time.

I tried to connect a node of Damon to one showing Damon and Zara in Garrick's hideout. The line fizzled and faded. Wrong connection. I bit my lip, thinking harder.

Then, I saw a node showing my brother teaching me about the power of love, but he wasn't alone. An older man was with him.

My heart raced as I stared at the image, a whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. The man's face was unfamiliar, yet something deep within me screamed that I should know him. My hands trembled as I traced the outlines of his features, desperately searching for a spark of recognition.

Flashes of memory assaulted me. His strong hands guiding mine as I nocked an arrow, his steady voice instructing me on proper gun handling, his fierce movements as he taught me to fight. Each fragment felt like a piece of a puzzle I couldn't quite solve, leaving me dizzy and disoriented.

I watched, transfixed, as this enigmatic figure ran alongside Damon, their movements in perfect sync as they hunted a vampire that left carnage in its wake. The similarities between them were striking. The same dark hair, matching builds, and, most hauntingly, an identical fierceness blazing in their eyes.

My breath caught as I noticed the look of pure admiration on Damon's face. It was an expression I'd never seen my brother wear before, and it made my chest ache with a longing I couldn't fully understand.

"Dad." The word escaped my lips in a choked whisper, and suddenly, everything clicked into place. A tidal wave crashed over me as my mind reeled from the implications. This man, this stranger who felt so achingly familiar, had to be my father.

Tears blurred my vision as I grappled with the cruel reality of my situation. My memories had been viciously torn away, sacrificed in the pursuit of the Mirror of Aethereal. Yet here I stood, every fiber of my being screaming in recognition of the man who had shaped me, even as his face remained frustratingly out of reach in my mind.

I clenched my fists, a maelstrom of anger, grief, and determination surging through me. I may not remember him fully, but I felt the echo of his influence in every move I made, every skill I possessed. Somehow, I would reclaim these stolen memories and piece together the shattered fragments of my past.

With tears streaming down my face, I made a silent vow. I would solve this puzzle, no matter the cost. I would remember my father.

I slid the pieces together, and it glowed perfectly.

The next piece of the puzzle materialized before me, and my world tilted on its axis.

Justice. My mate. The vampire who had irreversibly claimed my heart and soul.

A tidal wave of emotions crashed over me as memories flooded in. Our first encounter in the cave replayed vividly in my mind. His piercing eyes meeting mine, a spark of recognition igniting between us as fear and mistrust clouded my judgment. I could almost feel the heat of his body as he shielded me from the demons of Gluttony, his arms a sanctuary amid chaos.

My breath hitched as I relived the moment he swept me into his arms, carrying me to safety. The ghost of his touch sent shivers down my spine, and I reached out, desperate to feel that connection again.

Tears welled in my eyes as I recalled how wary I'd been, how I'd pushed him away even while something deep within me yearned to draw him closer. But patient, steadfast Justice had proven himself time and time again. Each act of loyalty, each moment of unwavering support, chipped away at the walls around my heart until they crumbled entirely.

A sob escaped my lips as I remembered his relentless pursuit through the treacherous Unseelie realm. I saw him in my mind's eye, battling against impossible odds, his determination fueled by a love so fierce it defied reason. Garrick had tried to tear us apart, but Justice's devotion had been an unstoppable force.

My fingers traced the air where his face should be, longing to cup his cheek and lose myself in the depths of his gaze. The trust I felt for him transcended anything I'd ever known. It was bone-deep, soul-binding, as essential to my existence as the air I breathed.

"Justice." I whispered his name. My heart raced as if trying to leap out of my chest and find its other half. The thought of losing him, of a world without his steadying presence, sent a jolt of pure anguish through me.

I clenched my fists, a fierce determination rising within me like a phoenix from the ashes. My voice trembled with emotion as I made a vow to the universe itself. "I won't let you die, Justice. Not now, not ever."

My love for him burned like a supernova in my chest, bright and all-consuming. It fueled my resolve, giving me the strength to face the challenges ahead. With every fiber of my being, I knew I would move heaven and earth, challenge fate itself if necessary, to keep him safe.

Our bond, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by unwavering trust, was unbreakable. And as the pieces of my memory continued to fall into place, one truth remained constant. Justice was my anchor, my home, and I would fight with every ounce of my being to protect the love we shared.

My hand trembling, I connected it to the moment I chose to save Justice over gaining more power for myself. The line blazed into existence, brighter than the last.

A pattern was emerging. I spotted a node showing a future event—myself standing against a great darkness, drawing strength from unseen bonds. On a hunch, I connected it to a past moment when my friends and I had stood united against Maci in the Unseelie realm. Garrick, Justice, and I had saved Maggie, breaking the spell that turned her against us.

The line between them shimmered into being, a bridge across time.

All the while, I heard sand trickling in the giant hourglass behind me. The soft hiss was a constant reminder of the stakes, of the limited time I had to prove the wisdom of my choice.

As I worked, I realized the puzzle was testing not only my knowledge of events but also my understanding of the connections between people, the consequences of actions across time, and the enduring power of love and loyalty.

I saw a node showing Damon making a sacrifice for Zara. I connected it to a moment when I had stood by Justice despite Damon's disapproval of me choosing a vampire to be my mate.

A vampire had murdered my mother, and I had been taught vampires were our sworn enemies until I met Justice. He had not only saved me, but numerous times, he had saved Damon, even my father, when he was held prisoner. The line that formed seemed to strengthen nearby connections as well, as if the shared theme of sacrifice for love resonated across multiple events.

Then, I noticed a subtle node, easy to overlook. It showed a small kindness I'd once done for a stranger. On a whim, I connected it to a node showing the same stranger years later, saving one of my friends from danger. The line that formed sent ripples through the entire constellation, illuminating paths I hadn't seen.

Some connections were harder to make. I saw a node showing a moment of bitter argument between Justice and me when I didn't trust him and accused him of being like the vampire who'd murdered my mother. It hurt to look at, but I forced myself to consider it.

After some thought, I connected it to a node that showed us stronger together, facing a common enemy. The line that formed was thin at first but grew stronger, teaching me that even difficult moments could lead to growth and strength.

As more connections formed, I started seeing the bigger picture. A choice made out of love here led to unexpected strength there. A moment of loyalty in one time created a ripple of positive change in another. The web of connections grew more complex but also more beautiful, a shining testament to the power of love and loyalty across time.

But the puzzle was far from solved. Many nodes remained unconnected, and the central piece was still dark. I felt time slipping away with each grain of sand. I had to dig deeper, understand more, if I was to unlock the vault and claim the hourglass.

I turned my focus to the next set of nodes, each a piece of the grand tapestry of time and love I was trying to weave together.

Certain combinations unlocked memories or revelations.

Connecting a node showing my brother teaching me about love to one showing a future challenge illuminated a path forward.

Linking a moment of Justice's pain to an instance of sacrifice I'd made for him strengthened our bond across multiple nodes.

Connecting nodes of strangers making choices of love over power sent ripples through the entire constellation, unlocking new possibilities.

But one wrong move—trying to force a connection that prioritized power over love, for instance—would make sections of the constellation dim and reset.

With each correct connection, the central node pulsed brighter. When I completed the constellation, I knew that final piece would fall into place, unlocking the vault.

But the sand was running low, and the puzzle's complexity was daunting. I had to rely not only on my knowledge, but on my heart, on everything I understood about love, loyalty, and the bonds between people.

This was the true test. Not merely of my mind but of my choice, my values, and my understanding of what really mattered.

The question was, would I figure it out in time?