Epilogue

"I thought getting my sisters back and releasing my vengeance on Perizada and her faithful sheep would be enough. Turns out, I want more. And why shouldn't I have it? If I have the power to take, then why wouldn't I? This is just the beginning. With the veils sealed and the demons of hell at my command, I will control the human realm. I'm about to be living my best sprite life." ~Celise

"Where did you send them?" Limaria, the former luminous sprite, asked Celise.

Celise smiled as she replied, "I separated mates from each other, split up the three closest friends because their bond—whether they realize it or not—is incredibly strong, separated children from their parents, and the pregnant females from the healers. I've also sealed every veil to every supernatural realm with blood magic. And the blood I used came from those who are dead, so those veils can never be opened again. Perizada will rot in the Realm of the Dead without her mate for all eternity."

Crestia chuckled. "I never knew you to be so ruthless when I was alive. The Realm of the Dead? A forgotten realm. That veil hasn't been opened in thousands of years, and for good reason."

"How is it different from hell?" Limaria asked.

Celise spoke as she turned the pages of the Nushtonia until she found the spell she wanted. "Hell is the final resting place of the truly evil. There is no way into hell unless your soul is lost beyond all salvation. Those souls become the demons that torture one another. They despise themselves and everyone around them. They don't even realize they are the creators of their own misery—the fire that burns there is fueled by their own evil. Only the Great Luna can send a soul there. The Realm of the Dead, on the other hand, is where demons, supernatural creatures like ourselves, warlocks, and others reside. It was created by the god who is the antithesis of the Great Luna. He rules that realm but has been imprisoned there for thousands of years. The djinn, the most powerful of all supernaturals, were the ones who sealed it."

The four sisters were enraptured by her tale, leaning in closer. "How were you able to send our enemies there if it has been sealed?" Crestia's brow furrowed.

Celise pointed to the book that had become her constant companion. "This is the Book of the Dead, otherwise known as the Nushtonia . Many have forgotten that it actually belongs to the ruler of the Realm of the Dead. I have no idea how it ended up in the human realm, but"—she held up a finger—"there is a spell written in the old language of the elves that allows travel into the realm. But it's a one-way ticket. It took me a while, but like every race, there are those who want nothing to do with the light. They wrap themselves in darkness and embrace it. I found an elf who knew the ancient language. Of course, I had to kill him after he translated it, but there are always sacrifices when committing genocide."

The four sprite females all jerked back, their eyes widening. "And who are we taking out of existence?" Crestia asked.

"Who do all evil, powerful magic wielders want to take out?" Celise replied dryly. She felt that it should be obvious. Was it original? Of course not. Power, in some form or another, is what every being wants. Some want it more than others, and some are actually willing to pursue it. The difference in this unoriginal conquest is the method. Many want to make their subjects bow to their will, become slaves, and so on. Celise didn't care. Humans had never wronged her or the sprites because they'd always kept to themselves, so she bore no specific ill will toward them.

"A leader, or leaders, is only as powerful as their weakest link. We will eradicate the humans. We will replace their paltry technology and ugly cities, roads, structures, and all other offending junk with our own cities. The supernaturals will build a society composed of those who are strong in blood magic and understand their place in this new supernatural world. Any who resist, or think they should replace us, will be destroyed."

What many supernaturals didn't understand was that all the human technology and destruction of nature were weakening the magic in this world. Remove it all, and there would be a thriving, powerful realm—not just for one race.

"Wow," Hishta, the fourth sister and quietest of the bunch, said, sounding impressed. "So, unlike others we've known who tried to take power in this world, you actually want to change everything about it."

"Exactly. Moving along now that the trash has been dealt with." Celise turned and faced the portal, still flickering with shadows and light pouring out of it. She lifted her arms and read an incantation from the Nushtonia . Small, grotesque demons flew out of the portal, hitting the ground in an ungraceful heap. Then the portal closed. Despite the vampire king's blood, Celise still hadn't been able to summon more powerful demons.

"Hellspawn?" Thraya, the healer sprite of the group, said, her eyes widening. "What do you have planned for them?"

"And now that we're getting everything out in the open," Hishta added, "can I ask why we didn't look like the ghost-spirit thing that was Jewel's mother? We appear just as we were before we died. How is that possible?"

Celise addressed the questions in order. "The demons are to deal with any supernaturals that oppose us. And, of course, to kill humans. We will need to open these portals in all parts of the world. These demons cannot travel by creating their own portals, so they are limited to normal means of getting from place to place—on foot.

"As for why you four are completely corporeal, I used my own soul to bring you back. Each of you has a part of me in you, which means you share the same power that I've been given by this book." She pointed to the Nushtonia .

"And what about them?" Limaria pointed to the supernaturals who had been silently standing in the forest behind them.

"Those are some of the most powerful in their races, and they are part of the group that wants the human world gone and a new magical realm in its place." Celise turned to them. "Remember the areas that are most important to target: the human fighters and their weapons. You may go."

The four sisters looked back at her, and Hishta asked, "What do we do now?"

"We figure out how to actually open the Realm of the Dead and build an alliance with its ruler."

"I'm not exactly sure"—Heather sat on the hard ground—"but I'm going to take an educated guess that we are not in Kansas anymore. And since I can't sense Kale at all, it seems he hasn't joined us in this sauna."

"You're quite observant for someone who cannot see," Andora remarked.

Jewel pushed herself up from the dirt-covered ground and felt a body moving next to her. She turned and saw that the twisted version of her mother had traveled with them to wherever Celise had sent her and the others. Her stomach coiled as she looked at what felt like a distorted remnant of her mother's soul. It was all her fault. The mantra of her entire life would be those words.

"Heather," Fane spoke up, "you're here with me, Andora, Jewel, and some sort of apparition of her mother. I have no idea where we are, but you're right—your mate isn't here, nor are mine or Jewel's."

Heather sighed. "Damn. Couldn't we have at least gotten Zara, Kara, Myanin, or even Jen for some entertainment? No offense, but you're all intense and, for lack of a better word, boring."

"You have the strongest alpha in history, the Sprite Queen, and a genius healer with you," Andora pointed out, "and you're concerned about being entertained?"

Heather picked up a rock and skipped it across the ground. "If we're stuck in a place that feels like hell, and probably looks like it too, with no idea how long we'll be here, then yes, I'm interested in having something to take my mind off things. Laughing is good for the soul and keeps up endorphins and stuff. Ask the genius. She knows." Heather turned her head in Jewel's general direction. "What do you say, healer? Am I right?"

"Not to burst your bubble, Heather," Jewel began, "but considering I'm the reason we're in this situation, I'm not the genius you all thought I was." Her head dropped as bile rose in her throat. "I don't know who I am anymore, or who I've become. What I do know is I made foolish, selfish decisions because I wanted my mother back, even though it was the wrong thing to do. And now I have this … thing with me. I was cruel and unloving to my mate. I disregarded the pack and those I love. I'm the reason we're separated from our mates. I wish more than anything that my death—my blood and life force—would fix it all. In my afterlife, I could atone for my sins, even if it meant being separated from the Great Luna and all her goodness. I'm no help to you. If anything, I'm a liability."

The silence felt like the loudest shout of condemnation in Jewel's mind. It was all that she deserved.

"Damn," Heather muttered. "That was a lot more than bursting my bubble. Next time, maybe just dial it down to ‘I'm kind of short on facts right now.' Simple and way less ‘let's un-alive ourselves' vibe."

Jewel ignored the healer, who usually entertained her, and tried to avoid looking at her mother. She stared at the ground, willing it to open up and swallow her. Then gentle fingers touched her chin and lifted her head. Fane was staring down at her, his blue eyes glowing with his wolf.

"Every single person we love has caused us pain in various ways. It's the nature of our free will to choose between right and wrong." His deep voice was undeservingly gentle. "You're no different from any of us, and you're not loved any less because of your choices. Every person who showed up for you today did so of their own free will. They did it because they will forgive you. They'll pick you up when you fall and help guide you back to the narrow path, where doing the right thing is so much harder than doing the easy thing. They do this because they love you, because you're pack, and because you belong to the Great Luna. Ultimately, it's Her judgment that matters.

"The greatest act of evil you could commit now is to not forgive yourself or give your pack the chance to forgive you. Ending your life is not the answer. It never will be. Do you understand, Jewel Black?"

Tears streamed down her face as she looked up into the face of a man, an alpha, who truly loved every member of his pack—even her. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good," the wolf in him growled in approval. "Now we'll figure out where we are, find a way out, and"—he glanced at the blind healer in the group—"make sure Heather is entertained along the way."

Heather grinned. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you'd be a great alpha." She snorted and stood up. "I crack myself up. Maybe this is my opportunity to prove I'm my own entertainment. Damn, that sucks. Only boring people are here to witness my rise to greatness."

"Yes, I'm sure the disappointment is crushing." Andora rolled her eyes.

Jewel walked over to Heather and took her hand, placing it on her arm.

"Is your creeper mom still attached to you?"

"Yes."

Heather nodded. "Cool. Maybe she'll appreciate my entertainment. I'm completely fine with dead people finding me funny."

Jewel didn't bother to tell the other healer that her mother didn't seem to exhibit any emotions. She simply began walking, following Fane, praying to the Great Luna that this wouldn't be the end of their time in this life. She prayed with everything in her that, like Fane said, all those she loved, including Dalton, would be given the chance to choose to forgive her. Everything she did from this moment on would be for her mate and for her pack.

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