24

A few weeks later, everything was going really well. I was in a good place with each of my guys and I'd made up with my dad. I healed the other wing of that fairy who lost his whole family in the war and he ended up taking a civilian administrative job helping Stefanie since he had an accounting background. She said he was thriving.

While grieving. So it wasn't all better, but he found his place in life and that was amazing. Truly.

Neldor and I had helped a few more children. Once the shock passed and people pulled their heads out of their asses—most of them at least—the crazy chilled. Most also accepted the statement we released especially when we set up a system to basically register for the waiting list. But it was also great for training and getting more healers experience.

Here and in Faerie.

Now that all the fairies were awake besides the queens, people were ready for the next step. I basically told them that was great, but there was only one person who got a vote on that.

Well, two. I got a vote too, but really it was Neldor.

He finally admitted that he didn't know if he'd ever be ready, especially since he would always be hurt by what she'd done, but he agreed it was time. So we decided to do it on a Saturday morning and then get fucking plastered.

Like seriously plastered.

The commanders were on board with that and needed the break as well, so they let their right hands know what we were doing and they would have to handle everything. And my guys wanted to be there for us. Izzy. Claudia. The list spiraled out like it normally did.

I simply sighed and shot Neldor a look. Really, we could never just have us.

"They loved her or love us," he said with a shrug before swallowing loudly. "Okay, you do your thing and I'll catch her."

"Nel, I can do—" Taeral started to say.

"No, I wasn't here when she fell into the darkness and died," he choked out. "I should be here to catch her and get the…"

I nodded. The process of burying her in the family crypt started. I had to put the magic on her later as an heir, but—it was a whole process just like any other species with beliefs.

I let out a slow breath and knelt in front of her. "Find peace, Elora, and may the gods be just. I can't ever forgive you, but you are definitely not the only one to blame."

"No, she's not," my dad agreed, sounding emotional as well. "And I no longer want her to burn, but I cannot forgive her either."

"But the fact you've gotten this far from hating her is why Meira loved you so much, Lag," Iolas said quietly. "We all feel the same. Now that we know the truth—enough. We've said it all."

Yeah, we really had.

I glanced at Taeral, waiting until he nodded and then Neldor. Good, I wanted to get it over with.

I built power, my magic making it clear I would need more than I originally thought. She wasn't simply one normal fairy to wake. I knew that. Of course I did, but I thought more in terms of Neldor, but she was so much more powerful than him, and he hadn't even had his wings when I'd woken him.

I gasped the moment it happened, feeling it click into place and pulling her own magic off of her.

But also because of everything I felt in that moment as well.

"Tamsin, please, are you hurt?" Julian demanded as he shook me.

"Not hurt," I answered in between sobs.

Sobs?

Oh, I was sobbing. "She was sorry. ‘I'm sorry' was her last thought. I heard it. It echoed." I raised my head and met Neldor's gaze, shock in his eyes. "She tried to stop. I saw the whole thing. She tried to stop. She didn't realize it would kill you or Taeral—the people she loved most. She thought her magic would protect you automatically. She did this to protect you."

"What?" he gasped, glancing at his mother as if she could give him answers, but she was gone.

And my soul was completely shattered for her. Elora had suffered so, so much. Just from the glimpse I got of her last days and what happened that day—everyone abused her. No, not Taeral or her mate, but… So much toxic and evil had been around her.

" Agra, you have to calm down," Darby begged.

"I can't," I sobbed. "Sedate me. Please, sedate me—" Then I froze. I stopped. "Wait!" I blinked at my dad since he'd been about to do it. I grabbed onto him. "Faerie. I cannot feel Faerie. That's what she meant. That's what she changed in the spell. That's why the portals all blew. She cut the connection between the queens and Faerie."

My eyes rolled up in my head and I fainted. It was partially shock and just being overwhelmed.

I wasn't out long though. I was lying in a room I didn't recognize and with a lot less people around.

"Hhora and several people we trust are preparing her body," Neldor said quietly, knowing I was back.

I nodded, pushing to sit up. I reached out for Faerie, but there was nothing. "She really did. She cut my connection with Faerie. I can't feel it at all." I let out a silent sob. "I'm free. It can't eat me. She did it for us."

"You have to calm down, my sweet mate," Julian begged. He nodded when I simply sobbed.

I felt my dad's magic on me and felt like I could breathe, settling with the sedative rune. I glanced around and found Onas. "You had a conversation with some ancients two days before about Neldor defecting."

His eyes flashed shock and he nodded. "They wanted me to name him a traitor of the dark realm. I refused."

"You never told us that," Stefanie muttered.

"It was nonsense and quick," he sighed. "I said I would never do that when every report came in that the prince hadn't killed any of our people. He only incapacitated them if on the battlefield. Took weapons and knocked them out. He was fighting for peace and trying—he just did it a different way. That's not a traitor. Everything was desperate, and—it was a quick thing."

"Except it wasn't," I whispered. "Elora heard, and the ancients cornered her saying that others would agree with them. They didn't need you because other ancients agreed and you could be overthrown. Stefanie and—" I nodded when Stefanie snorted, obviously not agreeing either. "But they would do it unless she mated the oldest ancient and had a daughter."

"He was as vile as Simimar," Stefanie hissed. "I hated that bastard even before I learned about the corruption and betrayal of the ancients."

"That was when Elora gave up all hope," I whispered. "She looked for magic to end it all. It didn't start as death but freezing —she couldn't take all the ancients." I met Neldor's gaze. "She didn't know how else to save you from being executed as a traitor without dooming Faerie if she mated that monster and the next heir was his blood."

"She really didn't forsake me?" he choked out.

"No, she—it all spun out. She was grieving your father, and she couldn't warn you—she was all alone." I gave Taeral an apologetic look, but he nodded.

"I was fighting, and—I was only a captain then. It's why you pissed off so many promoting Iolas and me, skipping ranks," he mumbled.

"Technically, I promoted you both those ranks first," I corrected. "I just did it all super-fast." So what. I shrugged. "But she gave up hope. It all turned to darkness and all she'd given and it was never enough. It was everything Mom and I have felt, but with her grief, her uncle trying to rape her, and now this—she broke.

"She thought her magic would automatically protect the ones she loved but thought if Faerie was never going to be on her side, she was done with Faerie. When she realized what had happened and Faerie and her people had basically eaten her, she tried to change the spell. She did change it. Add to it?"

"That's why I couldn't get to you," Lageos rasped. "But if you are truly free of Faerie, that was worth being trapped in the darkness."

I don't know if I felt the same, but Julian simply hugged me and Hudson rubbed my leg in support, understanding where my head was.

"She believed we were mates," I told Neldor, nodding when he couldn't hide his shock. "She thought I was the only one who could protect you and the gods wouldn't be so cruel to punish you for her failings. She—her last thought was she was sorry and cut the connection for us and whoever came next so the heirs couldn't be used anymore or eaten by Faerie."

"That's why animals and unicorns survived," Lageos whispered, wiping his eyes. "They were all gone in your mother's visions. Elora pulled back at the last minute."

I nodded. "She realized what she'd done when she felt Mom's magic hit hers and she immediately stopped. She knew how Mom had changed her spell and what it would do." I nodded again when my dad swallowed loudly. He's said that Mom had admitted Elora was more powerful than her.

And she was right. If Elora had wanted to, she could have ended Mom and finished the spell. She'd been certain of it.

"Instead, she used the power she had left to break my connection to Faerie and make sure I found you first," I told Neldor. "She knew—she had faith that I would protect you and not make you pay for her sins. That my mother's daughter wouldn't ever be that cruel."

"She was very right about that, baby doll," Neldor whispered, tears running down his cheeks. "You never, not once, made me pay for what she did. That's why you're the miracle of all of us, and I'm really grateful my mom freed you."

Me too.

And I would be forever grateful for that.

The End

PLEASE READ THIS!!!

Sorry to be dramatic but I'm getting more and more messages and emails always asking what's next or when can people expect what and I ALWAYS but these notes to answer that. So please, please, please read them. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to reply to everyone on all the socials, my emails, Discord, and write . I am but one woman who doesn't use ghost writers or AI. I set tough goals for myself and do my best to not keep you waiting too long for the next book of any series so that's the priority over replying to messages.

Plus, I put it right here where it's easy for you to see. Please read the notes I leave. Thank you. Drive on!

THANK YOU for reading this book!!

Thank you so much for reading the next book in this series. I woves all of you lots for your support and wanting more of my books. Please, please leave a review. It really helps me out to know which series people are eager for. I appreciate the time it takes!

Next is the first two books of Morrigan University. If you missed the first chapter on my website because you don't follow me on social media or just you missed the post, please keep reading because I put it after this. Then Artemis 26 will finish out the year. It is the last in series. There has been no change in the plans and there won't be. As I've said. Repeatedly. If someone else says it… Don't listen. I don't have anyone speaking on my behalf on stuff like that. Ever.

I hope you all have a great Halloween (for those who celebrate) and we all get some candy!

Erin