The Scorchers quelled the fires that destroyed most of Dawnfield. The Shepherds gathered the dead. Friends and enemies alike. For nine days and nine nights they mourned their losses. The newly free people started rebuilding with the League’s help. The leaders of the realms and the League’s council orchestrated the efforts. It was time they laid down their weapons and raised their cities from the ruins. Rebuild their land.

Reggie was among those who oversaw the interrogations. They were trying to assess which imperials they could trust, if there any. They needed people who believed in their cause, not ones who would try to benefit from the chaos. Only a handful of the high lords were victims of the empire. The rest supported it, the system. Those were imprisoned until the new, united council would reassess their case. His mother was among them.

For the first few days, Seraphina would only sleep and eat. They told her she had spent two fortnights, imprisoned in the Keep. She needed the rest and the time to heal. Body and soul. When the medics came, they found they could do nothing better for her than what Vivienne had already done. The imperials had cut her legs off at the knee, but they’d closed and cared for the wounds as Damien needed her alive. Bait for Vivienne. While awake, she came to terms with the loss of her legs fast. Losing Vivienne, the way they lost her, overshadowed everything.

There were times she thought her feet were itching or numb, but she’d chastise herself. She no longer had her feet. She didn’t tell anyone she’d lost feeling in parts of her palms or that many of her fingers didn’t function properly. It didn’t concern them she could never be the assassin again. There was no room for her skills in the early days of their young-again land.

So her days consisted of food and sleep. Raine was always there, on her bed where her feet should’ve been. Reggie had Martin cage her when the scout brought back Damien’s note. Apart from the wolfess, either Barkley or Reggie were always there to reassure her when she woke. Too many times she woke up with the false memories Damien planted in her mind, of Reggie’s beheading and Chloe impaling, deranged and despaired. She’d scream and weep, until Reggie or Barkley reminded her of the truth. More often than not, she wouldn’t calm down until Reggie came to her side and she touched him. Hearing the truth wasn’t enough, she needed a physical confirmation. She finally understood why Keira was sure the Drudges were doomed.

Maxwell spent his time in the emperor’s library. He let no one inside. As the widower of their saviour, no one objected. He was taking comfort in books and his son. He read a lot. When he didn’t read stories to Ellis, he’d delve into the mind of the man who cost him Vivienne. Once Seraphina was strong enough, she joined him. They went over the texts together and, like Maxwell the first time, they didn’t like what they found. They couldn’t fathom they could understand him. They hated they could relate to him.

Three fortnights after Vivienne’s death, the dust settled. The brawls stopped. The people were attending open hearings, learning of what was in store for the land, taking part in the discussions. They realized a new age was on their doorstep. The Dawnfielders might’ve been in the dark about the suffering of their land outside the city, but they slowly started abiding to the new rule. Without fear of interception, birds were sent to every realm to declare the victory. One of them to Briohall, written by Barkley himself. In it, the message spoke of their success and carried the news of their coming. Barkley, Maxwell, Seraphina and Reggie were relieved from duty as did others.

With a heavy heart, they loaded a carriage with supplies and left the capital. Vivienne’s resting grounds. Once on the road, the impending family reunion lifted their spirits, even though her absence hung like a dark cloud over their heads. It’d been two cycles since they’d seen them ride away in Ironham. Too long.

Ellis took up most of their time. His amber eyes surveyed everything, curious about the world. He took his first steps on the way. Spoke his first word. Story. He was truly his father’s son, as Vivienne had said.

When they saw Briohall in the distance, they pushed the horses further, faster. A sense of urgency ran through them. At the gates, their family was waiting. All but Brenton, buried somewhere nearby. Chloe was sitting on Griffin’s shoulders, a spyglass in her little hands. She had gotten so big. Seraphina felt her heart breaking. Because of everything she lost in her daughter’s life until then and everything Vivienne would miss in her son’s life.

They stopped the carriage and while the men were helping Seraphina into her wheelchair, Griffin set Chloe down. She had a piece of paper in hand. She wobbled as fast her short legs could carry her to her mother. Jumped in her lap, almost knocking them both down. Reggie was there to hold her up and wrap his arms around them both.

She put the paper next to Seraphina’s head. “Mommy…” She touched Seraphina’s face, tracing her scar. “…daddy.” She reached behind for Reggie as well. She pulled on his beard laughing. The piece of paper had an excellent drawing of their faces, as they had been when they left her.

“Hey little girl…” Seraphina said and hugged her close. Chloe’s fists grabbed her shirt. She pulled back and Seraphina looked at her. “…you’ve gotten so big.”

“I’m three.” She said and brought up three fingers. Seraphina and Reggie chuckled nodding. Chloe looked at the drawing, then Seraphina’s neck. “That’s not here.” She said and pointed first at a burn on Seraphina’s neck, then on the drawing. “Hurty?”

Seraphina smiled, with tears in her eyes at the memory behind the mark. “No, it doesn’t hurty. Just a little mark your uncle forgot to add.”

“Okay…” Chloe said as if seeing through the mask. She looked down and there was no more worry. “Raine!” She reached out her little hand to touch Raine and tried to whistle, but she failed. Such a cute failure. The wolfess stepped away from Cloud and Brawn, fully grown then, and pushed her muzzle into Seraphina’s lap, sniffing Chloe’s feet. Seraphina was sure she remembered the child. Her pups stood by the chair, their whole bodies trembling in sync with their tails waggling.

Mirabelle and Lyn fussed over them all, going from one to the next, three times until they were satisfied. Chloe never left Seraphina’s lap as Reggie wheeled them in the city. Despite the time they spent away from their daughter and the horrors they’d seen and experienced, Seraphina and Reggie were ready to put it all past them.

Only one thing remained.

“Chloe, how about you let your daddy hold you too?” Seraphina asked her daughter. She smiled, showing her baby teeth, and threw her arms up waiting for Reggie. He took her and walked a little further. Seraphina turned to her brother. “Max?”

He nodded, handed Ellis to Mirabelle, whom Reggie asked to join him, and came to push the wheelchair. He stopped before Lucian at the steps of his Keep and bowed. “Master. Vivienne was victorious. Damien is dead.” He announced. Lucian spread his arms. Maxwell went to him. He leaned in and hugged the man tight. When he pulled away, Seraphina’s dagger was in Lucian’s heart. The same one that killed Damien. “This is for my wife, Phantom.”

Lucian fell forward. Limp. Dead. Everyone gasped. The people of Briohall grew disoriented at first. Then, seeing the dead body, they were angry. Her family was awestruck. Weston drew a sword. Seraphina drew on fire. “You feel different, don’t you?” No one answered, but they fidgeted. “Show them the letter.” Maxwell threw the letter at them and used his axe to chop off Lucian’s head, kicking it away before he threw the axe to the ground. On their journey, he’d vowed after that last one strike, he would never pick it up again.

He unbuttoned the shirt Lucian was wearing. There were scars all over his torso. Half of those wounds would be enough to kill someone, but when they’d happened all together, at the same time, he’d survived. Because he was an Aetheral. He’d been seven when it’d happened. When villages found him close to death next to his parents. The boy Lucian had spoken of, the one who feared death more than he loved life, was never Damien.

“Seem familiar?” Maxwell growled. “Coward.” He spat on his severed head.

Lucian was the Order’s Apostate. The Phantom.

Weston picked up the letter and started reading aloud for everyone.

“My dear Damien,

I am sorry it had to come to this. I know we deceived you but try to understand. Aether is our salvation. No more fear of dying. You and I, we can be together forever. Like we always wanted. An eternity together. He can give us that. Please, come to your senses, my love. Leave the Order. Join us instead.

No, join me.

As I write this letter, Dawnfield is ours. Lucian only had to walk through the city. Anyone he touched was his or dead. He grows stronger as our enemies grow weaker. His body may still be frail, but his gift is great. The army of Drudges grows and soon we’ll have enough men to chase down the Order and exact the secret of life. He’ll teach me, perhaps before you come back to me. Only you matter to me. Never forget that, so please. Come to me. Come and together we will use the knowledge they’ve kept hidden. Only for themselves, the hypocrites.

They must die or else they’ll come after us. I know the price is grave, but do the lives of people, who only care about themselves and their long life, matter more to you than me? I am your wife. I’m begging you. Come to Dawnfield. Witness the greatness. Lucian will be a great leader, despite his years, you will see. All you need to do is bow. He’ll teach us and then we can go. Live our lives while he leads Ostapia to greatness. We will be together for the rest of time. What more could you ever ask for? Come back to me.

Your beloved

Eloise”

They understood. The letter filled the hole in his story. His body had been old and frail before he started prolonging his life. Probably even feeding his life off them, not animals. They went back to staring at his exposed flesh. He’d been telling the tale of Damien’s ascendance to evil too long. In detail. They recognized the lies through the scars. They were identical. They didn’t move when Seraphina started burning Lucian’s body. They allowed it to happen. Maxwell stayed behind to explain everything they found in Threne Keep.

Stolen novel; please report.

Seraphina wheeled herself away and asked Reggie to join her. They spent the day with Chloe, getting to know their toddler, until the sun set. Chloe led the way to the house their family was living in. Brenton had made rooms for them as well. The rest of their family was already there, but they needed their daughter more than any explanations. They bid them goodnight and took their daughter to her room. Once she was asleep, Reggie climbed on the wide window ledge and helped Seraphina up as well. She sat in his lap and leaned back, against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her. While they enjoyed the quiet and their view, Seraphina told him about Damien and why she and Maxwell never let anyone in his study.

There were many of Eloise’s letters in Damien’s study. He had a shrine to her, preserved as much of her as he could. Letters they’d exchanged when he’d still been training with Lucian. They travelled all over Ostapia, the name of their land, lost in time. Away from their home, city to city. Realm after realm. His letters to her always spoke of the places he visited, the wonders he witnessed, the lives he’d saved. In hers, she spoke of how she missed him. How she wished he was there. In one, she kept repeating she was afraid bandits would attack their farm and hurt her, like the men had done when Damien had found her, beaten and bloody.

In his following letter, he’d included gold, the amount not mentioned, and told her he’d meet her at Wallowdale. The money was so she’d stay in an inn, until he and Lucian would come. The next letter was the one Weston held in his hands.

One thing Lucian taught Damien well was keeping records. Notes of everything he saw. In his journals, he spoke of Lucian’s shift after the Order of Dawnfield welcomed Damien in their inner circle. Damien was proud to live up to his mentor’s faith, but before the Order told him of their life extension, Lucian wanted to get away from the capital. To the corners of the land. He employed Eloise to beguile Damien into joining his cause. Dominion over their land, so no poor soul could ever go through the suffering they did at the hands of thieves and murderers.

Damien spoke of how they’d gone to Wallowdale for the spring festival in honor of his birthday, forty-six he’d be. He spoke of the music they heard and danced to. The marvelous paintings they saw. He had one in his study. The lyrical poetry that was like music to their ears. He recounted how on the night of his birthday, Lucian and Eloise took him down to the inn’s tavern to explain his plan.

He explained in detail how the moment Lucian stopped speaking, he felt the life of the people in the room extinguish. Snuffed like a gash of air on a candle. He was vivid in his descriptions.

That had been the moment he betrayed his mentor and his wife. He saw right through the lie Lucian fed to his wife and left without a word during the night. He rushed back to the Order of Dawnfield. He told them everything. They had the realms prepare their armies, but Lucian snuffed the lives of anyone who came close as easily as snapping his fingers. The Order decided to isolate the threat. They left Ostapia and used Elementals to bend nature to their will and create natural barriers that would keep Lucian away. The Phantom they called him.

Damien didn’t join them. He wanted to stay behind for his wife, try to have her see the truth behind Lucian’s lies. With their plan in place, the Order told him they were not lies. Not all of it. But only an Aetheral could extend their life. They taught him how, telling him they were giving him an option and a chance to fight and end Lucian’s life for they could not.

He was not interested in killing. He only wanted his wife. He sneaked into Threne Keep under the cover of Aether, Lucian didn’t know he was there until Damien had already convinced Eloise to leave Dawnfield. He deceived her too, telling her he possessed the secret to life, but not mentioning that only an Aetheral could use it, nor that he would never. At the time. They went to Lucian, to tell him they were leaving, he’d smiled, rejoiced they had reunited and allowed them to leave.

The following day, Basher Drudges came to their camp while they slept. In his journal, Damien didn’t say a word about the attack. He mentioned Eloise died and the Bashers didn’t touch him. He mentioned he took his first lives. He declared he would hurt Lucian the same way he just had. By taking what mattered to him most. He took his empire from him, took his legs and sent him away to watch as he ruled the empire Lucian always desired. After a while, he’d sent men to claim Lucian’s life and they’d reported they’d found nothing. That nothing lied beyond the gorge. Only sand. Perfectly constructed memories Lucian had planted and Damien had failed to see they were false.

When Ostapia was his and his goals accomplished, he went mad. He wasn’t the cruel man the people of Seraphina’s time knew yet. It took him a while to realize Aether was the reason of his sorrows. He survived sickness that he shouldn’t. He attracted the attention of the wrong man. He lost his wife to its promises. He started hating it. The hate extended to all kinds of Elementals.

He set out on a new goal.

Cleanse the land of Elementals. Abominations he started calling them. He hunted them down. Even whispers of them. It took thirty-two winters until he was satisfied. The hunt, the people’s pain, hardened him. At the end of the thirty-two cycle of slaughter, he was the man Seraphina knew. Time passed, but he remained the same.

“I want to hate him. He put so many people through so much pain. I want to hate him so bad, Reggie, but after what I read, I only feel pity. Lucian was the real villain. He fooled us all.”

“How do we know this is not his last act of deception?”

“Because he didn’t think Viv would kill him. That study was the only place he was his true self.” Seraphina replied.

“But Lucian helped us. Helped Viv…”

“No. He was playing his hand. He was once leading the Shepherds, but only set us to war when Vivienne came along to kill Damien for him. Without her, he stayed secluded up here, safe from everyone. Honestly, I’m pretty sure this attack on Briohall he spoke of to the councils decades ago never really happened. He was bidding his time. He even asked them to send any Aetherals they find to him. Only the Aetherals. He’s been living here with enough people to feed off, but not too many to draw attention. There was no attack.”

“It’s a little farfetched though.”

Seraphina touched his hand. “Why? No one came looking. Did you ever see any traces of destruction? To the city or the people? What we found when we first came here troubled me, but I figured it was just me being me. I’m telling you. It makes more sense. Even more so when we now know how well an Aetheral can manipulate memory.”

Reggie pondered over it. “It also makes sense why he didn’t know of passage under the Dark Highlands. The Order was escaping from him, not Damien, and Damien was a member barely long enough to know anything.” He turned his palm over, and Seraphina traced circles on it. “The people won’t like it.”

“I know. But they’ll see the truth. Lucian used the same tactic now as back then, setting his plans in motion only when he found someone strong enough to do his bidding and had Eloise under his clutches. He figured she’d convince Damien to side with him, he used his love for her to gain his compliance. But when he turned his back on him, he had the bashers kill Eloise. I’m sure we would be dead right now, all of us, if Max and I hadn’t decided not to take the chance. I am sure.”

“Better safe than sorry, huh?”

“Yes, the stakes were too high this time, but there’s more. Damien wasn’t good at reading them, but because of her muddled aura he thought she was pregnant. His words and hatred for me while I was captive… I understand. He saw in my memories how Lucian cared for me during my time here and my early pregnancy. Lucian treated me, but crushed his wife, of course it threw him off further.” Seraphina laid her head back against his shoulder. He was staring out the window, lips pursed, his hands trembled. “My love?”

“It’s like you said. I hate I relate to him. Damien.” Reggie said and started rubbing her arm. “When he took you, if I could…” he paused and bit his lips. He shook his head. “We are flawed, we can get spiteful. No one should have that much power, otherwise...”

“The rest of the world will pay the price, I know. Max and I burned every piece or writing containing instructions on wielding Aether for anything other than healing.” She sat up and turned. “If Ellis turns out to be an Aetheral, Max doesn’t want him learning more. Not even that, actually, but I told him to heed Viv’s letter. He can’t suppress the boy’s nature, any more than he or I could.”

“But if you never learned how to control it, you could’ve hurt people, especially you.” Reggie touched her cheek. “So could Ellis. I see.” Grinning, he leaned in and kissed her. “So, now it’s over, right? Nothing left to do?”

“There’s plenty to do. We need to find a way to reach out to the rest of the world. Through the desert in the north, through the endless sea in the south, over the ominous mountains east and west…” She said and his smile disappeared. “…but there are others to handle it.”

“What about us?”

“Oh, we’ll be busy.” She started counting with her fingers. “Answer questions.” He scrunched his face. “Reconnect with our family and move somewhere else. With lots of trees around. And a lake.” He nodded. “Build a house for us.”

“I’ll do the heavy lifting.” He interjected.

“I can’t walk, puppy. You’ll do all the lifting, I’ll supervise.”

“Your favourite.” He said and she chuckled.

“True.” She lowered her voice and resumed counting. “Work on getting over our… lovely experience.”

“That’ll take a while.”

She nodded. “Watch our daughter live her life, free and safe. Even if she grows up and starts burning our hair off, splashes our faces, sends gravel at us in tantrum, cuts our air off so we can’t disagree with her. Even if she ends up reading our minds as easily as I can call fire. She’ll be safe to be herself and we will be by her side.”

“Music to my ears.” He said and they both looked at Chloe, sleeping in her bed on the other side of the room. “You don’t sound done. What’s next?”

Her fingers traced his jaw until they rested on his lips. He looked at her. “Perhaps, grow our family?”

He grabbed the last two fingers. “Hmm, we did say we would after it was all over. Process’s nice too.” She shook her head smiling, but he kept up the serious facade. “More little feet mean more joy, right? Might numb the losses.”

“Just might.”

He nodded and kissed her fingers. “I like the last two. After the house, let’s do those, starting with the last one.”

She leaned in. “Why wait?” She closed the distance and kissed him. Finally, he smiled against her lips and picked her up. As Reggie carried her out of Chloe’s room and into their own, tears rolled down her eyes.

She’d told Vivienne she reached Threne Keep because she was alive on robbed time. Anyone who decided to stand in her way was dead or joined her. But that wasn’t robbery. In the struggle of survival she’d come first where other lost, there was no theft. She never felt guilty for any, but the two children she’d slain by mistake. The one time she lost, someone was there to give her more time. Every breath Seraphina had taken since then, every breath she’d take, wasn’t hers to take. She never earned them and she should feel guilt over those.

They were Vivienne’s last gift to her.

Seraphina hid her crying face in the crook of Reggie’s neck. Those weren’t tears of sorrow.

All she felt was gratitude.

She was thankful she met the once simple kitchen girl that turned everything she knew upside down. She was glad that girl walked into her life and saw what she needed even before she did herself. She was indebted to her sister for choosing to save her even though she knew the cost. She would repay the debt through Ellis, the only way she could.

Reggie laid her down on their bed and hovered. They stared into each other’s eyes, unmoving. Something washed over her. A cold touch sent chills up her spine. Reggie arched his back, he felt it too. For a moment, they both looked out the window and then again at each other. Even though they knew it impossible, they chose to believe it was her. Watching over them. Willing them to move on. Live.

Reggie’s lips reached for her neck as Seraphina gazed out the window one more time. Long enough to silently express her gratitude, before she lost herself in her husband’s touch. She owed it all to one person.

“Thank you, Viv.”

The End