“It was just extra insurance. We didn’t come this far to lose our chance,” Kali said simply.
Selene smiled at her. “Is that right? Who do you think you’re fooling, though?”
Kali’s black beads looked up from her pot to Selene.
“You’re bluffing. That isn’t what the black pearl is for.” Selene watched as Kali turned back to her pot abruptly.
“Doesn’t matter. They believed it. That’s the only insurance we need.”
“You had Freja get the black pearl for another purpose, though … didn’t you?” Selene smiled knowingly.
“You are incredibly nosey. Do you have to peek at all the futures? Look at the present every once in a while,” Kali spat out as she stirred her pale, boney finger in the pot.
“We’re going to get Endymion back, and you’ll finally be able to leave here. It’s almost time.”
“I can’t see the future past the black hole. Its darkness blocks my visions. I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Kali scowled as she remained focused on the pot.
“I can’t see anything either. All we can do is put our trust in them and hope for the best.” Selene sighed. “Do you think he knows we’re coming for him? You don’t think he ever thought we gave up on him, do you?”
Kali stopped stirring the pot, and a small smile crossed over her lips. “No. Not Endymion. He knows we would never give up on him. Even now, he’s waiting on us.”
She lifted her head and looked at Selene. “When this is all over, we’ll take a much-deserved break. We’ll leave it up to the legacy we’ve helped create to take care of this world. Our time is coming to an end here. It’s time to give up the reins.”
“Giving up the reins will be hard.” Selene sighed with a smile. “But you’re right. We do deserve a break. We’ll leave this world to the Chain family and their legacy. The whole point of their family is to bring unity to the species, and that’s exactly what they’re accomplishing. If we can’t give up the reins now, we’ll never be able to.”
“Selene …” Kali whispered out. “What happens if they fail to bring him back? What if they’re unable to come back? Then what?”
“As long as they’re alive, there is hope. Even if they end up lost in the black hole, there is hope that one day they will return. We’ll hold to that hope and support their families until they do.” Selene sighed. “And if they’re killed, and all hope is lost …” Selene looked up at Kali.
Kali nodded her head, already knowing what she was thinking. “If there’s no hope to bring him back, then I’d rather be sucked into the black hole, too.”
“Heaven help us for the sin we will commit if that happens.” Selene stared into the darkness above her. If there was no hope to get Endymion back, then they would destroy the balance they’d worked so hard to build. She would rather be damned to an eternity of darkness with Endymion than exist in the light without him.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
The information they were searching for was ancient. If there was any, it would be buried deep within the archives. Reiya had sent word that they had some information from the Sage, but they were scouring through the libraries to see if they could find what they needed. It turned out that Hunter’s parents were already searching for information on the Slayer. His mother and grandmother both had premonitions of the future and were already ahead on the searching game, though Hunter was irritated that his mother didn’t tell him about it the last time they came to visit.
The vampires created a special team to look over their vast archives, with Jester heading it. Some remained entombed in a tower that descended into the bowels of the earth, buried so far beneath the vampire kingdom under dirt or water that centuries had erased their names from living memory. It was this team's job to retrieve everything and interpret it. Some of it was in an ancient language that required their special scholars to translate, which would take time. They had a feeling that if the information existed, it would probably be in one of those tablets.
Hunter had been sending out scouts every day, wanting to be ready the moment the demons were on the move. They wererunning drills and had a plan set for when that time came. He had also requested that the other wolves and their packs be on standby, so they would be able to get to them quickly, since there wouldn’t be a moment to spare.
Other than all the preparations, everything was fairly calm. Hunter remained relaxed, which kept the packs quiet. Seeing the Alpha of Alphas in a calm state kept the other wolves calm as well. If their leader wasn’t afraid, they wouldn’t be either.
Ciana was at the vampire kingdom helping look through documents. She was also there in case they found any information.
Susan, Jin, Renee and Freja were in town, picking out gender neutral outfits for the new arrivals. They cooed over the cute baby toys and gushed over the little shoes.
“Chasen should be heading back this way with Sam. I’m going to take a seat on the bench outside and wait for them,” Jin said, completely over the shopping already.
“I’ll go out with you. Can you grab the things on this list for me?” Susan asked, handing a piece of paper to Freja and Renee.
Freja wanted to groan in displeasure. Shopping wasn’t her thing. Instead, she smiled and nodded. She was disappointed Hunter couldn’t be with them, but he was busy with the pack, and she understood that. They needed at least one of their leaders to be present. So even though she was reluctant to leave Hunter, she also wanted to show her support and excitement over becoming an aunt.
Chasen and Sam agreed to come along as well. Chasen wasn’t letting Jin get too far from his sight. He was already protective before, but now that she was pregnant, he was absurdly overbearing and almost smothering at times.
“We will meet you out there in about fifteen minutes,” Freja said as she glanced over the party supplies Susan wanted them to grab. How she wished she could have been the one to go andsit with Jin. But she had a feeling that Susan wanted to talk to Jin about something, so she wanted to give them some privacy.
Jin sat on the bench outside and looked up at the sky as Susan sat beside her. She swung her feet back and forth as she breathed in the fresh air.
