“You can’t drain me,” he breathes, each word long and raspy as I sense him fight against the draw of my power, and I grin, eyes wide and alert as I snarl at him.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
Channeling my mother’s words of guidance, I ground my feet into the floor and yank my hands back, stumbling at the lack of contact, but afamiliar scent envelops me as arms wrap around my waist.
“It’s time, Elodie,” Kael whispers, his lips brushing against my ear as he speaks. “It’s time to use the other item we stole from Professor Grimm’s storage cabinet,” he adds, reaching into his pocket to place the delicate metal against my palm.
“We just need the attendance of one final guest,” Kael’s mother adds, staring down at Jude with a blank expression as Rikard appears with a man in cuffs beside him.
Professor Grimm.
A dirty cloth is tied around his mouth, accentuating his fear as his entire body trembles.
His petrified stare lands on the item in my hand, his pupils blowing as understanding washes over him.
“Any last words?” I breathe, and Jude groans.
“I—”
“I didn’t mean you. I meant those you have brought pain to,” I snarl, glancing around the room, but no one parts their lips, each person content on simply bearing witness to his downfall.
“Little Weapon,” he mumbles, swaying as he tries to rise to his feet, his teeth elongated as he rolls his shoulders, and I smile, staring deep into his eyesas I press my lips against the Emberlock in my grasp.
It was so close to its target the first time it was in my hands.
It will find its mark tonight.
I vow it.
My eyelids close, but the vision of Jude and Professor Grimm remains, only I envision fear flickering in their eyes, the swirling fire burning the distance between us, setting alight the tormentors that have caused immeasurable damage.
The Emberlock warms in my hands, a panicked shriek fizzling through the air as the scent of burning hair fills my nose, heat thickening the air this time as the floor rumbles beneath my feet.
Death is undeniable as the world crumbles around me, another realm of control shattering at my actions, and I’ve never been more content in my life.
A hand lands on my shoulder, another on my waist, and a third on the back of my neck as the press of their foreheads rest against mine, combining me with the three men I know are my forever.
Loyalty knows no bounds, and wherever I may land, I know I will never be alone again.
EPILOGUE
THORNE
(Two Years Later)
In a world full of darkness and hatred, embroiled in a fight for power, seek joy, hope, and growth.
I recall my father’s words as if they were just spoken. Maybe it’s because they’re just as relevant now as they were then, only the stakes are completely different, and the positives, for the first time ever, outweigh the negatives.
Taking a deep breath, I think about that fateful day two years ago and wonder how it was ever even the same lifetime.
My chest aches with contentment. It’s a feelingI’m still adjusting to as my life continues to shift around me, today more than ever.
She doesn’t know I know, but I can see it in her eyes thatshedoes. Now it’s my turn to give her a big surprise.
Two years.
Two years since everything as we knew it shattered into a million pieces.
