It was okay. It really was.
This was beginning to look more and more like a good conclusion to our Nerakian adventure. If anyone deserved a damn good happy ending, it was Hundurr. He’d been through hell and back. And now, he had his body back.
Harper
None of us could take our eyes off Hundurr, especially those of us who had had the good fortune of fighting with him. He was tall and handsome, with a feral beauty that was otherwise difficult to reproduce. He was a little dazed and was still adjusting to his body, but the smile on his face said everything.
The Adlets who had helped us back in Azure Heights all jumped to their feet and gathered around him, lavishing him with praise and tight hugs. I had a feeling his kids would be over the moon the next time they saw him.
I then looked at Caspian, pleased to see over forty percent of his body already healing. The glowing membrane that Corrine had put around him was certainly working. Soon enough, he’d open his eyes and meet my family.
“You really love him, don’t you?” Mom asked, then dropped another kiss on my forehead.
I gave her a weak smile and a nod. “I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“You’re beaming like the morning sun,” Serena replied, grinning with delight. “Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen this soon.”
“Me neither,” I said, then chuckled softly.
“Well, I was hit over the head with a boulder when I met your mother,” Dad replied. “Figuratively speaking. You never know when or how it happens. But, when it does, you just have to ride it out. Chances are it will last a lifetime.”
“You’ll like him, I’m sure of it,” I murmured. “He nearly got himself killed for me.”
“Frankly, I’m liking all of your new friends,” Dad said, nodding at our allies.
What wasn’t there to like, anyway? Neha and Pheng-Pheng were unbelievably fierce. The Adlets were loyal and brave. The Imen were extraordinarily resilient, with a rich cultural heritage—they knew how to make the most of their short lifespans. They pursued art, beauty, and education. They made the world a better place. The Dhaxanians were cold and distant, but they could be extraordinary allies and were true to their word, despite their unconventional techniques. They’d understood that with great power came some responsibility.
The Maras… Most of them had been horrendous, but that was simply because of the toxic culture that their forefathers had perpetuated from the moment they’d come to Neraka. They didn’t know any better. They didn’t want to stray from the herd—those who did were quickly ostracized and punished, or, in Caspian and Sienna’s case, for example, forced into a blood oath. There was good among them. We’d saved those who had turned against their people and had understood that killing innocent creatures for pleasure or to chase a temporary high was wrong.
And even the daemons were subject to massive changes. Unlike the Maras, however, they required a firm and brutal hand to put them back in their place. They didn’t respond to other kinds of reinforcement, unfortunately. But it was all for the greater good. Whether they liked it or not, they were going to change their ways. They were going to stop hunting Imen. They were going to wean themselves off the souls. That was just so wrong and unnatural, so cruel and vicious. There was no room in this world or any other for such behavior.
Peyton and Wyrran brought Farrah and Rowan closer to the fire, and we all gathered around them. Rowan had come to and was clearly unhappy with where she was. Farrah was quiet and gloomy, most likely getting used to the idea that judgment and punishment were coming. Sienna was fighting back tears as she leaned against Tobiah and stared at her mother. Rowan sneered at her.
“You’re a traitor to your people,” Rowan said. “I’m ashamed to call you my daughter.”
“Tough luck, Mom. I’m the only one you’ve got,” Sienna shot back.
Derek and Sofia came closer, accompanied by Jax and Hansa. Peyton and Wyrran took a few steps back, while Nevis and Neha watched from the edge of the circle we’d formed around them.
“We didn’t get all the Exiled Maras, did we?” Derek asked.
Jax shook his head. “No. Some definitely escaped before the mountain base was sealed off. There were plenty of tunnels they could’ve reopened to get out of the city.”
“That’s fine,” Nevis replied. “They will all be captured, eventually. They will pay for their crimes.”
“We’ll take these hostiles back to Calliope for judgment, though,” Derek said.
Rubia, one of the Daughters, scoffed. “We won’t be as forgiving as the last time, rest assured.”
“I would like to kindly request that we form a tribunal and judge each of the Exiled Maras individually,” Jax interjected, his brow furrowed. “Some are guiltier than others. We’ll need to ascertain who was deliberately working with the Lords to perpetuate these horrors, and who was simply afraid or under an oath.”
“Do you not agree that they deserve punishment?” Safira asked.
“I most certainly do,” Jax replied. “I just think the penalty must also fit the crime. They will all pay, of course. But I trust we are able to quantify the damage they’ve done and to punish them accordingly. I will make sure to set a noteworthy example.”
“Oh, please!” Rowan groaned, rolling her eyes. “Just because we found a way to elevate our existence doesn’t mean we’re guilty of anything. It was always about the survival of the fittest. It’s not our fault we’re designed to lead!”
“That’s a load of crap,” Jax hissed. “You had a chance to do something better with yourselves, without destroying the lives of thousands of Imen. You squandered the opportunities you were given, and you chose to torture and kill. At least the daemons ate souls to prolong their lives. Not saying they had a better reason, but you were in it for the temporary high, and nothing else. That is insanely superficial, and it’s what led to your downfall.”
“Well, that and their greed,” I muttered from the side. “They nearly wiped out the Iman population and decided to bring in some Eritopians to replenish their soul food source.”
“Yeah, you picked the wrong supernaturals to mess with this time,” Derek replied, raising an eyebrow. “A new age is dawning. We embrace diversity and peace. Your ‘survival of the fittest’ is just a shtick, a pathetic excuse to justify your cruelty and evil ways. We all see right through it. Which is why you’re now here, in such a pathetic state.”
“Time’s up,” Hansa added with a cold smirk.
A groan next to me made my heart skip a beat. I looked down to my left and saw Caspian open his eyes and blink several times. The glow dimmed down but stayed present, as the spell continued to work on him. His eyes found mine, and he exhaled sharply.
“You’re okay,” he murmured.
I leaned forward and kissed him softly. His lips and most of his face had healed. His jade eyes glimmered with relief and hope as he looked me over from head to toe, then smiled.
“Of course,” I replied. “In part, thanks to you.”
“You drew Shaytan away before he could finish me off.”
I nodded. “Well, what kind of world was I fighting for, if it didn’t have you in it, huh?” I said, smiling.
Mom, Dad, and Serena came closer, giving him warm smiles. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the confused look on his face.
“Caspian of House Kifo, this is my family,” I added. “Hazel, my mom. Tejus, my dad. And Serena, my awesome sister.”
“Aww.” Serena giggled. “I think we’re both competing for that title,” she said, then shifted her focus back to Caspian. “It’s an honor to meet you, Caspian. And don’t worry, we’ll totally drill you with lots of uncomfortable questions once you’re back on your feet. No one gets away from the Hellswans’ fiancé probe.”
Mom dropped to her knees and placed her palm on Caspian’s chest. “I know you’re connected to Harper now. And I know you’re becoming one of us, in a way. Like Serena said, we’ll definitely get to talk later, but, for the ti
me being, thank you.”
Caspian blinked several times. “What are you thanking me for?”
“For saving our daughter’s life, more than once,” Dad replied firmly. “We know everything you’ve done for her and for GASP. The Hellswans are forever in your debt.”
Caspian nodded slowly, his aura blooming into a bright gold hue. I could feel him again—his love for me, his hope returning, his awkwardness in front of my parents… his relief. He could breathe again, much like the rest of us.
After Rowan and Farrah were put away inside a charmed circle in the capsule, the rest of us caught up with our friends and family. We introduced our beaus and better halves to everyone. Caia and Blaze, however, kept quiet for a little while longer—though everyone could see right through them. Heath, in particular, was struggling not to chuckle whenever the dragon and the fae exchanged longing glances before focusing on the group conversation again.
About an hour later, we all had a pretty good idea of what we needed to do next, at least where Neraka was concerned. Caspian was up in a sitting position, his breathing even and his vision cleared. Nevis’s wounds had closed, too, but, just like Lumi and me, pieces of his soul were missing. It was impossible to describe how that felt, but the looks we exchanged spoke volumes instead.
“I think it’s best if all the Exiled Maras are repatriated to Calliope,” Derek suggested, looking at Draven and the Daughters for their approval. They all nodded in return.
“The guilty will stand a fair trial,” Draven replied. “The rebels who worked with GASP to overthrow the Lords of Azure Heights will be allowed to return to White City.”
“You’re all welcome,” Jax interjected, looking at Caspian, Sienna, Peyton, Aymon, and all the other rebel Maras who had survived. “White City will be your home, and you will live among Maras who respect all living creatures and give grace for every drop of blood they get to drink.”
His wards stood behind him, carefully analyzing each of the rebel Maras and Imen. One of them placed a hand on Jax’s shoulder. “Milord, what about the Imen? They’ve been repeatedly mind-bent. Their memories and wills require a cleanse.”
Jax nodded. “Yes. First thing in the morning, we’ll summon all the Imen to this camp. We’ll override their mind-bending en masse, now that I have you, my faithful wards, back in the fold.”
“Wait, en masse?” Wyrran asked, frowning slightly.
“It needs to be done. We have to make sure that the Exiled Maras no longer have any control over you or your people. We’ve seen it with Alles and Dion, may their souls rest in peace,” Jax replied. “Neither of them was aware that Alles had been mind-bent as a sleeper agent. There are many of them in similar conditions across Neraka. It’s better to just wipe the slate clean.”
“You’ll wipe our memories?” Wyrran muttered.
Jax shook his head. “No. I can only do this with my wards’ assistance. Consider it a cleanup operation. I’ll simply remove all the Exiled Mara corruptions. Your memories and your wills will be all yours—even what was repressed.”
Neha then stepped forward, smiling at us.
“I believe it’s time we discuss our roles, as separate species, going forward,” she said. “I will continue to lead the Manticores. Our culture remains, and our people will thrive. However, I think it’s time we all sit down and discuss a peace treaty among ourselves—the Manticores, the Dhaxanians, the Adlets, and the Imen. Our alliance should be strong and tight before we engage in any kind of peace talks with the daemons.”
“I agree,” Nevis said. “The Imen were left on their own when the daemons and the Maras banded together. We allowed them to divide us further, and we wound up isolated, stuck in desert gorges and patches of woods and two measly mountains. This time, we all need to stand together. The daemons must understand that if they mess with one of us, they mess with all of us.”
We all nodded in agreement. Scarlett smiled, then looked at Hundurr.
“What do you think, pack leader?” she asked him.
Hundurr’s red eyes lit up as he smiled. “I haven’t heard that in a while,” he replied. “But yes, I agree. The Adlets are on board.”
Behind him, the Adlets growled their approval. The Imen, on the other hand, seemed a little lost, looking at each other and shrugging. Wyrran noticed their expressions and came forward, wearing a strained smile.
“You know, the Imen have been through a lot,” he said. “Right now, we don’t really have a leader, someone to speak on our behalf. But, if all the Imen present agree, I’d like to put myself forward as a representative, at least until we come together, resettle, and hold an election.”
The other Imen hummed and nodded. Once Wyrran was pleased with their reaction, he turned to face Neha, Nevis, and Hundurr, and bowed reverently.
“Then, on behalf of the Imen, it would be an honor to join this alliance. You are right. We are all stronger together. I think this alliance should extend, as well—not just to defense against the daemons, but also across economic and social aspects of our life on Neraka. We will have to agree on territories to occupy, and that should also include shared regions, where everyone is welcome. I know the Dhaxanians and the Manticores, in particular, like to keep to themselves. But we, as Imen, are very inclusive and welcoming. We will gladly offer our cities for open markets and neutral territories.”
“The only way for Neraka to not repeat its past mistakes is for us to move forward,” Zane interjected, then stood up. He looked around and smiled at each of us, his gaze temporarily softening on Fiona. “I will assume the daemon throne. Velnias and GASP’s troops are already out there, conveying my message to my people. And I agree. You all need to band together. Once your alliance is set in stone, I will gladly sit down and negotiate a peace treaty. I’ll make sure to rein the daemons in, from now on. Technically speaking, I should tell you not to worry, that everything will be okay, now that I’m in charge. But we all know that that isn’t always going to be the case. Something might happen. I could very well die at some point. And my successor might not be as tolerant as me. So, yes. Be good friends and stand up tall. Don’t let us think you’ll allow us to walk all over you, ever again.”
Nevis smirked. “Spoken like a true king.”
“Hear, hear!” Neha exclaimed, then clapped her hands.
Soon enough, the thousand-strong crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Our celebration echoed across the field and trickled into the gorges. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted the mass of red eyes watching us from the pitch blackness of the Valley of Screams.
“Daemon hunters are out,” I muttered.
“Good,” Zane replied. “If they’re smart, they’ll be here by morning, pledging their allegiance to me. Oh! And before I forget, though I shouldn’t, because it’s a critical issue and part of why we were in this mess in the first place… There will be no more soul-eating. It will be made illegal and will be punishable by death. It’s the only way that it’ll get the daemons to stop.”
Once more, we cheered and applauded. I caught a glimpse of Fiona—she encouraged Zane with her bright eyes and smile, but, whenever he looked away, I saw the faint sadness pulling her shoulders down. I had a feeling she was concerned about the status of their relationship. My guess was that she was still wondering whether she should stay here or not. Zane had just made it clear that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“You know, we’ve done this with Eritopia already, and it’s proven to be extremely successful,” Derek then said. “What do you, leaders of the Nerakian people, think of GASP opening a base here? We would bring our agents to train and introduce your fighters to our methods and policies. We would help you police your criminals and maintain peace. Most importantly, should talks of war ever emerge, GASP will help mediate and protect the Nerakian people, no matter what. That includes protection from outside forces.”
“The In-Between is still a vast unknown to us,” Sofia added. “We’ve barely identified and recorded a few galaxies. There is much of it t
hat we’ve yet to understand. Should there be an external threat against Neraka, GASP will come to your aid. Always.”
“Well, my daemons do need fear struck into them,” Zane replied with a shrug. “Provided you bring some dragons into the mix, I’ll be more than happy to support your proposal,” he added, grinning.
Nevis, Neha, and Hundurr nodded.
“Sounds reasonable,” Neha said. “I’m profoundly impressed by GASP agents already, and so is my Pheng-Pheng.” She chuckled softly, nodding at her daughter, who, in return, gave her a grin, then winked at me. “I would love nothing more than to see what your expertise can do here, on Neraka, on a large scale.”
Caspian slowly leaned against me, so he could whisper in my ear.
“You do realize I’m not going to White City unless you come with me, right?” he asked.
For a split second, I was thrilled to lose myself in his dark jade eyes again. “I’m with GASP. I live in The Shade. I mean, I’ll be moving around a lot, anyway, with whatever missions I get.”
“Then I will go with you, wherever GASP takes us,” he said, then frowned. “Provided they accept my application.”
Dad chuckled. “Don’t worry about that, Lord Kifo. You’re already in. Harper tells me your combat skills are impressive. You’d be a valuable asset to GASP.”
“There you go,” I said to Caspian, giving him my warmest smile. “It’s settled.”
Caspian smiled. It had been a while since I’d seen him so full of life and brimming with energy. I was pale by comparison but being connected to him as a sentry seemed to make it all better—if only for a while.
The worst part was over now. We had a great future ahead of us already.
Fiona
Corrine set up a temporary hospital and treatment area along with our camp, by the river. With Ibrahim, Arwen, and Shayla’s help, she also added lodging and basic amenities to our temporary settlement. We knew it would be a while before we’d leave—not because we couldn’t, but because we all had unfinished business here. It was all about Neraka. Its people deserved a clean, fresh start, and we’d promised we’d help.