[Fallon’s POV]The next morning, I stare toward Fulgor Island, taking in the ominous atmosphere that surrounds it. After weeks of preparation, it was finally time to attack and end this war once and for all.From the energy that filled the area around me, I knew that my shipmates were feeling the same sense of dread and anticipation that I was, but they were doing a better job of hiding it compared to me.If I said that I wasn’t afraid, I would be lying. Of course I was afraid, but it wasn’t for myself. I was worried for all those I had come to consider friends and those that were family. There was no promise that all of them would come out of this alive, and that realization alone left me petrified.Squeezing the banister in front of me, I tried to keep my fear from showing, but when Fineon’s hand reaches out and covers mine, I know I’m doing a terrible job."Don’t worry," he murmurs, giving my hand a squeeze. "We’ve planned and prepared perfectly. We’re going in fully ready.""I kno
[Hindrick’s POV]"Get to your stations!" I order, barging back onto deck where the rest of the crew were beginning to move. "This is not a drill! Remember what we agreed on? If there are any fuckups, I’ll kill you with my own hands."Stopping, I watch as everyone starts to go in the direction of where they’re supposed to be. Once I’m sure that everyone is doing as they should, I make my way to the bow of the ship so I can get a better look at exactly what is attacking us.When I arrive, my eyes widen as I take in large tentacles erupting from the ocean's surface. Oh good, we were dealing with krakens. Immediately, my mother’s own personal kraken, Bruno, pops into my head. Sometimes when I was frustrated, I would fight with him, and he was a nasty bugger.Continuing to take in the view, I start to count just how many we were dealing with, and when I find that there are at least four present, I let out a string of profanities."CANNONS!" I roar, knowing that I can be heard down below. "
[Fallon’s POV]"Look!" I gasp, taking in the explosions to our east. "Isn’t that Hindrick’s ship?""That’s right," Uncle Ramone confirms, eyeing what I’m pointing out. "Looks like they've already run into trouble. "Why am I not surprised. Nothing good ever happens when it comes to that boy.""Is now the time to be scolding him?" Fineon asks, joining in on the conversation. "It looks like he is handling whatever it is, so shouldn’t we be taking action too?"So far, arriving at Fulgor Island has been smooth sailing. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but for now it meant that we still had enough ammo and energy to deal with whatever was to come next."Are you suggesting we go for a swim?" Uncle Ramone smirks, taking in the strip of water that still sits between us and our destination. "Don’t forget that these waters are full of nasty creatures."Shivering, I can’t help but think of the sirens that I encountered when I escaped Mateo’s kidnapping attempt. Nasty was accurate, b
[Fineon’s POV]My heart begins to beat rapidly in my chest as Fallon’s panicked voice echoes in my head. How could she possibly decide to go on without me? Didn’t we agree we would stick together?Cursing, I finish off the creature that I’m fighting with and begin to move, diving off the side of the ship and into the ocean below."What the hell are you doing?" Ramone calls from above. "Are you abandoning the fight?""Fallon’s in trouble!" I respond, beginning to swim. "I’m sure all of you can handle this.""Sure, sure," Ramone chuckles. "Go save your lady love."Rolling my eyes, I begin to move, swimming as fast as I can while avoiding being hit by the bodies of the crow-beasts that have been killed. Something else that resembles tentacles mixes in with them as well. I’m not sure where they’re from or what they are, but I don’t stick around to find out.Using them as ways to propel myself further, I begin to kick and stroke until I’m on dry land once again.Not wasting any time, I beg
[Fallon’s POV]The world around me fades in and out as I feel myself being carried. I wasn’t quite sure what it was that Mateo did to me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move and I couldn’t seem to focus. All I could do was helplessly be taken along wherever it was that I was being taken."Don’t worry," Mateo announces as if he can read my thoughts. "I won’t hurt you."That actually wasn’t my concern at all. I had faith that my companions would find me and save me. What I was worried about was once again being a burden and a bother. It seemed that all I had done since Mateo came crashing into my life was fuck up and get myself into trouble again and again.Feeling a wave of defeat crash into me, I can’t help but wonder if I was even meant to take over for my father one day. If this was all I was doing to those who weren’t beneath me, what would happen to those who were?‘Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in pity,’ Anika warns. ‘You have to be strong when it comes to war.’I
[Hindrick’s POV]My eyes grow wide as I watch the blades grow deeper and deeper before being tugged out and prepped for another blow.Cursing, I rush forward, clamp my teeth around Cyrus’ tail, and tug him out of the way just in time for the man to slash off one of his own hands.A roar of rage escapes him as he gets up from the ground and whirls around to fix his rage-filled gaze on Cyrus and me.Although I want to check Cyrus’ injuries to see just how bad they are, I’m unable to do so as the man rushes forward, determined to kill us for what we caused him to do.‘If that’s how you want it,’ I hiss.If I wasn’t angry before, I'm fuming now. He hurt one of my own, and for that, he couldn’t survive.Letting out a snarl, I leap forward, letting his blade glide across my side. Ignoring the pain that rushes through me, I dig my claws deep into his face and scratch out his remaining eye.Jumping down, I watch as he rears back and begins to flail, managing to cut his face with his own axe i
[Fineon’s POV]I watch with wide eyes as Nix’s soldiers work to put out all the irritating flame pests and then the wall of fire that is keeping me from Fallon. Once they’re finished, Geraldo makes his way forward and places a hand on my shoulder."Why are you just standing here?" he asks, eyeing me curiously. "We’ve taken care of the problem for you; shouldn’t you get moving?"‘About that,’ I begin, taking in the crevice in front of me. ‘I’m not sure if I am capable of jumping this far.’"Then how about I make it easier?"Frowning, I watch as Geraldo places his palms against the ground and falls into a deep concentration. At first, I’m not sure what it is that he is attempting to accomplish, but when a large root erupts from the ground and begins to snake its way across the crevice, I understand."This should do, right?" he asks, standing up once again. "Or are you incapable of balancing properly?"‘I can,’ I snap, bristling. ‘Thank you for this.’"It’s the least I can do," he respon
[Fallon’s POV]"Careful, what is going through your head right now is blasphemy."Snapping back to the present, I stare into Mateo's amused face and try to find some sign that everything he said was a lie. However, all I see is blatant hatred and even a slight bit of hurt that makes my heart clench painfully.‘Do you remember anything that happened after your death?’ I ask Anika. ‘Like whether or not you were buried?’‘Nothing,’ Anika responds. ‘But I was dead.’That was right. She didn’t have any memories past her death, which she always thought was Mateo’s doing. The only one who would know the truth about that time was Titiana, and I doubted that she would tell us anything either."You’re awfully quiet for someone who is about to die," he continues when I don’t bother responding. "Shouldn’t this be the part where you try to bargain with me for your life?""Why would I do that?" I ask, not finding any amusement in his disgusting joke. "In the end, the one that will die is you, not m
[Idris’ POV] "Are you sure you’re going back?" Mom’s eyes begin to fill with tears as she waits for a response. I don’t know exactly what she expects me to say. "Yes, I am. It’s been a month since Mateo and his underlings were killed, and the academy is finally reopening. As a student, I am required to go back." She knew that I still had a year left before I graduated. I couldn’t just never go back, no matter what had happened since the school shut down. "But…" "Don’t give him a hard time," Dad warns, cutting her off while wrapping a comforting arm around her. "The academy is one of the safest places on the continent, and the threat is gone. I’m sure the next year will simply fly by." "That’s right," I add, taking advantage of dad’s opening for me to leave. "I promise to keep in touch, and before you know it, I’ll be back to irritate the hell out of you." "You heard him," Dad beams, squeezing her closer. "Now, you should allow him to head out; otherwise, he won’t make it there
[Hindrick’s POV]"Welcome back!"Uncle Elleric doesn’t wait before he pulls me into a hug, crushing me against him and making me extremely uncomfortable.Growling, I work to break free, and once I manage to achieve my goal, I take a few steps back."Ever the stoic," he chuckles, taking me in. "Can’t you drop the act just for a day? You’ve been gone for a month, and you didn’t even bother to send word.""Because I was busy cleaning up the mess that was left behind," I point out. "Anyway, I didn’t come here for a heartfelt family reunion."At my words, Uncle Elleric’s face grows serious, and I get the feeling that he is expecting me to deliver a killing blow."Don’t worry," I sigh before his head can come up with some ridiculous scenarios, "it isn’t anything like that. I was actually asked a favor by an idiot.""Fineon?" Uncle Elleric asks, knowing perfectly well who I would be referring to. I didn’t know if I was that obvious or if he also saw Fineon as a fool. "Or is it Chance?"I bit
[Fallon’s POV]A month passed in a blur before things were finally beginning to become normal once again. With things being so hectic, I didn’t get to see much of Fineon since he seemed to always be busy, but this time when we met, I wasn’t going to let him go until he told me what it was that he was up to.I manage to find Fineon heading out of dad's office with a look of frustration on his face."What’s wrong?" I ask, startling him."F-Fallon!" he gasps, taking me in. "Why are you...""Here?" I offer for him, moving forward. "Because if I wasn't, you would find some way to evade me like you have been doing for the past month."At my words, his expression shifts from shock to guilt. So he was intentionally avoiding me, which is interesting."Anyway, I was hoping you’d come somewhere with me today," I continue, wrapping my arms around his and squeezing. "Saying no is not an option.""But…""No buts!" I snap. "Come on."Giving a tug, I begin to move, dragging Fineon until we arrive at
[Fineon’s POV]Returning home was a bittersweet thing, given the circumstances we were returning under. Whether it should have been a time of celebration, it was instead a moment of saying welcome back and saying goodbye.As we made landfall and began to unload, Fallon rushed off to see her parents and allowed herself to get lost in their embrace.Deciding that the moment should be strictly for family, I stay back as the tears begin to fall."You want to help us with this?" Ramone asks, coming up behind me. "He’s a bit heavy."Nodding, I turn and follow him back onto the boat to collect Cyrus’ body, allowing Fallon and her parents to be alone with each other.Inside the cabin, I can feel the chill of death pressing against my skin, and it makes the fact that Cyrus and Gavin are gone that much more real. Now all that was left to do to say goodbye was give them the proper send-off that they deserved.Sighing, I move forward and help Ramone collect Cyrus first so that his parents could s
[Fallon’s POV]I don’t know how long I stayed in place, staring at the slowly disappearing door that Cyrus took to his final resting place. It was only when Titiana gently touched my shoulder that I finally snapped out of my daze."You need to get back now," she murmurs, giving me a smile filled with sympathy and sorrow. "Although your brother is no longer on earth, there are still many waiting on you.""Right," I sigh, getting to my feet. "I’m sure Fineon and Hindrick are at their wits end.""When you go back, you should really think about yourself more," Titiana chuckles."What do you mean?""You’ve worked so hard to gain everyone’s approval that you have lost yourself," she explains, touching my cheek."That’s what being a leader means," I counter. "I can’t think of myself. I can only think of my pack.""That’s not true," Titiana says, shaking her head. "You must also think of yourself, otherwise, you’ll end up regretting it one day. Now, go back to them."Before I can respond, I’m
[Fallon’s POV]"You had something you needed to speak with me about?" I ask hesitantly as Titiana examines me.After all the bombs that had been dropped on me earlier on, I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for another, but since this was the goddess’ request, there was no way that I could deny her."Not so much me," she responds, giving me a sad look.My stomach starts to roll as a bad feeling begins to creep up in me. Why was she looking at me like that, and why did it make my heart hurt?"Who is it?" I ask quietly, realizing that whoever it was must be someone close to me, and if they were here instead of on earth, then that meant that they were dead."It’s me."The world comes crashing down around me as I turn and find Cyrus making his way toward me.No, this couldn’t be real; there was no way it could. Was he like me, on the edge of life and death? If so, that meant he could be saved. Why was he here, and why did it feel like whatever was going to be said was goodbye?"Cy-cyrus," I w
[Anika’s POV]I continue to stare down at the lava where Mateo disappeared while Fineon and Hindrick remain silent, allowing me the space to process my emotions.Mateo was gone, for real this time. He would never come back to this world in this lifetime, and I wasn’t even sure if we would be able to find each other when we reincarnated like we promised. So that meant this was it, right?That thought alone left an immense loneliness in me that I thought I would never have to feel again. However, I had to admit, the second time around was so much more painful."Sorry to disturb," Fineon murmurs after a bit more time passes. "But how will we be sure that doing what Mateo said really did the trick?""I don’t know," I admitted, frowning."You don’t think that this was another trick of his, do you?" Hindrick growls. "What if...""He wasn’t lying," I say, cutting him off. "The one that was there in the end was Mateo, not Parker.""I understand that, but nothing seems to have happened," Hindr
[Anika’s POV]I wait as Fineon and Hindrick examine me as if trying to determine if they could convince me to stay. It is only when Mount Malum lets out another ominous roar that they seem to concede and begin to move again."Stay close," Hindrick orders when I scramble to catch up. "If you cause anything to happen to Fallon’s body, I’ll destroy you, understood?""Of course," I respond, not taking offense to his threat. "I know my limits.""Then let’s go," Hindrick sighs, though he still doesn’t seem fully convinced.Nodding, I begin to follow, staying close behind the two men who insisted on keeping me safe from any possible rockslides or attacks that may happen."It’ll take at least a day to get to the top of this," Hindrick mutters when we reach Mount Malum’s side. "Do we have that much time?"Looking up, I take in the lava that bubbles up and then explodes and the smoke that is quickly surrounding the mountain, blocking the rest of the world from view."I don’t know," I admit. "Bu
[Anika’s POV]Pain rips through my chest with every inch the anima sword makes through Mateo’s body. Even if I managed to destroy the mark he left on me, our bond was still there, and I wasn’t too surprised I was feeling what he was. This was how strong our bond had always been, and in a way, I was happy he wasn't alone."An…ika…" Mateo rasps, his eyes finding mine. "Why?""Because this must be done."Everything in me screamed to stop, to help him, and to save him from the painful death that he was currently experiencing, but I knew this had to be done. And I was the one who had to do it. Not Hindrick, not Fallon, but me. I had to end this once and for all.Closing my eyes, I allow all the beautiful memories that we shared to begin to flash across my mind. This would be the last time I allowed them to overtake me. Once this was finished, I would fully let go. I had to; there was no holding onto something that would never be again.SIghing, I let my tears flow as Mateo’s love-filled ey