Page 89 of Crimson Skies

As Atropos and Kazmi had told Satoru and the U.N. Security Council in the aftermath of the war, they were lucky that toll was not ten times higher. But an unanticipated outcome was not realized until a few hours after Elios was imprisoned in the Abyss.

Magic had disappeared from Earth.

Only Eden remained unaffected since the power she possessed by virtue of her link to the devilwood staff stemmed from another realm.

“It will return one day,” Atropos had reassured a troubled Strickland and Morgan’s equally upset team when they’d come to visit Cassius. “Earth’s nexus has just gone dormant. It needs time to recover.”

Her words had failed to lift Ortega, Yuan, and Wallace’s glum mood. The mages had decided to stick around to help get the city back on its feet.

“Are we talking months? Years?” Adrianne had asked dejectedly.

“Years,probably,” Hecate confirmed somberly. “I will try to hasten it as much as I can but even I cannot revive an entire nexus.”

“Thank you,” Strickland had said gratefully while Julia, Zach, and Eden murmured words of comfort to a depressed Bailey and Charlie.

Guiying and Brianna had similarly expressed their gratitude to Hecate when they’d come by the next day.

Most of the otherworldly armies who had helped in the fight against Elios had returned to their own realms, leaving only the leaders who wished to remain by Cassius’s side behind. Satoru had personally thanked each and every one of them upon leaving the bunker where he’d taken refuge with the rest of the security council.

It was only on the afternoon of the third day that Hyperion had finally arrived on Earth. The Dominions had returned to Heaven. As for Nildar and Archon, the two Guardians were doing a final check of the Nether before following him.

A gale of ice and snow rattled the glass overlooking the terrace. Boreas appeared with Pan and the Reaper God.

“We have found no signs of ghouls or hellbeasts,” the Winter God reported when they joined them. “I’m pretty certain we’ve gotten rid of the last of them.”

Pan studied Cassius with a worried frown. “How is he?”

“Still sleeping,” Kalliste murmured tiredly.

Boreas arched an eyebrow at Pan. “I thought you disliked Icarus.”

“I don’t dislike him,” Pan protested. “I just said he was a soft-hearted fool.”

He brightened when Demetrius entered the room. Mortis was behind the demigod of Spring.

The Khimer rushed over and clutched the Reaper God’s cloak shyly. “Master.”

The God of Death’s eyes glittered warmly. He stilled a moment later. Gold flashed in his crimson pupils.

He looked over at the bed. “He returns.”

Heat thumped across Morgan’s soul bond. His breath caught.

A soft sigh left Cassius.

Color was returning to the demigod’s cheeks. He blinked his eyes open a moment later.

Loki shifted into his imp form and jumped on him. “Cassius!”

Cassius winced. “Oof.”

Morgan peeled the keening imp from his lover and deposited him unceremoniously on the ground.

“How about you give him some breathing space,” he growled.

“Here we go again,” Victor muttered as Loki glared at Morgan.

Tears dropped on the back of Kalliste’s hand where she gripped Cassius’s fingers. She leaned in and kissed his brow. “Welcome back, brother.”