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With his arms crossed, he leaned against the window’s ledge. “No. It was destroyed.”

“You’re certain of this?”

“No, but Pricilla said I destroyed it when I killed her heir.”

“Is it possible to give him mine?”

He stalked across the room and pushed his finger under her chin. That madness he spoke of swirled at the edges of his eyes. His presence was all-consuming. “I didn’t do all that I have done for you so you could give away the gift I fought so hard for. I will never watch you die again.”

“But…” Thane had sacrificed so much.

“You will take the top off and you will become fully immortal. It’s part of you, it belongs to no one else. The council may have been able to use magic to hold it inside others, but it’s yours. You know Thane would never accept it.”

No, he wouldn’t. Her hand shook as she brought it up to twist off the top. Two thousand years she’d waited to be reunited with her immortal strength. Ordinary weapons wouldn’t pierce her flesh, time would not age her, sickness would never haunt her. She would be faster and stronger than before.

One final turn and she lifted it off. Inside waited a swirling glittering essence. The memory of it being ripped from her with the combined magic of the council was vivid. The moment she was pushed to a cold stone block and turned her head at the last moment to look at Hel… not Thane. A tear rolled down his beautiful cheek. It was the first time she’d seen him cry. His last words to her in her mind were—You are my mate and my wife. I will always love you. You don’t need to be afraid. I will find you. One day we’ll be together again, I promise.

Tears filled her eyes even now. He kept that promise too.

It didn’t matter that they had fought against each other. It didn’t matter that he thought she’d left him. Those last moments made their true feelings come out. Tragedy did that.I never stopped loving you, Zaurahel.She’d whispered back just before the axe came down.

“What is it like when it becomes a part of you again?”

He grinned. “Not quite as good as making love to you but close.”

“This should be interesting then.”Hello,she thought. As if a bit shy, it slowly curled out and hovered before her. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The glimmering silver was like misty water suspended in air. It twirled as if it was dancing for her, then almost like a serpent, it struck her chest. She nearly stumbled with the burst of power that rippled through her. It was like the day of her creation, when she’d awoken in the darkness and light flooded in.

Holding her hands out before her she inspected the new glow to her golden skin. She touched her ears, they were pointed at the tips, not rounded as they’d once been. So, she would always be an elf. That made her smile.

Hel grabbed her waist and lifted her in the air, spinning them in a circle. Then he pulled her against him and held her like if he didn’t, she might disappear. “It worked. It really worked. We didit.” He started laughing, genuine laughter full of joy. “You’re safe now. We’ll never be separated again.”

All that was leftto do was wait for the battle. The warning bells would chime at the first sign of invasion. The army of elves and dragons were ready for the inevitable.

It was too quiet. The soldiers who usually patrolled the castle grounds were at the front. The maids and staff had gone home. Where there was usually chatter and music, there was only the wind and the sound of the waterfall crashing into the ravine.

With all of her friends present near the horse pasture, Valeen sat in the seat of her new white chariot. It looked almost identical to the one she’d had before. A wedding gift from Presco.

Starborn and Night were hooked to it. They happily swished their tails and grazed on the grass. If they knew battle was coming, they didn’t care. They’d seen it all, and did not experience fear anymore.

With a civar between his lips, Hel leaned against the railing of the chariot. With a quick flick of his fingers, the smoke rolled into a heart, and he blew it at her.

She sent a letter to Aunt Evalyn and told her to hide with her wait staff in the hidden compartment beneath the floors of Nerium Oleander and not to come out until the battle was over. Part of her wanted to go there now and tell her to go back to Briar Hollow instead.

Not even a smile?Hel said.

His little heart trick was an attempt to get her mind off what was coming.

Using his finger, he started writing something with the smoke. When he finished, he flipped the message around to her.Show me your boobs, it read.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. He waved his hand through the message, and it dissipated. “That’s better. The wall will hold, and the city will be safe because of you. We’ll cut off Pricilla’s head and Eliza’s too. I’ll kill the god of the grapes just because he annoys me while the rest of the council and their armies will fold and run.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Because I believe we will win.”

“Who’s the god of the grapes?”

“Alehelm.”