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“I didn’t know you played,” D.C. said, looking at him with a dreamy expression.

“It’s been a while,” Jordan said. “But once upon a time, yeah.” He chewed and swallowed before continuing, “Whenever my father was home, if he heard me practising, he’d alwayscome into the music parlour and watch over my shoulder. For so long I thought he was making sure I wasn’t screwing up, but one day when my mother wasn’t around, he whispered in my ear that when he was my age, his parents had forced him to play, too, and he loathed it. He then told me that Luka was on his way home for the holidays, and I was excused from practising for the rest of the summer. I don’t know how he did it, but even after Luka returned here, I never had to practise again.”

A nostalgic look passed over Jordan’s features, and D.C. snuggled deeper into his side.

“You should play something for us all sometime,” Bear said, his voice husky, as if he, too, was relieved that Jordan had at least one happy memory from his childhood, one kind thought regarding his departed father.

“Definitely,” Alex agreed, her voice also husky. “I love listening to piano music.”

“Do you have a favourite piece?” Jordan asked.

“Only from Freya,” Alex said, “so nothing you’d—”

“Rise of the Dreamers,” D.C. interrupted with a wistful sigh.

Jordan looked down at her. “André Parovel? I can do that.”

Her eyes glazed. “It’s my favourite. I always swore it would be my wedding song.”

Alex’s brows rose almost to her hairline and Bear coughed and hid his face.

D.C. then realised what she’d said and quickly turned panicked eyes to Jordan as she spluttered, “Not that I—We’re only—That’s not what—”

He chuckled lightly and kissed her flushed cheek, saying, “I guess it’s a good thing it’s my favourite, too.”

Alex could have melted into a puddle at the look they shared.

This.

This was why she was fighting today. This was why she’d been fighting all along, willing to risk her life over and overagain. To savethis. Her friends, the love they shared, the futures they all hoped for.

Aven couldn’t take this from them. Not even in death. But she hoped, she so desperately hoped, that they would live beyond this day. That they would have time to make more memories together, to grow old and grey and ‘ugly-wrinkled’ by each other’s sides.

This moment with them was just what Alex had needed to remind her of how much she stood to lose, and how determined she was to win. For her friends, for her family, for her world.

And as Jordan, Bear and D.C. realised, like Alex, that the time had come for them to face what came next, instead of questioning her judgement or trying to talk her out of her plan, Bear spoke for them all when he said, “We’re with you until the end, Alex. Tell us what to do.”

Thirty-Six

When eleven-thirty came around at what feltlike warp speed, Alex, dressed again in her Tia Auran armour, stepped out of the dorm building with Jordan, D.C. and Bear, along with Kaiden and Declan, who had joined them minutes earlier. The six of them, who had been through so much together, ventured across the grounds—grounds that were now teeming with people of all shapes, sizes and races.

But it wasn’t just the grounds that were crowded.

Overhead, the skies were filled with circling draekons, all of whom had been ordered there by Xira after Alex had mentally shared about Aven’s deal—as well as shared the only plan she had to defeat him. Xira, like the Library, had encouraged her to ignore her doubts. He’d also promised that he and his race would be fighting to help save Medora, along with all those who remained on the ground.

Amongst the sea of beings Alex walked through, she recognised faces of Shadow Walkers, Dayriders, Flips, Jarnocks and humans alike. Her teachers were there, other students were there. So many innocent mortals, all of whom were caught up in a war they had done nothing to deserve.

The Meyarins were there, too. Dressed inZeltoraarmour, they also wore bold yellow armbands on their biceps to help the allied forces identify them as not being Claimed. Together they stood side by side with the mortals to fight the coming battle.

Alex was no fool. Like Kyia had said, Aven would not honour his ‘you for them’ agreement. She, like everyone else, knew there would be bloodshed this day. But his deal saved her from having to seek him out. Instead of having to fight her way to him, she would meet him on even ground. It allowed the smallest chance for her plan to succeed. But in order for that to happen, she first had to face him—and survive.

Sick to her stomach, Alex’s hands were fisted with tension as she walked stiffly through the crowd of people who had silenced upon her arrival. Who she was, what she had to do… most of them had no idea about the history that had led to this. And yet, they comprehended the gravity of what she was about to attempt. They comprehended that their fate lay in her hands.

… Hands that were going to be torn to shreds by her fingernails at any moment.

Or, they would have been, if Kaiden hadn’t reached over and unfisted one of her palms, linking their fingers, while D.C. did the same on her other side.

Together, Alex and her friends walked hand in hand until they reached the base of the Tower building, where the members of the earlier war council had assembled, along with Alex’s parents. Bear’s family were all there, too; Johnny and Blake, both of whom were fully armed, while Gammy, Dorothy and young Evie were standing next to Jack and Rachel, who were with Natasha Sparker.