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“And Zion?” I asked, glancing back and forth between them.

“If Annelise wasn’t dead, Zion wouldn’t be either. The same magic that saved her, saved him too. It took a little longer for it to work than we initially thought… but that’s not what matters. What matters is that itworked,” Alastir explained.

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I hastily swiped it away with the back of my hand. For the first time in a long, long time, the tears I shed were those of joy. I took a deep breath, allowing my body and taut muscles to finally relax and unknit themselves.

Annelise and Zion werealive.

Nik, Tess, Puck, Alastir, Amiyah, Saanvi, Kenna, they were all safe.

My family was safe.

And Donika was dead.

I buried my face in Annelise’s shoulder and she brought her arms around me, holding me tightly. From the moment I met her, I had wondered what it would feel like to find comfort in her arms.

It feltright.

With my mother embracing me, I felt whole.

Tess joined our little reunion, laughing as she threw her arms around our trio. Then Puck appeared at the doorway, no hesitation in joining us.

“I’m not one for a group hug, but I won’t be left out… ” Nik muttered as he entered the room and threw his arms around us.

“Come on, old man.” Nik nodded towards Alastir. “Join us.”

Alastir lifted his lip as if he was repulsed by the idea, but after a long moment passed, he reluctantly joined us. We drew him into the middle, a fit of laughter shaking us as he appeared as uncomfortable as humanly possible.

The sounds of true, genuine laughter filled my ears and I was already lighter. There were tough decisions and hardtimes to come in the days ahead, but I would savor this moment.

I glanced around and seared their faces into my memory.

The way Nik’s dimple stuck out on his right cheek when he smiled widely. The way Puck’s mess of curls covered his forehead like a used mop. The way Tess’s pearly white teeth were displayed as she threw her head back with genuine laugher. How Annelise stared at me as if I were a miracle.Hermiracle. The way Zion looked at Annelise as ifshewashis. How Alastir begrudgingly joined our hectic little group, a smile across his lips despite his grumpy nature.

These were the moments Ineverwanted to forget.

None of us wanted to spend any more time in The Stone Palace than we needed to. I wanted to return to Siraleth. To the grimoire safely tucked away in the cottage underground.

I knew I had responsibilities… but I wanted to returnhome.

I could rule the realm as queen easily enough from Siraleth. There was no reason for me to remain in Akra after we buried the dead and had a ceremony to honor their memories.

There weren’t many soldiers who did not sway to our side, many of them having been forced into service by Donika. They had been threatened and tortured, the same as every other Shade in Istmere. For those that were loyal to Donika and couldn’t be swayed, they found a home in the prison cells of the Stormvault.

Donika’s death and the return of my crown was a weight that had been lifted off my shoulders, and I imagined much ofthe realm felt the same. But before we could move on officially and begin anew, I knew we needed to honor those that had fallen in battle.

Peace had been restored to Istmere, and Stormshades, Nightshades, and Shades alike would be welcome and could call this realm home. No one would be persecuted for the type of magic they were born with.

No one needed to hide any longer.

But make no mistake, the happy ending we all deeply craved came at a steep cost. I had sacrificed so much to see an end to Donika’s reign. I knew that there was no other ending than Donika dying at the end of my blade, but it still left behind a heavy weight that I couldn’t shake. I couldn’t stop thinking about the what-ifs and could-have-beens if things had been different in Istmere during our childhood. If Annelise was never called to be the royal healer and had stayed to raise Donika herself. Donika might have been evil, but she was still my sister.

My blood.

I was mourning the relationship we never got to have, and I’m sure Annelise felt the same way. If Alastir hadn’t been able to craft a spell to save Annelise and Zion, they would have been lost to this war, too.

Alastir had said there would be a cost to the spell that cured Nikolai and returned his humanity. I would never know if that cost was almost losing Annelise and Zion, or if the consequences of that magic were yet to come.

Isaac never got to see the end of this war, and the thought was a lead weight in my gut. Tyr, too. So many had diedand sacrificed their own lives for a better realm, for a better future.