Page 80 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

EPILOGUE 1

FINNLEAH

Two years after the war.

“ I t feels odd to be here.” I glanced around the scorched fields. Even after so many years, the once luscious forest and green meadows were barren. Gideon stood near me, his comforting presence calming my racing heart.

My sight lingered on the seemingly unremarkable hill, just as burnt as the meadows where a small village used to be. Like a mirage, I could still see the outline of an old mill.

Gideon’s hand found mine, his thumb gently running circles.

“I am here for you,” he offered.

“It’s good that we are here,” I replied, lost deep in the memories of my life before. The truth I had long forgotten was now more prominent than ever, and I remembered how I burned, lost in grief after finding the lifeless body of Tuluma.

“They are here,” Gideon said as a group of tall stalky elves emerged from the large circles appearing in the air. “Fucking portals,” he spat quietly in disbelief. And though his face was blank and not a muscle out of place, I knew he loathed the fact that the Elf King could so freely transported between their lands and ours.

“Welcome, Elf King.” I gave a respectful nod.

“Finnleah. Gideon. Call me Tukum,” he spoke in Elvish. His turquoise ocean eyes greeted us. The silver chain I immediately recognized peeked out from the tall collar of his shirt. Though I couldn’t see the rest of it, my heart warmed at the nearness of Tuluma’s necklace. “So, this is it? This is where she died?”

I nodded. He looked around at the blackened, empty fields.

“I believe she deserves a proper burial with Elvish customs, so her soul would be at peace with your rituals,” I told him.

“She would’ve liked that,” he agreed. “We will proceed.”

The acolytes he brought with him followed his chant, their melodic voices melted into one. I stood silently, listening. Minutes passed by until the words of a beautiful Elvish prayer ended. The Elf King raised his hand, cutting it with a long ceremonial dagger. He let a few drops of his dark blood drop into the ground.

“A drop of blood from family, to link the future and the past,” I explained to Gideon. The King passed the dagger to the acolyte. “A drop from an innocent soul to wash away the sins.” And then he passed it to me, and I sliced my palm with the silver dagger. “And a drop from a soul once mended by their touch, to light the path ahead.”

All three drops soaked the burned dirt. The King raised his hand, manipulating the wind causing it to scatter the bloodied dust and old ash through the cyan blue sky.

We stood in silence, watching the last pieces of ash disappear over the horizon.

It was I who moved my hand this time, letting my mixed powers undo the cursed damage of the flames. One by one, small flowers sprouted from the charcoaled dirt, covering the entire field with turquoise blooms, fed by my everlasting magic.

“She’d enjoy that,” the Elf King muttered as he watched the charred ground turn into an ocean of teal blue. Air laid heavy in my lungs, and words stuck behind the lump in my throat as I mourned life without her.

After a while, the King twisted on his heels, portals opening at his command, ready for his departure.

“Thank you for coming to our aid,” Gideon managed to say in his broken Elvish, his tongue twisting the words.

“In body or spirit, my sister would never have forgiven me if I hadn’t. And I see why. Destroyer or not. One of a valiant heart and kind soul is hard to come by,” he answered as our eyes met.

“Perhaps our nations might take an example after us and learn to tolerate each other one day?” I dared to suggest.

“Perhaps one day.” He nodded. “Goodbye, Finnleah. Goodbye, Gideon.” He uttered in our language, stepping into a portal. His acolytes and a few guards followed right after. A blink of an eye and they were gone. Their portals vanished as if they never existed.

“A fucking portal.” Gideon shook his head, watching my dragons circle lower until they reached us. “Why do I have a feeling we are not done with the elves?” He helped me climb the nose of the creature.

“Who knows what the future will bring?” I smirked, looking down at the ocean of the turquoise everblooms below. The dragons slowly flapped their grand wings, ascending into the cloudless skies. “Perhaps it is time for all of us to learn a thing or two about them.”