Page 10 of Demon Reform Academy, Term 3
10
REED
G rieving Mom’s death was more of a formality than anything else at this point. I’d come to terms with losing Mom when I’d lost Dad—her soul, at least. The mom I was grieving would’ve never sold me to Dark Veil for the slim chance to bring Dad back to life. The mom I was grieving was the one who wrote me that note. I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering to the what if. What if Dad had never been killed? What would our relationship have been like then?
But what ifs never helped anyone.
The sun hung low on the ocean’s horizon, casting warm hues off the familiar sand of our family estate.
It was bittersweet to gather here with my fated mate, her mates, and her dad and Jenni. I might not have had parents anymore, but I did have a family. Pandora made sure that I knew that, and I would always be grateful to her for everything she’s done since coming into my life.
The breeze carried both the scent of salt and the fragrance of lavender—Mom’s scent.
I’d tried to distance myself from her after what she had done. Even going as far as calling her Mother in my head, but…she would always be my mom.
The human she’d turned into after Dad’s death wasn’t truly her.
I stood beside her body that lay in the sand. She was draped in a flowing purple gown that always embodied the color of her aura when Dad was alive. She used to be so connected to her matebond to Dad, even though she was human. Supernaturals usually didn’t have human mates, especially not demons. But that didn’t matter to either of them.
Her black afro framed her peaceful face, and I wished desperately for one more moment to tell her I loved her.
Pandora stood at my side. Our matebond was a comforting anchor amidst the tide of grief threatening to pull me down.
Her red eyes were filled with understanding and empathy. “I love you.”
“I love you, dream girl.” My throat was tight. “I wish…I wish you’d have been able to meet the mom I grew up with. The woman she was when Dad was alive.”
“I saw a piece of her in her last letter to you. She did love you, Reed,” she rasped as the crash of waves swept ashore. “She just wasn’t sane anymore, and that’s not your fault.”
Heat pricked my eyes as I nodded.
It wasn’t the first time I’d had to conduct a funeral. All demons were born with the power to etch a glowing red symbol to either mark a grave or a body for cremation. The mark was powered by demonic magic, and it was the way we put souls to rest. Demons were told that the Fates blessed us with this magic in order for us to let the souls of the departed know we accepted their deaths. To let them know it was okay to move on. Demonic souls were rumored to cling to life more than the rest of the supernaturals had. I wasn’t sure if there was any truth to that, but it was our culture. It felt right.
Each supernatural had similar methods, but this was ours.
Since Mom was human, she couldn’t put Dad to rest the way demons were supposed to, so I had done it. Now, I would give her a demonic send off so her soul could rest with Dad’s.
Pandora and I faced the sea, where my mom’s wishes would soon be fulfilled. She’d told me after Dad died that she wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered around our family estate by the ocean—just like we did for Dad, so that was what I would do.
I cleared my throat, forcing the words that were tangled around my heart out. “Mom,” I croaked, and Pandora slipped her hand in mine. “You and Dad taught me love in its purest form. I learned to respect the matebond, but I have to admit, it scared me. After you lost dad, I witnessed your soul break. Giving that power over my soul to anyone worried me until I met my own mate. I understand you more, now. You raised me to show kindness in a world that forgets how to be kind. I don’t hold your mistakes over you. I forgive you for what you did because I know that losing Dad broke you.”
If I’d lost Pandora, I would’ve been broken, too. I had a glimpse of what that would be like when she was taken from us. I understood Mom more now than I ever did before.
With a deep breath, I reached for the magic that flowed through all demonic veins. The ancient incantation whispered in my mind, and I let go of my mate’s hand and kneeled beside Mom’s lifeless form.
“I will always love you.” I extended my hand over my mother’s forehead, feeling the warmth of my readiness to let her go radiate from my palm. A glowing red mark etched itself onto her skin, and I murmured the demonic words that would set her free to be with Dad like she’d so desperately wanted.
Her body lit up with a gentle flame, flickering like the last rays of sunlight over the sea. There was no scent, just an ethereal warmth that enveloped me.
As the flames danced and broke down her body, I felt the tension in my chest begin to ease. My mom’s ashes would soon be scattered into the ocean, mingling with the waves that had always soothed her. Her ashes would be around our family home where she was the happiest with her mate.
I watched as the wind lifted the remnants of her life, sending them spiraling toward the horizon. A flood of peace washed over me, and I knew my parents’ souls were together again, free from the burdens of this world that literally ended up killing them both.
Pandora, Bram, Dex, Hunter, Skel, Death, and Jenni stood around me. I felt a swell of gratitude, realizing how fortunate I was to have found a family beyond blood. It brought a warmth to my heart that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Mom hadn’t felt like home since Dad died, but this? This felt like home.
“Thank you for being here,” I whispered to Pandora, my voice barely above the sound of the crashing waves.
She smiled softly, her hand finding mine again as she sat on the sand next to me. “I’ll always be here.”
As the last embers flickered out, I closed my eyes, letting the finality of losing Mom settle in my bones.
Together, we watched the ocean embrace her ashes. I held Pandora’s hand tightly, knowing that with her by my side, I could face anything.
Today marked an end for me but also a new beginning—a chance to honor my parents by living fully, surrounded by love.