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Grevolus hollered again. With the poison from the first arrow taking effect, his grip faltered as he attempted to grab hold of the shaft.

He finally managed to pull it free as Tessa strode out of the woods, Gregor in step with his mate, another arrow nocked and ready.

“You fucked with the wrong person, you sack of shit.” Like everyone else, Tessa wore a language translator around her neck that allowed them to understand Grevolus if he spoke in faelish, and he them.

“Wh-who are you?”

“We’re Elle’s family.” At Tessa’s words, Elle and Nekoma dropped the shadows, and everyone else gathered around them.

“Wh-what did you do to me?”

Nekoma pushed back his hood, revealing his dark hair. “My mother taught me all about potions, including those that cause paralysis. It’s fitting, don’t you think, that what you did to Elle and her mate is returned to you two-fold?”

Grevolus had the audacity to stutter, “Odette? You’re going to kill your own f-father?”

Elle laughed again, sending shivers down Anthony’s spine.

“You are not my father. That honor goes to Ballymar and now Gregor as well.” Elle gestured to where Gregor stood next to Tessa.

“Look around you, Grevolus. This is what family looks like, not whatever it was you and Asherah played at. Everyone here is willing to lay down their life for me, and I them. Family is more than blood. It’s honor.

Protection. Love. I really should thank you.

If you hadn’t dragged me through the portal after the battle, I never would have found my mate.

If you hadn’t made me steal money, I wouldn’t have been captured by the most amazing being in two realms.” Elle held out her hand, and Anthony threaded their fingers.

“You accused me of sleeping with him to garner his help. He did it without asking anything in return.”

Grevolus fell to his knees, his head listing to the side. “If you’re going to kill me, get on with it.”

Nekoma squatted a few feet from the male. “Killing you would be too quick. Too merciful. For all the pain and suffering you put Elle through these past fourteen sun cycles, we are going to leave you for the animals after Elle’s family takes whatever form of retribution they see fit.”

“Wh-who are you?” he repeated.

“I am Nekoma of Autumnvale.” Nekoma pulled a knife from the sheath at his hip, grabbed Grevolus’s arm, and carved something into his skin.

It was the same sigil Elle had been marked with.

“For my sister, Elledan. Oh, and Nykeela sends her regards.” With that, Nekoma stood and moved back, leaving Grevolus gaping at him.

Carleigh called forth a serrated dagger from her bracelet. She strode forward and plunged it into the already opened wound from Tessa’s arrows, dragging it down a few inches. “For my cousin, Elle.”

Gregor was next. He lengthened his claws, swiping the male across the face. “For my daughter, Elle.”

Grevolus was powerless to defend himself as Yari drew her sword and ran it through his stomach. “For my sister, Elledan.”

Thran drove his sword through Grevolus’s thigh, no doubt severing his femoral artery. “For my sister, Elledan.”

Luna changed her bracelet into a wand. She pointed it at the mark on his arm, and blue sparks erupted from the tip, lighting up the sigil. Grevolus’s body convulsed as she seethed, “For my cousin, Elle.”

Harlow didn’t move, so Anthony released Elle’s hand and approached.

He and his Goyle wanted to rip the male’s head off, but that wasn’t the plan.

As Nekoma said, death was too good for him.

Anthony squatted beside Grevolus, calling forth his fangs.

With Grevolus staring, Anthony said, “You took the brightest soul in all of Evyndral and tried to dim her light. You used her to do your bidding. You stole from her. You abused her. Then you tried to kill her. In no world, fae, human, or otherwise, could you ever defeat someone as strong as she is.” Anthony struck, sinking his sharp teeth into the male’s neck, ripping at the flesh, stopping short of killing him.

When he moved back, he wiped his face with the back of his hand. “For my mate, Elledan.”

Grevolus couldn’t move. He could no longer speak. When Anthony stood and moved back to Elle’s side, he gestured for her to take her turn. She cupped his face, rubbing her thumb along his lips. “You need a shower,” she whispered with a wink. “Let’s go home,” she said louder.

A rumble rent the air, and Harlow’s hybrid form stalked forward.

She had the head and talons of an eagle, the body of a lion, and leathery wings of a Gargoyle.

Harlow lowered her pointed, deadly beak, inches from Grevolus’s face.

Just when Anthony thought she was going to peck at his eyes, she moved back and used her razor-sharp talons to rip through his chest and remove his heart.

She dropped it beside his unmoving body before shifting back. “For my sister, Elle.”

Nobody moved or said anything for a few seconds, until Carleigh cut the silence. “What happened to leaving him for the animals?”

“You did leave him for the animals – me.” Harlow shrugged and moved to where she had dropped a messenger bag, pulling out a fresh set of clothes. The males turned away, giving her privacy as she got dressed.

“You planned this?” Carleigh asked.

“No, but I remembered that Uncle Nik did the same thing to that asshole wolf, so I improvised. Besides, I do like to be prepared.” Harlow gathered the tattered clothes she’d worn prior to her shifting and shoved them in the bag.

“Are we just going to leave him there?” She pointed to Grevolus’s bloody body.

“I’ve got this.” Nekoma let out a sound akin to a gronk , and dozens of birds flew down from the trees.

Like something out of a sci-fi movie, Grevolus’s body was surrounded by black feathers.

Nekoma raised his hands like in Connor’s drawing and pushed them forward.

The birds lifted as one, carrying the corpse off into the woods.

Anthony had no idea how it was possible since their wings weren’t moving, but he chalked it up to magic.

“Now can we go home?” Elle asked.

“Not yet.” Anthony tapped her on the nose before jogging into the house.

It didn’t take long to find the bag of money.

No need in leaving three million, or what was left of it, behind.

He doublechecked to make sure there wasn’t a victim somewhere in the house.

When he didn’t find one, he headed back outside.

“Now we can go home.”

Yari and Thran approached Elle. “We are so proud of you, Little Sister,” Yari said. “But we need to get back to our duties.”

“Thank you both for being here.” Elle held out her arms, and the three of them hugged.

When they stepped back, Thran said, “I’m not sure when I’ll see you again. King Titus is demanding more of Rhoan’s time as of late. He was angry when we left Evyndral so I could be here with you.”

“I understand. I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

Thran hugged her again. “So proud of you.” He kissed her temple, then looked at Anthony and nodded.

“Hey, wait. Have either of you seen our father?” Neither twin looked at her funny for calling Ballymar hers.

“No,” Yari said. “But we do correspond through letters. He is thriving with his wife, Elíana. They met after Thran and I went to live at the castle and had a handfasting ceremony a sun cycle afterward. He mentions you in every letter, and the last one I sent told him you were well. I didn’t want to worry him with the sigil, but now I have even better news to share. ” Yari angled her head toward Anthony.

“Please give him my love.”

“Of course.” The twins said their goodbyes, and Yari opened a portal to Norway. They waved before stepping through.

Tessa, still wearing the quiver, held out the bow to Elle. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Thank you for shooting straight,” Elle joked.

Tessa laughed as she pulled Elle in for a hug of her own. When they released one another, Tessa said, “I think a celebration is in order. I know a certain pirate who’s waiting with tons of food and gallons of rum.”

Luna scoffed. “That’s just another day ending in Y with my papa.”

Nekoma opened a portal, and everyone walked through ahead of them. Elle looked around, and Anthony asked, “You okay?”

“It’s really over, isn’t it?”

Anthony tugged on her braid. “It really is.”

Elle exhaled deeply. When she looked up at him, her smile was the brightest Anthony had ever seen.