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fifty-seven

S printing to Rafael, I shifted back, slitting my hand with Leon’s dagger. I dropped to my knees, dripping healing magic into his mouth and over his swollen ankle. I waited, watching his unmoving purple lips.

He wasn’t breathing—it wasn’t working. Was I too late?

No, I refused to accept it. Leon began doing compressions.

Kaya was on his other side. She held his hand as silent tears slid down her cheeks.

I tried to rouse him, gripping his face and forcing blood into his mouth.

He couldn’t swallow—he wasn’t breathing .

I’d slay all the gods if they let this happen.

I’d steal him back from Aku’s hell if I had to.

I felt wind on my face and looked up. A scarlet bird with long golden tail feathers hovered over us, landing beside Rafael. I was dumbstruck, making no move to stop it as it bent over his ankle. I didn’t know who it was, but I had no choice but to trust them.

Hunching protectively over Raf’s body, I sobbed, pushing his dark locks out of his face. “Raf, come back to me. Please . I can’t do this without you.”

I pleaded to the gods, offering them anything in exchange for his life, then resorted to threatening them.

Their silence was deafening as I leaned down and put my forehead against his.

I felt a puff of breath against my cheek and pulled back.

His eyelids flickered. I gulped down air as I realized he was alive .

We all turned to the red bird in disbelief.

Rafael turned his head to me, eyes half-closed. “Are we dead or alive?” he asked weakly.

Stifling my sobs, I responded, “Alive, somehow. We’re in Erador. We made it. ”

I looked over at the bird as it flapped away from us. It shifted and I fell back in disbelief when I saw my mother standing in front of me.

“Mama?” I gasped. “Are you a ghost? How is this possible?”

She came over to me, hesitating, then dropped to her knees and hugged me.

“It’s a long story… but I’ve always been near, waiting until I could hold you again.

When you were born, we knew what you were right away.

You had the birth mark on your forehead that my mother had spoken of. Our family had been waiting for you.”

In a daze, I touched my forehead. “What birth mark?”

“It’s under your hair now. You have a white circle above your forehead.

Your grandmother had one too when she was born.

The mark of a unicorn . I went to the Oracle and asked how I could keep you safe—keep you from being hunted.

Unicorns are vulnerable to predators the moment they enter this world.

The witch told me I had to die on your tenth birthday and let my sister raise you.

She instructed Ophelia to erase all memories of you from your father’s mind.

He wasn’t worthy of them anyways. She destroyed any evidence that could lead him or anyone else to you.

“You were protected in the castle—raised to know nothing of magic or the curse. And we didn’t want others to know of you.

Aurelius was scrubbed of all magic and faeries long before you were born, but when you arrived, we doubled down on our efforts.

The Oracle said on your twenty-first birthday, the gods would lead you to your fated mate—that I’d be allowed to follow and help you, as long as you didn’t see me.

“The price of keeping you safe was steep, a cost I willingly bore. I had to remain hidden until you returned to Erador. The penalty for letting you know who I was before then was true death. I’ve been so proud to be your mother—every day of your life. I-I know this is a lot to process.”

She reached out and touched my necklace. “This is a tracker. I have one too. Each of the original Chosen Six were gifted one from the gods and they’ve been passed down ever since. It helps us stay connected. This is how I kept close in Nymera.”

I tried to take in all that she told me, but I simply couldn’t. I fidgeted with the pendant of my necklace. “How did you come back to life after the poison? Are… are you a phoenix?” I asked, thinking of the statue I’d seen so many times in the throne room.

“Yes. The poison stopped my heart, but phoenix’s have the ability to come back from the dead—to rise from the ashes. We also have the antidote for all poisons and venom in our tears. It came in handy today.” She smiled at Rafael.

“Thank you,” he said softly, sitting up and resting a hand on my shoulder.

“I’ve tried to help you, even though it might not seem that way after all that you’ve faced.

I kept as close as I could… I knocked quite a few guards unconscious over the last few months.

You have a propensity for trouble, just like your mother.

” She grinned. “Luckily, faerie pride kept most of them from reporting anything. Galen’s valet didn’t know what hit him this evening, but it did buy you some time to escape.

“I followed the group of humans through the portal tonight, so I wouldn’t be spotted, and then anxiously waited for you to come through.

You did it , Goldie. You made it back to Erador.

” She hugged me and it felt like hugging a ghost, except that she was warm and I was cold. She smelled like soil and sunshine.

“We have much to catch up on. Perhaps we should save the rest for a more private setting. I’m looking forward to being the mother you deserve…

now that I’ve paid the cost,” she said, choking back emotion.

I didn’t respond as exhaustion, adrenaline, and shock worked their way through me.

“I’m going to fly ahead to Ophelia and let her know you’ve arrived.

Bring everyone to the castle. We’ll take care of them until we can get them settled into their new lives. ”

I watched her fly towards the castle I thought I’d never see again, before searching for Meli in the crowd.

She was with Louis, just a few feet away.

I’d been so focused on Rafael and my mother, I hadn’t seen them.

I held her tightly as we cried. Their child was safe, but there were no words for her loss.

Her mate, the father of her unborn child, was dead.

I wouldn’t let her face this alone. Taking her hand, we led the group to the castle.

“I love you, Meli. He died protecting his soulmate and his daughter and none of it’s fair. I’ll be here for you in whatever capacity you need me, please know that.”

She responded with a squeeze to my hand.