Page 32

And The Oscar Goes To

G oodbyes.

I hated Goodbyes.

But when that goodbye was aimed at the man you loved, who looked like he was breaking inside, that goodbye meant something else.

That was the type of goodbye you could barely breathe through.

The one where tears clung to your lashes, even long after they had been shed.

The type that tore at your soul and fractured your heart.

It was the type of goodbye that spoke of so much without the need for words. The one that said,

If I don’t make it, I will die loving you.

That was what this goodbye was.

As for the rest of my family, I had told them all how much I loved them, clinging to my father the most. This time, he couldn’t hold back his tears. And my last words to him, were a spoken promise between us.

“Tell mom I love her.”

“You can tell her yourself when we get home,” he replied, just as I had done with Jared’s brother. But we both knew what that truly meant… Hope that there would still be a home.

We all hoped for it, but there was no guarantee I was making it out of this alive.

It was why I hadn’t told any of them about the baby.

Because I didn’t want them to have yet another life to mourn.

In the days leading up to this point, I even made Lerna promise not to ever tell anyone.

She was the only one that knew, and I wanted to keep it like that.

If I couldn’t tell my family under happy circumstances, then I didn’t want them to ever know. Of course, she tried to talk me out of it but I wouldn’t hear of it, making her promise me regardless.

As for our plan, everyone knew the importance of this last battle.

All the Kings and leaders were at the ready to lead their armies into what they were calling the War of Souls.

For these generals had made their own battle plan, spending long hours in the war room until everyone knew where their forces were supposed to be.

My uncle was naturally the one in charge of this plan, which was simple enough…

Fight until victory or die trying.

I remembered hearing this being said at the last meeting. My uncle hammering his fist to the table over the image of the castle. And with this, my aunt’s voice entered the room behind him.

“And try we will, but as a family.”

All heads turned to the door, only to find that the men in the room weren’t the only ones dressed in battle gear.

“We discussed this!” my uncle said, but my aunt just scoffed.

“You didn’t really think we would listen, did you?” she said, patting him on the cheek in a patronizing way.

“Yeah, sorry, Pops, this isn’t just your fight,” my cousin added, winking at me as she joined them at the same time as Pip and Sophia, who were also dressed ready for battle.

“Amelia, we also talked about this,” Lucius snapped, to which she simply winked at him and said,

“Yeah, but when do I ever really listen?”

After which the arguments started, only ending when a rider from Garmr’s forces arrived with a letter.

So, I took the precautions Jared advised, and raised my hooded cloak up over my head so the guard wouldn’t be able to convey anything to Garmr about seeing me.

The demon, who had pale, grey puckered skin, beady black eyes, and a face that looked like it had been chewed on by a dog for a week, pulled back on the reins of the beast he travelled on.

“I seek the HellBeast King.”

Jared, who had his arms folded, nodded silently.

Then the demon pulled a letter from his satchel and held it out to him.

Jared snatched it from the rider sitting on the back of a snarling beast, one that looked like a Hellhound and a horse had one ugly ass baby.

But the second it snapped its jaws at Jared, his own beast responded, roaring at the creature and letting pieces of his HellBeast emerge.

This made it whimper in submission before the rider took control of it again as it tried to flee.

“My Lord expects a reply by nightfall.”

“And he will fucking get one, now go, before I send it back with your severed head!” Jared threatened.

The rider left and Jared tore open the black, wax seal, unrolling the scroll of parchment. He started scanning it and I watched as his jaw clenched.

“What is it, what does it say?” I asked, but he handed it to me and replied bitterly,

“You have your wish.”

As he walked away angrily, I knew why. Because his last hope had been in Garmr not replying. Of not finding the letter we left behind, or not being willing to make the exchange.

But that last hope had fled because Garmr had found the letter and was willing to hand over his brother for Anástasi. Which brought us to now, and our painful goodbye.

“You have everything you need?” Jared asked me, checking my hidden bag, one tucked under my long, dark green cloak.

I took his hands in mine because we both know he had checked it three times already. And it was all because my survival depended on what was in the bag.

But first came making the exchange.

For that, I had needed chains and a witch.

Chains that Nero was at the ready with as she stood back, giving us our last goodbye. We had travelled in a covered wagon because Jared hadn’t wanted to take any chances with me being seen by Garmr’s spies.

Besides, I was playing the part of the prisoner, so with that logic they would need a way to transport me to the castle.

Garmr had to be convinced that Anástasi was too uncontrollable to keep in their camp any longer.

That they had tried and failed to bring Ella back and as a result, she had threated to kill everyone unless they gave her back.

Not willing to risk it, they had bargained to give back to her precious Garmr, but only in exchange for Orthrus.

And as for Garmr, he had taken the bait up until now.

But I knew I was going to have to put on one hell of a show for it to work completely.

I was going to have to act like his murderous Anástasi.

Yet as for right now, I had a few more minutes of being Ella, and I was going to use every second of them with my HellBeast.

“You know, I think we need to throw a party once this is all over… when’s your birthday again?” I asked, making him sigh and tell me,

“I know what you’re doing, Red.”

“Being optimistic and looking to the future, you bet I am, Beastman,” I replied, making him place his hands at my waist and pull me closer.

“Fuck, but I missed you calling me Beastman,” he told me tenderly, wrapping his arms around me, prompting me to do the same.

“Well… Macho Man Supreme Bone Crusher was taken,” I said, referring to what I nicknamed his brother once, making him scoff. But when silence ensued, I looked up at him and told him, “I will bring him back to you.”

He nodded.

“As I will come for you,” he vowed, which meant it was my turn to nod, before I hugged him tighter, holding my cheek to his chest so I could tell him,

“I love you, Jared Weller. My HellBeast King.”

I felt the rabid beating of his heart as well as heard it when he swallowed hard. Pulling back enough to look at me, he cupped my cheeks and told me,

“I love you, Ella, my HellBeast Queen.” Then he kissed me and this time, it was to the taste of our joint tears.

“Promise me, Ella, promise me you will do everything in your power to survive this… fucking promise me… please,” he said, and my heart broke at the desperation in his voice. So, I held my forehead to his and told him,

“I promise.”

“It’s time, J,” Marcus said, and I turned to walk down the steps of the wheeled platform the caged wagon was built on. Before I made it there, I felt my hand taken and Jared pulled me back.

“Don’t do this… please, Ella, I beg of you.”

I closed my eyes and let my forehead hit his chest.

“Jared.”

“I have a bad feeling… I just can’t shake it. I…” he tried to say more but I was quick to stop him, hating the panic I saw building in his eyes.

“Hey,” I said, cupping his cheek. “Listen to me, what happened to every Chosen One?”

“Fate,” he replied, making me nod.

“Yes, Fate. Their destiny happened, and each and every time it brought them back to their King. Back to the keeper of their heart. We have to believe in that, Jared. We have to hold on to that,” I told him, but his pained voice asked,

“Hold on to what, Ella?”

“That soon it will be our turn… our turn for our own happy ever after,” I told him, whispering over his lips before kissing him one last time. Then I forced myself to pull back and say, “Showtime, handsome.”

With a wink, I walked toward Marcus, who waited with Nero. And this time, Jared was forced to let me go. Then I held out my hands to Nero and asked,

“So, will these really work?”

“Yes, as soon as Garmr breaks them, Dariush will have a location, he knows the plan.”

I nodded and held out my hands for her to cuff my wrists. The elaborate metal etched with glowing symbols was supposed to fool Garmr into believing this withheld my power. At least enough to stop me from going batshit and killing everyone.

“Give them a try,” she asked, and I yanked on them, making them flash and glow angrily.

“Neat,” I said, making her grin, the white tattoos on her chin becoming more pronounced.

“And it’s all for show, right?” Jared asked.

“I promise you, she doesn’t feel a thing, but she will have to act like she feels everything.”

“Damn it, but why didn’t I do drama instead of dancing?” I joked.

“Well, not sure your portrayal of Hamlet on stage would have had quite the same effect as your Little Red Riding Hood dance, but the skull in your hand would have got him going,” Marcus joked, slapping Jared on the back and making him sneer in return.

I laughed before pulling him in for a hug, and when Jared was busy asking Nero questions about the chains, I whispered in Marcus’s ear,

“Take care of him.” I pulled back, his look saying so much, and not a shred of it was funny. Then he released a pained sigh and nodded, agreeing,

“I will.”

“You will what?” Jared asked.