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T he moment Tess had come to fetch me, to tell me Annelise and Zion were alive, I raced through the hallways of The Stone Palace.

I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going, only that I needed to go to her.

Needed to see her. I didn’t know if it was instinct alone that drew me to the castle infirmary or something deeper, but I burst through the doors to find Annelise sitting up in bed, Zion at her side.

They were laughing .

I thought I had left every tear I had back on that throne, but they spilled forward once more as I rushed towards them.

But these tears were different—they were happy.

They captured me in a hug so tight it felt as if they were piecing me back together.

I pulled back only enough to search their faces. “How?!”

Another set of footsteps entered the room, and I should have known it would be the smug seer behind all of this .

“You?” I asked, confusion clear in my voice.

Alastir nodded, coming forward to rest a hand against my shoulder. “I didn’t tell you, because I wasn’t sure it would work. In the chance that it didn’t… I didn’t want to be the one to break your heart should I have failed.”

“If what failed?” I asked, searching their expressions.

“The antidote.” Zion’s voice was resonant when he answered.

I shook my head back and forth, confusion creasing my brow as my mouth fell open.

“The antidote we created in The Shadow with your blood wasn’t only a cure for siphoning, but a cure for dark magic .

I thought it might work, but I couldn’t be sure.

When the antidote was administered to Nik and the Noctani parts of him died but left the rest of him whole, I thought perhaps the same could be true for Annelise.

It would kill the piece of her that was dark, the piece of her that was Donika , but she would live.

The spell that I used to save Annelise was a sister spell to the one that saved Nikolai.

All Annelise had to do was drink it before the battle…

no coating of the blade necessary since it wasn’t Annelise herself whose heart had been changed by the darkness. ”

“And Zion?” I asked, glancing back and forth between them.

“If Annelise wasn’t dead, Zion wouldn’t be either. The same magic that saved her, saved him too. It took a little longer for it to work than we initially thought… but that’s not what matters. What matters is that it worked ,” Alastir explained.

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I hastily swiped it away with the back of my hand. For the first time in a long, long time, the tears I shed were those of joy. I took a deep breath, allowing my body and taut muscles to finally relax and unknit themselves.

Annelise and Zion were alive .

Nik, Tess, Puck, Alastir, Amiyah, Saanvi, Kenna, they were all safe.

My family was safe.

And Donika was dead.

I buried my face in Annelise’s shoulder and she brought her arms around me, holding me tightly. From the moment I met her, I had wondered what it would feel like to find comfort in her arms.

It felt right .

With my mother embracing me, I felt whole.

Tess joined our little reunion, laughing as she threw her arms around our trio. Then Puck appeared at the doorway, no hesitation in joining us.

“I’m not one for a group hug, but I won’t be left out… ” Nik muttered as he entered the room and threw his arms around us.

“Come on, old man.” Nik nodded towards Alastir. “Join us.”

Alastir lifted his lip as if he was repulsed by the idea, but after a long moment passed, he reluctantly joined us. We drew him into the middle, a fit of laughter shaking us as he appeared as uncomfortable as humanly possible.

The sounds of true, genuine laughter filled my ears and I was already lighter. There were tough decisions and hard times to come in the days ahead, but I would savor this moment.

I glanced around and seared their faces into my memory.

The way Nik’s dimple stuck out on his right cheek when he smiled widely.

The way Puck’s mess of curls covered his forehead like a used mop.

The way Tess’s pearly white teeth were displayed as she threw her head back with genuine laugher.

How Annelise stared at me as if I were a miracle.

Her miracle. The way Zion looked at Annelise as if she was his .

How Alastir begrudgingly joined our hectic little group, a smile across his lips despite his grumpy nature.

These were the moments I never wanted to forget.