A week had passed since we’d brought Neraka’s ordeal to an end. It seemed like yesterday, though. Azure Heights had been rebuilt—this time it was even more beautiful and was filled with open-air public spaces. There was no social segregation of any kind, either. This was a city of Imen that welcomed everyone, from all walks of life.

The Valley of Screams was reassigned to the Imen. Only ten gorges were given to the daemons for hunting. Lumi made sure to set up alarm spells to notify the Imen if anyone broke the territorial rules. After she healed herself and replenished her soul through a comprehensive ritual, she gifted the Imen with swamp witch charms to use in the future—to improve their crops, to preserve their food supplies, to grow their trees, to heal their wounds, and to protect them from any kind of attack. It was her gift to them, the little she could do after thousands of years spent in utter misery.

Caspian made a full recovery. We spent a lot of time together—in one of the bedrooms in the newly rebuilt Palisade, which was now a luxury hotel, or with the others, helping the Imen open new stores and businesses on different city levels.

We spent our evenings walking the streets and talking about what had been, and about what would come to pass. Lumi had given us both something extraordinary. First, she’d removed Caspian’s blood oath. He could speak freely again, and he had so many stories to tell.

Second, she subjected me to a ritual to replenish my soul. I felt whole again. I could smile again. I could breathe and relish every second, once more. The difference that a complete soul makes.

Of course, she did the same with all the Imen and everyone else who had had their souls nibbled on by the Exiled Maras and the daemons. Nevis was all proud and smirking again, thrilled to have regained his full powers. The Dhaxanian prince’s unbreakable frost had returned, and the first thing he did with it was, of course, troll the hell out of Heron. It took Avril a while to explain to both Lucas and Marion that this was just the usual mischief between the Mara and the Dhaxanian.

“I will return to White City and bow before Jax,” Caspian muttered as we settled on the edge of an artesian fountain on the fifth level, overlooking the fields, our camp, and the Valley of Screams. Even the air felt different. Better. “He’s the Lord of Maras on Calliope, after all. It will be an honor to serve him,” he added.

“And you’ll be a part of GASP, too,” I replied, smiling.

He nodded slowly. “For a minute there, I felt a little lost. Lacking direction. I wanted to thank you and your parents for backing me up on this whole GASP thing. I wasn’t sure you’d feel the same way a few days later. You know how emotions can get the better of us, sometimes.”

“Don’t be silly,” I said, watching his hand cover mine on the fountain’s edge. “Honestly, I will live anywhere, as long as you’re with me. Whether it’s The Shade, or Calliope, or, hell, even Neraka. Or any other place. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as we’re together. We’re bound, Caspian, in ways that no one can ever understand—except other sentries, of course.”

“I like feeling you this way,” he breathed, unable to take his eyes off me. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to go back to my life, the way I was before I met you. You’re an indelible part of me, now.”

“And you’re a part of me,” I replied. “Therefore, don’t ever think my feelings will change. Not even in a thousand years. Maybe it works differently with Maras, but sentries are different. Once our souls are bound, that’s it. Game over. I am yours and you are mine for life.”

He exhaled sharply, then looked out into the distance and smiled. “I think my parents would’ve loved you.”

“My parents already love you.” I giggled. “When Serena and Phoenix decided to stay on Calliope, it shocked Mom and Dad. It took them a while to adjust, even though they fully supported them. Plus there’s the portal between Calliope and The Shade. This time, it’s a little different. Maybe because they’ve already had two kids leave to be with their soulmates. It didn’t hit them so hard this time around.”

I fumbled through my shirt pocket and took out the pendant that Serena had given me. This charmed little trinket had made my misery feel less rancid in the minutes after I’d defeated Shaytan. It had brought back one of my most beautiful memories, in full and vivid color. It had felt as though I’d been right there, with my entire family, around the dinner table.

I wanted Caspian to experience the same—to lovingly remember those he’d loved and lost. So I put the medallion in the palm of his hand and smiled.

“I want you to have this,” I said, my voice trembling.

He looked at it for a while, unsure of what it was or what it did. “Thank you,” he murmured, then gave me a curious look. “There’s a story behind this, huh?”

I chuckled softly and closed his fist around the medallion. “I want you to close your eyes and think about your family. Deep in your mind, hidden beneath years of abuse and suffering, are moments that made you smile… that made you happy. Think of those.”

He did as I asked, closing his eyes. He sucked in a breath, his lips stretching into a smile.

“This… This is incredible,” he said.

“What do you see?” I asked, my heart swelling at the sight of him looking so happy.

Tears started streaming down his cheeks. “My mom and dad. I’m so tiny. I’m looking up at them. We’re on the rooftop, looking at the stars. My dad’s telling me about the moons and the legends behind them.”

He gasped, then took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The love surging through me like liquid sunshine was all him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, his mouth crashing into mine as he kissed me with everything he had.

I was overwhelmed. I teared up as well, relishing the taste of him, his emotions burning through me and bringing me even closer to him.

“There isn’t much I can do to match this extraordinary gift you’ve just given me,” Caspian said, pulling himself back. He fumbled through his jacket pockets, frowning slightly. He was looking for something. “All I can give you, over and over, is my heart. And… well, this.”

He held up a diamond ring, exquisitely crafted in silver. It was beautiful, yet simple.

My heart stopped. I held my breath. My brain just stopped functioning, as I tried to figure out what was going on. Caspian was giving me a ring…

He slipped it on my finger without taking his eyes off me.

“Don’t think of it as a proposal,” he said. “I know we’re still at the beginning of this journey, and I wouldn’t want to pressure you in any way. I’m not a stickler for traditions, anyway, and, frankly, after my last experience with an oath,” he added, chuckling, “I’m not too nuts about making another one any time soon. But I want you to accept this as a token of how I feel about you.”

“Caspian, I…” I croaked, unable to formulate a coherent thought.

“It’s the only thing I’ve got left from my parents,” he muttered. “It was my mother’s. And I want you to wear it. Whenever you look at it, I want you to remember how much I love you. I’m alive today because of you, Harper. Not just because of what you did with Shaytan, but because of how you pulled me out of my personal darkness and set my soul on fire. I love you.”

I broke down, sobbing like a little girl. “I… I love you, too,” I managed.

He chuckled. “Then why are you crying?”

“Because I love you, and there are so many feelings bursting through me right now, yours and mine. I’m a little overwhelmed,” I replied between hiccups.

Caspian laughed wholeheartedly, then took me in his arms and covered my face in hot, sweet kisses. I welcomed his embrace, hiding my face in that warm space between his head and shoulder, taking deep breaths and savoring his natural, musky scent.

“We’re bound, Harper,” he whispered. “We’re looking at an eternity together. Wherever we choose to spend it, we’ll be together.”

“Forever,” I breathed.

“Mm-hm.”

I liked that. I liked that a lot. With my soul complete and my heart filled with undying love, the prospect of being with Caspian for the rest of my life was something that fueled me, much like three suns fueled the entire galaxy and gave life to Neraka.

An eternity together… Yup. Sounds good.