I could feel the awe of our alliance. I could see their wide eyes and parted lips. Some of them were looking at the Daughters of Eritopia for the first time. The rest of us, who’d already been acquainted with the powerful yet capricious demi-goddess-like creatures, were struggling with a feeling between angst and anger.

All this could have been avoided, had they been better Daughters.

I counted nine of them, recognizing Nova immediately as the shortest one. I worried that by covering her face with gold and wearing their layers of silk and jewels, Viola had officially become one of them. That I would, eventually, lose her to her sisters. My heart struggled to cope with that idea, and my stomach tied itself up in knots as the Daughters turned to face us all, in a smaller circle, their backs to one another.

I couldn’t help but worry about Viola at that point, my nerves stretched beyond their limits. One of the Daughters cocked her head to one side as her glowing violet eyes focused on me. I exhaled sharply as she took off her mask and I found Viola smiling at me.

“Don’t worry, Phoenix,” she said gently, and winked. “I’m not leaving you again.”

She broke rank and came to me. She took my face in her bejeweled hands and dropped a short, sweet kiss on my lips, setting my insides on fire. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kept her close, despite the dissatisfied glares that her sisters gave me. I gave them a smirk back, comfortable holding Viola there.

“What are you doing here?” Serena stole the words right out of my mouth when she spoke, her fists balling at her sides. She was visibly angry, and none of us who’d experienced the Daughters’ temperamental outbursts could blame her.

“Are you crazy? You can’t speak to the Daughters like that,” Rebel growled at her, then shifted her focus to the Daughters with an apologetic expression. “Please, forgive her. She’s had a long day…”

“She has every reason to be angry with us,” one of the Daughters replied.

The statement baffled both Serena and Rebel, who looked at each other, blinking rapidly, before gawking at the Daughters again.

“Perhaps it’s time you show your true faces to the people of Eritopia.” Viola lifted an eyebrow at her sisters. “It’s a good way to start an apology, I think.”

The Daughters didn’t immediately respond, but their shoulders gradually dropped. Nova was the first to remove her golden mask, smiling at Thadeus and Damion as she tucked a lock of reddish pink hair behind her ear.

“Nova!” a Daughter gasped with discontent.

“Drop it, Rubia,” Nova shot back. “They need to see us!”

The Daughter identified as Rubia shook her head, but then removed her mask, a gesture mirrored by the others. They truly were the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen.

Five had reddish pink hair in different hues, and the other two, besides Nova and Viola, had deep black manes, braided and covered in blue gems and gold. Their faces looked eerily similar, though. They were clearly sisters, with smooth features and alabaster skin much like Viola’s, and soft, pink lips.

“You’re beautiful,” Phoenix said on an exhale, his gaze darting between Viola and her sisters.

“Thank you… I suppose…” Rubia replied, her brow furrowed. “We are created by Eritopia. Our eggs emerge from the bottom of the hot pink waters of Mount Agrith. We are linked to this world, and we feel every blow, every birth, and every death in Eritopia. No one ever told us what we were meant to do or why we were created. We've just felt that it is a part of who we are to protect this world.”

“Bang up job you’ve done so far,” Aida muttered, her lips pursed.

She drew the attention of another Daughter, who watched her quietly for a few seconds before she let out a long, tortured sigh.

“I am Ruelle,” she announced. “These are Rubia, Safira, Effissa, Chana, Amassa and Nibel. No one gave us these names. We named each other. You already know Nova and Viola. You and Azazel have already given them names. Despite our shortcomings over the past few centuries, we’ve always had good intentions. But we never knew how to act on them. No one ever taught us how to react to certain situations.”

“We’ve been on our own for eons,” Safira added, her voice echoing through the throne room. “We learned together.”

“We helped shape the beautiful lands of Eritopia together,” Amassa chimed in. “We kept the kingdoms safe for a long time, and we rarely intervened in the affairs of their people.”

“Rarely as in almost never,” Effissa said. “Although we serve Eritopia, we’ve kept our distance from the Eritopians. We’ve always felt lonely on our own, but there weren’t any other creatures like us out there. We found comfort in each other’s company. We had a common goal in protecting the world. When Nova’s egg came to the surface of Mount Agrith, Azazel’s attack on Eritopia was taking a darker, more tragic turn. We were ready to intervene.”

“But somehow, he managed to steal Nova’s egg from us,” Chana continued. “We didn’t know what to do. She is our sister. Our bond is stronger and more important to us than anything else, and it hurt us deeply. We’d been so happy to get another sister…”

“When Nova was taken, we were faced with Azazel’s cruelty and pure evil,” Rubia said. “I’m ashamed to admit it now, but we were weak. We were terrified of losing our sister. We were desperate to keep one of our own safe and alive, and we were neither ready nor willing to accept our mistake. If we’d been more careful, Azazel would never have stolen her.”

“Nevertheless, he did,” Nibel continued, looking at us. “As the conflict between Azazel and Eritopia escalated, we couldn’t do anything against him because he’d forced Nova out of her egg and was keeping her hostage. We could not act against him directly, so we had to reach some sort of agreement with him.”

“An agreement?” Zeriel frowned, scrutinizing each Daughter carefully.

“Yes.” Rubia nodded. “We agreed to not take direct action against him, and, in exchange, he wouldn’t harm our sister. Because she’s been hatched prematurely, Nova doesn’t have our strength. She can be killed quite easily, and we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to risk losing her. The only thing we could do was take advantage of the vague terms of our agreement. We answered the Red Tribe’s prayer after the massacre. We gifted the survivors with a stone that has kept them alive throughout the war. You will find they are all still standing.”

Hansa and Anjani gasped, enlightened by the revelation, as did Aida, who had seen the Red Tribe succubi praying to the Daughters in an earlier vision, and had seen the gem emerge from the fire. So, that’s what that had all been about.

“Thank you,” Hansa said slowly. “Thank you all for keeping my sisters safe…”

“It was one of the few loopholes that we could take advantage of… We shrouded Eritopia in a mist that cut it off from the rest of the universe, from the other worlds,” Rubia added.

“It was mostly meant to stop his darkness from spilling out,” Ruelle said. “And to keep anyone else from accidentally stumbling into this disaster that had once been our most precious gem, our home.”

“Our mother.” Chana scoffed lightly. “We let Eritopia down, and Draven was the one to show us that there are more important things in this world than our feelings. We didn’t have his courage. We couldn’t bring ourselves to sacrifice our sister. And we couldn’t bear being reminded of our own cowardice.”

“We felt ashamed and frustrated because we’d allowed Azazel to get so far,” Effissa said. “But the greatest shame came upon us when Viola, our own sister, stood up for the Druid, for Phoenix and the rest of you. It was then that we truly understood that we’d made a very poor choice. It was then that we were reminded of our true purpose, as guardians of Eritopia.”

A moment of silence passed as we all looked at each other. I could feel Serena’s awe and genuine amazement, and I accurately mirrored it—neither of us had ever thought we’d see the day when the Daughters of Eritopia would stand before us and admit they were wrong. I thought I would’ve seen hell freeze over before they spoke out, and yet, I had to admit, it was comforting to see and hear them being apologetic and aware of their shortcomings.

“We were wrong to react the way we did toward Viola, as well.” Ruelle looked at me and Viola. “We weren’t ready to sacrifice Nova, but we constantly pushed Viola to end her own life in order to bring down Azazel. We overreacted when she influenced the shape-shifters that were trying to harm you all. She was only trying to protect the only family she ever knew, and for that, we are deeply sorry. We couldn’t see the forest because of the trees…”

“‘Overreacted’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I replied dryly, prompting Ruelle to lower her head in shame.

“While that may be true,” Draven interjected politely, “in hindsight, it did give us an unpleasant but necessary push to fight harder and destroy Azazel once and for all. While their methods were questionable, to say the least, the Daughters proved that we were all ready and perfectly capable to stand up for ourselves and for Eritopia.”

I had to admit, Draven had a point. As petty as the Daughters’ gesture had been at the time, it had brought the best out of us. We’d been forced out of the safety of the mansion and thrown into the heat of the battle. We’d fought hard, worked together, and made it to Stonewall in one piece.

“It’s all in the past now, Phoenix,” Viola said, then glanced at Aida, Field, Anjani, and the others. “We shouldn’t hold on to grudges. I think we’ve all learned something from this experience…”

“You’ve all managed to accomplish something we never could,” Rubia said. “You sacrificed your own to rid Eritopia of the darkness and poison that Azazel had cast upon it. In return, we would like to offer our apology, along with a promise that we will never put Eritopia second again.”

“We would also like to offer our assistance in helping to rebuild the kingdoms,” Safira added. “Balance must be restored.”

She looked at Draven, who gave her a half-smile and nodded his approval. She then raised her hand and, with the flick of her wrist, sent out an invisible pulse that knocked Azazel’s massive portrait off the wall. Its large, gold-brushed frame broke as it hit the floor, and the canvas came down loose.

We all stilled at the sight of what the painting had been covering – a large stone portal framed with polished and rounded blocks of obsidian. It was sealed shut with black marble blocks, but it reminded me of the portals I’d seen in my past visions of the Master Druids’ gathering between the kingdoms.

“A kingdom portal,” Draven gasped, staring at the sealed archway.

“Azazel sealed them shut,” Rubia explained. “He only opened this for his own purposes, moving between planets along with his armies.”

“The kingdom portals lead to the Hall Between Worlds, where the Master Druid Council convenes. It also takes you to the other portals of Eritopia,” Safira continued, placing her palm on the wall at the center of the archway.

The surface rippled as pink light spread through it. The stone dissolved, and the portal was opened, revealing a dark interior with starry reflections. Safira then turned to face us with a soft expression on her face.

“I’ve made it so this portal will also take you to The Shade,” she said. “A portal will form on the other side as soon as you step through this.”

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of home. Serena and I glanced at each other, and I could see the same sparkle in Aida, Vita, Jovi, and Field’s eyes. We could finally go home and see our families again. A silent joy washed over me, and I felt Serena’s exhilaration sizzling out of her like the sweet scent of freedom. She winked, then nodded at me, and I knew then that the time for us to see our parents and friends from The Shade had finally, finally come.

“However, before we go on, I feel like we must resolve one last issue regarding the kingdoms,” Safira said, her gaze moving between Serena and me. She’d obviously sensed our excitement, and I had a feeling the wide grins plastered all over our faces had been a dead giveaway. “The planets need Master Druids in charge. Of those left standing, however, none have ever acquired the Hundredth Circle required for the nomination.”

“But these are special circumstances.” Rubia smiled, then moved toward Draven so smoothly, I wasn’t sure her feet were even touching the floor. “And Eritopia needs leaders who are capable of restoring its balance and order.”

“Leaders who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the wellbeing of others.” Safira joined her.

“Leaders who will stop at nothing to keep the people safe and thriving,” Chana added.

One by one, the Daughters gathered in a circle around Draven. Viola and Nova joined them, as the Druid stared, his eyes flickering black, apparently unsure of what to say or do next.

“Leaders who love this world and every single creature in it,” said Ruelle.

“Leaders who are righteous, kind, and patient,” Effissa chimed in.

“Leaders who are open to change, progress, and tolerance,” Nibel spoke, then looked at Nova.

“Leaders who are wise beyond their years, good beyond their means, and righteous beyond the very laws they swear to uphold,” the little Daughter said, her voice trembling with emotion.

I was surprised to see how quickly she’d come into her own, after just a few hours in the company of her sisters. My heart swelled with pride when Viola then took a step toward Draven, wearing her warm, signature smile.

“In other words, Eritopia needs leaders who can uphold its laws, both written and unwritten, and can also go beyond the boundary lines if needed to keep the people safe and happy,” she said gently. “For that, Draven, son of Almus and Genevieve and savior of Eritopia, we would like to offer you the Seal of Calliope, and allow you the freedom of nominating the nineteen Master Druids needed to rule Eritopia with you.”

Tears spilled down Serena’s cheeks as she watched the impromptu ceremony. I fought back some of my own and nodded slowly, catching a glimpse of the others in the process. They all agreed, smiling broadly with a twinkle in their eyes, as Draven was offered the position of Master Druid of Calliope.

“You have already done your mother proud, Draven,” Viola continued. “I say this on behalf of the Daughters of Eritopia: Calliope would be most fortunate to have you as its Master Druid. Will you accept the honor?”

Several seconds passed before Draven was able to formulate a response. He took a deep breath, then looked around at all of us—the alliance he’d put together, the unlikely friends he’d made along the way. I was proud to consider myself one of them. My sister loved him, and he was head over heels in love with her too. I could tell from the way they looked at each other that in recent days, they’d taken their relationship to a higher, deeper level.

Sure, I’d have to have that stern talk with him at some point and warn him that if he so much as made my sister cry, I would break every bone in his body... but that talk could wait. This was Draven’s moment, and, after all the years he’d spent in isolation, hidden beneath the protective shield of the mansion, deprived of family and friends, he deserved the recognition and appreciation of the world he was willing to die for.

“I accept,” he finally said, his voice thick with emotion.

Viola beamed at him in response, and took out a large gold seal from the folds of her colorful silk layers, handing it to Draven. He held it with trembling fingers, turning it over a few times. It was a beautiful sculpture cast in gold, in the form of a serpent eating its own tail, adorned with ancient runes and dozens of small diamonds along the length of its body. It reminded me of the Oroboros, part of earthly lore.

“The Nathairos,” he muttered, unable to take his eyes off it.

“The Nathairos, known as the Seal, is a symbol of the Druids,” Rubia said, recognizing the curious looks on our faces. “Each of Eritopia’s planets has one as a sigil, adorned with its representative gemstone. Calliope’s is a diamond.”

“Persea’s is a sapphire,” Draven explained briefly. “The ruby represents Purgaris, and so on. The Nathairos is a sigil given to the Master Druid of a planet. It stays with him until the end of his reign, and it is then passed on to his successor.”

Viola nodded, then came back to my side. I held her close, dropping a kiss on her temple. She had this way of switching so fast from the innocent and fragile ingénue to the godlike creature that was able to change entire species and save my friends’ lives. I was truly in awe of her.

Serena waited quietly next to us as Draven looked up, his gaze meeting hers.

He smiled, then came forward and took her in his arms. He kissed her intensely, then paused to look at her, his forehead leaning against hers. Love flowed between them like an endless stream, and I knew, then and there, that Serena had found her soulmate.

“I have you to thank for this… For all of this…” he breathed.

“Well, yeah, I did help a little.” She gave him a playful smile, making him chuckle.

It was the first time I was seeing Draven thoroughly happy, and I had to admit, it looked good on him. Rubia then cleared her throat, demanding our attention once again.

“Peace in Eritopia has now been restored,” she said. “And in part it was thanks to strangers from out of this world, who had no business here or reason to help, other than defending themselves from a mad Druid who sought to abuse them.”

She focused on me, Serena, Aida, Vita, Jovi, and Field as she spoke.

“You were brought here by force,” Rubia continued. “Others would have looked for ways out, running away without looking back or, worse, hiding somewhere and hoping that it would all pass. And you would have been right to do so. This wasn’t your war. And yet, you all stood up. You came together; you were one of the primary forces behind this alliance of the free nations, and you fought for Eritopia as if it were your own. The least we can do in return is make sure that your families and friends back home in The Shade get to remember and see you again.”

My heart leapt in my throat.

This was it. We were going home.

Serena and I glanced at each other. Aida, Jovi, Vita, and Field came closer, excitement glimmering in their eyes. Anjani and Bijarki stayed behind, a mixture of happiness and sadness passing over their faces. They were most likely worried, unsure of what Vita and Jovi would do once they saw their parents again. I wanted to tell them that everything would be okay, but Ruelle broke my ecstatic train of thought.

“I should warn you, though,” she said. “When we placed the shroud over Eritopia, it changed the passage of time between our galaxy and the rest of the worlds… It slowed Eritopia down because we hoped it would give the universes enough time to advance and be able to one day withstand Azazel’s darkness if he ever broke out.”

“Wait.” Serena shook her head, a confused frown pulling her eyebrows closer. “What… What do you mean, ‘it slowed Eritopia down’?”

“Time has flowed differently here,” Rubia explained. “From the moment you came in until now, it has been weeks in Eritopia... but twenty years have passed in The Shade.”

The information crashed into us. I didn’t know what to make of it, or how to react to it. Our parents had forgotten about us. Twenty years had gone by for them.

What would that mean for them? For all of our friends and family? For The Shade?

Or for us, for that matter, once they remembered us?

“We will restore the normal time flow now,” Rubia added, aware of our shock and confusion. “But we cannot retrieve the years that have already passed. I am sorry. We are all deeply sorry…”

“You’re saying our parents, our families and friends… hell, our entire world is twenty years older now?” Aida asked, still having trouble digesting the news.

Rubia nodded in response, then slowly raised a hand, revealing her gold diamond rings.

“It is time,” she said, then snapped her fingers.