My soul was unraveling as I tried to make sense of what we’d learned so far, along with its implications for my own future—or lack thereof, if I chose to make the ultimate sacrifice. There were too many things happening at once. Too many unknowns. Still, I had to push through. Even if I’d have to take Brann’s place in the absence of better options, I needed to make sure I helped Eira and Taeral and the rest of their crew. The Hermessi were up to no good, and they had to be stopped.

“We used to be neutral,” Acquis said, bringing me back into our current corner of cosmos, where Eira and I had only brought our souls—our bodies still in the underground, in the original library beneath the Lemnos Woods of Samotarcis. “We used to care for our planets and the creatures we helped create.”

“What happened, then?” I asked.

“Time, I suppose. Well, better said, the absence of it,” Acquis replied. “Millions of years have passed since the first Hermessi came into being. Millions of planets born and destroyed. It’s natural, for one thing, to have a beginning and an end. Maybe, someday, all the Hermessi will die out. Maybe the universe will become this endless field of lifeless rocks and burning stars… who knows?”

“So, what? Because they’ve been around for so long, the Hermessi have lost their marbles?” Eira asked, unconvinced.

“We are not perfect, child. We did the best we could with what we were given. There was no manual for who we are and what we are meant to do. We tested our limits. We accidentally wiped out entire worlds in the process. But we built new ones after that—I speak for the others, however. I’ve only known Cerix, since I was still a Cerixian myself.”

“You’re referring to the elders, the old guard, so to speak,” I concluded.

The water ring that swirled around us swelled in response. It felt like a yes.

“We played with the laws of the universe. We discovered that our energy could be limited or amplified. That if we had a certain number of living bodies, we could use them as conduits. The bigger the number, the greater our ability to destroy and create. The old guard, as you call them, devised the rituals. They became essential to our culture over time. To many, the rituals are the single most important aspect of our existence. I suppose they cannot see life without performing them every few millennia or once in a million years… I don’t know. I couldn’t reason with my older brethren about this. It’s either ‘we do this’ or ‘we do this,’ and they will not accept any other answer from the rest of us.”

“But why? What makes them think we all need to be wiped out?” I asked.

“It is common knowledge among the Hermessi that it takes about two million years for any civilization to achieve the highest point of its societal development, and then it will devolve into self-destruction,” Acquis explained. “It’s been two million years since the last time this end-of-days ritual was attempted. Four since the slate has been wiped clean across the universe, since the ritual was, in fact, completed. It’s part of our Hermessi tradition, like I said. They would’ve tried it sooner, but the backlash from two million years ago rendered them all useless on a cosmic scale. It reduced them to mere elements. Since the Blackout, however, they’ve grown stronger, and they’re determined to complete the ritual this time.”

Eira tried to get more information out of him regarding that previous attempt. “What was the backlash, exactly? What was it that had the power to destroy so many Hermessi and put the survivors to sleep for… two million years?”

“It was an outside force, I told you,” Acquis replied.

“Yeah, that’s not enough. You need to explain what this outside force is,” I said firmly.

“Listen, there’s no time for this, not right—”

“Make time!” Eira shouted. “Entire civilizations are at risk! And for what? For your brethren’s obsession with sticking to their patterns?”

“The Hermessi have seen enough civilizations grow and die to decide on the two million years’ worth of living,” Acquis replied. “If they’re allowed to live past that, they become destructive to the point where the planet itself suffers, often beyond repair. We are Hermessi. We are the planets. So why wouldn’t we make sure our worlds live longer? If we have to wipe out entire species to do it, so be it! Most of what’s in this universe right now has been around for more than four million years. In distant galaxies, planets destroyed one another with magic they should’ve never gotten their hands on, in the first place! There is logic behind this madness.”

“Then you’re okay with it,” Eira retorted.

“I’m not. I’m just saying, I understand where my brethren are coming from. I do, however, believe that these civilizations could be warned, helped to mend their ways, before this final solution that is the ritual.”

“What outside force stopped the Hermessi two million years ago, Acquis? I’m sure you know, but can’t bring yourself to tell us,” I asked once more, surprised by my own courage and determination. It could be that my mentality was already shifting, as if my courage had grown three sizes in the face of danger and death. I was doing and saying things I’d never thought possible a week ago.

Acquis pulled himself into a smaller water bubble, moving around us like a curious bee. Distant stars were reflected in his surface, which rippled at Eira’s touch. His voice, however, was as loud and clear as ever. “There were suspicions among us, the young Hermessi, regarding the demise of our predecessors and the great sleep. We followed a logical thread, of course. What I do know is that the old guard won’t breathe a word about that event.”

“Okay. So what was your assumption, then? What did the new guard think happened two million years ago?” Eira asked.

“What force is endless and stronger than all of us put together?” Acquis replied.

A second went by in silence as both Eira and I thought about it. “Life?” I suggested, unconvinced by my own answer.

“We are life-givers, Inalia,” Acquis said.

“Then maybe—” Eira didn’t get to finish that thought.

Everything went black. In a split second, I felt myself pulled back, torn from that hidden corner of cosmos and hurled across like a loose rag. Everything about me hurt, until my spirit was reunited with my flesh. Dazed, I glanced around, noticing Eira back and by my side, equally confused.

“Come on, we need to go!” Taeral warned us, gripping my shoulders firmly.

“Huh? What? What just…” My voice trailed off as I heard the rumble in the tunnels. Amelia and Raphael stood in the cave room’s rounded doorway, panting. Their eyes wide and filled with… concern. Fear. It quickly passed over to me. “Tae, what’s going on?”

He helped Eira and me up, then handed us our bags and weapons, which we’d left on the floor during our out-of-body meeting with Acquis. “Something is coming. We need to leave.”

“What’s coming?” Eira replied, blinking rapidly.

A spine-tingling screech echoed through the tunnel. It was swiftly followed by the most terrifying roars I’d ever heard. Claws scratching at the black stone. Shivers traveled down my spine, as my survival instincts kicked in with lightning speed.

We rushed out into the tunnel leading back to the first chamber, joining Amelia, Raphael, Herakles, Riza, Varga, Eva and Bane as we moved away from the growls and paralyzing howls.

“Seriously, what the hell is that?” I asked.

Taeral caught my hand in his, and I took Eira’s in mine, afraid I might lose her along the way. We ran through the passageway, crossing multiple chambers, as the animal sounds got closer behind us. It was only a matter of time before I’d find out what those creatures were—and I sure didn’t want that.

“I’m sorry I had to wake you both up like this, but we couldn’t wait any longer,” Taeral said.

“You’re not answering my question!”

“They’re creatures of some kind, and our comms are down in the tunnels,” Amelia replied.

“What creatures?” Eira croaked, glancing over her shoulder. The color vanished from her cheeks. “Oh, no.”

I followed her gaze and felt my stomach crumble at the sight of those monstrous things. They’d just spilled into the main corridor, and they were headed toward us. The giant fangs. The sharp claws. The beads of drool hanging from their gaping jaws… their many eyes. They were nightmares incarnate and nothing I’d ever come across before.

My yelp best described what I thought of them, as I kept running even faster, with Eira and Taeral linked to my hands.

“We need to warn the Brothers and get them out!” Bane added, pale with terror. He fumbled through his shirt and took out what looked like a wood-carved whistle. He blew it, emitting a shriek that sounded like an incredibly angry pterodactyl, but it seemed to work.

Within seconds, murmurs and thudding boots filled the cave system with rumbling echoes. The Brothers had been alerted. They probably had that whistle as part of some kind of evacuation protocol.

“Everybody get out, now!” I heard Herakles shout farther ahead. He and Riza had gotten to the first chambers faster, just in time to bump into a small mass of Brothers as they tumbled out of the chambers, desperate to reach the surface.

“What’s going on?” one of the Brothers’ voices came through.

“Get out, dammit! Now! Now! Move!” Riza commanded.

Shortly thereafter, we made it to the first chamber, just as the last dozen Brothers scrambled through the exit tunnel, while Herakles and Riza waited for the rest of us. Bane sped forward and joined his mates, rushing up the steps leading to the surface. Other Brothers came running in from other nearby chambers—all of them pale and terrified. They, too, had heard the creatures.

Raphael stayed back, slapping the tunnel walls with his bare hands. He couldn’t do it on his own, though, and I didn’t understand why. “The Hermessi know we’re here. They’re preventing me from using my fae abilities. I need some help!” he shouted.

Without hesitation, Riza joined him, whispering something. Her palms lit up in the same color as her amethyst eyes. She touched Raphael’s hands, palms still pressed against the black stone walls. Then, she clapped her luminescent hands, releasing what looked like a pulse just as the creatures got close enough for me to see their shadows reflected in front of the main chamber’s entrance.

The rumble that followed made me want to get as far away from here as possible.

Riza and Amelia grabbed Raphael, then linked hands with the rest of us, just as the last of the Brothers we knew about made it out. The ground trembled beneath us. The entire tunnel system collapsed as we vanished.

We reappeared on the outer edges of Lemnos Woods. The earth was still shaking. Dust puffed out here and there, between the trees, as the caves came down underneath. I could only imagine the damage such an event implied—but I hoped it had also sealed those monstrous creatures in.

Varga’s eyes glistened gold as he scanned the area. “I don’t see that many Brothers out there,” he said quietly. “I’m afraid we didn’t get all of them out.”

“We couldn’t have gotten them all out in time,” Taeral replied. “It all happened too fast.”

“How… What… Somebody explain this to me!” Eira cried out, shaking like a leaf. Varga kept his True Sight on the Brothers, most likely watching and making sure they got away from the caves, as the ground tremors dwindled.

“There was this cave chamber, far from the library,” Amelia said. “Raphael and I were out exploring. We found it all quiet, but it was strange. A sphere-shaped grotto with pink water on the bottom. Crystal eggs kept floating to the surface, and inside them, we could see something moving. By the time we realized we were in trouble, most of the eggs had already hatched, and the creatures were coming for us.”

“Creatures. Creatures. I keep hearing the word, but it doesn’t make sense. What creatures? The monsters I saw back there, with too many eyes and claws and… ugh…” Eira shuddered and shook her head, probably trying to lose the image.

“We don’t know what they are,” Raphael replied, frowning. “You’re a local. You’d know more than us, for sure.”

“There is nothing that just comes out of crystal eggs from pink waters from the bottom of the freaking earth!” Eira said, aggravated and understandably horrified.

“Guys, trouble,” Varga interrupted our baffled exchange. “We need to get back there!”

“What? Why?” Taeral asked.

“The Brothers… those things are tearing into them. We can’t let them all die!”

Taeral looked at Eira and me, as if waiting for our approval. To my surprise, Eira was the first to nod. “Fine. Let’s go.”

“Thought you were scared of them,” Raphael replied with a cold grin.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I’m cool with letting them kill people,” Eira snapped.

We linked hands, and I braced myself for the worst. My heart pumped at hyper speed, my skin lighting up orange as soon as we set foot on the wavy and fractured ground above the collapsed cave system we’d briefly teleported away from.

The horror unraveled faster than the adrenaline rushing through my veins. Brothers were running in different directions, as the creatures fought their way out from the underground, then went after them. A few of the Brothers made it, vanishing behind the distant black trees, but most were pinned down. The creatures were hungry, their fangs tearing through flesh and bone as if they’d stumbled upon the greatest buffet. I caught a glimpse of Bane slipping from a pair of claws. He made a run for it without ever looking back. I didn’t even have time to wonder if I’d see him again—his attacker moved on to another Brother, weaker and slower. The poor Cerixian didn’t stand a chance.

My stomach turned itself inside out. Anger took hold, and I quickly translated it into fire. For some reason, I could use my elemental ability. Taeral and Raphael had their other strengths to rely on. The Hermessi definitely knew we were here. I could feel their eyes on me, their whispers traveling along the rising, chilly winds.

I cast fires at every creature I could see—devastating blazes that would’ve instantly cremated any other foe. But these monsters seemed almost immune! The flames barely touched them. Maybe a blister here and there, at best. I couldn’t help but curse under my breath.

Eira’s water ability was strong, too. It was as if the Hermessi could pause a fae’s elemental connection to them, but were unable to do the same with us, their children. That was good to know, going forward. However, it didn’t help our situation much. Eira managed to draw out snaking threads of water from the underground rivers flowing beneath the cave system. They froze as soon as they reached the surface, but she could still hurl them around like projectiles. Still, all she managed to do was smack some of the creatures, thus drawing their ire and bared fangs.

Taeral and his crew spread out, trying to destroy these creatures before they killed all the Brothers of the Shadow who had been left behind. Part of me prepared for the worst-case scenario—these monsters kept spilling out from below, as if they were being mass-produced from the bowels of Cerix. We were already outnumbered, but I took comfort in knowing that Taeral’s crew was one step above the “badass” label.

“Oh, crap,” I bit out, my gaze fixed on one particular creature.

It teleported across the conflict area, darting from one body to the next in a bid to eat as much as it could before Taeral and Riza could get to it.

“They’re teleporting. They’re freaking teleporting!” Eira shouted, equally stunned by what she was witnessing.

I could handle monsters that were immune to my fire or Eira’s water, mainly because Taeral’s crew had other tricks up their sleeves—such as teleporting. But if these creatures could teleport as well, how in the world were we going to get out of this mess?

That question was left unanswered, as one of the monsters set its sights on me.