That was a good question to ask, I thought, after Taeral, Lumi, and the rest of their crew brought us up to speed with the events leading up to their escape.

Phoenix and I had come up on the platform of Luceria to greet them, after they’d announced their imminent return through the comms line. Derek and Sofia had also come up, both looking tired and sadder than usual.

As the moon rose over Calliope, we carefully went over every single detail we’d come across. The odds still weren’t in our favor, but Inalia’s sacrifice, as painful as it had been for those who’d gotten to know her, had yielded some surprising new intel.

Personally, I was still miffed about my sisters withholding their knowledge about the Hermessi and the pink water. I’d have thought we were equals as Daughters of Eritopia. “How are your sisters doing?” Lumi asked, as if having read my mind.

“A bit sullen. I gave them an earful after I found out what they knew,” I said. “They’re lucky I wasn’t with them in the sanctuary when they first mentioned it to Derek and Sofia. I would’ve slapped them around a bit.”

Phoenix chuckled softly, his arms snaking around my waist as he pulled me closer.

“We’ll need their help,” Taeral replied.

“We want access to the pink waters of Mount Agrith,” Amelia added. “The Devil’s Weed dipped in them will keep our presence hidden from the Hermessi. But I doubt it’ll make us invisible, exactly.”

“Nah, you heard Inalia. It has more to do with how they were able to detect us until now,” Raphael replied. “Maybe the plant distorts our voices to the Hermessi, changes our scent or something. It makes it harder for them to find us.”

“It may not protect us from the Shills and whatever else they’ll want to throw at us,” Riza said.

“It’s better than nothing, though,” Herakles muttered, his arms crossed. I could still see traces of his wounds. He’d taken quite a beating, the poor Faulty. He’d be good as new by morning, though.

“We are dealing with a nuclear shakedown of natural forces,” Derek concluded, running a hand through his dark hair. His nerves were stretched. I could tell. Not that I could blame him. A significant part of his family was encased in charmed crystal, maybe lost to us forever.

“If we want to survive, we’re going to have to start thinking on a more cosmic level,” Sofia said. “I suppose finding Death is next on your to-do list, after the Devil’s Weed,” she added, looking at Taeral, who nodded in return.

“Inalia referred to Death as ‘she,’” he replied. “And she may be our only hope.”

Taking a deep breath and revisiting the crisis we’d found ourselves in, I found my resolve. “Don’t worry about my sisters granting you access to Mount Agrith,” I said. “I will personally make sure they welcome you with open arms. It is the least they can do, if they’re honest in their desire to help us.”

“Meanwhile, we’ll continue our hunt of cult members,” Sofia replied. “We’re close to cracking a few of them open. The amplified magic on top of Mara mind-bending may give us results by morning, I’m told.”

“And we’ll keep looking after the affected fae,” Derek continued. “For their safety and ours.”

“I’ll resume my search for the oldest twenty-planet solar system,” Phoenix cut in. “I’d set that aside while looking for an inhabitable planet during the Cerixian Fire Hermessi crisis.”

“You do that,” I said to him. “If it’s where the Hermessi plan to complete their ritual, we need to know its location. Preemptive action is key.”

And by preemptive action, as Phoenix already knew, I meant a few things—including the destruction of one of twenty planets in order to wreck the Hermessi’s ritual plans. Nineteen couldn’t possibly be the same as twenty, I thought. My only hope was that there wouldn’t be anyone living on that one unfortunate planet.

Most importantly, I hoped I wouldn’t get dragged deeper into this by my maker, Calliope’s Earth Hermessi. According to Taeral’s account, Inalia had mentioned the risk of such a turn of events. Frankly, I would rather die than take part in the realization of this ritual.

“We need to get a move on,” Lumi said after a moment’s pause. “We still have a tiny advantage right now, knowing what we know.”

I nodded, ready to escort them all back to Mount Agrith. It was time to turn the tables on these elemental maniacs, before it was too late. It wasn’t just the lives of many that depended on us.

It was the universe and beyond.

And all that stood between it and its destruction was, ironically enough, Death.

Dear Shaddict,

Thank you for reading . I hope you enjoyed the ride!

I’m excited to announce that the next book in the series——releases February 12th, 2019!

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Love,

Bella x

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