They had lost nearly a dozen Fighters, three Mamsets, six Fawnis, five Jaitu, and seven Guisnows before the war ended. They laid each human and creature to rest along with Monique. Anastasia stared down at the gravestone that bore her name.
“She believed in you,” Dakota said softly as he wrapped his arm around her.
Anastasia turned and offered him a smile as she wiped the tear from her cheek. “I know she did. I just wish I could have been strong enough to save her.”
“It wasn’t a matter of strength, Ana.”
“Had I destroyed Vincent that first night in Seattle, the night you were shot, this would have all been over a lot sooner. Brady, Sarah, everyone we’ve lost since then would still be alive.”
“There was nothing you could have done that night and you know it. Everything happens for a reason, Ana. You said it yourself, the fight had to end here in Terrenia, and as much as it hurts to have lost everyone we did, you still saved the worlds.” He turned her to face him. “You are a hero, Ana.”
“I don’t feel like one.” She took a deep breath. “But I am grateful this is all over. Maybe now we can all start living again.”
Kaley padded over and nudged Anastasia’s hand. “You, my sweet girl, are the real hero.” Anastasia knelt so she could hug the feline. “I’m so glad you came back, girl.”
“It’s time,” Dakota said, and Anastasia stood, a smile on her face. They walked hand in hand back to the village and to the people smiling and laughing who had too long been wearing a frown instead.
“Phoenix!” Nix cheered, and everyone else joined in.
Anastasia smiled and waved. She would always appreciate how much everyone cared for her, but she didn’t consider herself to be anything more than she was when she first arrived in Terrenia all those years ago.
In a move that surprised her, Nix pulled her in for a hug. “I am going to miss you, Phoenix.”
“I’m going to miss you too, Nix.”
“You will come visit?” Nallia asked, hopeful.
Anastasia nodded. “Of course.”
Although the terrain was substantially different than their previous world, the Jaitu were traveling back with the Guisnows. It appeared Nix and Nallia weren’t ready to say goodbye. Anastasia smiled at them. She hoped they never would be.
“Phoenix.” Argento, Calisi on his hip, smiled at her.
“Please call me Ana, Argento.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “I thought you only preferred Dakota to call you that.”
“I never believed I had any other true friends before.”
Argento smiled so widely, she was sure his face might split. Before she knew it, he had pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. “I will miss you, Ana,” he said softly, and she smiled as he pulled away. Calisi reached for her, and Anastasia lifted the tot for another hug.
“Dakota.” Argento shook Dakota’s hand and Dakota reached around to give him a hug instead.
“We’re family now, Argento.”
When Argento pulled away, he had tears in his eyes. “I am grateful for everything you have done for us,” he said to them. “Because of you we can go home victorious. I will see my home returned to its former glory.”
“This one will make a wonderful queen.” Anastasia smiled as she handed Calisi back to Argento.
He nodded. “Yes, she will. You will come visit?”
“We would love to,” Anastasia responded with a smile.
She turned to see Ashere approaching. “I assure you that should you choose to visit our world again, you will be met with friends.”
“Glad to know you won’t take another chunk out of my shoulder,” Dakota said dryly.
Ashere let out a laugh. “No, we will not, Fighter.”
“Thank you, Ashere, for all of your help.”
“You are most welcome, Sorceress.” Anastasia’s eyes widened. He was the first one to call her that. “You will do the title honor.” He bowed his head.
One by one Anastasia and Dakota said goodbye to each group of creatures who came to assist them. Then again, one by one, Anastasia opened portals to their worlds so they could return home.
“Well, Dakota. I suppose I owe you an apology.” Ashton reached out to shake Dakota’s hand. “If you ever want to come back to Seattle, I will talk to the captain and get you your job back.”
“Thanks, man, but I think I’m going to be staying here.”
“That’s too bad. We could use you back home.”
Dakota looked around. “This is my home now. Besides, you’ve got things handled in Seattle.”
“True.” Ashton smiled. “Well, what do you say we go home and try to explain to our wives why we missed dinner?” The other officers who had traveled with him laughed.
Anastasia waved her arm and one last portal appeared.
“See you around, Phoenix.” Ashton grinned and he and his men stepped into the portal and were gone.
“Well. This has been an interesting day.” Dakota slung his arm around Anastasia’s shoulders and she leaned into him. “What do you wanna do now?”
“Hey you two.” They turned to see Gage walking towards them. “I would like to introduce you to my son.”
“He’s beautiful.” Anastasia looked down at the sleeping newborn.
“What’s his name?” Dakota asked.
“Andy.”
“Nice to meet you, Andy,” Dakota said softly. “Have you decided when you want to go home?”
“Actually, we would like to stay here, if that’s okay? We talked, and Seattle doesn’t really hold anything but bad memories for us anymore. We would like a fresh start.”
“We would love to have you stay.” Anastasia smiled.
“Plus, now we’ve got the old gang back together.”
Dakota rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Gage. Just don’t start talking about what an amazing football player you are and we’ll get along just fine.”
Gage laughed. “I wasn’t that bad.”
“Yes you were,” Anastasia said with a smile, and Gage shrugged.
“Dakota!” They turned to see Elizabeth and Tony rushing towards them.
“What is it?” Anastasia’s body instantly readied for an attack, but when they got closer, she saw they wore smiles.
“We want to get married. Now.”
“It’s about damn time.” Dakota slapped Tony on the back.
“That’s fantastic!” Anastasia pulled Elizabeth in for a hug. “I'm so happy for you guys.” She released her and it was Dakota’s turn to hug her.
“Let’s go get you two married!”
* * *
Anastasia stood and watched as the woman who had been a mother to her since childhood married the man who had become a father to her. It was a beautiful and heartfelt pairing and Anastasia wished them both all the happiness in the world.
“Elizabeth, would you like to say something?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth smiled at Tony. “When I lost George, I felt as though I would never be able to recover. I believed that I would spend the rest of my life alone. When Anastasia showed back up in our lives, and brought us here, I never could have imagined I would meet another man who I could love with everything I have. While I will always remember George,” she looked at Dakota, then at Tony, “you have more than filled the aching hole I carried in my heart after his death. I love you so much, Tony, and I am so blessed to have found another love of my life.”
“Tony?” Carmen asked him.
He nodded, and Anastasia watched as he took a deep breath. “Elizabeth, after Zarina died, I never thought I would love again. I believed my heart to have simply turned into stone. But from the moment I saw you standing before me, I knew that not all was lost. The first words you ever spoke to me were so kind, they have stuck with me all this time. Do you remember what they were?”
She nodded. “It was the day you returned with the children Vincent had been holding captive. You were beating yourself up over the fact that they had been taken and I told you that the important thing was that you had saved them.”
He smiled at her. “You also told me I was a wonderful man.”
“You are.”
“I knew then that I would marry you one day.”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears.
“You saved my soul, Lizzie, and I will try to repay you by loving you with all my heart every day for the rest of our lives.”
Elizabeth reached for him and they shared a kiss filled with the promise of a future that was now possible.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” Carmen smiled and the village erupted with cheers.
* * *
Later that night Anastasia sat around the fire as her people laughed like they hadn’t in years. The crackling of the flames was music to her ears, and she took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of freshly burning wood.
She and Dakota had gone back to Seattle and combed through Vincent’s penthouse and the docks to make sure no one had been left behind. There had been a handful of Brutes, but they had disposed of them quickly. The thing she couldn’t figure out was why the Trepidos hadn’t showed themselves again.
Had they grown tired of waiting for Vincent? Had he betrayed them? She brushed the thought aside, not wanting to spend more time on it than she had to. If they showed up, she would deal with them then. As of now, it was nice simply knowing they would live to see tomorrow.
Her thoughts drifted to everything that she had been through over the course of her life. From being a child and not believing she was meant for anything, to Gregory bringing her to Terrenia and telling her she was meant for a whole hell of a lot.
She smiled at Gage, who sat with Izzy on his lap while Zoey cradled Andy; Tony, who had his arms wrapped around a laughing Elizabeth; Serena, who was even sitting near the fire, a small smile on her lips; Tilly and Robbie, who had chosen to stay and were currently dancing to a melody only heard in their heads.
As she looked around, she could almost see Gregory with his arm around Annabelle as they smiled at her. Brady and Sarah sitting side by side next to Selena, along with all the others they had lost. Her entire life had been spent fighting a war she wasn’t sure she would ever win, and now that it had ended, she wasn’t quite sure what was next.
What she did know, as she looked at Dakota, was that her future was going to be much brighter than her past.