Page 69 of Fate of the Fallen

For Nick, his brothers.

“I’m sorry,” he shared. “It should have never come to this.”

He was completely right. There should have been no need for the curse centuries ago. A curse that resulted in a loss I, nor the others, would ever get over.

“He deserves better than to be left here like this,” Liam said before making an offer. “I’ll help with his body.”

He took a step away from me to give the others a hand.

I removed the torn cloak and laid it over Nick first. No one said a word as they came closer and lifted him from the ground, the six acting as pallbearers to a fallen soldier.

As heavy as my heart was, I knew Roz’s was a million times heavier. She cared for Nick deeply. Despite his flaws, despite the changes he’d undergone recently. I believe he knew her true feelings and they were mutual.

She and I had never been close, but the experience of being a girl with a broken heart was universal. There wasn’t a woman alive who hadn’t felt it to some degree. I’d been there myself, when I thought I’d lost Liam. I wanted to comfort her, wanted her to know she wasn’t alone, despite what she must have felt on the inside.

I extended my hand and, eventually, she took it, letting me help her from the ground where she rested.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said quietly as we exited together, following behind the others.

My brothers had been waiting there. I imagined they must have overheard and thought it best not to interrupt. However, when the brood laid eyes on me, they swooped in like a swarm. Their hugs, their love, was overwhelming in the best way.

I was reminded of the vision I had of them. It was the first inkling I had of our closeness from before and it left a lasting impression on me. I felt a connection to them from the first day they returned, but now it had deepened to the point of surpassing all understanding.

Each locked me in a tight embrace before the next pulled on me for their turn. But as soon as I was released, I went back to Roz. Making sure she wasn’t alone after suffering such a great loss was my main priority.

“Dallas, is everyone all clear?”

I turned to Liam when he spoke through the walkie talkie.

“Affirmative. Beth and Errol just made it, and Hilda & Company took care of all the witchy business,” Dallas replied.

“And the spell’s holding? None of the soldiers or dragons without the seal were able to escape the area?”

“Affirmative,” Dallas repeated. “The only shifters who made it out were our own.”

Listening to their conversation, I realized how organized this rescue mission had been. They’d thought beyond retrieving Beth and me, but took measures to ensure that when this ended, it was really over.

For good.

“All right,” Liam went on. “Sebastian and Blaise were taken care of and we’re on our way out. When I give you the signal, tell Hilda and Elise to nuke this place.”

When he was done speaking, he turned to make sure we were still all together. Meanwhile, my mind was stuck on one bit of information he’d conveyed to Dallas during that conversation.

Sebastian and Blaise were dead.

With that news, it felt like I could breathe for the first time since finding out the Sovereign even existed. His reign had been one of death and tyranny. He’d been the long arm of the law his people were unjustly forced to submit to, and now … he was gone.

I’d never been happier leaving anyplace behind in my entire life. It was a day of victories and tragic loss. At the thought, I glanced toward Nick, his body covered as his brothers and friends carried him with us. This walk was a solemn one as each of us reflected on our journeys—both as individuals and together.

An unlikely alliance had been forged between us. A bond that had been tested repeatedly. And in the end, we stood as one solid unit that had proven we could stand against anything.

We reached the top of a hill and stepped over a thick ring of what looked like salt. I, for one, felt lighter immediately, like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Liam’s arm went around me, and the woods were eerily silent as he brought the walkie talkie to his mouth again. But this time, he only said one word.

“Now.”

A strong wind rushed past us and I shivered, watching as its force caused the grass to bow beneath it, caused thick tree branches to shutter. It moved like a constant, invisible wave all the way to the center of town, and then, just as quickly as the atmosphere went still … a brilliant turquoise flash lit up the night sky, expanding to cover all of Ridge Borough.