Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
~ Queen Blake ~
One week later…
D ante adjusts the demon crown on my head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear before he kisses me on the forehead and steps back. After the battle was over, things moved quickly. A grand funeral was held for my parents where they were buried in a brand-new gravesite with a large statue erected to honor them. Gone are the days of having to protect the demons’ horns, and it feels right to have Dad’s power flowing back into the land like it had in ancient times before the witches arrived.
The coronation followed that, and because they’re my bonded mates, Alaric, Dante, Callan, Mason, and Nate became kings of the demon realm, standing by my side.
They wait for me now, dressed in neatly pressed black suits with black ties, their matching golden crowns positioned on their heads.
“I don’t get why we have to dress up for this,” I grumble, smoothing my hands down the long black lace dress that hugs my body.
“Because you’re a queen now,” Shade says, bouncing over to me and adjusting one of the small violet roses that has been woven into my dark hair. She has fussed over me for the past two hours, and I’m seriously starting to grow suspicious of my friend. “You need to act the part,” she adds. “Everyone will expect it.”
Nate clears his throat. “Yeah. What she said.”
I narrow my eyes at them. Now that I think of it. They’ve all been acting suspicious.
Mason comes forward, his hand sliding down the curve of my back. “This is a big day for my kind,” he tells me. “It can’t hurt to look good. Let Shade have her fun.”
Shade beams at me, and while I’m still adjusting to her new face, it still feels like I’ve known her forever. “Okay, fine, but don’t expect me to dress like this every day. I’m a demon queen, remember? No one is going to expect me to wear dresses all the time.”
“Gotcha,” Shade says.
She works on some final touches, and we exit the Coilan Clan house heading into the garden. With the castle under repair, we’ve been staying here for the past few days, and I don’t mind one bit. The scent of apricots reaches my nose, and I move toward the closest fruit tree, reaching for an apricot.
Shade quickly diverts me. “Uh, no you don’t, girl. I didn’t just spend the last two hours getting you ready, only for you to get sticky apricot juice all over yourself. I don’t care how tasty those suckers are.”
“You know, I think I liked it better when you were a crow,” I point out, dryly. “At least then, there was less chance of you dictating my eating habits.”
“You’ll thank me later,” she says, patting my hand sympathetically.
We stop in the middle of the garden, and Mason reaches his hand out, the portal ring shining on his finger. A moment later, flames flicker to life, a portal opening up before us.
“Ready, my mate?” Mason asks, holding out his hand.
I bite my lip. “Are we sure about this? What if it doesn’t work?”
“It’ll work,” Alaric growls.
Letting out a deep breath, I take Mason’s hand, and we step into the portal.
When we emerge on the other side, sunlight washes over us, and we stride out, moving between piles of rubble that had once been the great city of Perstalia. We walk forward to where there’s a massive gathering up ahead. The Perstalians are all here from The Haven, along with the witches, a huge portion of the demons, including General Josek, and delegations from Norso, Kanzepes, and Toralyn.
A row of Pecos birds line the path, their rainbow scales glittering in the light, and they bow their heads to me and my mates as we pass them. One of the birds nudges me with his beak, and I recognize Pask. “Good to see you, little fleshling. Yes, yes, it is a very good day,” he tells me.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I reply.
As I walk further, everyone notices us, and my heart pounds as thousands of gazes turn in our direction.
We stop in a space in the middle of the gathering that has clearly been left for us. Queen Nerelia tips her head to me, and not far from her, King Andal grins at his brother.
I take a deep breath and address the crowd. “Thank you all for coming,” I say, spreading my arms wide. “For too long, this land has been empty. It’s time we restore what was lost.” The witches move closer, gathering behind me.
A witch named, Cadence, bows low as she approaches. “The sisters are ready, our queen.”
“Good.” Another breath hisses past my lips, and Shade gives me a reassuring smile. My mates come up behind me, and I close my eyes, letting the power flow out.
The magic of the witch ancients mixes with my demon power, golden light streaming from us and spearing into the ground.
The witches begin chanting, swaying from side to side, adding more power into the land. The Perstalian’s stamp their hooves, sending out their power as well, and the beast shifters howl and growl as the ground rumbles.
My magic strains as it struggles to push back all the damage that has come to the land of Perstalia. A large group of archangels with the power over air work to clear the sky, and beings from the land of Norso drop down, planting their hands on the ground as they summon water to the surface.
The earth shifts, and there’s a deafening rumbling sound in my ears as the land reshapes itself before our eyes. A large river forms to the right of our group, and grass and bushes cover the land. Trees grow tall around us, some of them bursting with fruit.
The barren charred earth fills with life. Flowers sprout from the ground around us, and the air sweetens, no longer thick with a metallic acrid, scent.
When the ground stops shaking, and I know our work is done, I cut off the flow of magic, and Alaric is there, letting me sag against him.
The Pecos birds take flight, soaring into the clear skies, and the Perstalians join them, launching into the air.
When I look over, tears are streaming from Queen Nerelia’s eyes. She comes over and clasps my hands, a soft smile on her face. “I never thought such a thing could happen.” Tears blur my own eyes, and I wrap my arms around her in a hug. She laughs in my hold, and then she moves back, hugging Mason while happy tears continue to stream down her cheeks.
Mason kisses his sister’s hair. “Told you I’d be back,” he tells her, and it makes her laugh harder.
The witches step away again as everyone celebrates, and Queen Nerelia wipes away her tears and walks over to them. Cadence and the witches bow their heads.
“Much has happened over the years,” Cadence says, her voice sorrowful.
Her words make me reflect on all the pain that has been caused. I think of my mother, and the witches who used her to turn her into an anchor. Anger simmers inside me, but I let it pass. Those witches are long dead, just as Celzar is. Even the witch who had possessed Ivar’s body was slain during the battle, and now all that’s left are the broken souls who wish to heal without the influence of darkness.
Queen Nerelia steps closer to Cadence, and she reaches out, using a delicate finger to lift the witch’s chin. “That it has. We have all suffered at the hands of others. Let this be our new beginning.”
Cadence’s gaze softens, but sadness fills her blue eyes. “The witch realm is but ash. Not even magic could bring it back.”
Since the battle, the witches have been mostly keeping to themselves in a camp on the outskirts of Seral City, but that’s not a real home. “Then we’ll give you somewhere else that you can make your own,” I say. “There’s a large area to the far west of Seral City. The land is uninhabited, and there’s nothing there except for a few creatures who appear to be more than welcoming. Let’s investigate and see if it’s somewhere suited to the witches. Somewhere you can create your own new beginning.” With my mates and I as the new witch anchors, we need to be in the same realm as the witches, but I’m fully aware we need to also be mindful of the demons having their own space.
Hope flickers in Cadence’s eyes. “That would be…much appreciated,” she says, dipping her head and stepping back.
Screeching sounds in my ears, and I look up, smiling as the Pecos birds continue to soar overhead.
“You’ll still have your work cut out for you in rebuilding this place,” I say to Queen Nerelia. “But we’ll help out where we can.”
“The land is fertile again, and the air is clean,” she tells me, beaming. “It’s all we need. It will be a joy creating something new.”
She clasps my hands again before releasing me, and I spend the next while talking to the leaders and thanking them for making an appearance. When we’ve finished speaking with King Andal, Shade shepherds me away from him.
“Yes, yes, it’s amazing you could come, and Queen Blake is amazing. We know,” Shade says.
I bite my tongue to keep in my laughter as Shade steers me away from the archangel king. “What happened to ‘looking the part’? I don’t think being rude is a great look.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “He understands.”
“Understands what? Because you’ve been acting so weird.”
“Just…trust me,” Shade replies.
Frowning, I peer around. I’d been so distracted talking to King Andal that I hadn’t noticed my mates were missing.
“Where are you guys?” I send through our mental connection, but there’s no reply.
I whirl on Shade. “What is going on right now?”
Grinning, she simply keeps her lips zipped and steers me back to Queen Nerelia. A portal with green fire remains open beside her, and she winks at me, smiling, before Shade yanks me into the gateway.