47. SOPHIE
The glow of the moon had started to peek into the night sky, the eclipse finally ending. It glowed brighter than any other night Sophie had seen in the Godlands, as if refreshed from its rest.
Soul City had quietened to a soft hum, many people returning to their homes after an evening full of celebrations. Not long after they received the note from Ares, the angels of the Tienthan left for a briefing in preparation for the Hrabrost Trials. Ash had offered Sophie a ride home, but she opted to stay in Soul City to peruse the market stalls for some sweet treats.
In truth Sophie was nervous. Because tomorrow, she would be going to the Stagnum De Memoria. The idea of a clean slate was appealing at first, but it wasn’t long before cracks began to form upon the fa?ade. There was so much of herself missing and there was only one way to get those pieces back. Would uncovering her truth make any difference? Would she be relieved? What if all her memories, the ones that had been hidden from her, would only hurt her more? Or perhaps they wouldn’t bring the answers she was expecting . . . not that she was expecting much.
Focus. Treats, treats and more treats.
Her thoughts were spiralling. Initially because of the way Ash looked in those linen shorts and how he took her hand at every possible aching moment like he was going to lose her if he wasn’t touching her. Shortly after that, her thoughts were spiralling because of where she was going tomorrow.
Sophie stilled as she approached a chocolate brownie stand. The hairs on the back of her neck stood and it felt like she had an invisible target on her back.
Sophie acted as if she hadn’t felt eyes on her. She moved closer to look at what type of brownies she wanted to take home with her. “I’ll take two plain brownies, please,” Sophie said to the stall keeper.
“That’s two marks,” the lovely rotund soul said.
Sophie handed her two marks in return for the bag of brownies, feeling the eyes of whoever was spying on her even more now.
“Thank you. Happy Ephemeral.” Sophie smiled brightly to the stall keeper before heading down a quieter street.
Sophie tucked away the brownies into the bag she brought, feeling for her two throwing knives she’d strapped to her thigh underneath her short skirt.
She plodded along the dark street, her hands relaxed by her side, ready to strike should her stalker dare pounce.
She felt their presence on her side, like a power she hadn’t felt in a while. Sophie threw her bag at her stalker and spun backward, pulling out both her throwing knives. She curled her fingers into the loops and braced herself – ready to strike.
The two stalkers held their hands up in the air cautiously. Their cloaks shrouded their faces in darkness.
But Sophie knew that long red hair. She knew those shadows that crept out from underneath a dark cloak.
And her heart burst in a cacophony of relief, happiness, sadness and everything that lay in between.
Sophie rushed to Elowan and Zala, her friends that she missed so much. She crashed into them, pulling both into an unbreakable hug. Sobs of joy left each one of them as all three of them held each other in the moonlight.
Wait a minute.
Sophie pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes. “How are you both even here?” Sophie laughed.
“Long story,” Zala said boredly.
Sophie crushed Zala against her again. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Sophie.” The wraith managed to smile a little which made Sophie squeeze her even tighter.
“Is there a safe place nearby we can chat things through?” Elowan chimed in, a hint of worry on her face.
“I know a place.” Sophie pulled out a small piece of parchment and pen. She quickly scrawled two notes and sent them off into the ether. “Come with me.”
Sophie led them to the white marble doors of Archi’s.
Elowan and Zala looked up at the matching sign.
“We’ll be safe in here,” Sophie explained, walking them down the small steps and into the dark corridor. Elowan and Zala followed quietly all the way through to the secret door.
The cooling sensation of the wall washed over Sophie as she spilled onto the other side. The room was empty barring Achlys, God of Eternal Night, and Athena, Goddess of War and Battle, sharing laughs in the conversation pit. They turned to see Sophie enter, raising their glasses in acknowledgement.
Sophie nodded in their direction. They greeted Zala and Elowan with the same warmth. The gods and goddesses were so . . . lovely.
Sophie moved straight to the bar, ordering three wines that were served in the magically refilling glasses she had last time. She handed them each a glass.
“Looks like you’re right at home, Sophie,” Elowan observed.
“I am.” Sophie beamed. She really was.
Sophie led them to the conversation pit where they settled in for the evening. Elowan and Zala, mainly Elowan, detailed their journey here. From Seaspun Bay, through the Resting Ruins to the Untold Valley where they met the last surviving oracles and saved the third. And how, on the rainbow bridge that was a Wayfinder, they ended up here in the Godlands, on a mission from the oracles to find the flaming purple heart who lays with the sleeping sun. The answer and possibly the solution to win the war against the blood throne. Elowan believed it was Sophie.
And Sophie believed it too. She knew deep down that in the fate of Faery, she was written in it some way and somehow. Whether it was a prophecy or by happenstance, it didn’t matter. The demigoddess of Faery needed to return to her lands and would need to deal with the cards that the Fates had dealt her. It was her responsibility.
“Well shit . . .” Sophie sat there for a moment, digesting all the information that had been dropped on her.
“You’re the common denominator in all of this, Sophie,” Elowan said firmly.
“Well, about that . . . turns out I’m the demigoddess of Faery,” Sophie grimaced.
Elowan choked on her wine.
Zala’s face went impossibly still.
Sophie explained it all. How her mother was the goddess of all lands, how they managed to escape Queen Calliea many years ago. She left out all the parts about Ash thinking it would be better explained when they met him in person.
“You somehow keep surprising me, Sophie.” Zala shook her head, a small smile creeping upon her face. As soon as Sophie spotted it, it disappeared.
“Speaking of surprises”—Sophie shot up from the couch—“stay right here.”
Elowan blinked several times, trying to keep up with Sophie. It looked like she was going to argue when Sophie didn’t give her a chance. She shot straight for the door, running through the corridor to the entry way where her favourite soul in the Godlands waited for her.
“They’re inside?” Camrine said, a little nervous.
Sophie nodded. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” he breathed.
Sophie took Cam’s hand and pulled him through the corridor. They ran down the hallway, squealing.
The power of the door washed over Sophie.
“Ta da!” Sophie pulled out her best jazz hands to show off Cam.
“Mother of Faery,” Zala gasped.
Elowan made a choking noise as they both threw their glasses down and sprinted to Cam. They bowled into him, almost knocking him over.
Elowan was sobbing while Zala surveyed the blue tinted film that coloured his skin.
“Ladies, ladies, ladies. Please. One at a time.” Cam laughed.
“Cousin,” Elowan breathed, another sob rounding out in her throat. She crushed into him, her red hair matching his.
“It’s good to see you. Are you okay?” Cam held her by the shoulders.
Elowan smiled. “I’m holding on.”
“And my favourite wraith. My only wraith.” Cam held out his arms for Zala who scoffed and gave him a big hug.
“Good to see you alive, sort of.” Zala pointed out the blue film.
“Compliments my skin tone, doesn’t it?” Elowan and Zala both rolled their eyes and it felt like they were all back in Faery again. Finally, they were all together. They would be returning to Faery, but one of them wasn’t.
Sophie felt him from a mile away.
The electricity in the air sizzled before the door rippled to life. Ellie, Cam and Zala stilled, their attention turning to the rippling door.
Ash, with his long inky hair, the white parts of it draping over his shoulder, stepped into the room and Sophie swore the air stilled to watch as well.
A beat passed.
Elowan shot a fire ball in Ash’s direction so fast Sophie barely even registered it. The fireball puffed into smoke inches away from Ash’s face, shrouding him in an ominous dark grey cloud of smoke. His lightning skittered across the room.
Sophie stood between them all, a reassuring hand on Elowan’s shoulder. She managed to calm her friend’s rage.
“I’m sensing a trend here,” Ash growled.
The smoke dissipated, slowly revealing his devastating white wings and the storm clouds that seemed to trail him everywhere.
Godsdamn. Sophie let out a breath.
Cam let out a low whistle while Elowan and Zala looked between Sophie and Ash in confusion.
“Elowan, Zala”—she looked to her friends from Faery then to the turquoise smoking eyes that consumed her dreams—“meet Acheron Taranis, angel of the Tienthan and Weapons Master of the Godlands.”
A feeling so bright and whole shot through Sophie’s chest. It was pride. Unbridled pride as she looked to Ash.
Mine.
“Did you know this was here?” Sophie asked Ash. They all stood in the Shrine of Remembrance. A place to honour the fallen angels, gods and goddesses who had died protecting the Godlands and its interests. The shrine was almost forgotten, covered in vines in a less populated corner of Soul City.
“I always thought it was just a glass statue,” Ash murmured, looking up to a glass statue, hewn into a shape of an angel. Neither feminine or masculine, the angel stood with its wings tucked neatly behind it, its head bowed and its hands resting upon a flaming sword that pierced the ground before it. It was magnificent yet wrought from sadness.
“This is where the Wayfinder dumped us and we’ll be able to head back to Faery from here,” Elowan assured.
They had spent a better part of the evening catching each other up on everything that had transpired. Sophie explained Ash and who he really was, the true son of King Gydeon and Riviera. Which explained who Kaine was too, the son of Cerri and Terr, the Breaker of Realms. Elowan detailed the status of Faery and what the oracles had explained. Ash retold his encounter with Kaine and the power that he felt emanate from him. Together they formulated a plan. Sophie would join them in Faery in a few days in hopes to draw out Kaine. Ash would bring his cadre in support, and they would take it from there. Much to Elowan’s dismay, the full strength of the mighty Tienthan could not be deployed without Ares’s or Zeus’s approval. They’d have to make do with just a few angels to help.
“I’ll see you in a few days.” Sophie smiled, pulling Elowan and Zala into a hug.
They turned to hug Camrine. “Good luck,” he said to them, squeezing them both tight. Who knew when he was going to see them next? He was a soul. He was stuck in the Godlands.
Elowan turned to Ash, holding out a hand for him to clasp. Ash obliged and firmly shook her hand, but Elowan did not let go. She pulled him in closer, crushing his hand and growling. Ash did not falter. “You so much hurt a hair on her head or get her the wrong fucking cookie from the bakery, I will fucking break you.” Elowan bared her sharp Fae fangs.
“I’d rather sell my soul to Typhon than hurt her, Red. You can bet on it.” Ash grinned. His declaration did all sorts of funny things to Sophie’s insides.
Elowan and Zala moved to touch the glass flaming sword with a string of rainbow light running through its middle.
“May the gods guide you,” Sophie said, her voice shining with pride and joy. Her friends were alive. Sure, war loomed over their heads, but they were alive, and they’d come here to get her to join in on the fray. There was no one else she’d rather do this with.
“To where we’re destined to be,” Elowan and Zala said in unison before flashing out of existence. The air where they stood rippled and settled, dust falling to the ground in the sliver of moonlight.
Sophie would see them soon. In Faery.