Chapter 46
46
Anora
The End—Ash Clan’s Vengeance
I stand next to Amir, my hand clasped tightly in his. It’s like his strength is spilling into me, but it’s hardly enough to hold back the nervousness flooding through my body. He stands tall beside me, a true leader, commanding the moment as he prepares to guide House of Zorah.
I glance at him, taking in the calm confidence radiating from him, but it doesn’t stop me from breaking away when I see Gabriel helping the children into the truck, ready to take them, along with the women, to the academy for safety.
My grip loosens on Amir’s hand, and I look up at him. He hesitates before sighing and releasing me. I run toward the truck, knowing this is it—my final chance to say goodbye. Because they’re never going to see me again.
The second Olivia spots me, she runs toward me and throws her arms around me. I hold her tight, steadying myself as much as her. “I wish you could come with us,” she whispers, her face buried against me.
I pull back, forcing a smile. “Tami told me about Nia,” I say softly.
Olivia rolls her eyes, already annoyed. “Yeah, I know...”
I hold her shoulders, my voice firm. “There’s a chance I’m not coming back from this, Olivia. I need you to promise me something. Keep House of Zorah the beautiful place I saw it to be. This pack is the blueprint for unity. Wintermoon thrives because you all stand together. Work things out with Nia. Promise me.”
Her face crumbles, tears streaming as she hugs me again. “I— I hope you’re wrong,” she says through sobs. When she pulls back, she forces a smirk through the pain. “And when this is over, you owe me a spa date.”
I want to lie to her, to tell her I’ll be there for that spa date, but I can’t. So I just smile, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Tami, Nia, and Skylar wave at me as they climb into the truck. Gabriel gives me a nod from the driver’s seat, and then the truck pulls away. A heavy ache settles in my chest, but I don’t flinch as Amir steps up behind me, his warm hands wrapping around my waist.
“You’ll see them again, Anora,” he says, his voice soft and sure. “There’s no finality with them. Only with me.” He buries his face in the curve of my neck, hiding his pain from me, but I feel it.
The future flashes in my mind like a curse, the cruel knowledge of what’s to come. I turn to face him, forcing myself to meet the love in his golden eyes. Even now—knowing what’s next—he smiles at me .
“When you’re as old as I am, you don’t fear death,” he says quietly. “You only fear losing the one you love.”
His lips are on mine then, soft and slow, the kind of kiss you never want to end.
When he pulls away, his expression stays calm, the mask of a man who’s prepared for this. “Today, you protect the key, and the transfer of power begins. The Blackwood bloodline will rule Wintermoon.” He takes my hand, placing the cold metal key into my palm.
As soon as I feel its weight, I break. The tears fall freely, and I sob against his chest.
“Please don’t cry, angel,” he says, his voice steady, almost soothing. “I made so many mistakes, and I have to fix them. I want to tell you I’m sorry for dragging you into this world, but that would be a lie. Just a taste of your love, these moments with you—they’re worth everything.”
I clutch the key tighter, and its energy fades as I absorb the power locked inside it. The key, the spell book—it’s all in me now. When I die with him, it dies too. Everything ends with us. I have no intention of telling him; he’d never let me follow through.
“Angie, Jacob, and Leah are watching the Witching Glen. Damon, Kade, and the Ash Clan are handling the radicals at the border. Once Aya is gone, the whispers will fade. Everyone will go back to their lives, safe at the academy under the protection of House of Zorah, the Zohar Pride, and the Axel Clan.” He pauses, his voice gentling. “It’s just us now, Anora. You, me, and Hazel.”
He pauses, a bittersweet grin tugging at his lips. “I’ll handle Aya myself. You and Hazel? You’ll take care of Wintermoon for me.”
I slap his chest, hating how easily he accepts this, how calm he is. But he just pulls me into him tighter .
“It’s okay, angel,” he murmurs. “I love you. I love you so much.”
I push away from him, my chest tight with anger. The same anger my future self spoke of burns in my gut. Hazel steps outside from Angie and Jacob’s cabin, her expression troubled as she moves closer.
“She’s here. I can feel her,” Hazel says, her voice tinged with sadness.
Amir smiles at her, holding his arms out. She breaks, running into them, tears streaming as she clings to him.
“I’m sorry, Uncle. I’m sorry I was such a bitch to you,” she sobs.
“Both of you stop crying,” he mutters, pretending to complain, even as he hugs her tightly. “You know I hate it.”
Hazel laughs through her tears, and he presses a kiss to her forehead. “My bright little niece. I see the light returning to you. Keep healing. Keep pushing forward. This isn’t for you; it’s only the beginning. I love you.”
He releases her and turns back to me. His gaze locks with mine, and it hurts—God, it hurts so much.
Hazel steps to the side, giving me a quick hug before moving away. Amir snaps his fingers, summoning the The Book of the First . It hovers before him, pages flipping until it halts on the one he needs.
A blue glow appears as the portal opens.
But Aya isn’t alone. Two cloaked figures step through behind her. Hazel stiffens, eyes narrowing.
“Asma and Alina,” she whispers.
I brace myself as the pressure in the air changes, and Hazel’s palms fill with magic, her movements sharp and ready to fight. I look to Amir, but he’s steady, unmoving. He exudes confidence, like none of this surprises him.
“I remember this battle, sisters,” Amir says, his voice steady and calm. “Right after the flood. Asma, Alina, you have to unlink yourselves from Aya. That’s your curse. Don’t you see? Centuries trapped under her control, the dark magic consuming you. Do you really want to stay prisoners to her for all eternity?”
I glance at Asma and Alina, but they stay silent, their heads bowed, unmoving. Their stillness makes my chest ache. I look to Hazel, who seems unsure, and then to Aya, her venomous blue eyes drilling into Amir.
“Even if you stop me, the dark magic will still kill you, brother,” Aya sneers, her voice sharp.
“I’m willing to take that chance, Aya,” he says firmly without missing a beat.
Amir extends his hand toward the text. He doesn’t need to chant the words—the magic responds to him automatically, swirling from the pages. I glance over at Aya, and for the first time, I see cracks in her confidence. She’s worried. She can’t stop him.
“This isn’t going to change anything!” Aya snaps, desperation clear in her tone. “These humans—their hatred runs deep. Even if I’m gone, there will always be radicals. Brookstone and Blackburn Enterprises will carry on.”
Amir’s lips curl into a faint smirk. “I know. Corporations are the new devil,” he says with a small wink. “But that’s not our job to fix. The book and the key are no longer yours. Mother has decided. We’re done here.”
Aya hesitates, her face dropping as the reality hits her. “Amir, please!” she begs, her voice almost cracking.
I can feel the venom pooling in her, the raw, chaotic energy bubbling under her skin. Amir keeps draining the text, focusing on his task, but her anger is turning into something more dangerous. Without thinking, I step forward and reach for him .
“Anora, no,” he says, seeing me, but he doesn’t stop pulling the magic.
I clasp his hand, locking our fingers together as I meet Aya’s furious eyes. “I can’t, Amir. I can’t live in a world without you,” I say, my voice steady.
Aya’s lips curl into a toxic grin. She starts to laugh, her voice bitter and sharp. “He’s not going to finish now. You’ve just ensured that, Anora. See, Amir loves so fiercely, he’s willing to override logic for it. He’ll break before he lets you die.”
I squeeze his hand tighter and look up at him. His face is filled with hurt, anguish building in his golden eyes.
“No, Amir,” I murmur, shaking my head. “Finish it. We’ll be together, even in death. Please.”
His jaw tightens, his hand shaking as he clutches the book. I can feel him cracking, my words slicing into him.
“Fuck!” Hazel snaps, her voice sharp. She charges forward, her magic flaring in her hands, but before she reaches us, she’s yanked into the air, enveloped in a shimmering cloak of magic.
It’s not Amir. It’s not me. And it’s not Aya.
Aya spins toward the portal, her face contorting in shock. “Asma, Alina!” she shouts, realizing they’re not beside her.
I look ahead. The two sisters are holding The Book of the First , and the glowing threads of magic are flowing through them. They’re siphoning the energy out, pulling it into themselves.
Amir freezes. I feel his hand slacken in mine, his expression blank with disbelief. “Asma... Alina...” he whispers, his voice laced with awe and confusion.
The sisters glance at me briefly before one of them speaks. “Thank you, Anora. For loving Amir . This is what we needed to see. We’ve let you down twice—we won’t do it again.”
Aya’s calm fractures as her face twists into rage. “You pathetic bitches! Stop this nonsense and give me the book!” she roars.
They ignore her, the magic surging through them and into the book as they drain every last drop of its power. The ancient tome suddenly crumbles, turning to dust that disappears into the wind.
For the first time, I see fear in Aya’s eyes—a deep, raw fear beneath her venom. The same fear she made me feel. I stand tall, gripping Amir’s hand as we watch Asma and Alina take the final steps.
Asma waves her hands upward, her magic lifting into the air, bright and golden. Alina steps toward Aya, her power pouring into her like a rushing flood. Aya screams, her voice piercing, as the dark magic drains from every corner of her being.
The magic pulls from everywhere now, I can feel it—the lingering darkness seeping out of the landscape, coiling like smoke into the sky. It dissipates, returning to Mother Fate, just as the book’s prophecy demanded.
Then Asma and Alina start to fade. Their bodies shimmer, breaking apart like ash on the wind.
“Wait!” Amir shouts, stepping forward to reach for them, but I hold him back, clutching his arm tightly.
This has to happen. It’s their choice, their redemption.
His breath catches in his throat as I pull him close. He watches, his face shattering with pain as his sisters disappear until there’s nothing left.
The sky crackles with light, the storm slowly fading. Hazel crashes to the ground as the shield vanishes from around her. “Goddammit, you could’ve at least c aught me, Uncle,” she mutters, glaring while dusting herself off.
Amir blinks out of his daze. “Stop crying, both of you. You know I hate it,” he mumbles, scrubbing his hand over his face.
Hazel snorts, letting out a weak laugh. “That’s not helping,” she says, her voice trembling slightly.
The moment feels almost lighter until Aya stirs, weak but still alive. She slowly rises, glaring at us with empty eyes. “So what now?” she croaks. “You’ve stripped my power. Mother’s abandoned me. What’s your plan? Put me in a box?”
Hazel walks past us, heading straight for her mother. Her shoulders are squared, and there’s a determined energy in her movements.
“Even with the dark magic gone, you’re still the same,” Hazel says, her voice low with disappointment.
Aya glares at her. “If you want pity or a happily-ever-after, Hazel, you’re not going to get it,” she spits. Her tone is cold, venom dripping from every word. “I was designed to maintain balance.”
“And all this time, all you’ve done is create chaos,” Hazel snaps back, her frustration sharp. She lets out a loud huff and takes a step back, her magic already pooling in her hands.
She lifts her arms to the sky and lets out a burst of magic that cracks through the air like thunder. The sky flashes with lightning, the energy vibrating around us.
Aya narrows her eyes. “What are you doing, Hazel?”
Hazel doesn’t miss a beat. “Sending a dragon’s call. You owe them a great debt, remember?” she says, a sharp edge of satisfaction lacing her words .
Aya’s gaze snaps to Amir. “Amir, you’re not going to let her do this?”
Kade steps away from his side, her face lighting up with smug satisfaction as she looks at Aya. “What’s wrong, Aya? Afraid of a little fire?” Kade tilts her head. “Don’t worry. Those whispers you relied so much on faded the moment you lost your power.”
I glance up at the sky just as the dragons appear—Sam, Valek, and Tyrion. Their massive forms descend from the clouds, their scales gleaming as they hit the ground, still in full dragon form. They roar, the sound shaking the earth, and a wave of unease washes over me at the raw power they exude.
Hazel raises her voice. “Ash Clan!” She places her fist to her chest in a gesture of respect. “I have a gift for you. My mother—the woman who stole the women and children from your communities, the one who destroyed countless lives during the Great War.”
The dragons glance at Hazel for a moment, then slowly bow their massive heads to her before turning to Aya. Their piercing eyes lock onto her, and they begin stalking forward, each step deliberate and menacing. They growl low and deep, their long-held rage palpable in the air.
Aya stumbles back, panic flashing across her face. “Amir!” she yells, desperation breaking through her usual venom.
“I’m sorry, sister,” Amir says, his voice calm but final. “But I’m not getting in the way of Mother Fate’s law again.”
He turns to me then, his golden eyes softening as he murmurs, “My sisters thanked you for loving me.”
I reach out, touching his face gently. “I don’t need gratitude for loving you, Amir. I loved you long before we met at the craft fair. ”
“Anora,” he whispers, leaning in for a kiss. I don’t deny him. His lips are warm and soft, and for a second, the chaos around us disappears.
When we pull away, I smile up at him. “I want my game of mercy,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.
He laughs, pulling me tighter against his chest.
He starts to lead me away, his hand warm in mine, but I stop, glancing back at Aya. “Don’t you want to see this finished?” I ask quietly.
Amir shakes his head firmly. “No, Anora. I’m leaving it to Fate.”
His answer settles something inside me, and I let him guide me away. But I can’t ignore the screams that erupt behind us. The sound is sharp and agonized, growing louder as the dragons unleash their flames, engulfing Aya in their fire.
I feel no remorse, only relief. They deserve this vengeance.
Thank you, Fate.