Chapter 30
DAISY
Iwatch as Maelkar rises from his knees and comes to stand beside me.
His hand finds mine, intertwining our fingers and giving me a soft, but reassuring squeeze as we face the people of Aurora’s Veil together.
The small gesture steadies something in me that’s been threatening to crack wide open since the moment Selunea’s breath stilled.
His thumb presses lightly against my knuckles in a silent, I’ve got you.
I lift my chin and force my spine to lock, letting my voice carry through the hall in a way that hides how close I am to breaking.
“Your king was a traitor, an abuser, and a tyrant.” My voice echoes off the high ceilings and crystal-veined walls.
“You are free from his grasp, and under the protection of Hell. You will not be punished for Kaelith’s wrongdoings. ”
The crowd remains still. Every person silent, tense, listening. “The only people who will fall, are the followers of the Six. My council will appoint you a new ruler. One who is fair and kind, and a leader you deserve.”
My throat tightens slightly, with a mixed bag of emotions from anxiety, to exhaustion.
I soften my tone, hoping they hear the genuine honesty threaded through every word.
“Please, do not fear me for what I have done. Kaelith would have sold every one of you for a scrap of power. I see you as my equals, not currency to barter.”
For a heartbeat, nothing happens. And the silence of it all makes my head swim. Then— “All hail the Queen!” someone shouts from the crowd. It catches and spreads.
“All hail the Queen!” The rest of the room echoes, the sound rolling like thunder, reverberating through the stone beneath my feet, my chest, through the very air I’m breathing.
It hits me harder than I expected. I offer them a small smile, forcing softness onto my face as I try to look reassuring despite the fact their king’s freshly severed head is currently skewered to his own throne behind me.
The moment barely has time to settle before a deafening bang shakes the room.
The double doors slam open, and Maelkar and I instinctively snap into defensive stances—fire crackling at my fingertips, shadows swirling around his.
But standing in the doorway wasn’t an enemy. Not even close. It was my family.
Lucifer steps through first, wearing a smirk on his beautiful face, until his eyes land on Maelkar.
Relief softens his expression for just a moment, before he smooths it away again.
He gives Maelkar a tight nod—it’s subtle, but laced with something unspoken.
Beside him, Aran looks frantic. His eyes are scanning the room like he expected to find corpses—our corpses.
His gaze locks onto me, and he pales. They both rush forwards without a single glance at the people surrounding us.
“Daisy, gods, are you alright?” Aran grabs my shoulders, scanning every inch of me with wild eyes. “What the hell happened to you?”
A shaky little laugh breaks out of me. “I’m okay. I think.”
The words feel uncertain, even as I speak them. Am I alright? My body aches, my head feels too full. And my chest… it feels hollow and heavy all at once. Forever the walking contradiction.
“She’s better than alright,” Maelkar snorts beside me, his tone darkly amused. “She beheaded Kaelith.”
Aran’s eyes widen, his emerald gaze flicking between me and Maelkar, disbelief crashing into relief, and then a cringe.
Heat creeps up my neck, settling in my cheeks. It’s not shame. It’s a mixture of everything that’s overwhelming me, with an undertone of pride that has me questioning my own sanity. “I’ll explain when we get home.”
Aran glances behind me, looking at Kaelith’s decapitated head stuck on the spike of his throne. His throat works as he swallows hard. “Shit,” he mutters under his breath.
Lucifer, on the other hand, beams. A deep chuckle rumbles out of him, rich and dark and entirely too pleased, making a shiver run down my spine. “That’s my fucking queenie.”
Despite everything, I huff a laugh.
“Where’s V?” I ask quietly, turning back to Aran, not daring to say her actual name aloud when the people in this room don’t know she’s on our side.
“She’s stayed by the leyline. We didn’t want to risk her being seen just yet.” His expression hardens and my insides twist. “Daisy, we need to move. Now. The original leyline collapsed the second you crossed through. It took everything to reach you.”
The urgency in his voice has my stomach dropping. “Wait. How did you get here then?”
Aran exhales sharply, raking a hand through his dishevelled hair. “Sariya and Elyistria returned when they heard you’d gone to Aurora’s Veil. I told them what happened with the leylines, and that V went through The Gate to anchor a new one.”
My heart stutters. “V went through The Gate… alone?”
He ignores my question, continuing on as if I hadn’t even spoken. “The line wasn’t just unstable—it was fractured. Daisy, we need to go!”
My stomach knots almost painfully, dread creeping in on top of the building anxiety. “So, what did she do?”
“She anchored a new leyline in the lower depths of Hell,” Aran replies with an impatient growl. “She rebuilt the Hell-side foundation herself before she even touched The Gate. But the moment she stabilised it, she realised the other end—Aurora’s end—was completely severed.”
I suck in a breath, unable to make myself move despite the urgency. “So she risked herself?”
He nods. “The realm-side anchor failed entirely. We would’ve been cut off from you. Permanently.” He shakes his head, unshed tears lining his emerald eyes. “She chose the risk.”
“But that still doesn’t explain how you’re here.”
“Sariya went through The Gate to reach her,” he continues.
“She stabilised the anchor from the inside while V held the line steady. Once they forced it open, Elyistria kept the Hell-side endpoint from collapsing until it locked back into place, then Sariya returned to Elyistria whilst we came through.”
My breath leaves me. “Gods…”
“But it’s still fragile,” Aran warns. “Even with three goddesses holding it, the line is under enormous strain, especially since Velentha now holds this side alone. We need to go now, before it snaps again.”
I pause at the edge of the dais, suddenly hyper-aware of the crowd watching me.
Hundreds of faces belonging to people whose king I killed, and whose future I’ve thrown into uncertainty.
The weight of it hits harder than any blade ever could.
My breath stutters, panic clawing at my ribs, and Aran notices instantly.
He slips his hand into mine, squeezing once for reassurance before stepping forwards. He rises to stand at the very top of the dais, looking out over the realm that has fallen silent in anticipation.
His voice carries, strong and clear. “Danika?”
A murmur ripples through the hall before a tall woman steps forward.
Raven hair cascades down her back like spilled ink, and her eyes—silver constellations swirling like distant galaxies—mirror Kaelith’s, but without the cruelty.
Her dark, starlit skin glimmers softly in the ambient glow of the aurora.
“Yes,” she answers, her voice both calm and commanding.
Aran nods in greeting, his words firm as he speaks. “As Kaelith’s closest living relation, and a trusted ally of Korithax, you are to be appointed the new Queen of Aurora’s Veil.”
Shock flashes in Danika’s eyes, but only for a heartbeat.
Then she straightens, smoothing her expression into something regal and ready.
She walks with purpose towards the dais, each step carefully controlled even as the room still trembles with what just happened.
She ascends the steps and comes to stand before us with her shoulders squared and chin lifted—already stepping into the space Kaelith once occupied.
When her constellation eyes meet mine, something soft flickers there.
Gratitude, maybe. Or something deeper. Understanding.
Not of loss—because whatever Kaelith was to her, it wasn’t what Korithax was to me—but of what it means to have blood on your hands for the sake of your people.
Of the weight that settles in your chest when there’s no other choice left but to become something harder than you ever wanted to be.
Danika bows her head. “I accept my position with honour,” she says, voice carrying effortlessly across the hall. “And I vow to rule Aurora’s Veil with kindness, respect, and warmth.”
She turns to face her people. “Though I share blood with Kaelith, I am nothing like him. Where he ruled with fear and cruelty, I will rule with compassion. You are my people, not my possessions. I will treat every one of you as my equal, and if I ever break that vow…” she glances at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“I give Queen Daisy full permission to place my head beside my brother’s. ”
A startled laugh bursts out of me so loud I feel my cheeks instantly heat, and she chuckles under her breath in return. The hall erupts—cheers, applause, relief, and hope all blending into a roar that vibrates through the stone.
For the first time since stepping into this realm, I feel a knot in my chest loosen.
Danika will be good for them. I may not know her, but I can see already the kind of leader she will be.
Gentle, but strong. Unwavering in her loyalty to not just the realm, but its people.
A leader Aurora’s Veil actually deserves.
With the realm secure and its new queen crowned, and our goodbyes given, we finally turn towards the exit to get back to the leyline. It’s time to find Velentha.
Maelkar’s shadows cut around us before the cheers in the throne room even fade. They sweep up from the polished stone of the hallway, wrapping around our legs, our waists, and our shoulders. I feel the cold sting of them against my skin—sharp yet oddly comforting.
“Hold on tight, princess,” Maelkar murmurs, wrapping an arm around me, as Aran and Lucifer huddle close.