Epilogue - Aniyah
Once everyone calmed down, I explained what happened, showed them Natalie's corpse, and moved it to a secure location, knowing my siblings would want to see it. Part of me almost wished she hadn’t reverted back to her fairy form.
That monstrous hybrid I’d fought… it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
It was violent. Cruel. And whoever he was, the one she spoke of, he was coming for us. That much was clear.
Which was why all of my siblings had flown into New York and were now cramped in the small conference room I never used, complaining about everything like it was their job.
“I told you, Niya,” Ezra said, her tone sharp enough to cut glass, “when you first designed this place. You needed a proper conference room.”
I closed my eyes, reminding myself I did love her, even if her voice made me want to toss my water glass across the room. I took a sip instead and sighed.
“Who could’ve guessed we’d end up holding a Syndicate boss meeting inside my sex club?” I deadpanned, dragging out the last two words just to watch Ezra’s eye twitch.
Her stick-straight white hair was draped over one shoulder, and the scarlet pantsuit she’d paired with a black cropped button-up made her look like she was ready to fire half a boardroom.
Folding her hands, she arched a single brow.
“This is a Syndicate stronghold. It was always a possibility, Aniyah.”
Nova leaned forward, her slouchy T-shirt, jeans, and tattooed arms giving off a casual vibe that didn’t hide her strength. Her white hair was wild except for one braided side. “It’s fine, E. We saw the body. We’re just discussing what happened, not holding an all-day conference.”
She gave a light laugh, but Ezra didn’t share the humor.
Across from me, Calix had his Dior sneakers propped on the table, navy shirt half-unbuttoned, khakis barely wrinkled.
He winked like this was just another brunch.
Riot, seated beside me, was the opposite—rigid, alert, silent.
In all-black everything, she looked more like an assassin than a mafia boss.
“Nova’s right,” Riot said, voice steady. “We’re here to hear what the fae-wolf said.”
Taking the cue, I told them everything. How Natalie admitted to seducing Glen to learn my security layout, how she used friendships with staff to access restricted areas. When Glen outlived his usefulness, she killed him and tried to plant a second bomb to complete her mission.
“What got me,” I continued, “was how convincing she was when she played the sweet girl. Even Van and I bought it. Once she dropped the act, she cracked. Started talking to herself, grinning while explaining what she’d done. She was proud and extremely loyal to this ‘him’ she kept mentioning.”
Riot narrowed her eyes. “She didn’t name anyone? No group, no affiliation?”
I shook my head. “Just ‘him’ and sometimes ‘us.’ I tried pressing her, but she was more interested in carving me up than chatting.”
“I also want to know more about this breeding that this ‘him’ is doing. Blending super powers has to mean he’s experimenting, but how he’s gotten this far is beyond me.
We need to stop it before he hones his process.
” Calix's concern was valid, and having seen the results of this experimentation up close and personal, I had to agree.
Everyone went quiet. Ezra’s expression turned pensive.
“She said he was coming for us last,” I added. “Its not much to go on, but maybe he had already started something nearby? Somehow keeping tabs? Maybe… Mexico?”
Ezra’s hands clenched, then slowly relaxed. “I’ll call around to see if any new factions are rising.” Her sunset pink eyes that matched mine scanned each of us. “Until then, stay sharp. Anything feels off, you tell me. We can’t afford another breach. Agreed?”
“Eyes wide open,” Calix said, dropping his feet to the floor.
“Already on it,” Nova chimed in, thumbs flying over her phone.
“I’ll warn the Devil Clan,” Riot added. “They’ll keep ears to the ground in less savory circles.”
I nodded. “All good here and on major alert.”
Ezra did a half turn, her sharp gaze locked on me. The room stilled. My pulse kicked up. Having her full attention felt like standing in the path of a storm. Still, I squared my shoulders and met her stare head-on. Boss to boss.
Her lips twitched, as if the words fought their way out. “I’m proud of you, Niya.”
The air left my lungs. For a heartbeat, I wondered if I’d misheard. Ezra didn’t do proud. Not unless it came with a positive balance sheet or a signed contract.
“You faced a bombing. Rebuilt. Led through chaos and stared down an enemy you didn’t even know.” Her voice faltered, her gaze flicking away. Vulnerability. Brief and foreign, but it still crossed her face.
I looked around the table. Nova shot me a wink. Riot gave a firm nod. Calix crossed his arms, smirking. “Don’t let it go to your head, kid. You’re a badass, sure, but you still need your big brother.”
Something settled in my chest then, solid and real. For the first time, I wasn’t just the kid they had to protect. I was one of them. A Syndicate boss.
It gave me the strength to bring up something that I didn't know how they would take, but I knew they would listen, and they would respect what I said. “There’s… one more thing we need to talk about.”
Ezra fixed me with a gaze sharp enough to peel paint. “By all means. Speak.”
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and built up the courage before I let the truth fall out of my mouth. “I’ve mated.”
All of them were silent. Cracking open an eye, I saw Nova’s mouth had dropped open. Calix blinked like he’d misheard. Riot’s breath hitched. Ezra just stared, her face unreadable.
I knew this would be hard for them to accept, so I got up, turned around, and lifted my shirt to show them the fine-line tattoo that should have been invisible. “The mate-blocker tattoo… I think the spell’s broken.”
Silence again, which, for my family, meant the Earth had momentarily stopped spinning.
“That… that’s not the only way a fairy shows she’s mated,” Ezra said, as if challenging the evidence inked into my skin.
With a smirk, I unfurled my wings. Color shimmered down my wings like living magic—undeniable proof. Gasps rang out, so I folded them back and turned around. Nova was the first to speak.
“Who?” she whispered. “Who’s your mate?”
I smiled. “Not who. Who all. I have five.”
Calix groaned. “Oh, my god, Niya! Of course, you would take after Mom!”
Before they could freak out any more, I spat out their names like I was rattling off a grocery list. “It’s Alic Gorgof, Van Tempest, Lucus Kingsley, Maso Morino, and Rasmus Nefter.”
Nova let out a bark of laughter. “You got your own damn security detail!”
Calix rubbed his face. “Rasmus? That tech freak?”
“Watch it,” I warned, a finger pointing in his direction like a gun.
He held up his hands. “Fine, fine. He’s brilliant, sure, but he gives me Lex vibes. Like, ‘hide your daughter from him’ energy.”
That made me laugh, a deep, belly-shaking one. Honestly? I did see the resemblance between Ras and our dad Lex. Maybe I had a type… or five—just like Mom.
Ezra murmured, “Maybe the spell couldn’t handle five mates…” Her voice was distant. Troubled.
I frowned. Why did she sound adamant about it?
A warm hand slipped into mine. Riot. “Congratulations, Niya. I’m happy for you.” I could feel her genuine joy for me, but her eyes held something heavy, something close to pain.
Before I could ask, Calix shot out of his seat and around the table, scooping me up into a bone-crushing hug. “Our baby sis is getting married!”
Then he paused, setting me down but keeping his hands on my shoulders. “You are getting married, right? Don’t tell me these are some progressive little shits that ‘don’t want to fully commit.’” That last part was in air quotes, which almost made me laugh.
I shrugged. “They want that, so maybe. But not until we’ve dealt with this threat. I’m not pulling resources away just for a wedding.”
All of my siblings looked at me in unison.
Some had wide eyes, others raised brows, all of them surprised that I wouldn't take this moment to shine, but I was Syndicate through and through.
Glitter, heels, and a wicked tongue, I was just as dangerous as the rest of my family.
A family that I would give my everything for.
“Our family and the Syndicate take priority for me. That hasn’t changed, never will. My mates know that, too.” I wanted to assure them that I wasn't going to slack off now that I had mates. In fact, I could probably get more done now that we were communicating better and I had so many of them.
Nova was the first to stand and give me a big bear hug, patting me on the back as she laughed. “And now you can take all the heat off the rest of us on this baby business! We can just point to you and say that you're the one with the mates, so they should focus on you.”
That realization hit me like a freight train, and my stomach plummeted. Oh fuck. The parents and grandfathers were going to pester me non-stop. I was going to need to come up with some good excuses. Could being a dick-loving slut count as an excuse?
Then an idea struck. “Do you think they’d be mad if I told the grandfathers they were sterile?”
Calix's face screwed up, covering his dick like I was about to make him sterile just by saying it out loud. Sooooo, I guess that’s a bad idea?
Nova folded over, laughing so hard she had to wipe the tears from her eyes. I, on the other hand, was now freaking out. I needed to talk to the guys, ask the think tank. Between the six of us, we should be able to come up with something, right?!
Ezra slowly got up, and Nova and Calix got out of her way as she grabbed my hands with her firm, warm ones. Looking up at me, she gave me a small, tight smile, her tone dead serious. “Are you happy, Niya?”
I squeezed her hands, trying not to smile too big. “Yes. It was messy at first, but it feels right. I feel right.”