Chapter 31 #2
I wave toward the humans. “Mingle with them. Remind them of what they need to be doing and keep them on track. Encourage any other shadowkind you see to join in too.” I glance around at all of the beings with me.
“There’s no need to be nervous. These humans trust us. They want to help. We’re all safe.”
They nod, but a little uncertainty flavors their determination.
I can’t be there raising all of their spirits while I’m focusing on the rift.
My attention slides to my mates. The tension in my chest tightens, but I know what we have to do. A lighter twinge inside tells me it’ll turn out right.
“Jonah, Mirage, Raze, Hail, I need you to spread out around the city so we’re surrounding the whole thing.
Like we did with Viscera, but on a larger scale.
You’ll know how to keep everyone’s spirits up for me better than anyone else.
” I catch Mirage’s bright eyes. “And if you can keep projecting my voice all around as much as you can, that would be perfect.”
Raze frowns. “If we get that far away…”
I touch his arm. “It’s not that far. And I can tell… it’ll be okay now. Because there are no doubts left between us. Nothing shaking up our love. Our bonds won’t hurt me, because you’ll be there for me.”
Jonah’s expression is still solemn, but he tips his head in acknowledgment. “We should get moving. We’ll need to fill in the people who’ve arrived at the other ends of the city.”
A sly grin curves Mirage’s lips. “They heard Peri’s instructions too. I made sure of it.”
Well, that might have confused people who couldn’t even see who was speaking more than it guided them, but at least it’s a start.
The group of us surges toward the city. As we get closer, my long-time companions veer away from me.
I watch them drift around and through the crowd of humans with a tug of loss. But enough gratitude and pride is welling up inside me to overcome my worries.
I brought all these beings together, shadowkind and mortal. I’m showing that we can tackle our problems together. That there’s a place for all of us in the world, a way to coexist.
Now I just have to convince the rift of that before it decides to up its takeover-by-murk to another level.
I join the swarm of humans near the factories, which are now completely draped in shadows. Seeing how far the deluge has grown in just the past couple of days, a lump clogs my throat, but I gird myself against the discomfort.
It all stops here. We’re going to show it a better way.
A furry body brushes my ankles. I look down to see Falkor curling around my legs, peering up at me with those big puppy-ish eyes that won me over to begin with.
He’s ready to follow whatever orders I give. Even the lesser creatures among us are giving their all.
I lift my head and hold out my hands toward my new human companions.
“We’re going to start now. Remember, just keep thinking about all the ways you fit together with other people.
The ways you can make something better with each other.
The ways you make each other happy. Think about how we’re all coming together right here to fix the craziest mess you’ve ever seen! ”
A few laughs break out amid the crowd. With renewed confidence, I focus on the churning shadows in front of me and open my mind.
My mates aren’t in place yet, still traveling around the edge of the city as quickly as they can, but that’s all right. It’s good to warm up, or I might sprain something.
My collaborators—most of them, anyway—have followed my instructions. Buttery affection and molasses-tangy delight flow from all around me, filling me with a different sort of flood.
I couldn’t contain all that emotion even if I wanted to. I simply channel it into the glow of my own warmest feelings, the welcome I wish I could extend to every shadowkind who longs to spend time in the mortal realm, to all the energies twisting and contorting with the impulse to fit in.
The struggle between humans and shadowkind has been going on for so long without most of us even being aware of it.
From the organizations that tormented shadowkind like Mirage to the individuals who caged me and tore apart Hail’s mentor, from the powerful beings who tried to bend the whole world to their whims to Raze simply lashing out in anger—we’ve tangled and clashed and wrenched at each other.
All because being a part of this place mattered so much to us.
Is it any surprise that all that conflict ended up affecting the very atmosphere of our realms and, particularly, the portals that connect them? There’s something magical about the way our different worlds exist alongside one another to begin with.
And magic can be bent and tainted, like sorcery can be used for evil no matter how much people like Jonah use it for good.
My blue-green glow washes over all the buildings in front of me and beams through the shadows. I send a silent but emphatic message with it.
It’s so good to see you. Thank you for trying to work something out with us. We can all live here together. All these people want to see mortals and shadowkind existing side by side. Do you feel the love they have that they’re sharing with you?
It’s all right. You were confused and hurt, and you tried to grab what you believed should be yours. You don’t have to claim or cling to anything. We can simply be, existing next to one another, in harmony.
My light spreads so much farther than I’ve ever managed before.
I sense with a tingle through my nerves when Mirage, then Raze, then Hail, and finally Jonah find their places: five points around the ring.
The current of shimmering warmth coursing out of me streams even faster and farther when it can reach out to them.
We’re enveloping the city, the murk, and the rift above us in one massive embrace.
The edges of the portal twitch, and the impression of shrinking echoes into me. Some of the murk is thinning, brightening, but other whirls are rolling back up into the shadow realm where they came from.
It’s really working!
I drag in a giddy breath—and a bang splits the quiet from somewhere behind me.
My nerves jump, and my glow falters. Splashes of acrid anxiety hit me from all sides.
A few more thumps and a faint impression of shouting reach my ears, but they’re far enough away that I firm my stance.
We can’t let ourselves be distracted. We’re so close to our goal.
If we can fix this, every other problem will be so much easier to solve after. If we don’t…
I’m not letting myself consider that possibility.
But my determination isn’t enough to hold the thousands now gathered around the city in line. Sour threads are opening all through the currents of loving emotion that were reaching me.
No. We were doing this together. We can keep doing it.
I need to welcome all of them too.
I speak as loud as I can, hoping Mirage will be able to fling my voice wide even from his far-off position.
“You’re all such good people! Such caring, compassionate people.
It’s amazing that you came here and took this risk because you want the world to be a better, safer, happier place.
You should feel so proud of yourselves.”
The contrasting quivers start to fade.
I go on with a surge of renewed confidence. “We’re changing the future into something brighter. It wouldn’t be possible without all of you. You’re amazing. You took a chance on me. You took a chance on this city. I’ve never met anyone braver.”
A larger wave of satisfaction and contentment sweeps over and through me. I’ve never tasted a flavor so incredible.
This—this is what I’ve dreamed of. What I’ve wanted to offer, the total opposite of the pain I inadvertently caused before.
A gasp spills from my lips, and my glow erupts out of me again.
I manage to maintain enough control to stop it from becoming outright burning. It isn’t that hard anymore, not when my own heart is so full of joy.
The blaze of teal light spills through the entire city, caressing every sidewalk, every doorway and wall. The murk gives way in its wake, softening to accept it, twining with it as the darkness fades. The dissonant energy settles into serene stillness.
The exhilaration casts me higher and higher alongside the expanding glow, until I can taste the rift on the roof of my mouth. Sharp ripples of rejection smooth out. Tangs of resentment dwindle.
You can stay. You can be here with us. Meet us where we can all be happy. I’ll show you the way.
The last splinters of animosity vanish one by one. Everything is warmth and light, comfort and happiness. On and on…
Until the sense of peace fills me enough that I let my arms drop to my sides. I blink and peer at the city before me.
A faint haze still hangs over the buildings, but it drifts and dances with the telephone poles rather than suffocating the atmosphere. Most of the unnatural shadows have either absorbed into the regular ones or returned through the rift.
I squint up at the sky and can only make out a faint dark spot against the brilliant blue. A relieved laugh tumbles out of me.
“We did it,” I say. “We really did it!”
Falkor gives a joyful woof and wriggles his serpentine body. All around me, the humans and the shadowkind among them start chattering with excitement and awe. Their emotions radiate even more delight than I felt before.
And maybe this is what we’ve really healed today. Not just the rift but the reluctance to trust one another, to embrace the other kind of being with total openness.
At the thud of footsteps, I turn around. Rollick is ambling over with Sorsha and the shadowbloods at his heels. Zian wipes his hands together with a satisfied expression.
“A bunch of hunters thought they’d try to join in the party,” Riva informs me as they draw to a stop. “We took care of them before they could get in the way. Gently, of course.”
She glances up at the brightened city. “Hopefully once they see this, they won’t be in such a hurry to come at you again.”
My smile slants. “I’m sure it’ll be a work in progress. Not everyone is going to open up right away.”
Rollick shakes his head at me. “Enough did. Remind me never to underestimate you again, Peri. You accomplished something not even I could have figured out how to do, with all my centuries.”
Sorsha elbows him. “Yeah, yeah, old-timer. Ancient wisdom isn’t all that matters.” She waves to the crowd. “Who’s ready to celebrate?”
At the whoops that carry through the gathering, my grin returns. “It’s time for a re-opening party, and everyone’s invited!”