Penelope put her hand on my arm and shook her head. “You cannot bring him back, Aurora. He is too far gone. There is nothing you can do.” Her hand tightened on my arm, and her voice turned to ice. “Remember Lilith.”
I froze and looked over at Vivienne, who lay beside Rafe. He had dealt her a death blow to the neck. Her blood stained the floor beneath her. Vivienne’s once-bright eyes were devoid of life, but they were clear; none of the soul-devouring blackness remained. Lilith had left her body and disappeared.
I had done this.
This was the consequence I had to face for saving Snow’s life. I had brought Lilith back to this world, and everything she had done since was my fault. All the destruction she had caused, all the lives she had taken—everything, even Vivienne’s death, was my fault. Rafe’s death would be my fault.
The tears wouldn’t stop as I held on to the one small spark of life left in him, hovering just over the threshold of the Otherworld. “Rafe, please don’t leave me. Rafe, don’t leave me.”
“You must let him go, Aurora,” Penelope whispered. “It is time.”
I shook my head and held on for dear life. “I can’t, I can’t . . .” My voice broke.
But I knew she was right.
I had been warned of the consequences of my actions, and I had to pay the ultimate price. I was the Dawnstar, the protector of this world. I could not defy the laws of magic for my own selfish gain. I had learned the hard way. All actions had consequences, and I had to accept the price of mine.
My hands shook and the pain in my chest grew as my heart broke over and over again. I had to do it—there was no other choice. I steeled my aching heart and prepared to let Rafe go.
I bent down and kissed him on his forehead. “I’m sorry, my love,” I whispered, my tears splashing onto his face. “I’m so sorry.”
A shining light filled the space before me.
I looked up through a haze of tears. Illaria Lightbringer appeared, shimmering and resplendent with her crown of pearls atop her head. At that moment, there was something different about her, less otherworldly, more real, as if she were actually here. Behind her more lights started to appear, a line of Ancient Fae queens fanned out around her. My ancestors, queens of the house of Eos-Eirendil—I recognized them instinctively, recognized their magic.
“You have done what no one has ever done before, Aurora Shadowbreaker,” Illaria Lightbringer said with a smile on her ethereal face. “Killing Dragath opened the celestial pathways that kept us from this world. Because of you we can return to Avalonia, and so can ancient magic. You have made a great sacrifice and proved yourself worthy of the guardianship of this world.” She raised her hand and a ray of golden light seeped out of it in a river of pure power. “But you have already suffered enough.”
She directed the golden light at Rafe.
I could only stare with wonder as, one by one, each of the ancient queens directed their light to join hers. The cavern ignited with a blinding glow, and we all had to look away as golden healing light enveloped Rafe in its shining folds. Ancient magic flowed back into Avalonia in waves of undiluted power.
Eventually the light dimmed and went out.
Rafe opened his eyes.
Illaria Lightbringer smiled at me and then looked at Rafe as, one by one, the ancient queens disappeared. “You are now immortal, King Rafael,” she said, as her form shimmered and faded. “Use it well.”
The Last Stand
All the emotions I had been holding back flowed out in a stream of sobs and tears. Illaria Lightbringer had given me a precious gift—she had saved Rafe’s life and given him back to me. And now that he was immortal, she had removed my biggest fear: the people I loved getting old and dying while I remained young for all eternity. Now Rafe would be able to share eternity with me.
So much had happened in such a small space of time—meeting my father, Dragath’s defeat, Vivienne’s death, and the reality of losing Rafe forever had nearly broken me. But I had survived. I had won. My body shook with relief and sadness as I hugged Rafe fiercely.
We just clung to each other as the others looked on in disbelief.
After everything I had been through, all the years I had spent on my own wishing for someone to love me, I finally realized I had never been alone. I had friends and family who loved me and would risk their lives for me, waiting for me, even though they never knew if I would return. What’s more, my parents’ love was always with me no matter which world they were in. Now we were finally together.
There was only one piece missing.
My father coughed and snapped me back to reality.
Penelope and I ran over to help him; he had lost a lot of blood, but the wound hadn’t damaged any internal organs. Penelope laid him down on the ground, and I knelt beside him, putting my hands on his chest. Slowly, I released healing magic into his wound, joining flesh and muscle until the gash on his chest healed. The skin joined together, leaving a scar over his chest.
Penelope helped Azaren stand, and he clasped me by my arms and gazed at his only child. “No father could have wished for a better daughter,” he said, pride showing in his eyes. I let the tears flow as I hugged him, and I knew in my heart everything was going to be all right.
Tristan came over to me and unexpectedly hugged me too. “I’m glad you are all right, Aurora.”
I smiled faintly at Tristan, Vivienne’s death preventing me from feeling the joy I should have in this moment. “Thank you for always having my back.”
Tristan nodded, his face serious as usual. “Always.”
I walked slowly to Vivienne’s
