Chapter 55

“Enough!” I shouted, rising to my feet and striding towards Lila.

She snapped her attention to me, her eyes glassy and fixed on my face.

“You dare to defy me? I should claim your body right here, right now!” she spat.

“No! I won’t let you hurt anyone else!” I shot back.

I held the dagger aloft, its point aimed at the stone embedded in my throat.

Lila’s face twisted into a mask of panic at the sight.

“Don’t you dare!” she shrieked, launching herself at me.

I forced myself to act, to push past the fear and hesitation. Rin’s voice echoed in the distance, pleading with me not to do it.

The blade plunged into my throat, shattering the stone into fragments.

I choked, a wave of heat surging through my soul.

The bond between our souls was severed.

Her immortality was gone.

Through the fog of pain, as I crumpled to my knees, I heard Jekia instructing the others to aim for her head and heart.

That would be enough to finish her.

Flora rushed to my side, wrapping her skirts around the dagger lodged in my throat.

“Stay still, darling! You’ll be okay! Just stay still!” she implored.

I could only gaze at her through blurred vision, my strength ebbing away.

I couldn’t even lift my hand to grasp hers for comfort.

~Am I dying?~ I wondered.

Rin was suddenly there too, but my consciousness was flickering, making it hard to see him clearly.

But even as I slipped away, I felt a sense of peace.

I had helped end this, and he was going to survive.

He and his family would be safe now.

Those were my final thoughts as I slipped into unconsciousness, the sensation of tears falling on my face the last thing I felt.

***

I’d always imagined death to be either a sudden darkness or a golden light leading to a warm, comforting place. I wasn’t particularly religious, having questioned the existence of God amidst the chaos of my upbringing.

Death could simply be the end. We return to where we came from, and that’s it. But I don’t think I ever truly accepted the idea of dying. That was the feeling I had as I stood on that shoreline, staring out at the endless ocean before me.

Lanterns floated on the deep blue water, and the sky was the soft hue of pre-dawn, a faint light on the distant horizon. I could see the silhouettes of people walking out there. Some passed by me, their features indistinct.

The light seemed to beckon me, and the water lapped at my bare feet as I stepped forward. I felt a pull to follow those shadows. There was something waiting beyond that light, something beyond my comprehension.

“You should not follow,” a familiar voice called out.

I spun around, surprised to see a figure in white standing just behind me. It took me a moment to recognize him.

“Sionn?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“The Far Shore may be calling, but you do not need to heed it like them. These shadows of the dead are meant to go there. You’re not ready for that,” Sionn explained.

I glanced back at the light and the shadowy figures. “So this is where the dead go? Then I should be dead if I’m here, right?”

“You’ve come close, but it’s not your time. Your bond with Rin, along with the power you gained from Lila’s attempt to take your body, ensured that. That power remains, even with the stone destroyed,” Sionn clarified.

“The stone,” I murmured, touching my neck. It felt smooth, normal. There was no sensation of anything in my throat. “I guess I can still talk because I’m here.”

“Essentially, though I fear you may not be able to when you return. I hope I’m wrong about that.”

“Are you here to take me back?”

Sionn smiled. “In a way. It’s already been arranged for you to return soon, but they wanted me to ensure you stayed here until then. Also, there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you, now that we’re alone.”

I watched as his appearance shifted. His hair lengthened and turned silver, and he sprouted silver fox ears and multiple silver tails.

“You’re…a fox?” I stammered.

“Technically, I still am, though I exist somewhere between worlds now. But let me properly introduce myself. My name is Sage,” he replied.

Recognition dawned on me, and as I studied him more closely, I could see the resemblance.

“You’re Rin’s father,” I said softly.

Sage smiled. “I am, and I’m proud of it, despite the regrets I carry about what happened with him before I ended up in this existence. I suppose that’s why I can’t help but check on him from time to time. Well, that and he is my son. I’ve always been proud of that,” he confessed.

“Why wouldn’t you be? Rin’s a strong and proud fox, even if he’s struggled internally for a while,” I replied.

“Yes, I know that.” Sage agreed, a resigned smile gracing his handsome face. “But I’m truly thankful that you’ve entered his life. Initially, I was a bit worried about Rin’s destiny being tied to a human beta, but I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t have been. You’ve grown into a strong and determined beta, and I’ve never seen my son as happy as he is with you. It reassures me that he’ll grow into a powerful leader one day, alongside his brother.”

That was intriguing. It seemed like Sage held Rayne in as high regard as his own son.

“Do you think Rin and Rayne will rule together one day?” I needed to know.

“I believe that’s the future, though it’s a long way off. We shouldn’t underestimate Jekia and the other leaders. They’re in their positions for a reason, and the current plans want them to stay there for as long as possible. Having heirs is more of a backup plan for them in case something unexpected happens,” Sage explained.

“That makes sense. It’ll give them plenty of time to grow stronger and gain more confidence,” I reasoned.

Sage nodded, his tails subtly shifting behind him. “Absolutely. But beyond that, it’s also better for them to have their betas by their side. You’re Rin’s, and I’m certain that Rayne will find his own soon. Trust me, my dear, having a beta is always beneficial for an alpha. It soothes us and helps us focus on what’s important in our lives. Never underestimate your role in this world now. It was always meant to be more than what you were raised to believe. Take it from someone who’s seen it happen many times.”

I returned his smile, now feeling completely comfortable with him. Wow, I hadn’t realized how similar he and Rin might be. But that was a good thing in my eyes. Everything I’d heard about Sage suggested that he might act like a rogue often, but he was a genuinely good being at heart.

“I can see that. I’m glad I got to meet you too, and thank you for the help you gave me before we confronted Lila.”

“I wish I could have done more, but there wasn’t much more I was allowed to do. It’s a limitation of this existence, but I suppose it’s better than not existing at all.” Sage paused as we heard a distant bell toll. “Ah, it seems our time is up. You’ll be waking up soon.”

I bowed in gratitude to him. “I suppose so. I’m really glad I got to meet you again, Sage.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sage ran his fingers through my hair as he stood before me. “You and Rin take care of each other, and remind him to listen to what Jekia tells him. He’s always regarded him as his own.”

Everything faded away as he said that, and everything turned into a dark void. But slowly, soft sounds began to filter through. The gentle ticking of a clock, the sound of quiet footsteps near and far. I started to feel my body again. The sensation of silk sheets covering me, and a slight ache in my throat.

I could feel and hear things. I was truly alive!

My eyes felt heavy as I tried to open them, but determination kept me struggling. Finally, I started to make some progress.

My eyelids began to lift, and though my vision was blurry at first, I managed to blink a few times and start to clear it. The first thing that came into focus was the canopy over the bed. I lay still, trying to process everything that had happened before I’d woken up there.

That’s right. Before I’d gone to that place and met Sage, I had been at the Golden Queen’s palace, and I’d ended up having to stab my own throat to destroy the stone there, which in turn severed my connection to her and allowed Jekia, Rin, and Rayne to kill her. But the cost of this action was high.

I had been lying there dying. I was certain I was dying. Yet somehow, I was still alive. I slowly turned my head to the right, careful not to move my neck too much, and saw Rin sitting beside the bed.

He’d rested his head on his arms and was sleeping soundly. A smile crossed my face as I saw him. My fox was right here by my side. Knowing him, he probably hadn’t left my side since I’d been there. It took some effort, but I managed to raise my arm to run my fingers through his hair and over his ears.

This had always been comforting for both of us. Rin let out a long breath as I did this, his eyes slowly opening. It took him a moment to register what he was feeling, but he quickly lifted his head when he saw that I was awake.

“Aurora! You’re awake!” he exclaimed, sounding almost desperate as he hugged me. I let out a relieved sigh as I hugged him back, snuggling into his warm embrace. I could hear him continue to speak as he held me. “Are you okay? You’re not in too much pain, are you?”

I shook my head slightly, not wanting to move. Rin let out a long sigh, finally releasing me and sitting on the bed beside me. His eyes still looked pained, though there was also relief in them.

“I know you can’t talk now, and that’s okay. We’ll figure something out soon. I’m just glad you’re going to be okay,” he told me as he stroked my cheek. I looked around us, then held up my hands and mimed writing.

Rin quickly understood. “If you’re up to it, you could write things down.” He suddenly remembered something. “You know what? I think I have that tablet you were using before. It might work.”

He got up and searched around the bed, finally finding the tablet that had been stashed in the drawer of the nightstand. I nodded and took it from him, relieved to see the words I wanted to say appear on it. Thank God, it still worked.

“Talking like this isn’t so bad. It’s better than nothing.” Rin’s smile was back as he settled next to me. “Yeah, it’s not a big deal for you to talk this way. But seriously, are you okay? You’re not hurting too much, are you?”

“No, but my neck’s a bit tender, so I’m trying not to move my head too much,” I admitted. “That makes sense. You should be careful. That neck wound was pretty serious, and it took a lot of effort to patch you up,” Rin said.

I reached up, lightly touching the bandage. “I thought I was a goner. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you like that,” I apologized.

“You don’t have to apologize. I get what happened, even if it scared the shit out of me. It was the only way to stop her. That damn Faerie really did make a deal with a devil, just like they warned us, and she would’ve been unstoppable if she hadn’t tried to use you,” Rin confessed.

“What about Rayne? Is he okay?” I asked. I didn’t care about the details of what had happened or how they’d taken down Lila. I just needed to know that we were all okay. “He’s good,” Rin reassured me, “He needed some stitches for that throat wound, but he’s healing. He’s been more worried about you.”

“I guess all of you were.”

“Can’t argue with that. You were way too close to dying. But you pulled through. Now you just need to rest and recover.”

I wasn’t sure if I should tell him about seeing his father before I woke up. It might unsettle him. But in the end, I couldn’t keep it to myself. “Rin, this might sound crazy, but I saw Sage.”

Rin tensed for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. “You really saw my dad?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “When I was at that palace, this guy showed up and offered to help me figure out how to control the stone and fight against Lila. He stayed all night helping me, and he promised that it wouldn’t be hard for you or your dad to get there to confront her. He acted like he knew you well, but wouldn’t say why. Then I saw him before I woke up here, and he transformed into your dad. He mentioned something about watching from afar but helping however he could.”

Rin looked down, deep in thought. “You were at the Far Shore, weren’t you?” he guessed. “Yeah. That’s what he called it. He said it’s where the dead go to find their place,” I replied.

“That’s right,” Rin confirmed. “Think of it as the boundary between the living and the dead. The only way we could see it is either being pulled in through a dream or being close to death.”

“And you knew your dad was there?”

“Yes. I saw him there when I was a kid. I was pulled there in a dream right after he supposedly died. I didn’t understand it then, but he did mention something about not really being dead, that he was going to work under the Higher Ones. Now it all makes sense. He’s dealing with issues beyond us, and they must’ve sent him to help us with Lila.”

Everything clicked. If Sage was working directly under those in charge and he was so involved in everything here, they’d naturally want him to assist us. But there was something else I needed to share. I felt like Sage wanted to pass on an important message to Rin through me. He wouldn’t have said what he did if he didn’t.

“Rin, it’s not really my place, but I know you’ve had mixed feelings about your dad. No one could blame you for that. But he told me that he’s been watching over you for a long time, and he regrets the things that happened before he had to leave. He said he’s always been really proud of you and he’s glad that we’ve met because you’re happy,” I told him.

Rin looked away, his ears folding back and a thoughtful expression on his face. He didn’t look upset; more like he was embarrassed.