don’t think we need to worry immediately. Quentin is strong. Stronger than Simon gave him credit for, I think.”
Her mother drifted away, and the alchemists and the fey worked together to clear the bodies from the charred remains of the Ironwood. If the sight weren’t so grim, it might have been incredible to think of the joint effort between two races historically at war with one another. Aliette was commanding her small band of wood elves, and they ran around like ants lugging debris. Once, her eyes met Donna’s through the smoke, and she nodded. Her face was expressionless.
Donna turned away and watched the sun rise higher on the horizon. She had questioned, more than once in the past few days, whether she would ever see that beautiful sight again. Now she knew the answer. She felt sure she would find out more answers in the coming days, but right now she was just happy to know that she was alive—and that the world would survive.
At least for a little longer.
Navin came to stand beside her. “What are you doing, Underwood? Watching the sunrise and dreaming of Xan?”
She’d been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she hadn’t heard him approach. “Hey, you,” she said.
“That’s what you’re thinking about? ‘Hey, you’? That’s a new one.”
Donna smiled softly. “I was just thinking about how it’s all turned out.”
“Yeah,” Navin said. He looked at the blackened earth and the blasted trees. Fire and death still lingered in the air. “It turned out pretty crazy.”
Donna nodded, glad he wasn’t celebrating victory. What was there to celebrate? Demian’s forces had been destroyed, or at least dramatically reduced. But the Demon King himself had survived.
We shut him away again, Donna reminded herself. He’s not getting out any time soon. She shivered as an inky shadow passed across the sky. Just a crow. Not a demon.
Navin put his arm around her. “You gonna be okay, Don?”
“I don’t know.” She leaned against him and watched the sky. “But I’m looking forward to finding out.”
Epilogue
Sitting on the roof terrace of the Grayson townhouse was both familiar and strange. It seemed so long since Donna had first met Xan, and yet it was only three months ago.
It felt like a lifetime.
Today, with the winter-bright sun peeking out from behind the clouds at regular intervals, Donna was starting to feel human again. It even looked like spring might come early this year.
Xan sat across from her, smiling. “I have the strangest feeling that we’ve been here before.”
“Déjà vu? Really?” She smiled in return. “That’s cool.”
“You don’t find this … familiar?” He raised an eyebrow and his green eyes sparkled.
She laughed. “Maybe you dreamed it.”
“Maybe,” he said quietly. “Maybe I did.”
Donna leaned back against the wall and waited to feel the sun on her face. She smiled to herself, wondering about the future. Wondering about the choices that lay ahead of her. It was okay not to know what came next—it was a gift. Freedom didn’t come without a price, and the price of her freedom hadn’t come cheap. She intended to make the most of it. Honor the memory of those who had fallen. Make the most of her life, and do the best she could to always keep looking forward.
Starting with traveling, just like she’d always wanted.
It was too late to submit college applications this year anyway, which worked out fine because it was giving her a whole extra year to herself. A year to see what was out there, beyond the boundaries of the alchemists. Rachel Underwood’s first act as the new Archmaster had been to give Donna her blessing for any and all plans—even those that didn’t include alchemy. Quentin also gave his full approval for this course of action. The only people not happy with this decision were some of the older alchemists, especially from the Order of the Rose. Now that Quentin had officially handed over his title to Rachel, she had to complete a million tests in record time to keep the Council off her back, and the Rose alchemists were the ones overseeing that process.
Perhaps Donna would pay them a visit in Prague, just to keep them on their toes. She grinned, imagining the fuss that would cause.
Navin had deferred his own admission to college, much to Dr. Sharma’s horror, and would be traveling with Donna during the summer and perhaps beyond. This made her happier than she could ever have imagined being. It was another gift from the Universe—that was how she