A Shade of Vampire 77 A Fate of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,83

crossed as he stood to the side. “I doubt the others will try to continue her legacy after what just happened.”

Death shot him a cold stare. “You had better keep them in check,” she said. “They’ve had their fun, but now things are back to normal.”

“Rest assured, they can no longer harm any living creature. The power they drew from the five million fae was gone the moment Taeral swung Thieron against the ritual,” Kabbah said. “We’re all awake now, but not like before.”

“So we’ll never see the rebels again? We’ll never hear from Ramin or Inalia or all the others who’ve fought against the ritual?” I asked.

Kabbah smiled. “You’ll feel them in the wind. In the burning hearth, perhaps. In the sound of waves crashing against the shore. In the rumble of a volcano. But that is it. The Hermessi have been brought back to where they belong. In their planets, nurturing the elements.”

“What about you?” Amelia replied. “You’re still here.”

“I’m hanging by a thread, and it’s only thanks to Fallon’s hybrid body. I’m not juiced up anymore.” Kabbah laughed.

Nethissis and Lumi were still glowing, under the Word’s direct possession. “Maybe it’s time you return to Nevertide, as well,” the Word said. “You’ve been away for long enough. Surely, your planet misses you.”

Kabbah rolled his eyes, the green flames of his hands dimming. “Relax, I don’t plan on sticking around much longer. I’m tired. I need to sleep. I just wanted to say goodbye to these cool kids, that’s all.” He gave us a warm and broad smile, then pointed a thumb at Nethissis, Lumi, and Death. “Make sure the forces of the universe here fix the mess my brothers and sisters made. I’ve done my part.”

Raphael grinned. “Oh, don’t you worry about that. We’re not done here. Not by a long shot.”

“Will you do me… well, us, a favor?” I asked Kabbah, and he eyed me curiously. “Will you tell Inalia, Ramin, and the others thank you? I’m hoping you still have your primordial connection, or whatever you call it.”

“I’ll let them know,” Kabbah said. “Just remember to pay attention to the world around you, kid. A Hermessi will always smile at you. Keep that in mind.” He gave Eva a playful wink. “And you, sassy little copperhead, you had better not change. That courage of yours, as reckless as it may seem, will take you places.”

Eva grinned. “It’s a shame we won’t see you again. You were kind of growing on me.”

“The feeling is mutual. Alas, order must be restored in the universe…”

Without another word, Kabbah exhaled and vanished from Fallon’s body. The vampire-fae hybrid wheezed and coughed, blinking rapidly as he tried to readjust to reality, to his existence without a Hermessi nestled inside his body.

“Jeez. That was the longest ride ever!” he croaked. Raphael and Herakles moved quickly to his side.

Riza took out a small knife and cut into her wrist, hissing from the pain.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Herakles blurted, his eyes wide enough to pop out of their orbits.

“Hold your horses,” she said. “Fallon hasn’t fed since Kabbah took over, and our vamps here finished the blood supplies a while back. Unless you want him to go Bloodless, let me feed the fella’.”

Fallon bowed politely. “Thank you. I’m famished.”

“Yeah, yeah, just don’t take too much. I’m not in the mood for lightheadedness,” she replied, raising her wrist to his lips. He drank with remarkable restraint, and I could see the glimmer returning to his fiery eyes. Even his fae glow had returned, the skin shimmering in the twilight.

Phantom cleared her throat. “I think it’s time we address what comes next.”

“What do you mean?” Seeley asked.

“Well, where do you want me to start? The five million fae that died unnaturally? The ghouls we used as weapons against Spirit’s specters? The fact that Death is still locked under 999 seals, weakened by them, and is thus unable to even take Thieron back?” she retorted. “Putting the seals on wasn’t the hard part. Taking them off is.”

My heart jumped at the mention of the fae. At least Phantom was on my side, regarding this. I took it as a good start, because I’d already prepared a speech in favor of resurrecting them all. There was only one challenge to this.

“How can you bring back five million fae, if Death is under the seals?” I asked.

“First and foremost, I need you to do something for me, before I answer that,” Death said. “I need you to