The Promise

The Banshee wept and curled into a ball. “I’m so sorry.”

A

“You’re the Queen of the Afterlife’s sister?” I asked. “So that makes you the —”

“It makes me nothing,” she said. “I choose to be whatever I am. But if you want to know what I reign over, it’s the essences.”

I grew worried that something had gone wrong. “Why are you here?” She eyed me over. “I think what you really want to ask is if she’s okay, if she lived because of your sacrifice?”

“Is she?” I asked. “Is she still alive?”

She pressed her lips together and her gaze was heavy. “Tell me, why did you do it?”

“Because she was my other half,” I said. “And because I love her.”

“Other half?” she considered this with curiosity. “It’s a beautiful concept to me, and maybe that’s why I m doing this. It’s an amazing gift for two humans to bond themselves together as 237

tight as you have.”

“What are you doing?” My eyes darted to the Banshee as she crawled for A

“Please don’t take him from me,” she begged. “I need him.”

“So you can try and take Helena’s place.” She laughed. “That’ll never happen.” Then she whirled her back on me. “Make sure you live your life the way you want. Second chances are precious and don’t come around often.”

Before I could ask her what she meant, I was sucked away into blackness.

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Chapter 48

(Gemma)

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the sky. It was crystal blue, the clearest I’d ever seen it. I could hear rippling water, the song of the wind, the breaths of the birds and animals.

I could hear life.

His hand was still in mine, but his skin was cold. I quickly sat up and leaned over him. “Alex, can you hear me.” He lay motionless and I shook him gently. “Alex, wake up.” But he didn’t stir. I put my hand on his chest. He wasn’t breathing. I sucked back my tears.

“But you weren’t supposed to die.”

And then all at once his eyes opened and it was like every ounce of worry and pain elevated from my body. “Oh my God.” I sighed back, resting my hands against the grass.

He sat up and clutched his head. “What the heck happened?”

“We died,” I said. “But everything’s okay now.”

He arched his eyebrow at me. “You died? But you weren’t supposed to.”

“When I was in the Afterlife.” I shielded my eyes from the sun. “I told Helena I would give her my soul when I died, in exchange for your life.”

He suppressed a smile.

“What’s so fu

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“Nothing, it’s just that I made the same promise with a Banshee.” He lay on the grass, shaking his head and smiling. “God, we really are bonded together. We even made the same self-sacrificing choice.” Then he turned serious. “But why are we here? Alive?” I traced the scar on my palm. “Because our souls are co

He sat up, pressing his hand into mine. “Then why not take us both?”

“Because good does exist apparently.”

“It was the promise,” he said, finally explaining. “When we made the Forever Promise, our souls mix with each other.”

“Did you…” I hesitated. “Did you know that when you did it?” He tangled our fingers, pressing back an amused grin. “I told you, I know everything.” I shook my head, but smiled. And it was easy like air. “Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“Exactly.”

The electricity was gone. Even though it had brought intensity, it had also brought pain. And I was glad to see it go.

We sat, staring at the water, stained with the ashes of the evil that eventually would drift away. The peaceful moment was interrupted when my wrist began to burn. At first I didn’t look, not wanting to move and shattered the calm bubble that had built around us. But the pain became too intense and I tore my eyes from the water and turned my arm over.

Tattooing my wrist was a simple outline of a star. I traced the lines with my fingers, curious what it was. Then Alex put his wrist next to mine and I understood.

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“Is it ours?” I asked.

He pressed his lips together and smiled. “I think it is.”

As the sun slipped away behind the mountains and the stars awoke, he touched his lips to mine. And we stayed that way for as long as we wanted.

No more rush, no more worry. We had all the time in the world.

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Chapter 49

(Gemma)

“ She was a mean little thing,” I pulled a face. “And I didn’t expect her to be so… so…”

“Short?” Laylen finished for me and then laughed. “What did you think? That faeries had to be tall or something?” He nudged my shoulder.

I stuck out my tongue. “No, but I expected the Empress of the Faerie realm to be tall.” I ducked underneath a branch as we made our way back. “And what were those little creatures? One of them tried to bite me.”

“Those were sprites.” Aislin shoved through a screen of vines. “They’re mean!”

“Did you know you’ll turn into one if they bite you,” he said and I couldn’t tell if he was joking.

“I still can’t believe Aleesa didn’t want to come back.” I hopped over a tree trunk that extended across the path.

“I’m not,” Laylen said. “She was always a little off. She’ll fit right in.” I heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps and glanced back just in time to see a sprite, with its wings out, ru

“Wow, she’s mean,” Aislin kidded.

“Well, I don’t want to turn into one of them,” I said.

Laylen laughed, shaking his head. “You do realize I was kidding about that.” 242

I pulled a face and sped up, leaving the two of them behind, anxious to get back to the castle.

As I broke through the faerie realm and stepped out onto the land that fronted the Keeper’s castle, my heart leapt with excitement.