I never intended to have long running sim stories on this blog, but I seemed to have stumbled into one anyway. 😂 So here’s an attempt to organize my chaos for mobile use.
"Lukas! It's great to see you back! How was your trip?"
Lukas surfaced from their current obsession with Lunen to notice that their siblings, Katie Lee, and Leander had appeared in Reese's house, presumably to meet their new niece.
"It wasn't a trip, Leander," they replied huffily. "It was a dangerous and deeply personal mission, which culminated in a surprise baby. I stabilized an entire realm, not vacationed on your party boat."
Katie Lee hugged their sibling, while Leander made faces behind Lukas' back. No matter what happened or how old they got, the Lane siblings loved each other. They also drove each other up the wall, but that wasn't important right now. The entire afterlife was buzzing about the birth of a new deity, and Leander and Katie Lee were on a very short list of allowed visitors.
"I'm so happy for you," Katie Lee said, crushing her sibling with a tight hug. "I know how much you two have wanted this. You deserve every moment of happiness this little one brings you."
"It's so unbelievable, I could barely comprehend what Gee was trying to tell me. I mean, Death being pregnant? I'm just so happy that Izanami wasn't dying somehow with how sick he was. I guess the Ocean likes surprises."
"Have you picked a name yet?" Leander asked. "Don't tell me that you're copying Dad and giving her the Lee middle name. Leander Lee and Katie Lee, and Uncle Cade Lee is too many. I don't know what our parents were thinking."
"Your father has a close relationship with Uncle Cade," Luke answered, shimmering into existence in the living room, holding a present in his arms. "Cade is somehow the only one of his siblings who can tolerate Linus, and you know your father. He gave birth to Katie Lee, so I didn't get to override that name. Just be thankful I negotiated it away from being spelled Cady."
All three siblings groaned at the reminder of their absent father. As much as it hurt to be reminded of the parent who had abandoned them to fall entirely off the grid of the afterlife, things were honestly better without Linus. The cruel things he'd said to Lukas before his departure would haunt his child for the rest of their existence.
"You're not going with Riley, are you?" Luke asked nervously. "I mean, I know she was your sister, and this baby is a girl, but there's just too much baggage there. Your daughter needs her own identity, instead of honouring an aunt that she'll never get to meet. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, I-"
"No, Dad, I completely agree," Lukas interrupted. "Plus, she was already given a name. The Ocean named her Lunen. There was something else about the moon and the ocean tides, but I couldn't focus on any of that. I was too afraid that if I asked anymore questions, he'd take her away from me. So she's Lunen Lane. I guess we can come up with a middle name of our own, but we've had no time to prepare."
"I like Lunen," Luke said, absolutely beaming to see his child so happy. "It's very pretty, as long as she's never Lunen Lee Lane."
The siblings chuckled together, and Luke presented his gift before the usual chaos of both the Lane and Evans families resulted in its destruction. Reese was an excellent half-brother to Lukas, but they both came from Linus, and that was usually a recipe for disaster.
"Here, this isn't much, but Alex insisted that Lunen have something for the time she spends here in the afterlife, and it's nearly impossible to shop for two deities and their deity baby. It's some pajamas and some storybooks that Alex thought she'd like. I wanted some books on ancient history and her proud grandfather's exploits, but Alex chose three books about ducks instead. His books are probably better anyway. Be warned, your stepmom is already planning on gifting you enough books to stock a library. She and Alex have been scheming since we heard that Izanami was pregnant."
"Thanks, Dad. This means a lot, and I'll look forward to whatever Destiny and Alex have planned. This kid is going to learn to read before she can crawl with those two in her life. I'm really glad that you're here to celebrate Lunen's birth with me. The twins and Arterius all love you and their aunt and uncle, even if they need special permission from the Grim Reaper to visit here."
Leander and Katie Lee nodded, despite not stopping by for the last Gee approved visit for the kids or the one before that. Watching their own mortal kids play together made Lukas wish that they had a closer relationship with their siblings. There had always been a steep age gap between them and Riley and Leander, and they had been in a coma for most of Katie Lee's existence, so of course they weren't close, but the fantasy of a close knit family was a tempting one. They were a little closer in age to Reese, but they had still met Reese when he was an adult and their relationship was more along the lines of best friends who shared a hated father, than siblings.
Lunen wouldn't have that life. Lukas would make sure of it. Her siblings were all older than her, especially now that the twins would be attending university soon, but they and Izanami would make their family stronger than the other Lanes had.
"Did you want to see her?" Lukas asked, pulling their daughter out of the crib Gee had found. "She's still a little sleepy, but I want to see how she is after a nap. Izanami and I are worried about her ability to manage some of the powers she has inherited."
"Of course!"
Lukas waved at his granddaughter, laughing as her eyes followed his movements.
"Oh, she's beautiful, Lukas. I can tell that she's got your spirit."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Lukas replied. "She's got both Life and Death’s powers, and if she doesn't know how to use them properly is just one potential disaster. The other disaster would be if she does know how to use them and she's got my temper. Izanami and I balance each other out, but as much as I try to take from his realm, I can't be Death and he can't be Life. Lunen is both."
"Speaking of, it looks like she heard you."
Lukas looked down to see their daughter's face glowing with strange markings. A crescent moon appeared on her forehead, glowing ominously. Lukas could feel energy coming from their daughter, but they couldn't quite sense what she was doing with that energy.
"Shush, shush," Luke said softly, assuming a magical stance that looked effortless, which Lukas knew from experience that it wasn't. While their stepmother knew theological theory down to the tiniest detail, Luke had centuries of practical experience. He was half of Lukas' genetics, strong enough to father a deity. "Everything's okay, your grandfather used to do the exact same thing when we were younger. He was fussy too."
"Linus? When was Linus fussy?" Lukas asked with confusion. "Are you sure that-"
Luke continued to wave his hands around the infant, channeling away some of the energy Lunen was emitting away from her. When he withdrew his hands, Lunen let out a loud burp and then happily settled back into her parent's arms, the ominous crescent moon on her forehead fading from sight.
Izanami froze in place, shocked at what he was seeing. He'd been expecting him and Lukas to need to diffuse a magical bomb when Lunen was upset, but apparently, her grandfather was up to the task.
"How did you do that?" Lukas wondered, staring at their father like he held the secrets of the universe within him. "The twins never did that when they were babies."
Luke shrugged and tickled his granddaughter's foot.
"Like I said, Linus used to have the worst gas when we were alive. What she was doing was the spell he used to use to make himself burp. I recognized it immediately, especially since she executed it perfectly. The hand gestures obviously weren't right, but she managed to compensate for it."
"How did she learn a spell when she isn't even a full day old?" Lukas asked, staring at the infant in their arms with confusion.
"You knew some spells when you were first created, though you were an adult," Izanami pointed out. "I had to teach you some of the most basic spells, but you instinctively knew others. Maybe she was born knowing some magic."
"Or she doesn't need to know a spell to cast it," Luke suggested. "Maybe she needed to burp, and the magic just came to her in the moment. Maybe she can use magic without using spells directly."
Izanami took their daughter from Lukas, and inspected her for any sign of injury. She looked perfectly fine, with no obvious sign of just having used magic.
"What other magic do you know?" he murmured softly to his daughter. "Hopefully none of the fire spells your parent loves to use. If the two of you team up, then the whole world is doomed."
A loud knocking at the front door jolted everyone from their musings about Lunen.
"Reese! There's someone at your door!" Lukas called out. They looked at Lunen, afraid that she might be frightened by the noise, but the infant remained calm in her father's arms. "She might just be the calmest baby I've ever seen. Nothing seems to bother her."
"That's probably for the best with the power she has," Izanami replied. "The last thing we need is a temper tantrum that destroys cities."
"Lukas, the door's for you," Reese called. "These two women claim to need to talk to you."
Before Lukas could respond, two women appeared in Reese's living room, looking nervous. Immediately, Lukas regretted not being at home where their privacy settings were more strict than Reese's. No one could just drop in on Life and Death unannounced.
"Your Majesty, Lord of the Living Realm," one of them said. "My name is Cherry Siew, former queen of Twikkii Island, and this my granddaughter, Alysiara. I've come to speak with you about my ex-husband, Coby Wall."
Lukas didn't mind the title this queen had given them, but they were baffled about why she was asking them about Coby Wall. The dream demon had been the main target with his debilitating plague; Coby was just the meddling accomplice in the grand scheme of things.
"The assassin?" Lukas asked. "What about him? The plague is over. There was an announcement made a few hours ago throughout the afterlife. There's nothing to worry about, and even if there were, it's not my job to talk to you about it. You need to find a reaper, not me."
"That's just it," Cherry insisted. "It's not over. The demon sickness might be, but my ex-husband is still out there, carrying on his part of that scheme. He's going to kill more people, whether he has access to a plague or not. He's going to kill my daughter and more of my grandchildren! The assassin of Pleasantview will continue killing until whatever vendetta he has is satisfied."
"The Ocean is still in Jubilant Accosts," Alysiara added. "I overheard two reapers say so. What is he still doing there if everything is fine now?"
"Sorry, but it's not against the laws of the universe to be a serial killer. Life can't interfere in matters like that, even if I wanted to."
"The Coby matter was escalated to Gee," Luke said. He'd ventured away to read while Lukas entertained their guest, but he was interested in the topic at hand. "There was one of Lukas' creations dealing with it along with another former queen. They all had an impromptu meeting in my house with Destiny and Alex. Apparently, the queen suspected that there was something supernatural Coby was manipulating, which made it appropriate for Gee to investigate."
Lukas paused to think about what circumstances a living assassin could cause for Gee to take an interest.
"Supernatural?" they repeated. "The vampire and werewolf populations are too low to be a danger, and the witches seem to have learned to avoid magic that would condemn them to Charlotte Maricourt's fate. Besides, I'm assuming that the plague has kept them in line for the most part while I was gone. I wasn't sent anything about witches endangering the general public, at least."
"Coby said something to me when I died that I didn't understand," Alysiara said. "Grandma doesn't know either, but you're a god, so maybe it will mean something to you. He told me that the magic of the fae couldn't protect me from him, at least not anymore."
"Fairies? I haven't seen a fairy in centuries," Lukas remarked. "I thought they were extinct. Izanami? Have you seen any recently?"
"There's not many left, if I remember correctly. A lot of them died out in one of the wars between Crystal Cove and Pleasantview. Their homes were destroyed when Pleasantview torched a forest. I was retired at the time, but I've been forced to catch up on my reading these past few months, and that file was in Gee's archives. As a species, fairies are endangered, not extinct, and the few remaining I'm sure have no love for Pleasantview. If the rogue assassin has a grudge against an endangered, supernatural species, that may qualify as a case that both you and Gee need to investigate."
Lukas frowned at the idea of launching another investigation when they had barely been home for day and had a newborn to care for.
"Well, Gee has the time for that, now that Xexys is dealt with. I have the responsibility to care for Lunen and teach her how to handle her abilities. Izanami and I are about to have our hands full, and Gee is more than capable of investigating into any problems involving an endangered species. Besides, some species go extinct; it's the way the universe works. We don't even know if Coby is connected to the fairies or if he is, what that connection might be."
"I don't know what fairies would have to do with our family," Cherry said. "Our royal lineage is well documented, and to my knowledge, there's no fairy blood in the Siew family. I don't know why Coby would mention them at all. Respectfully, from what I've learned about my ex-husband, he cares deeply about Pleasantview and its monarchs, not fairies. If there is truth to what he said to Alysiara, there has to be more to it than just hating a creature few of us have even seen."
"Dad, did you want to get Alex to follow up with Gee?" Lukas asked hopefully. "Clearly, Coby Wall is upsetting the residents of the afterlife and is possibly involved with an endangered supernatural species. Those all sound like threats that he can handle. My first priority is Lunen. If the Ocean is still being sighted, that means that he's probably not done in Jubilant Accosts, and Lunen was part of his plan, so he may not be done with her either. Maybe we'll have to go back to Jubilant Accosts eventually, but I'm not leaving my daughter to hunt for an assassin who might be plotting something on a scale I'm responsible for."
"I'll ask Alex, but it sounds like you may need to talk with Gee directly," Luke replied. "He can send reports and research, but you're the one who has the resources to investigate outside of the afterlife. If you can't investigate yourself, you might need to send one of your representatives who have been helping you recently. I can help babysit Lunen when you need, but I think that for the most part, investigating Coby Wall is out of Alex's abilities."
"Fine," Lukas conceded with a groan. "I'll talk to Gee about this suspicion and see if it matches up to what he's found on this other Coby matter. If he needs to borrow one of my staff, he can ask Vrai or Leo to help. If he's going to sleep with my champion, then he can at least make Vrai do his damn job. If that's all, I'll ask anyone who died within the last twenty years to please vacate my brother's house immediately. This family gathering is a private event."
Linus Reeves watched two women teleport from the driveway of his son's house. He didn't recognize either of them, and he knew most of Reese's children's faces, so the women had to be unrelated to his immediate family. Were they here to worship the new deity the entire afterlife was whispering about? The impossible creature brought into existence by "his" impossible child? Lukas' power was escalating, and no one but Linus seemed to care.
That deity wasn't his child. Not truly. They wore the face of his child, but underneath that mask, unimaginable darkness lay in wait for Linus to lower his guard. Maybe that first lost pregnancy, which the Ocean had used to create Lukas, was truly his child, or maybe it wasn't. The Ocean could have used those genetics and slipped the soul of a monster in that first incarnation. Maybe the first incarnation had truly been his son, and the second incarnation had been where the Ocean had swapped Lukas' soul for something else's. There was no question in Linus' mind that nothing of his son survived into Lukas' third incarnation. Whatever wore a face similar to Lukas' and walked around, claiming to be him, was a fraud. Though Linus could never pin down when his son had been swapped with a monster, it didn't matter. He knew the truth now. If Lukas had ever truly been his child before, he definitely wasn't now. Luke and Destiny were fooling themselves, playing along with the deity's plans. Linus knew Luke better than any other soul, dead or alive, and he couldn't figure out why Luke let the creature wearing their son's face into his afterlife.
Now that creature had a child with Death, one with unspeakable powers. Linus couldn't hope to survive even a second against this "grandchild" of his, but he felt compelled to watch her regardless. He couldn't even hope to go against the Lukas creature without Luke's help. Alone, they were competent warriors, but together, they had always been invincible, and the Ocean had used that power to make Lukas. Linus needed Luke's help to even try to fight Lukas, but that was never going to happen. Luke had banished him from his sight once Linus had figured out the truth about their "son". The other children had followed Luke's example immediately afterward. Linus was the only one to see what was really happening here; Luke and Destiny would come crawling back whenever "Lukas" slipped up and revealed his true self.
Adam and Theo carefully crept downstairs the next morning, careful not to wake anyone else. Theo's parents' door was closed, so they could probably sneak some breakfast before Adam had to return to Pleasantview without Abe or Roman noticing.
Unfortunately for them, there was another reason why the bedroom door was closed: Theo's parents were both in the kitchen chatting casually as they made breakfast.
"Dads? What the hell? Why are you up so early?"
Abe smiled in response.
"It's not that early. Besides, your father and I wanted to make sure that you and Adam had something nutritious to start off your day. We've missed you, and of course, that means that your father is set on feeding you properly to make up for all the meals you missed."
"I'm so sorry, I can leave. I didn't think that you'd be awake and this is awkward. I should have-"
"No need to be sorry," Roman replied, interrupting Adam's anxious apology. "Things are different now. You two have grown and changed, and we need to discuss how our family rules will change because of that. We can talk about it over breakfast. I'm making pancakes, I know how much you both like them. "
"Well, the rules should be easy to make," Theo said smoothly. "You see, Adam and I are married. Queen Helle married us a few weeks ago, so it's legal and everything. We don't need rules because we're married just like you are."
Adam's expression turned to panic while Theo stared at his parents, daring them to get angry about this information.
"It was a quiet ceremony, with just Despina and Abercius to witness," Theo continued when Roman or Abe didn't immediately react with horror. "So, we don't need rules anymore."
Adam turned pale listening to Theo lie. The Bellamys didn't seem to mind his presence there by some miracle, and Theo was going to ruin it with his pettiness.
"Theo! What the hell?" he hissed angrily. "What are you doing?"
To Theo's surprise, neither of his parents seemed even the slightest bit angry at this announcement. His father hadn't collapsed on the floor of the thought of his sixteen year old son being married, which baffled Theo. His parents usually threw a fit about anything related to Adam, and here they were, completely unfazed by Adam's sleepover and the fake marriage announcement.
"You're a little young to be married, but you've experienced plenty of things that we haven't, and I could see how marriage would seem like a good option in some situations," Roman noted brightly. "We'll have to have a celebration and reception for you two, so all the family can congratulate you. I'll call Ewan Maricourt later this week when things aren't so crazy."
Theo stared at his father, utterly baffled that he wasn't getting the reaction he'd expected. Roman Bellamy had always been predictable, but something had clearly changed.
"A reception?" Theo repeated. "You're fine with us being married when I just turned sixteen? You're not going to assume I'm pregnant?"
"It's out of our control," Abe replied, as casually as if he were discussing the weather. "You two made your own decision like the mature young men you're growing up to be. We've given you the information you need to make healthy choices, but it's up to you to make those choices."
"Please don't call my dad," Adam begged, glaring at Theo. "We're not married, Theo's just being an asshole, uh, I mean a jerk." All of the confidence and independence Adam had learned in Jubilant Accosts melted away when an adult threatened to call his parents.
"You don't say?" Abe laughed, shooting an amused glance at his husband. "Theo, is this true?"
"It was a joke," Theo grumbled, unamused by Adam's treachery. "You obviously didn't get it."
"Pancakes are done!" Roman announced cheerfully. He ignored the sulking teenager and began setting the table. "Everyone grab a plate. Take as much as you want, I'll make a new batch for the girls when they wake up. Ever since the twins became teenagers, neither one of them gets out of bed before 10am."
"So, Adam, how is your family?" Roman asked. He sat across from the teen and inspected him with a parent's gaze. Adam looked older and skinnier than Roman remembered, but then again, so did Theo. The kid didn't seem riddled with anxiety anymore, aside from the threat to call his father. He held himself differently now, like he knew more about the world and his place in it. And he loved Roman's son, that much was obvious.
"His dad and sister just woke up and his mom is being driven crazy by a curse," Theo replied quickly. "How do you think they are?"
Adam nodded, while shoveling food in his mouth. It had been ages since he'd had Roman's pancakes or a meal that took more than five minutes to make. The coven had ordered food while everyone got on the same page the night before, but Adam had been too unsettled to eat. Despite sharing a table with Theo's parents, fully aware that at least Roman usually hated him, this was the best breakfast Adam had had in a long time.
Roman and Abe tried not to stare at the teenager gulping down food. They both shared their horror through their demonic bond. Theo usually put on a show to hide his feelings, just as he had with his marriage "joke", but Adam had no defense at all. He ate like he was half starved, not even caring about the Bellamys' opinion. Evren had already told them about Edana, and Ewan Maricourt had been hard to reach even before succumbing to the plague. Adam had already been made a ward of Pleasantview, despite having a stepfather living in Twikkii Island. The boy had been through so much lately, and Abe could feel Roman's protective instincts start to wrap around Adam.
"I know a little something about traumatic relationships with mothers and distant fathers, Theodosius," Roman said sharply. "I was asking honestly, and I'd like an honest reply from a mature young man like yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bellamy," Adam said between bites of pancake. "My twin sister is doing well, and my dad is healthy. He's been in meetings since waking up, but I'm sure that he'll have some time to talk with me later. My mother is very sick, but I'm told that she's getting the best care avaliable."
"I hope she gets better quickly," Roman replied honestly. "Are you going to be living at the Academy with your father and sister?"
"Yes, mostly. My stepdad wants to see Remy and I more, especially since Bronwen and Elowen will be attending university next semester. The house will be quieter, especially without my mom, so I think we need him just as much as he needs us. He couldn't care for me before we left for Jubilant Accosts because he was trying to care for my mother, but I guess she's been pretty settled. She's not any better, but she has a routine now at least."
"Adam and I have spent months together, sharing sleeping quarters and dangerous missions," Theo announced, eager to move the conversation to the rule changes his father had mentioned earlier. "I would find it helpful to heal from the stress of my mission to have Adam here with me, whenever I want. That's how it's been in Jubilant Accosts, and I need him with me going forward."
Adam's face flushed hearing Theo make such a declaration, though he tried to keep his expression neutral in case Theo's parents decided that he wasn't looking serious enough for a discussion like this.
Abe and Roman traded glances at their son's boldness. Despite her never claiming any resemblance to Theo, there were times where Abe swore that his son acted just like his own mother. Though Elaine would have likely brushed past all other subjects, and just started the conversation where she wanted it.
"Theo, we understand your position," Abe began. "You were asked to do a very important, very dangerous thing, and we're very proud of you. I know it must have been hard, and that Adam and your other friends helped to support you when we couldn't. You're also getting older and taking on more responsibility. When we were your age, your father and I lived together because we had you, and also out of necessity because of your father's family. Your grandmother took both of us in and we're so grateful that she did."
"You may not have a child binding you together, but Theo did mention another way that you two are connected, one that likely means that it's only a matter of time before Adam officially joins our family. With that in mind, and your recent challenges, your father and I have agreed to let Adam stay the night when needed." Roman cleared his throat to retain Theo's attention after such an announcement. "Now, don't get too excited. It will not be every night, and Adam will be sleeping on your couch, not in your bed. Your door will also stay open at all times. There will not be any sex or this arrangement will end immediately. You have younger siblings who will be watching the example you set, and none of their romantic partners will be invited to stay over. This is only because of what you have experienced, and because of the high chance of Adam becoming a Bellamy one day. Do you understand our conditions?"
Both teens nodded quickly, looking at each other to make sure they weren't hallucinating this conversation.
"I understand, Mr. Bellamy," Adam said. "Thank you. I promise to be respectful of your rules."
Theo desperately wanted to be annoying and declare that Adam didn't have to become a Bellamy if Theo chose to be a Darktide, but he bit his tongue. His parents were having an important conversation with him, and breaking all of their rules to let him spend more time with Adam. They were acknowledging his growth and maturity, so Theo had to live up to their expectations. Besides, he'd already tried to get a reaction from his parents once that day, and they hadn't even raised their voices. Clearly his parents really had changed in his absence.
"Thank you," Theo said. Beside him, Adam reached for another pancake. "I'll try not to rub it in when Luci starts dating someone serious."
"How generous of you," Roman replied. It was hard to stay authoritative when it felt like he was staring across the table at his younger self. Adam still had a family though, as fractured as it was. "On that note, this is only for our house. You'll have to abide by Evren and Adrian's rules at their house. I'll have to have a conversation with Adam's father about your accommodations at school."
"But with those rules established, we would love to hear more about your time away," Abe said. "What happened? How did you two get back together?"
Adam and Theo shared a nervous look. If they were completely honest, their story would probably get their new sleepover privileges revoked.
"We talked about our relationship eventually," Theo said carefully. "I kept having dreams about Adam, which Despina kept seeing, so we talked about it."
Neither of Theo's parents believed that this was the whole story, but they were patient. Given enough time, it was inevitable that Theo would blurt the whole story out somehow.
"You mentioned dueling Adam earlier," Abe pointed out. "Why were you two dueling?"
Theo exchanged another nervous look at his boyfriend, which didn't go unnoticed by his parents.
"It's a warlock thing," Theo said quickly. "It's hard to explain."
"Theo needed to be reminded that the world doesn't revolve around him and that I'm his equal." Adam answered.
Now, this Roman and Abe could believe.
"It turns out that I really like dueling," Theo said. "I did some dueling at Shadowvale before, but Adam knows me really well, and he was actually challenging to fight. Once I'm old enough, I want to join the dueling club at school."
"How did you make the spell to wake up the victims of the plague?" Abe asked. "I'm sure that Evren will want to discuss it with you in greater detail, but even your father and I might understand the basics."
Theo's face flushed, while Adam nearly choked on his pancake.
"I needed to use the magic of an undead creature like a reaper or a vampire, since the plague is ended by death. My demonic magic sometimes skews towards Life's magic, so adding it to undead magic ends the plague without killing people. Once we figured out what kind of magic needed to be combined, it was easy. The realms of Life and Death are a lot more relevant in that realm with all the sacrifices and everything."
Adam nodded, but chose to continue eating his breakfast instead of answering.
"And your magic is still stable? You didn't have one of your incidents, did you?"
Theo rolled his eyes at the question.
"Yes, I'm fine. Better than fine. I can use blood magic without even trying now. You don't need to keep worrying about me."
"You really don't," Adam agreed. "Theo isn't in danger anymore. He's the strongest warlock in our school and he can manage his powers without hurting himself. I've seen him do incredible things without any of the signs that he's about to have an incident."
"I'm glad to hear it," Roman replied. "It just seems too good to be true sometimes. We've worried about your incidents for so long, and now they're gone. Did you learn any new magic? Everyone keeps talking about this dream magic."
"Only Adam and Despina can do that," Theo explained. "It's pretty rare, but it runs in their family. I can't use it, but I know how to interact with the magic surrounding it. I could end the plague by influencing the magic around the dream magic in the spell, while Adam could make new spells or influence the plague directly."
"So you two worked together on this spell. That must have been difficult magic to work with."
"Adam's not undead," Theo pointed out. "I had to work with a vampire, since the new reapers were only kind of reapers and they didn't even know how to use the powers they had."
"Reapers?" Abe repeated. "Did you get to see them up close? Jorah keeps bragging about having several reapers over for a barbecue, but your father is convinced that he's lying to get attention."
"Not lying for attention," Roman corrected. "Lying to prove how dangerous and supernatural the Durants are on the world stage. Everyone knows that the Bellamys are more powerful, and have more supernatural ties. My daughter is a princess because the spirits told her how to save the queen of Twikkii Island. My aunt is the head of the coven here, and my son is the best magical apprentice in all of Pleasantview."
"Roman, just let him have his fun," Abe laughed. "It's not a competition."
"We come from a Great Demon, Abe," Roman insisted, making Theo laugh despite himself.
"Yeah, Dad, everyone knows that the Bellamys are the best family in Arkhelios, and it's not even close," Theo replied, trading smirks with Roman across the table. "The Durants are only famous because Aunt Ulyssa married into royalty; Jorah's boring."
Abe looked helplessly at Adam.
"You see them ganging up on me? Theo's not even been back for a day and already they're rambling about the superiority of the Ballamys. It's nice to have another non Bellamy here to team up with."
Adam smiled, excited to be included in the family teasing. Obviously, it would take some time to adjust to this new dynamic, but Adam was just happy to be included instead of shouted at for being too close to Theo. His life had been crazy for so long, but things were finally beginning to settle.
Theo and Roman were talking so loudly over Abe that Adam couldn't even understand what they were saying. Right now, there was no where else on Earth that Adam would rather be.
My favourite costume from Lady Bridgerton’s Masquerade Ball Fashion Kit, the Fairy Queen. Modelled by a queen and a future queen, the accessories are made up of a tiara, a mask, and a diamond necklace.
"He's coming home! Abe! Theo's alive and he's coming home! Adrian just texted!"
Abe launched himself into his husband's arms at the news.
"See? He came back to us! I knew he would! Is he okay? Is the threat over?"
Roman frowned at the question.
"Adrian didn't mention if he was hurt. He would have warned us if there was something to worry about. Oh! Theo's going to be starving when he gets here. God knows what he's been eating all this time. I should make something before he arrives."
"Ro, let him come home first," Abe advised. "He needs to settle back in before you make a five course meal this late at night."
"Theo's back?"
Rien, Luciana, and Saturnia had all appeared from their rooms at the sound of their parents' cheering.
"He'll be here any minute. Everyone calm down. We don't want to overwhelm him," Roman ordered. "Your brother has been through a lot and we don't know much about his time away. Rien, have the spirits told you anything about your brother? Is he okay? Is he hungry?"
Rien closed her eyes and tried to listen to the spirits' answer. They were unusually quiet, though they didn't often chatter at night when the princess was trying to sleep.
"There's something unusual about the barrier between our realm and Jubilant Accosts," she reported. "It's incredibly weak at the moment, and they can't sense Xexys, though that could be for a bunch of reasons. Theo's fine; he's with the Darktides. Adam's family is awake now because Theo and Adam did a spell to wake them. He actually found a cure! Theo did it!"
Rien purposefully left out the whispers regarding her brother's love life. Now wasn't the time to announce that Theo had apparently reconciled with Adam or had a fling with a vampire. The spirits seemed to enjoy this update, but her father probably wouldn't.
"Hey, I'm home!" Theo arrived in an instant, magical sparks lighting up around him. "Did you miss me?"
Roman had wrapped his son in a frantic embrace before the magic sparks had time to fade.
"Theodosius! You're here! You're alive!"
"Dad, you're crushing me," Theo complained. Roman ignored his son, still unsure if this reunion was really happening or if it was all just a wonderful dream.
"Let me have a turn hugging him," Abe said, lightly prying Roman away from their son. "Why don't you make some hot chocolate for Theo? I'm sure he'd like a cup after being away for so long."
"You're right. I'll start something right now. Theo, you look half starved, you need to eat something."
"Your father has been inconsolable since you left, so let him make you something to eat," Abe advised, hugging his son just as desperately as Roman. "It looks like you've lost weight. Did they feed you there? When did you get back?"
"An hour ago maybe? I cast the spell, and then I've been checking in with Master Maricourt and Adrian and Evren. The coven has a lot to discuss now that the plague is ended and Xexys is gone. I came home as soon as I could though. I missed you guys."
"We missed you too," Abe assured him. "Girls, hug your brother and go back to bed. I don't want to overwhelm Theo, and your father and I have some questions that might not be appropriate for younger ears. We'll all have plenty of time to catch up with Theo in the morning."
The girls all grumbled, but obeyed. It wasn't like they were going to stay in bed anyway. Once everyone was in the kitchen, the stairs were a perfect place to eavesdrop.
Rien hugged her brother with a huge grin.
"The spirits want me to tell you congratulations on completing your task; they're the closest to proud of you as you're ever going to get. Oh, and congratulations about Adam too. They seem pretty happy about you two being back together."
Theo groaned at the reminder of his supernatural stalkers. The one benefit from being in Jubilant Accosts was having those spirits out of his head.
"Thanks, Rien. Tell them that I'm not interested in hearing from them ever again. Never, got it?"
Rien only smiled in reply.
"Late night dessert is ready!" Roman called. "Come and eat something, Theo, before you get some sleep. We want to hear all about your time away."
Theo sat at the table, poking at his food. It smelled delicious, and probably tasted amazing, but Theo wasn't really hungry. He'd spent days eating almost nothing, and days eating until he was stuffed while in Jubilant Accosts. He still felt out of place at home, when his time was usually split between the Yacothian castle and the creepy house Despina's parents had lived in. He was used to looking over his shoulder for danger and spending all night listening to the two Darktides snore. This may be his home, but Theo had changed and nothing felt like it used to.
"So where did you stay? Was there a military compound? Were you safe?"
Theo stared at his fork, unsure of what to say.
"Well, there wasn't really any military," he replied. "It all started with me and Adam, and then Despina and Abercius joined us. We stayed in a bunch of places, but it was only us four. Brion came eventually, and his and Abercius' parents died and became reapers. They mostly stayed at the castle with Helle and Abercius though. There was a lot of family drama, so we tried to give them some space. It was a lot."
"There wasn't any adult supervision or structured meals?" Roman asked in horror. "The coven said-"
"The coven gave us a contact to get us started," Theo interrupted quickly. "We had the basics, and some of the houses and stores were abandoned, so we took their food too. I stored things and cooked in batches, just like you taught me, Dad. It worked out. Adam even made me a birthday cake with that we had."
Roman's heart swelled with pride. Theo had listened to one of his many lessons about cooking within a budget and making food last longer. His son had learned something that Roman desperately wanted to pass on to his children.
"I'm glad that Adam was able to make you something for your birthday when I couldn't," Roman said. He wasn't even lying about his gratitude for Adam. That boy had brought Theo home and tried to cheer him up on his birthday. Roman was too happy to care about the past.
"Are you hurt?" Abe asked worriedly. "Did you have to fight in any battles? I noticed they gave you a sword. Did you have to use it?"
Theo shook his head, much to Abe's relief.
"We mostly used magic, especially dream magic. Despina was amazing. She saw visions of the past and into our dreams in order to understand how Xexys operated. I saw Life a lot too. They have a soulmate, just like Helle and Abercius. I...I don't really know what that means, but I apparently have one too."
Roman and Abe exchanged worried looks.
"Oh? Do you know who it is?" Abe asked. Theo just continued to stare at his fork. "From what I understand, that term can be very vague and mean lots of things. I wouldn't worry about it. Your father and I were born to be incompatible with each other because of the curse, and we're just fine having defied that destiny. I'm sure whatever this soulmate business is, you're going to be just fine if you end up with someone else."
"I know," Theo said quietly. "It's just a lot to think about, and everything here feels so different than when I left. I'm used to being with Adam, Despina and Abercius, going between our bases and trying to figure out complicated magic. Just sitting here, eating something complicated to make, in a warm and safe environment...it feels...."
"It must feel very different to be back home," Abe acknowledged. "We're here for you, Theo. Whatever you need. Anything. We're all just so happy to have you home with us."
"I...I kind of want to just go to bed, if that's okay," Theo replied. "It's been a lot today, and I just want to clear my head a little. Maybe we could talk tomorrow?"
Theo was relieved when his parents nodded, despite their worry. He was glad to see them again, but he was emotionally and physically wiped from everything that had happened in the last few hours. He had been in an entirely different realm, then reunited with Sebastian and Adam's family, and then his own. He'd gone from sleeping in the same room as Adam to not having any of his usual companions with him. It felt strange to not hear Despina in the next room, rambling about magic or see Abercius ranting about his father. Adam's absence was the worst. Part of Theo felt pained at the separation between them, even if they both needed to spend time with their own families. Adam hadn't seen his family in months, and feared that they might be dead. Theo couldn't ask him to leave them to keep him company, and besides, if Adam showed up in Arkhelios, Theo's parents were probably going to freak out about it.
"Sure, buddy," Roman assured his son. "We have tons of time to catch up and you must be exhausted. I'll put your food in the fridge, and I'll meet you upstairs."
"It feels smaller than it used to." Theo surveyed his kingdom like it belonged to someone else. All of his stuff was the same as when he'd left it, but the space felt cramped.
"It's exactly the same as when you left," Abe said. "I caught your sisters playing your guitar a few times, but everything else should be the same."
"Do you need us to stay with you?" Roman asked. "We could sit on your couch until you fall asleep, just like when you were little."
"No, but thanks anyway. I think I just need some time alone to process things." Theo hugged his father, grateful for the reminder that his parents cared for him, no matter how long he'd been away. Seeing parenting like the Pryor's or Adam's mother's made him glad for his own parents.
"Okay, but if you need anything, we're just in our room. Come get us, even if it's for something small." Roman looked reluctant to leave Theo, but he recognized the thousand yard stare in his son's eyes. As much as Roman wanted to hug all of Theo's problems away, there was only so much that a father could do. Theo needed rest and space, and Roman had to be okay with that. At least Theo was back at home and in his bedroom again.
Theo sat on his bedroom floor, looking at everything like he'd never seen any of it before. Very little had changed from when he left, which was surprising considering how often Saturnia liked to sneak into his room while he was away at school. He was the only child with their own TV in their room, and Saturnia was jealous that she couldn't watch her favourite shows without Abe Jr bothering her in the living room.
Theo picked up his old fire truck toy, steering it around on the floor like he used to. This was his absolute favourite toy as a child, and even now, it lived under his bed, reminding him of his dreams of becoming a firefighter. He couldn't bear to throw it away or let Abe Jr destroy it. His brother played with toys way too hard, and Theo had watched too many of his old toys break under his brother's care. Theo's fire truck was off limits.
"I think you'd make a cute fire fighter."
Theo jumped at the sound of Adam's voice, looking behind him to see his boyfriend landing gracefully on the floor.
"Adam? What are you doing here? I thought that you'd be with your family. Is everything okay?" Theo noted that Adam had chosen to teleport just like Theo often did, using a portal through the Void, rather than magic. Adam was showing off, using the demonic genes he'd inherited from their accident to impress the blood demon hybrid. This plan had worked.
"My dad is in back to back meetings since waking up," Adam explained. He took a seat next to Theo as Theo fidgeted with his fire truck. "Alicia Maricourt Toyonaga had to brief him on what he missed, and someone had to tell him about my mom. Obviously, my stepfather is the one who is making medical decisions, but as coven head and Remy and my's father, he needed to be updated too."
Theo placed the fire truck beside him, giving his boyfriend his full attention.
"What did they say? What's happening with your mom?"
Adam sighed deeply.
"She's not any better. They told my dad what happened after he succumbed to the plague, about what she said to me and she's still not any better. Theo, she's actually gotten worse. She doesn't know who I am anymore. She doesn't know who any of us are. According to the coven medical center, she doesn't remember being married to my dad at all. All she can remember is hooking up with my stepdad, and her coven falling. At least she can accept Ewan, even if he looks twenty years older than she remembers."
"It has to be a curse," Theo gasped. "One tied to her old coven, if her memory only goes back that far. She was fighting with your uncle that night, so something related to him must have triggered it."
Adam lowered his head so that Theo couldn't see the tears forming in his eyes.
"It's absolutely killing Elowen. Remy was sick, I was gone, and our mother can't remember any of us. Elowen says she's fine, but you can see it written all over her face."
"It must have been a relief for her to see you two back in her life," Theo said gently. "There are professionals who can break curses, I'm sure that the coven can find one who can-"
"Mom was kicked out of the coven," Adam interrupted. "For what she did to me, and probably a million other reasons built up over the years. The Pleasantview coven won't help, other than to care for her in the medical center. King Charley would pay for a curse breaker, but it's not that easy. Charlotte Maricourt was an old, insanely powerful witch. Any curse she made will take a lot of time and energy to break, if it can be broken at all. Besides, it's not all related to a curse. Evren and several other members of the coven believe there is a psychological component too. Cursed people can try to rationalize what people tell them, even if they can't remember. Apparently, when Elowen tried to visit, Mom freaked out and got aggressive when Ewan tried to tell her that Elowen was their daughter. All she could talk about was her brother, and the mistakes he was making. It messed up Elowen pretty bad."
"I'm so sorry, that's awful. Maybe some medication will help?"
Adam shook his head sadly.
"I don't know. All I know is that it's driving a wedge between Elowen and Travis. It's not rational, but she's losing our mom to a curse made by his biological mothers, and that's a lot to put on a relationship. It sounds like Elowen's had a really rough time. I know that she had Bronwen here to help her, but I feel so guilty for not being here for her too."
"Hey, there's nothing that you could have done," Theo assured him, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. "You helped in other ways, where you were meant to be. We're home now, and you can help be there for your family in the future. I'll help too."
"Are we really here to stay? Don't we have to go back to Jubilant Accosts? Is our role there really finished? We didn't even get to say goodbye to Helle and Abercius, and Despina...."
Theo couldn't answer that question. It had been stuck in the back of his mind, gnawing at him while he celebrated being home. Was their time in Jubilant Accosts over or would they be teleported back there without warning, just as they'd appeared in Pleasantview? It was hard to readjust to life when the threat of being snatched away again hung over your head. And Despina?
"We have each other," Theo said at last. "I don't think that we're free of Jubilant Accosts just yet, but when we go back, we'll still have each other. That's all we can count on."
"Because of what Sebastian said about us? Do you really think it's true?"
Theo's smile wavered.
"I don't know. I think Despina might have more context or Sebastian may have mixed up the message. I mean, how is all that soulmate stuff even decided? Why are two random souls meant to be together as opposed to any other soul? What happens if you don't marry your soulmate? Do you end up like Alphaeus and Trysten and spend your life sneaking around on your spouse? Do you threaten to destroy the functioning of the universe if your soulmate is in danger like Helle and Abercius or Life and Death? I...I just don't know."
"Hey, we don't need to think about it now," Adam said quickly, tightening his grip around Theo to reassure him. "We have a lot of heavy stuff happening, and we don't need to think about the inner workings of the universe. Like you said, maybe Sebastian was confused when he was waking up from a potentially deadly plague or maybe he was still dreaming. Let's not focus on that right now. Let's just focus on what we can change and on each other."
"Sounds like a plan," Theo agreed, though his voice was still weary. "Do you want to stay over? I don't think that I can sleep without you. It's still weird to not have you in the sleeping bag next to me, worrying that Despina is going to be watching our dreams as practice. I understand if you want to be with your family though. It's nice being back with mine, even if I feel out of place."
"I'd like that," Adam said with a smile. "It hasn't been easy to get used to the changes in my family either. Trust me, Remy may have missed me, but she definitely doesn't care about where I'm sleeping tonight. Elowen and Bronwen won't care either and my dad will be too involved with coven business to even notice I'm gone. I'd much rather be with you right now."
"Did you want to squeeze into my bed? We're not little kids anymore, but we should still fit. It's about the same size as our beds at school."
"I was thinking about crashing on the couch," Adam replied. "Those beds in the castle aren't in the condition Helle thinks they are, and I'm tired of sleeping on the floor. You're welcome to join me if you want or you can take the bed."
"Not a chance. Where you go, I go. I'm not getting any sleep otherwise."
"Are your parents going to be mad if they catch me here?" Adam asked nervously. "I haven't asked an adult for permission for anything in a long time, and I know I'm not their favourite person."
Theo laughed softly.
"What are they going to do? I just got back, they're not going to ground me for sleeping like I've been doing for months. I'm exhausted, you're exhausted, so let's just try to sleep. We have a million more problems to deal with tomorrow, and this might be the first night we can truly sleep without worrying about Xexys. C'mon, if they have a problem with it, that can wait until tomorrow."
Adam nodded, stretching out on Theo's couch. Theo curled up next to him, cradling his head against Adam's.
They didn't have to wait long to fall asleep. The two teens didn't even have time to grab a blanket or a pillow for comfort. As soon as they let down their guard, Luna St. Julien welcomed them back to her realm with peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
"Theo? Are you okay? I heard noises."
"Roman, I'm sure he's fine, he doesn't need some tea! Just let him unwind and-oh."
Roman and Abe stopped in Theo's doorway, caught off guard by what they saw before them.
"Roman, leave them. It's fine."
"I'm not interfering," Roman protested. "I just wasn't expecting him to have Adam over. I thought that Adam would be with his family after being away for so long."
"He does have a complicated family at the moment, so maybe he needed some reassurance. You know everything that Evren's told us about his mom, and I don't imagine that Alicia Maricourt Toyonaga will make his father's transition back to power easy."
"I don't want him to make the same mistakes as we did, Abe."
Abe sighed, expecting this response.
"I know he's the same age as we were when we had him, so of course, you're worried about him getting pregnant and-"
"No, he knows better than that and we've drilled that into his head over the years," Roman interrupted. "I'm talking about something much worse. Did you hear him? He's lost, confused, and wondering about having to love someone. Doesn't that all sound familiar?"
Abe paused to consider the question.
"Are you talking about our break up in university? When I was worried about breaking our contract if I stopped loving you? That's completely different. That was demonic law, this is a declaration of the universe itself, if I understand it correctly. Theo's not in any danger."
"He's in danger of reacting like we did. Of lashing out against his supposed destiny because he's scared. Look at how long it took us to find our way back together, and all the people we hurt along the way. You know how Theo is, Abe. He's going to run right into the worst decisions possible because he doesn't know how to process this, even if it is something positive. He's our son, and I don't want him to spend his thirties regretting how he acted as a teen."
Abe let out a slow sigh, considering his husband's words. He could feel through their bond that Roman was being honest about his worries. Adam bringing home their son safely had gone a long way to impress Roman. Theo was going to find romantic partners no matter what his parents wanted, and Roman didn't want his son to suffer the same way they had.
"Well, yeah, we could have handled our earlier years a lot better than we did," Abe admitted. "There were a lot of complicated things impacting those choices though. No one is trying to kill Theo or us anymore. We can talk to him, if you want."
Roman laughed, loud enough to make Theo fidget in his sleep.
"Yeah, talking to him is definitely going to work," he said. "Theo doesn't listen to anyone for any reason. He learns best by doing something and seeing the outcome first hand. He needs to see us support him, and this relationship. If we make everything normal and like no big deal, then Theo will relax and treat it the same. If we yell at him about this, he's going to freak out at us, and Adam, while running into a bad decision."
"That's very mature of you, Bellamy," Abe said in astonishment. "I hardly recognize the man in front of me."
Roman shrugged defensively.
"It's going to happen anyway, and who knows what those two faced together while they were gone? Theo's having a hard time adjusting to being back. He's not even sleeping in his bed. If he's not comfortable sleeping in a bed, what other trauma does he have? Adam is the same way, and we all know that if Theo has a soulmate, then it's obviously Adam. Not even Sebastian made Theo this comfortable and happy. If Theo needs this guy to be happy, and the universe itself agrees, then there's no chance of me changing that. I need to protect him from ruining his own happiness."
"I agree. I'm not thrilled with the example this might set for the rest of the children, but they haven't been where Theo's been. They haven't fended for themselves or been in dangerous situations like Theo has. Theo's magic is so far beyond our understanding that we need Evren to translate for us, so giving him some more space only makes sense. If he's not pregnant after being without adult supervision for months, then I think we can trust him. Adam's not a bad kid either. He's also been through a lot, and his father can watch over them at school. Evren does have a lot of trust for Ewan Maricourt."
"We're going to be planning a wedding in a few years, if those two stick to their original schemes. At this point, it's not if, but when."
"Like you weren't eighteen when you married Adrian," Abe teased, earning a smack from his husband.
"That was different. He was pregnant and a titled lord of Twikkii Island who needed legitimate heirs. You saw how well that marriage went."
"Only because you were still obsessed with me. I see the way you look at Adrian, and if I wasn't around, who knows what would have happened?"
Roman chuckled to himself at the thought of still being the consort of Duke Siew. After dealing with the hell Kamalani Bellamy had put him and Adrian through, Roman couldn't picture that life.
"The way I look at him? What about the way that you look at him? Evren too. You can't deny that we coparent with some attractive men, but I wouldn't want to be married to them. You're the only husband I need."
Abe grinned at Roman. Adrian and Evren were incredibly nice to stare at, but he would only ever demonically marry one man.
"Maybe I'm your soulmate then."
"You? The universe has been trying to fight us since we were born," Roman teased. "We were literally cursed in order to keep us apart, and that still didn't stop us. I don't need a soulmate, all I need is to keep telling the universe who I proudly choose."
Roman gave his husband a gentle kiss, and started to lead Abe out of Theo's room.
"Let's let those two sleep, they probably haven't slept this well fighting a dream plague with dream magic. The sooner we get Theo sleeping in a bed again the better; it breaks my heart to see him struggle. We'll see them in the morning and sort some things out then. For now, I think we should get back to bed too. I might have some ideas to demonstrate to the universe who I chose."
Adam and Theo crashed unceremoniously to the ground without warning. One moment, they'd been in Jubilant Accosts, celebrating their renewed relationship, and in the next moment, they were pulling themselves off the ground in a place that very much looked like Pleasantview.
"Adam! Adam, I think we're home. This is either home or the most realistic dream Despina could make. Get up! I need to cast the spell!"
"How on earth did we get back to Pleasantview? We weren't even near the portal." Adam scanned his surroundings, and ended up agreeing with Theo. This was either the Pleasantview Academy of Magic or the most intricate deception he had ever seen. "If we're in Pleasantview, where's Despina? Did we fail and get sent back home?"
Theo shook his head, quickly standing to his feet.
"No, this is our chance. We haven't failed yet." He pulled Adam to his feet and kissed him. Adam was caught off guard by the kiss and its intensity, but before he could question it, he noticed Theo's hands moving in a well practiced pattern that had nothing to do with romance.
Theo was using their kiss to power up his blood magic, which momentarily startled Adam. Theo's magic had always been too dangerous and unpredictable to intentionally feed, but things were different now. His magic was stable, and he'd had plenty of practice powering up that magic with Jesse.
Adam was safe. Theo was safe. The magic Theo was about to cast needed to be as powerful as possible to wake Xexys' victims. Adam already had access to some of Theo's power, but he could boost that power by following Theo's example and feeding the fire currently raging through their connection. He could intentionally trigger the same violent response that had nearly killed him in the past, and it might help wake his sleeping family.
All he had to do was trust in Theo's control over his magic. All he had to do was trust Theo.
Adam closed his eyes and trusted.
"Hello? Theo? Master Maricourt?"
Sebastian looked around the empty halls of Pleasantview Academy, unsure of where everyone else had gone.
The last thing he could remember was Theo shouting his name and trying to shake him awake. He'd been in his dormroom, not the main hall of the academy, and Theo was no where to be found.
The sound of something clattering to the floor rang through the hall, finally giving Sebastian a sign that he wasn't alone.
"Hello?"
Ewan G Maricourt sprang from his bed, frantically searching for his children.
"Adam? Remy?"
"Right here, Dad. No need to yell, I've got the worst headache."
Ewan had his arms around Remy in a second, gratefully thanking any god involved for saving his daughter.
"Where's your brother and Theo? Did they escape?
Adam and Theo teleported into their school, prepared for any outcome from their spell. Obviously, they hoped to find every victim of the plague awake and alive, but there was a decent enough chance that the spell had failed or hadn't been cast at a strength needed to succeed. Unlike Jubilant Accosts, the Pleasantview victims had been cared for by modern medicine and advanced magic while they slept, so if the spell had worked, everyone should still wake up alive.
"What if it didn't work?" Adam worried, looking around him for any sign of life. "You and Jesse didn't work on this spell for very long. Maybe it needs more work."
"Then how did we get here?" Theo argued. "We didn't use the portal; we were sent back here for a reason, and that reason was to cast the finished spell. It had to work. Nothing else makes sense."
"Theo? Is that you?"
"Sebastian?! You're awake!" Theo stared in astonishment at his ex-boyfriend. Everything he'd experienced in Jubilant Accosts was worth it because Theo had been able to keep his promise to Sebastian.
"The spell worked! You're awake and alive! Seb! You're okay!" Theo rushed to hug his ex, clinging to him like he might disappear.
"Careful, I just woke up," Sebastian laughed. "You're kind of crushing me."
"Oh, sorry." Theo released Sebastian quickly, looking him over to see if there were any visible injuries left from the plague. "Are you hurt at all? Do I need to call for help? Now that we can wake people, the quarantine around the school can end and we could get a doctor."
"I'm probably fine, just be a little gentler in the future. I'm sure the coven will have us all checked out once they find out we're awake."
"I'm glad that you're okay. Us Darktides are pretty tough."
Sebastian glanced at his cousin, surprised that Adam was speaking to him at all. When they last met, Adam had attacked him out of fear of him hurting Theo, and now he was just standing there, eerily calm. There were no shouts or accusations, and the fury that had burned in his eyes was gone. This Adam was willing to speak with him, something Sebastian never dared to dream was possible.
"Oh, uh, Seb, Adam and I are together again," Theo said diplomatically. He gestured dramatically, as if that would magically make the situation less awkward. "You and I did break up, so it's not cheating. You're old enough to go to college when school restarts, and I'll just keep you from enjoying everything. Please don't be mad; I really do care a lot about you. It's just that-"
"I know. I did sort of expect to see you guys together," Sebastian interrupted. "Despina told me that you two were soulmates and that's a bond that can't be broken. I did enjoy our time together though, Theo. I hope we can still be friends."
"Soulmates? What are you talking about?Where is Despina? She didn't teleport with us. She can't just go telling people that they have a soulmate for fun. We've met some soulmates in Jubilant Accosts and that's kinda a serious thing to tell someone."
"Despina spoke to me as the dream of the plague lifted. Xexys is gone, destroyed by her and the Ocean. She heard the Ocean himself say you were soulmates. Despina's the Dream Guardian now in Jubilant Accosts. She's bound there now, but she wanted to let me know that I shouldn't take you and Adam being together personally. It's fate, and I can accept that." Sebastian didn't sound entirely convinced of this statement, but he didn't want to argue about it either. He was older than Theo, and as far as he knew, his psychotic assassin father was still on the loose. Sebastian shouldn't be dating anyone in case his father wanted to make an example of them, especially someone who whose death would devastate multiple Darktides.
"We're like Helle and Abercius?" Theo said, looking baffled and confused at the thought of having a soulmate. "When we die, do we reincarnate too?"
"What? No," Adam corrected. He, too, looked shaken by this revelation. It was everything he believed about his relationship with Theo, but to hear it confirmed was strange. "Helle only reincarnated because Abby, uh, Abercius took-never mind! You know what happened, and it will never happen to us. This just means that we're destined to be in love, which we are anyway, so it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it so much. It's just stating the obvious."
Despina would probably have the answers to all of his questions, which made Theo even more confused and sad. What exactly was a Dream Guardian and could she really not leave Jubilant Accosts? Would Theo have to break into another realm just to hang out with her again? When Theo was younger, he'd assumed that being sixteen would make him an expert in everything there was to know, but in reality, the older he got, the less he found he understood the world. It was infinitely more complex than he'd assumed it'd be.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Three years ago, Theo would have been ecstatic to learn that he had a predestined, perfect partner, but now that he had more experience in life, the idea was a little overwhelming. Helle and Abercius, and Trysten and Alphaeus were passionate about each other to the point that they would let the world burn to save their love. Theo certainly felt passionate about Adam, and he'd already proven many times what he was willing to do to protect him, but it was bizarre to hear that those feelings were written into the laws of the universe. Had dating Sebastian or hooking up with Jesse been against the natural order? He wanted to be with Adam, but did he have to?
"Adam? Theo? You're alive!"
Adam and Theo were distracted from Despina's news when Ewan G Maricourt and Remy Maricourt Darktide appeared from the other room.
"Dad! Remy! You're awake! Oh my god, you're okay!"
Adam rushed into his father's arms without a moment's hesitation. All the memories of seeing his father fall unconscious to the ground were forgotten the instant he felt his father's arms around him.
"I'm here too, you know," Remy teased. "I'm only your twin sister. How long have we been out? You look older, which means that either I'm older too or you're just not taking care of your skin."
Adam grinned at the insult. Life without Remy wasn't the same.
"Theo just turned sixteen, and I turned sixteen a few months ago, so you're sixteen, Remy."
Remy looked horrified at this information.
"I'm sixteen and I never got to throw a party? I missed my sixteenth birthday?!"
"I didn't really get one either, Remy," Adam reminded her. "I made Theo a cake for his birthday, but none of us have really had it easy all these months."
"My brave boy, my amazing son," Ewan said. He wanted to hug his son again, but feared that the teen might be too overwhelmed by all of the reunions. "Adam, I'm so proud of you. I know that you must have had a hand in restoring our realm and saving our lives, and I'm excited to hear all about it once I'm certain Pleasantview is secure. Theo, you too. I'm so proud of both of you boys."
All of his father's praise healed the misery and guilt Adam had struggled with in Jubilant Accosts. His family wasn't dead or taken from him, and his father didn't blame him, like he'd feared.
"So how did you like my homeland?" Sebastian asked Theo, eager to change the conversation from heavy topics. "Now that you've seen more than Shadowvale, you must have a better idea of what Jubilant Accosts is like."
Theo nodded eagerly.
"I've seen tons of places! The settlement, the old castle, a vampire coven, all of it."
"The castle?" Sebastian repeated. "Why were you in the castle?"
"I don't really have time to explain it all, but the prophecy of the last king returning was true after all. My friend Helle is the reincarnated king, and she's taking over now that the Proxy is dead."
"He's dead? How?"
"That's another long story," Theo replied. "The short answer is that Xexys killed him. Did Despina not tell you any of this?"
"She was a little busy, and I was waking up too quickly for a long conversation. I guess you, me and Adam will have to get together and catch up. Maybe Remy will join us too."
Sebastian looked hopeful, especially since his cousin had greeted him when they met and hadn't pushed him away or yelled at him. It was his greatest hope that he could befriend his cousins, now that the truth about his origins had been revealed.
"For sure!" Theo exclaimed. "I really did miss you, Seb. I know I'm with Adam, and I'd definitely like to hear more about this soulmate claim from Despina, but I never stopped thinking about you. I want to be friends, and I think Adam knows now how wrong about you he was. And Remy? I think she's probably dying to know about what happened while you guys were asleep, so she'll be there too."
"Did you get to see the vampires and werewolves?" Sebastian asked. "Xander has a vampire friend who he talks about sometimes."
Theo beamed at the thought of his time with the vampires.
"I worked with Chinh's coven to make the spell that woke everyone up. They were so cool. I slept with a vampire to make my blood magic more powerful and to speed up the development of the spell. It was crazy," Theo boasted to his ex.
"Don't tell your father that."
Theo looked up at the familiar voice. Evren and Adrian were standing in the doorway. Evren looked amused by Theo's conversation, while Adrian gasped.
"You're safe! You're home! I can't believe that you're here! Look at you!"
"Adrian!" Theo ran to hug his stepfather excitedly. Normally, he'd play it cool and resist a hug, but Theo had never been so relieved to see one of his parents before.
"I'm so glad that you're home safe," Adrian exclaimed. "Your dads are going to go crazy. I had to see you myself first, but I'll text your dads in a minute. They'll want you to teleport there immediately."
Theo nodded and hugged Evren as soon as Adrian released him.
"We woke everyone up with a spell I created, and apparently, Despina helped destroy Xexys. Sebastian told me about Despina; I haven't seen her recently."
Evren smiled proudly at this news.
"I knew you could do it, Theo," he said. "We're all so proud of you, Adam, and Despina. I've missed you terribly, but I always knew that you were capable of great things. I'll go speak with Sebastian about Despina, but I'll be sure to stop by your parents' house when I can, so we can catch up."
"So, vampires, huh?" Adrian tried to sound as casual as he could, but he was still Theo's stepfather. "Are you still with this vampire? Is it serious? I thought you were dating Sebastian when you left."
"Oh, I'm back with Adam," Theo assured his stepfather. "Sebastian and I broke up before I left. We're going to be friends, and I can help him get to know Adam and Remy. Adam and I went through a lot together and we reconnected. At first, I thought I wanted something casual, but Adam couldn't handle that, so we had a duel where he proved that we belonged together. It was very convincing. And Sebastian said that Despina said that the Ocean said that Adam and I are soulmates. I haven't really processed that, but it feels true. I can't picture my life without him in it. Do you know what I mean?"
Adrian chuckled softly.
"It sounds like you've gotten to know yourself better while you were away," he said. "Yes, I know all about that feeling. You have to follow your heart, and if Adam is who your heart chooses, then you need to cherish that connection."
"You're not mad?" Theo asked. "I know that Dad doesn't really like Adam, so-"
"Your father is learning, just like you are," Evren explained. "He doesn't hate Adam, he's afraid of you being unhappy or careless. Adam is a great guy, and your dad knows this. Just give him some time. He's made a lot of important strides while you've been gone."
Theo stood silently for a moment, unsure of how to still look cool while being emotional. In the end, he decided that expressing his feelings was probably the best thing to do, even if it was embarrassing.
"I really missed you and Evren," Theo said, hugging his stepfather tightly. "I...love you guys. You're important to me."
Theo never quite knew how to treat Adrian and Evren. Adrian was his ex-stepfather and his half-sisters' father, but he was also more. Theo thought of Evren and Adrian as his second parents, and being sent into a dangerous realm on his own had made him realize that he should tell the important people in his life that they were important to him. He'd already tried to be more open with Adam about his feelings, and Adrian deserved the same.
Adrian returned Theo's hug with the same ferocity.
"I love you too, buddy. Evren and I both love you very much. You're just as much our son as our boys are. If you need anything at all, we're always here for you. We're so glad that you're back, more than you could ever know. Now go teleport to see your parents before your dad comes here and embarrasses you."
Theo smiled.
"It's okay if he's a little embarrassing, I guess. I've been away for a long time."
Lukas tore across the realms as fast as they could, shifting forms if they thought it could gain them even a second more of time at Izanami's side. They were so busy trying to get to their husband that they never noticed how easy the transitions had been or that one of them successfully transitioned with black hair. Only one thing mattered, and that was Izanami.
"Where is he? Gee? What are you doing just standing there?"
Gee stood still, unsure as to what he was supposed to be doing in this situation. He'd tried to comfort his father, but all Izanami would do was beg him to find Lukas. Gee had opened the seal between the realms and called for Lukas, and the only thanks he'd recieved in return was his father screaming at him. What exactly was he supposed to do to help Death give birth? It was an impossible situation, but at least Lukas was finally here to help.
"I've been doing what I can," Gee replied defensively. "I have a lot of kids and none of their births looked anything like this. This is a problem more suited to your skills. You're the only one he wants near him anyway."
"Lukas? Is that you? Are you really here?"
Izanami sounded tired and weak from the labour process, immediately sending Lukas into a panic.
"What happened? How did you find out you were pregnant? When did the contractions start?"
Lukas flew to their husband's side, cradling him in their arms. They had been apart for far too long. Lukas couldn't articulate how it felt to feel Izanami pressed against them again, even under these stressful circumstances.
"The Ocean d-did this," Izanami replied wearily. "He-he said...he said he wanted this. He w-w-wanted to...it's a girl. We're having a daughter and-" Izanami's sentence ended with another scream from the pain.
"I know," Lukas said soothingly. "He told me. He said that she's ours to keep, can you believe that? There has to be some kind of scheme involved here, but she's ours. After all those centuries of hoping, she's ours!"
"I'll celebrate later," Izanami grunted. He relaxed in his spouse's arms before another contraction struck. "I don't know how to do this. It's nothing like the twins and something is going to go wrong. She's going to be trapped and we'll lose her before we can even hold her and-"
Lukas grabbed Izanami's hand as the next contraction hit, letting him squeeze it as hard as he needed. It seemed to finally bring Izanami some much needed relief.
"Hey, it's my job to nuture and protect lives. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise. I've given birth to the twins and delivered more babies than you could even imagine. I've even delivered one recently from a dying man, so trust me, I know what I'm doing. Just focus on me, and I'll take care of the rest."
"What can I do to help?" Gee waited nervously for a response, hoping Lukas wouldn't yell at him like his father had. "I don't know anything about this, but I need to do something."
"Get the basics of what she'll need. This is the afterlife, but she's half Life. She will probably need to eat and sleep and be kept warm like any other living baby. She's half Death, so she should be fine existing here, but we're going to need some supplies. A newborn won't know how to focus her energies to adapt to the afterlife, no matter how powerful she is. Get me what we need for a living baby, and your father and I will handle the rest."
"Is he gone?" Izanami groaned, squeezing Lukas' hand once more.
"Yes, the errands should keep him busy for a while. No one is going to see you but me," Lukas promised. "I know that you want to remain mysterious and powerful, even to Gee, so it's just the two of us. This is hardly how I thought my day would go, but this is a wonderful surprise. I'm seeing you in person, and we're having a baby! I couldn't ask for anything more."
"I always thought...you'd be the one having the babies. The Ocean has a twisted sense of humour. I'm glad you're here, dearest. I didn't want to take you away from your mission, but I need you here."
"Don't be ridiculous," Lukas replied. "Things are wrapping up over there, and the Ocean practically begged me to leave. He has his new Dream Guardian and the teens have a cure for the plague. No one needs me over there, and I wouldn't go back for anything. Not when I'm needed here. Not when I haven't met our daughter."
"Do you really think that everything's going to be okay with the baby? You're not just lying to make me feel better before something goes wrong?"
Lukas kissed the hand intertwined with theirs.
"Trust me, it will be fine. There's absolutely no one better at delivering babies than the deity of Life. I won't let anything bad happen."
Lukas was true to their word. It still took three more hours of labour before the two deities were holding an infant in their arms, and nothing had gone wrong. Izanami was recovering quickly and their miraculous child was resting in the cradle Gee had provided. The rest of the family was dying of curiosity, but the proud parents wanted some time alone with the newest family member. Before they introduced her to the world, they wanted to make sure that it was safe to do so.
"So, Lunen, huh? I like it," Lukas said. They stared into their daughter's blue eyes and smiled. "Hi Lunen. You don't know how long we've been waiting to meet you."
Lunen yawned in Izanami's arms, clearly not interested in her parent's words.
"She listens about as well as Abercius does," Izanami laughed. Lunen was warm and soft nestled against his suit. If he could stay in this moment forever, he would gladly never leave.
"She's a Lane alright. There won't be any stopping her when she gets older. Your hair might just stay silver for the rest of her life."
Izanami looked from Lunen to inspect his spouse.
"You had black hair earlier when you came in," he pointed out. "It's brown again, but I'm sure that you can change that now that Lunen's here. I don't feel sick anymore, and the Ocean practically sent you here, so the limitations he placed on you must be over. It must have had something to do with the pregnancy."
A slow grin stretched across Lukas' face as they thought over Izanami's words.
"It worked!" Lukas gasped, interrupting the nap Lunen was trying to start. "I can change again! Thank god! We have a beautiful little girl, and I can be myself again. This might just be the best day of my life. Look, Lunen! Mommy has black hair, just like you!"
"You're sticking with Mommy?" Izanami asked. "You're usually in your male form these days."
Lukas shrugged.
"I was mostly in my female form when the twins were young and when we adopted Abercius. I don't want them to call me one thing and Lunen another. They're all equally important to me and if it's weird, I'll drop her off at school or with her friends in my female form. It doesn't really matter. She can call me whatever she wants."
"Can you sense her potential?" Izanami asked worriedly. "I can sense that she's already more powerful than most mortal witches, but I feel like there's something else coming from her. Something strong."
Lukas nodded solemnly.
"Yeah, she's like us. She's both of us all in one adorable little package. The Ocean has great plans for her apparently, but we can guide her. I can't imagine what her teething is going to look like, but we'll deal with that when it happens. She's perfect just the way she is."
"Can you believe it? We have a baby, Lukas. I'm holding a miracle in my arms. I know the twins are ours, just like Abercius, but she's us. I've never heard of any deity as powerful as Life or Death, but somehow she is. It's unheard of. The universe is binary; it's always given power to at least two people. What does it mean that Lunen is like us, but alone?"
"The Dream Guardian in Jubilant Accosts is alone," Lukas replied. "Maybe Lunen has the ability to share power with her. The Ocean was pretty insistent that she would do something in that realm. Maybe she won't find her person in the next fifty years or maybe she'll cross paths with them tomorrow. It will all work out like it's supposed to."
Izanami shook his head gently so the movement didn't wake Lunen.
"I'm not sure that she has a person," he stated. "She's the combination of the two of us, so maybe she's her own balance. Two deities in the form of one. I don't know. There's so much of this that I don't understand. This is unprecedented."
Lukas hugged their husband tighter, jostling Lunen awake yet again. The infant looked sleepily at her parent, but didn't cry.
"I don't understand it either, but I'm grateful that I get to figure this all out with you and our family."
Mystic Drownwell was an off-putting place during the daylight hours, and utterly terrifying at night. It was a stronghold of death and twisted religious dogma, where only the Ocean truly felt comfortable.
Abercius, Lukas, and Rani stood around the sacrificial pool, wishing desperately to be anywhere else. Despite not being an official reaper, Abercius had been chosen to represent the reapers, while Rani represented all the lost people of Ticktop. Lukas didn't technically need to be present for the ceremony to create a new Dream Guardian, but they wanted to be there. They couldn't stop Despina's approaching ascension, but at least they could be there to help if something went wrong. The Ocean, currently in the shape of Calista Player, watched eagerly beside them. She occasionally shot Lukas strange looks that they couldn't interpret, which only added to the unsettling feeling in Lukas' chest.
"Ugh, my head." Despina groaned from the place she'd been unceremoniously dropped on the floor. "How did I get here? Where am I?"
"Good, you're finally awake," Calista replied eagerly. "It's finally time to take my vengeance on the one who destroyed my Dream Guardian. Despina Edana Tristine Darktide, because of your father's crimes, you will become my new Dream Guardian. You will watch over the realm of Jubilant Accosts and their dreams. It will be your responsibility to keep the dream demon hybrids in line, destroying them if you must."
Demon hybrids?
Lukas wasn't sure that they understood the Ocean's words. Despina wouldn't be forced to fight Xexys, but his descendants instead? What was happening to Xexys?
"No! No, please! I need to go home," Despina begged. It only took her a few seconds to understand what was happening here, and that she desperately didn't want to be involved with it. "I have a brother who needs me, and my school-"
"Irrelevant," Calista insisted. She waved her arms in an intricate pattern that Despina couldn't follow. The energy swirled from Calista's hand, wrapping itself around Despina, and lifting her in the air.
Calista's magic dropped Despina in the sacrificial pool with a splash. Abercius had never seen the sacrifices made to the Watcher; that was a privilege for adults or family of the sacrifice chosen. He closed his eyes, unable to watch someone lose their life in front of him. Even in his prior life as a reaper, Absydee had always hated seeing a soul cross the boundary between life and death. It was jarring and unpleasant. Abercius didn't know how to reconcile the thought of his parents, his uncle, and all of the Jacobean faithful standing around this pool to celebrate the sacrifice of one of their own. Would he and his siblings have followed their example when they became adults? Abercius didn't think so, but clearly none of the Jacobeans before him had disagreed.
"It's a baptism of sorts, not a murder," Lukas whispered to Abercius. "You can look. She's ascending, not dying."
Abercius opened his eyes, but still had his hands glued to his face in horror. This was all too much to take in. Izanami had never trained his reapers to deal with sacrifices or ascensions. Despina was his friend, and she didn't want to be bound to Jubilant Accosts forever. While she wasn't dying, Abercius still couldn't find a reason to celebrate what was happening.
"I-I can feel the dream realm. It's never been this strong before. I can see everything."
Everyone's attention turned to the pool where Despina was currently floating above the water, miraculously dry after being submerged in the water. She had a certain glow radiating from her and a presence that felt almost as commanding as Lukas or Izanami's when they chose to display their power.
"Arise, Despina. Arise and take your place at my side." Calista held out her hand, sending the energy needed to complete the transition. "You are now the Dream Guardian of Jubilant Accosts."
All of the fear left Despina the instant she ascended. She would worry about her limitations and seeing Eero later. She could feel the hum of the universe in her mind and the steady rhythm of the waves that sustained the Ocean. She could see Xexys as clearly as if he were standing beside her. The dream plague was a mere nuisance. No wonder the previous Dream Guardian had been killed by a third party from outside this realm. Despina could easily squash any attack from Xexys himself.
A sudden chill came over Lukas without warning.
Lukas, come home. It's an emergency.
Gee? What's the emergency? Is it Izanami? Is he okay?
Lukas looked around to see if their stepson was actually physically present, but couldn't sense Gee nearby. They didn't blame him. If they'd had the opportunity to avoid being in the Ocean's presence, they would have taken it too.
The seal is open for the next two minutes. I know this sounds crazy, but Dad is in labour. You're having a baby, Lukas. Dad has been pregnant this whole time!
"A baby?" Lukas repeated outloud. Their entire being shook with relief. All those months of worry, all the fear that they would somehow lose Izanami, all of it didn't matter anymore. Izanami would have this miracle child and then be back to normal.
Lukas couldn't even begin to process their feelings about this secret child. It was unreal. All the centuries of pining for a child, of grieving the pregnancies they lost...they couldn't allow the fact that this could be happening get their hopes up. They might still lose this child too. The Ocean could cause this pregnancy and still somehow take their child away. They couldn't afford to raise their hopes and lose their dream again. It would break them in a way that even the Ocean couldn't fix.
I'm coming immediately. Tell Izanami to hold on. I'll be there in a moment.
Calista locked eyes with Lukas, giving them a smug look that told them that she knew exactly what was happening.
"Bye, Lukas," she teased. "Give my regards to Izanami. It shouldn't be too long now. I hope little Lunen is everything you've imagined her to be. She was rather difficult to create."
The Ocean's words were strangely sympathetic, which caught Lukas off guard. The Ocean never thought of how others would react to his plans. Hell, Despina was a fantastic example of that. There was a fondness in his voice for this surprise child, which was even stranger.
"You won't take her from us?" Lukas dared to ask. They needed to be with Izanami, but they also needed peace of mind that the Ocean didn't plan to take this child from them.
Calista rolled her eyes and focused her attention back to Despina.
"I'm not a nanny service," she scoffed. "You made her; I'm only interested in her future abilities. Try not to screw her up too badly, I want this experiment to succeed."
Lukas vanished immediately after getting confirmation that they wouldn't need to fight the creator of all things for custody of their daughter. With that reassurance, Lukas was officially abandoning their mission in Jubilant Accosts. Only Izanami and their promised daughter mattered.
"Moving on." The image of Calista melted onto the cool tiles of the temple, reforming into the shape the Ocean usually assumed. Few people who saw the dark haired man with eyes as deep as the stars, lived to talk about him. "Xexys."
The Demon of Nightmares appeared in an instant, summoned from his lair by his creator. Abercius tried not to flinch at the sight of his enemy, while Rani glared beside him.
"Demon," she hissed. The pain of her many losses at Xexys' hand was clearly written on her face. "Slayer of Ticktop."
Xexys didn't have the chance to respond to Rani, as the Ocean spread out his giant wings with dramatic flair.
"Despina, do show Xexys what a Dream Guardian can do to the Demon of Nightmares. This game has gone on for too long, and I'm rather bored of it."
"Bored?" Xexys managed to choke out the word, but just barely. Despina had him in a magical grip that prevented him from moving. The Ocean quickly raised his own hand to support her so that Xexys was rendered completely immobile.
"Yes, bored," the Ocean sneered. "I gave you a chance to prove that you could be better than the Great Demons and a captive population to experiment with. All you've produced is a silly little illness that you've cooked up with Tredony's assassin and some uninspiring hybrids. My faithful have developed a far more complex and interesting society in your shadow, and you need the help of an assassin and this girl's wretched father to get anything done. You couldn't even kill my former Dream Guardian on your own. You, like a coward, let some foreign college student do the hard work of murdering my creation. You're weak and boring. How much longer were you going to wait to strike if that Tredonian assassin hadn't shown up?"
Xexys couldn't reply, but Despina was fascinated with this tangent. She'd never seen the Ocean for herself, but he lived up to all of Lukas' descriptions of him. She could feel the disappointment rolling from him like waves in a tsunami. Xexys could be as evil as he wanted, but being boring was apparently a capital sin. What had the Ocean expected of Xexys? What wouldn't be boring when a plague and an alliance with an assassin couldn't measure up?
Could she? Theo had always assumed that they were there in another realm to kill Xexys and end his plague along with his life. Her father hadn't held back from killing the innocent Dream Guardian who had stood in Xexys' way. She'd always said that she would kill to protect Eero or her cousins, but now when the choice was in front of her, could she follow through?
"I liked that Dream Guardian," the Ocean continued. "And you couldn't even kill the reapers yourself! That would have been so interesting if you had. Confronting Lukas after killing a whole team, just like their sister was killed? You would have been interesting. I thought that little blood demon hybrid and his crystal loving soulmate would have been a challenge for you since you've been in the presence of the old blood demons! Instead, you just let them wander around while you preened in your captured house. You're useless! The first Life deity had more potential than you'll ever have it seems, and I gave him far fewer chances than I gave you. Perhaps you can discuss my kindness when you're Drowned like him." He looked over at Despina, who was both terrified and fascinated by what was happening before her. "Despina, this next part should be as easy as blinking. Curbing those who threaten the dream realm should come naturally to you, especially in this sacred place. You have the power to save Xexys' victims and end the fear he's spread. Can you help me right this mistake of mine?"
Despina curled her fingers, feeling the fabric of the universe shift as she did. This was too much for her to do alone, but the Ocean was generous and patient. For as terrified as Life and Death were of him, the Ocean seemed invested in introducing Despina to the life he'd chosen for her. His grief or maybe just irritation about losing the first Dream Guardian felt real to her. He'd orchestrated a multi decade revenge scheme just to avenge her predecessor, so clearly he must have meant something to him.
Xexys was lowered into the deep red tinted pool by the magic Despina could feel engulf her. The Ocean was right-it really was as easy and quick as blinking. Her rage, her grief, everything wrong and twisted and broken about this realm all guided her hand. Her cousin had spent months terrified that his family might never return to him. Her newfound brother was sacrificed to infect a realm he'd never even seen before and then left for dead. Her father had once been a promising warlock with dreams that Coby and Xexys had twisted into a monstrous ambition. Xexys had taken from her, again and again, but now she would make things right. She would get justice.
A large wave rose to swallow Xexys whole, dragging him down into the fathomless red water, never to be seen again.
Something changed with the demon's absence that Despina couldn't fully explain. It was as if the realm itself was rejoicing and changing into something new.
"I don't understand," she said, hoping that the Ocean's interest in her might mean he'd explain what was happening. "Something is happening, but what? What's going to happen next?"
The Ocean smiled just as cruelly in this incarnation as he did as Calista.
As soon as Izanami was free of the Ocean's presence, he retreated to the relative safety of the adjoining room. The angels still stood guard in the hallway, and had already demonstrated their lack of loyalty to the realm of Death. Izanami would be safer away from their eyes.
Anakin and Evalla followed him, still trying to understand what they'd just witnessed. It was shameful to Izanami to show weakness to anyone other than Lukas. Death had to be feared, not pitied, but the tears were still streaming from his eyes despite his efforts to stop them. There was an all consuming pain shooting through his body, forcing him to grab the nearest chair for support. Just when he could feel some of the pain subside, another jolt of pain tore through him.
No, he couldn't let the pain distract him from the situation at hand. He and Lukas were having a child. An impossible child who was going to be comfortable in both of their realms. A child who would bring Jubilant Accosts to its knees, whatever that meant. The Ocean clearly had plans for this child, but despite that obvious fact, Izanami felt an excitement rise within him. He and Lukas had tried everything they could to conceive a child, and now, they were just being handed one like it was nothing. It was a miracle, and frightening all at once.
Another sharp pain in Izanami's abdomen made the deity shout out, his fingers digging so hard into the chair that it nearly snapped.
"That looks like a contraction to me," Evalla noted nervously. "I think the Ocean may have hurried up the labour process. It's been a long time since I've had my kids, but judging by the way you're about to destroy that chair, it looks like the contractions aren't that far apart."
"We need to find a doctor!" Izanami ordered. He pointed to Evalla. "You! You need to call-" Izanami's words were cut off by another contraction tearing through him. He panted through the pain despite not needing to breathe. He had seen Lukas do the same when the twins were born and he was desperate for any relief he could get.
"Izanami? Your hair is white. Does that mean something? Is it a good thing?"
Anakin's words only increased Izanami's panic.
"It's a bad thing," he groaned, holding his stomach. "My hair is always black and white simu-simultaneously. I-I'm out of bal-ance. My body-" Izanami was cut off by the scream he was desperately trying to suppress. It was loud enough to make both observers flinch.
"We need to get you help," Anakin decided. Izanami could barely stand, let alone make decisions for himself. "Evalla, keep an eye on the angels and see if there's some other purpose they've been assigned. Izanami is probably safest far away from them. I'm going to take Izanami to my home until we decide what to do next. I don't know any doctors who have been trained to help Death himself." Izanami screamed again, finally breaking the part of the chair he'd been holding onto. "Yeah, we need to get him out of here as soon as possible."
Reese Evans was spending a quiet afternoon meditating when all hell broke loose. He didn't often have time to himself between helping stand in for Lukas or dealing with all of his family members and their drama. As soon as he heard his husband's voice calling from the street, he knew that his alone time had come to an end.
"Reese! It's Izanami! I need your help! It's an emergency!"
When Reese made it down the stairs, Izanami was sobbing in the living room. His form was unstable and the clothes he was projecting for his afterlife body kept shifting and changing. His hair had gone from black to white and back again. It was currently stuck as black with long white streaks running through it. Anakin had taken this change to mean that his form was stabilizing a little, but he honestly didn't know if he was right.
"Do you know what we should do?" Anakin asked his husband nervously. "I can't call a doctor because we've tried that when he first got sick. No one understands what his anatomy looks like, aside from maybe Lukas. They did say that they investigated everything they could about his biology when they started trying for the twins."
"I can't call Lukas and tell them to rush over here," Reese exclaimed. "They're sealed away in Jubilant Accosts. I'm not authorized to break the seal, we need someone higher up."
"We need Gee then," Anakin decided. "The Grim Reaper is the only one who can open that seal aside from Izanami, and Izanami's not going to be up to that any time soon."
"Get Lukas here now!" Izanami shouted between groans of pain. "I don't care if Jubilant Accosts is currently under siege by fucking demons, they need to be here!"
"Oh, this is going to be bad," Reese groaned. His husband tried to use reassuring words to speak to Izanami, just as he had for Reese when their kids were born. Anakin couldn't judge if they were working, but it at least gave him something to do.
"I'll call Gee," Reese promised, closing the door behind him to make his call without Izanami's screaming in the background. "I don't think he's going to believe me."
"Dad? Dad, oh my god! What happened?"
Gee teleported to his father immediately after hearing from Reese. It was baffling to imagine his father pregnant, but it was also a relief that the sickness that had plagued Death was something curable. It was a miracle! His father and Lukas had longed for more children, and their wish had been granted, even if it was only to suit the Ocean's plans.
"What do you think happened?!" Izanami shouted, grabbing whatever was closest to him at the time and crushing it in his hand. "I'm apparently h-having an ugh!"
"How is this even possible?" Gee wondered. "None of this makes any sense. You don't even need to eat and yet you're-"
"GET ME LUKAS NOW!"
Gee obeyed his father's wishes, disappearing from sight before his father screamed again.
"Lukas, can you hear me?"
Izanami squeezed his eyes shut and tried to reach out telepathically to his spouse. If the seal between the realms was broken, maybe he could make contact.
"Lukas, I need you here with me. Come home. I can't do this without you."
Lightning struck the afterlife in relentless waves at the command of Death. This was his realm, and he wasn't about to be ignored by four otherwise irrelevant angels. He needed to talk with them, and they were going to present themselves before him. Fire rained down from the heavens outside, landing like tiny comets in the ground. Lukas had laid siege to the afterlife before, and the residents had hidden for days. No one had any idea of what Izanami could do in his own realm, but they were going to find out if the angels didn't appear.
Anakin looked out the window at the chaos outside. Between burning fireballs and endless flashes of lightning, the streets had cleared. No one dared suffer a god's wrath.
"Um, maybe you should let up a little," Anakin suggested meekly. "I think everyone gets the message."
"You summoned us. How can we serve?"
Anakin whirled around to find four angels kneeling before Izanami.
"Finally!" Anakin said. "What took you guys so long? The afterlife nearly burned to the ground again. You couldn't have come earlier and prevented all of this?"
"I am Death," Izamani growled at the angelic beings before him. "You answer to me. This is my realm. You are going to tell me what the Ocean wants with me and Lukas and what his plans for Jubilant Accosts are. I know he speaks to you and you will speak to me too."
After a moment of silence, Izanami growled once again and increased the wild storm raging through the afterlife.
"You will tell me!"
The angelic beings only stared in reply.
"Um, I think that they're not going to respond to Death," a quiet voice suggested. Izanami turned to see Evalla, the one who had wielded Lukas' powers while they were comatose. She was creeping out of the library, clearly distracted from her reading by the apocalypse raging outside. "They are in your realm, but they've always been commanded by Life. I think they've only come here to stop your tantrum."
Evalle winced at her word choice, especially saying that the god lashing out with all the anger within him, was having a tantrum. Izanami barely seemed to notice her words, though her presence gave him an idea.
"You! You descend from Lukas, and have used their power before. You tell these obsolete beings that their only purpose is to serve Life and Life's interests. You can access Lukas' power, so make them comply to my orders."
Evalla gulped nervously, staring at both Death incarnate raging, and four stoic beings who barely listened to Lukas. If she did try to use some of Lukas' power, she was going to be screamed at when Lukas returned, but if she didn't channel some of their power, Izanami might destroy her before that could happen.
"Okay, guys, listen to me," Evalla tried. Glowing orbs of Life energy pooled around her fingers. She wasn't borrowing a lot of power, just in case Lukas could feel her efforts and somehow tore their way across existence to stop her. "Death wants to know about the plans of the Ocean. He and Lukas are gods, and should be informed of any plan that involves them. Do you think that you can do that for me? I'm acting as a representative of Life, who you serve. Please, just answer the questions."
Anakin stared in disbelief at Evalla's failure. He had seen Evalla channel Lukas' power when she was a teenager, and no one had been able to ignore her back then. Was she weaker now that Lukas had their full power back or was even Lukas too weak to command the Ocean's servants?
"Listen to me," Evalla intoned, drawing more of Lukas' power, and hoping that they didn't notice all the way in Jubilant Accosts. "You will answer Izanami's questions. What is the Ocean planning? What can we do to find out?"
This call was stronger. The angels noticeably wavered in their resolve, swayed by Life's magic. It was more success that Evalla could have reasonably hoped for, she she tried to increase her control over the angels.
"He-he wants revenge for Jubilant Accosts," Leyna whispered. She was the sole woman among the angels, and who Evalla assumed was in charge by the way the others looked to her. "Soulmates are prone to desperation. He needs Life and Death to-"
Leyna's words were cut off by a rush of wings, effectively ending the spell Evalla had cast over the angels.
"Izanami. It's not like you to pry into my plans," the Ocean hissed angrily. "This temper tantrum of yours is something Lukas would have planned. Meanwhile, they are the one doing your job and acting mature. How your roles have changed during this trial of mine. I'm disappointed in you. Badgering my servants will only bring you pain."
Izanami reeled backwards, his eyes spinning back into his head. He was saved from falling only by the size of his wings, which struggled to keep him upright.
"I deserve to know what's happening to me!" Izanami insisted, sounding uncharacteristically defiant in the presence of his superior. Over the centuries, Lukas had taught him to stand up for their family, and even if Izanami died as a result, he was going to protect what was his.
"Do you?" the Ocean asked. "I suppose my plan is nearly complete, so there's nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. You'd be proud of Life if you could see them in Jubilant Accosts. They know what's expected of them and have followed the instructions given to them, even if they get too close to using the powers of your realm. Seeing you two squabble over the centuries, trying to cross into the duties of the other's realm, has given me an idea. Why have Life and Death, when you can have Life and Death?"
"I don't follow," Izanami admitted quietly, still looking for clues among the angels. "You don't like when things are messy and lines are crossed. Life and Death are incompatible with each other. Our realms are separate. There is no way that both realms could serve the same god. It's impossible."
"Never tell me what is impossible!" the Ocean snarled. He reached out towards Izanami, pulling him closer until his hand rested on Izanami's stomach.
Izanami arched away from the touch, but couldn't escape. Something felt warm, then burning hot as his body made contact with its creator. Izanami could feel the burning deep into his being, like layers of his soul were being sheared off, exposing a fragile secret within. He could feel his abdomen swell, despite not having the same anatomy as even Lukas did.
"You're so close now," the Ocean whispered eerily. "I can feel her move. She's awakening."
Anakin watched in horror as his friend struggled to free himself from the grasp of a higher being. Izanami was trying to hide the pain he felt from this contact, probably for Anakin's sake, but his discomfort was obvious to anyone in that room.
"She?" Izanami finally spat, after minutes trying to ignore the pain. "What are you talking about?"
The Ocean laughed gleefully, never breaking contact with Death.
"Well, isn't it obvious? You're having a baby. I thought you'd be thrilled. After all, wanting a child of your own has driven you and Lukas mad over the years. I know that you two have cheated and made those adorable little twins of yours, but their relationship to you is cosmetic only. They are mortals who don't have a drop of either of your essences. They're just decorative dolls for you to play house with."
Izanami snarled at his superior, enraged at the thought of the twins being anything other than his children.
"They're mine, and I don't care what you say about them or what you threaten me with, I will protect them from you!"
The Ocean glared back at Death, unamused with his outburst.
"Hmm. You could try, I suppose. You'd fail, but trying counts for something. You'll need those protective instincts for this child too. As you said, Life and Death are incompatible, so things with your daughter will likely be...messy."
Izanami's face changed from anger to hope and then fear.
"I'm pregnant with Lukas' baby? But we can't. It's never been possible! How-"
"You've never had me involved with your prenatal care," the Ocean replied, as if this answer should have been obvious. "You can make a pregnancy together, but your incompatibility can't sustain it. All I had to do was wait for another pregnancy to start, and say some magic words. My ultimate experiment: Life and Death together. She's going to bring Jubilant Accosts to its knees."
"A baby?" Izanami repeated the words, but they weren't sinking in. "D-does Lukas know? Did you tell them?"
"I just told you, and you're about to give birth," the Ocean scoffed. "They're too busy with work for all of this. I'm sure they'll know eventually. It doesn't matter, really."
Izanami tried to control his panic at the thought of giving birth to this mystery creation of a deity who didn't care much for the suffering of his creations. Was this another test? Was this even his and Lukas' child? How did Death birth anything?
"Give birth?! So my sickness, and Lukas' being trapped in one form is because of a baby? A baby I need to birth? How is Death supposed to give birth? That very much seems like a job for the realm of Life!"
"My plans require me to be somewhere else at the moment," the Ocean announced, looking over his shoulder at the angels. They remained stationary, bowing to their deity. "Do look after Izanami for me while I'm gone. Oh, and Izanami? Her name is Lunen. Add whatever you want after that, but her true name is Lunen."
Black wings. The Wand of the Maricourts gripped in his hand. Flickering candles and blood pooled into lines on the ground. A sacrifice.
Eero was the sacrifice, just as he'd been as a child.
He sometimes dreamed of his father, not that he'd ever admit that to Despina. Like Despina, Eero never knew what his mother had looked like, but he saw his father's reflection whenever he looked in the mirror.
He shared his green eyes with his father, though his face wasn't as slim, and he could barely hold a wand, let alone use it like his father could. Adam Darktide came to him as a nightmare, always looking to take from his son, never caring for the life he'd created. He wasn't anything to his father, just a resource to be exploited. Despina had inherited his gift, while Eero appeared to be be useless.
But he wasn't useless. He had the incredibly rare angelic gene from his mother, and might one day stand as an equal beside his sister if he could learn angelic magic.
He tried to remember this fact every time the nightmare came. Adam Darktide didn't know about what his son inherited. It gave Eero a chance to silence the nightmares in his head before his father caught up to him. It gave him the chance to survive.
Something was about to happen. Something big. The spirits weren't able to be clearer about what it would be, but they had swarmed Rien's mind, urging her to make a late night visit to Arkhelios to find the person they wanted her to speak with. It wasn't that big of a deal to teleport to Arkhelios without waking her parents up, and if they caught her returning, she would just lie and say that she missed her Arkhelios parents and had stopped in to spend time in her room there. No one expected her to sneak out at night, so her parents didn't set up the same security spells they did for Theo.
"Princess Bellamy, I didn't expect to see you so late. Is something wrong?"
Ginevra emerged from her temple, looking worried. Rien felt stupid for not thinking about the security in the temple, especially when showing up in the middle of the night. It wasn't like she'd planned this daring escape. The spirits hadn't given her any time to prepare a well crafted lie for Ginevra.
"Nothing's wrong," she lied. "I just had something urgent to discuss with Eero Darktide. I realize that it's late, but do you think he'll speak with me? It's a matter of some urgency."
Ginevra gave the teen a confused look, but everyone in Arkhelios knew about Roman's daughter. When Rien said something, it was usually wise to listen.
"Of course. I'll go see if he's awake. Come inside, Arkhelios is no place to wait outside in the middle of the night."
While Rien waited for Eero, she tried to take in her surroundings. While Adam had once visited this place, Rien had never been inside. He hadn't mentioned the various crystals hanging from the roof or piled on the floors. There was a great crystal tree that lit up the room which must have been a thrill for Adam. Rien knew the value of crystals for spiritual work, but that was all. The crystals were nice to look at, but she had no interest in using them for magic.
The Lane family. It's missing the youngest child. These pictures were from a happier time.
"Why isn't there a picture of the youngest?" Rien asked. The spirits made an uncertain noise in her mind at the question. Rien rolled her eyes at the "all knowing" spirits who liked to make comments without being able to clarify them.
"I recognize Lukas and at least one of these guys looks just like them. Which ones are their parents?"
The spirits at least had the answer to that question.
Riley. Lukas. Linus. Luke. Leander. Linus and Luke are their parents. Katie Lee was born after Riley died. She has green eyes from her grandmother.
Sometimes the spirits sounded more like a trivia contest than a source of wisdom. Rien knew so many useless facts about people that she would never use, and when she did, they usually just creeped people out. What was she supposed to say to Lukas when she saw them next? "I hear your youngest sister has green eyes?"
"You guys talk about Linus sometimes," she said, looking closer at the pictures. "He's-"
Angry. Lost. Dangerous. Pathetic.
Despina whirled around when she heard footsteps approach. This had to be Eero Darktide.
"Hi, my name is Eero. I think I've seen you around here with your dads. You're Luciana, right?"
Demon. Demon, but not. Heir of the Firstborn. The First Ones. Angel.
Rien stared at the guy in front of her with interest. He was handsome, far more handsome than she remembered, if they had indeed crossed paths before. Maybe he had come into her dad's restaurant while she was helping out, and she hadn't been paying attention.
He had dreamy green eyes and a face that certainly could belong to an angel. There was a sadness in those eyes, but hope as well.
His sister is with Theo. His sister is his hope. The Maiden in Yacothia was his ancestor. We remember her from before the beginning of time. Have the angels spoken to him?
"It's Rien," Rien replied, still lost in those green eyes. "It's actually Princess Adrienne Bellamy, but you can just call me Rien. This might sound strange, but I was told to talk to you about something."
"Oh, you're that Bellamy!" Eero exclaimed excitedly. "I've heard about you and your family. My best friend, Malik, is a Bellamy too. He says that his mom can do a bunch of crazy stuff and so can you. People talk a lot about you and your family here."
Rien sighed at the reminder of her reputation. As much as she hated it, she couldn't deny the rumours. The spirits were the only reason why she was here in the middle of the night, meeting a near stranger.
"Yeah, my family is pretty infamous. My older brother, Theo, is usually the one people gossip about, but I'd imagine that I'm a close second. People don't understand our family's gifts. Either way, it's those gifts that brought me here tonight. I hope I didn't wake you up or anything."
Eero scowled at the reminder of his nightmare.
"No, I wasn't sleeping. Besides, it sounds like you're here for an important reason."
Rien nodded, trying to form a sentence in her head that didn't sound insane to a "normal" person.
"The spirits want to let you know that something big is happening very soon with Jubilant Accosts. They've intercepted chatter about it, and want to know if you've heard anything about it. If you don't know, then they want to warn you about it."
"That's a little ominous," Eero joked nervously. "No, I don't remember hearing anything about Jubilant Accosts. Should I have?"
"The spirits know your ancestry, and want to know if the angels have spoken to you. They don't always appear to angel hybrids, but these times are strange. Do they know what the Ocean has planned?" The baffled look on Eero's face told Despina everything she needed to know. "Okay, so I'm guessing that you haven't heard from them then. In that case, I need to tell you something."
"About Despina or about the Ocean?" Eero was having trouble keeping up with all the strange questions.
"Maybe both? The Ocean has plans for Life and Death that are going to change everything. The threat posed by Xexys will be over shortly. Theo has a cure to wake up the victims of the plague or so the angels say."
"So you're saying that Despina is coming home soon?" Eero asked excitedly. His excitement deflated when Rien's stoic expression didn't change.
"The angels have been using her name a lot according to the spirits," Rien explained. "That's part of the reason why they wanted to ask you about it. She does dream magic, right?"
Eero's heart froze in his chest. Why would Rien ask about that? Everyone knew about his sister's magic; Despina shouted her love of dream magic to anyone who would listen. Despina was Adam Darktide's perfect heir, even though he'd never wanted one.
"Yeah, she inherited it from our father. Why? Is she in trouble? Is she okay?"
Rien inhaled deeply, trying to project a sense of calm for Eero
"The spirits have heard that Theo and Adam are going to be returning to Pleasantview within the next day or so. They will bring the cure needed and wake Pleasantview from the plague. The spirits, they...they are afraid that Despina might not be coming with them. That the Ocean has claimed her for his own purposes. It's speculation, of course, but the spirits are usually extremely reliable. They wanted to prepare you for the worst."
Eero felt like the floor was falling from under him. It was a gut punch he hadn't been expecting, despite knowing all along that his sister had left him alone for a mission she might not come back from.
"Is she going to die? Will I have time to say goodbye to her? Could I write something that Theo or whoever can give to her?"
The spirits whispered among themselves for a moment, splitting from a single voice to countless overlapping voices echoing in unison.
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Rien repeated, once the spirits were in agreement. "They don't think she'll die, but she may not be coming back. It all depends on what plans the Ocean has for her. I'm sorry, but the spirits thought that you deserved to know in order to prepare. Listen for the angels, and maybe you'll hear them too."
Lukas burst into Limbo, teleporting through the realms as fast as possible. There wasn't time to change things, not on the Ocean's schedule. Despina would ascend into the position of Dream Guardian and be sealed away from her home realm soon. How could they change the Ocean's mind? It wasn't fair to seal a mortal from one realm into another one, away from their family and friends. Lukas had seen into her dreams, and saw her wishes. Her heart lay in Strangetown with a prince charming and a cursed coven to heal. She was just like Riley: full of hopes and dreams, only to be taken from the family who loved her. They couldn't let the Darktides lose Despina. History couldn't repeat itself.
There was only one soul in Jubilant Accosts' Limbo. The stress of the transfer to an isolated, desolate realm was taking its toll on that soul, which pleased Lukas.
They grabbed Adam Taisto Darktide roughly, pouring all of their anger towards the soul.
"What did you do?" Lukas demanded. "What did you do to your children? What did you promise them for? Who did you promise them to? Answer me!"
Adam writhed under the deity's grasp, struggling even when it was pointless. There wasn't a single person here to help him, and Adam couldn't win against a god.
"You know what I did," he protested. "I'm sorry! You know that I would take it back if I could!"
"Not good enough!" Lukas shouted, raising the soul off his feet with a single, violent thought. "There's something that I'm missing. Something that you left out. When you sacrificed your children to kill the Grim Reaper, who were you sacrificing them to? Which god? With what spell? Charlotte Maricourt was a Strangetown witch through and through; she wouldn't have prayed to me or Izanami. I'm guessing she was trying to hack into whatever magic took the Lost Queens from the universe, which isn't enough to attack even a reaper with, let alone the Grim Reaper, if the spell actually worked. Did you promise your children to that magic? Tell me!"
Adam glared at the deity, but his soul couldn't endure a fight. He was already exhausted from projecting himself to his daughter, and wasting away in this desolate realm. It was in his best interest to comply with the god, even if his spirit wanted to rebel against them.
"Our plan needed energy strong enough to command Death, and destroy his Grim Reaper," Adam spat, fully aware that he was talking about his plan to murder Lukas' stepson and possibly controlling their husband. If he wasn't already as low as he could get in the grand scheme of the universe, Adam might be afraid of the god punishing him for even speaking of this plan, despite claiming to want to hear it. "The Lost Queens would have been the best option, but we couldn't access that magic. The trail was a literal dead end. Those souls were gone, and absolutely nothing remained of them. So we followed the magic of Death dying instead. All the reapers who vanished or were murdered...they were easier to track. There were trails to follow, magical residue we could try to convert into a weapon against the realm of Death. Magical essence that might help us ascend."
Lukas paused to try to compose themselves after this admission. Adam tried to avoid eye contact as best as he could, while Lukas realized that Adam had tried to use Riley's disappearance to become immortal.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
Now it was beginning to come together. Why he had all the names of dead reapers, whispering them to his sister as confession. It was the evidence of what he'd done, the proof of his guilt. He used the names of Alicia Wenlock, Victoria Evans...Riley Lane as totems. Their deaths and the magical remnants of their demise were what he was trying to tap into in order to kill Lukas' stepson. He would have used Riley to come after Izanami if he could manage it.
There was no amount of deep breathing that could help Lukas now. This horrible man had come after their family, using their family, in order to sacrifice his innocent children in exchange for power. If Adam wasn't already dead, and his location made known to the proper afterlife authorities, Lukas was tempted to see just how much Life could make a soul in Death's realm suffer.
"That's not enough!" Lukas shouted, digging their fingernails into the inside of their fists to keep from using magic. Now wasn't the time to vent their feelings about Riley. The Ocean was moving quickly, and Lukas had no time to act on their anger. "I know to mortals that might make a kind of sense, but you can't sacrifice people to what's left behind after a reaper dies. You can use that residue to boost a sacrifice, but you can't just shoot your demands out into the universe. Someone needs to accept your sacrifice."
Adam clutched his chest and leaned against the white void he was trapped in. Physics didn't make much sense in Limbo.
"There was...I can barely remember. I think I forgot all about her until I came back here. One moment I was playing piano, listening to Colby ramble on about his childhood...and the next moment...she was there."
"She?"
"A blonde teenager. I don't remember her name. Carrie, maybe? It was like a dream- maybe it was dream magic. If it was, it so realistic. Her eyes were so clear, so focused on me. She had a question for me, one I can't believe I forgot."
Lukas' heart sank at these words, their suspicions confirmed.
"She asked you for your children, didn't she? Before you made Sebastian, this girl asked you to sacrifice your children to her. You're from Strangetown, hoping to use the Lost Queens' energy for a spell. Are you fucking stupid? No one can be this stupid! What did she promise you in return?"
Adam cringed at the deity's anger, not completely understanding what was happening.
"It's hazy," he replied cautiously. "Like I said, I didn't remember this until after coming back to Jubilant Accosts. It was something to do with blood. Something about making the Darktide bloodline special or something? I thought that she'd make me special, more special than I already was as a dream magic user. Some kind of demigod."
"You've played into his plans," Lukas seethed. "You've ruined everything! The Lost Queens asked for power, to be gods as well as queens, and what did they get? They vanished so powerfully from existence that assholes like you try to channel that energy! They died, and who got their power? Their daughter. You gave your children to a being that was already going to use them for a special purpose. He gave you nothing, just a promise that your bloodline, your children, would be powerful. You got scammed and you deserve it. Your attempts on the Grim Reaper would always be doomed to failure because you had already promised your children to the Ocean without even remembering it. He has the bloodline he wanted, and never had to worry that your little cult would ever succeed. It probably brought him enjoyment to see you try, knowing him. Despina was always supposed to come here. She was always supposed to replace the Dream Guardian who you killed. The Ocean has been planning this revenge scheme for almost two decades, and it's all your fault!"
"What?"
"I have absolutely no way of helping Despina escape this. Your daughter will be punished for your crimes, the Ocean has made that abundantly clear. She will be cut off from her brother and friends, even the aunt who can't stand the reminder of you. You've taken her from her family, to sit in this realm, forever fulfilling the duties of the being you killed. I hope this makes you happy. Your bloodline is indeed powerful, but it comes at the cost of Despina's happiness. Pray that I never reveal to her your part in all of this."
Lukas vanished from sight, leaving Adam alone again in Limbo. All he had left was his thoughts, and the many questions about his own guilt.
