Chapter 479: Can’t Hurt
The two pairs of mates stood before August, each glowing with their own joy. It was remarkable that in this partially destructed forest that had been bent over a vampire’s castle, there was the overwhelming sense of utter perfection. August just stood there appreciating it—the way the Veiled hummed happily around all of them. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen, second only to her mate and the union of her pack.
"Thank you for waiting," Nedra’s cheeks grew pink as if she were embarrassed of the reason for the wait, even thought the reason was not spoken. "I am ready now."
"Are you sure?" Seth asked only for her, glancing down at her with an overflowing care that she had not felt from him before. Now she realized it had always been there, but it had been bottled up, unable to fully reveal itself until now.
Her cheeks grew a darker shade of pink, and he reached up to caress one of them, uncaring as to who was watching. He had never seen her blush before today. They were together countless times, he had seen her in plenty of vulnerable states, but she had never been so fully open to him as she was now. She was baring everything for him alone, and he could feel all of her threading through his entire being. It was remarkable.
He should be angry at Zagan for keeping this from them for so long, but he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry in this state. He was too overcome with gratitude and perfect love now that he had marked his beautiful mate. Thinking of it, his eyes grew wet and Nedra reached a hand up to cover his that was paused on her cheek.
"I am sure," she spoke so softly that the sound tickled something in his chest, causing it to flutter to life again at the sweet disturbance. If only she could continue speaking to him like that. He could listen to it forever.
"But there is something I need to do first," she added and kissed his palm before turning to the others.
"What is that?" August asked, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Repair the island," she sighed. "It is unstable. I am not sure how long it will last in this condition."
"It seems alright to me," August looked around. There were trees everywhere and a gaping chasm in the ground, but there was no hint of instability. Everything had settled peacefully now.
"There is no need to repair it," Zagan added. "As long as it will hold for what must be done with our new friend here," he glanced at the vampire who was now watching them with an eerie attentiveness. Had he looked that terrifying as a vampire? "As long as it will hold for that long, the island can be dissolved afterwards."
"You will not remain here?" Nedra asked.
"No," he shook his head.
The sunlight that had been freed to shine through the bent, dense forest above was only the beginning of the freedom he expected to embrace with Penelope at his side. They were going to see the world. There was so much he wanted to show her that had been dull to experience on his own but now the thought of sharing it with her made it new and exciting again. This was going to be a new adventure for both of them. His last adventure.
Nedra gazed at the male who had held them all captive here for so long and who was now like an entirely different person. His appearance was undeniably Zagan, but everything else about him was different. The black void of nothingness that had existed with his presence in the Veiled was gone.
It was strange to think, but Nedra wondered what it would have been like to witness Zagan’s coming to life in the Veiled. Had there been a sudden rush of light and energy that had flooded into his being from the union with Penelope? It would have been remarkable, there was no doubt. Like the birth of a new star.
She held no more hatred for Zagan. How could she? She was too full of an overwhelming sense of peace. There was nothing left to fight within herself. This next thing they did, trying to bring the vampire to life like La Loba herself, was not going to be nearly as difficult as it was just to construct his cage previously, because now she was free from her own cage.
"Okay then," Nedra sighed. "I am ready. Do we know how are we going to do this?"
"Perhaps we can try to work together just as we did healing Zagan," August suggested. "As if we are healing him. When I was speaking with him earlier, I noticed the smallest amount of light within him."
"That guy?" Penelope pointed to the cage in surprise. She didn’t see any light in him. He was a swirling, churning darkness that dispersed all energy from him.
"Yes," August replied. "It was small, but it was there. I believe it is because he is part fae."
"So you think that will make this easier for us?" Nedra asked. It was still hard to believe that creature was part fae. He was using his abilities in the most horrifying way rather than what he could be doing with them. It was shameful.
"I think so," August said. "We can focus on that light and flood it with our own healing energy, focusing on making it burn brighter. That doesn’t so difficult, does it?" She asked, a cautious smile on her lips. It actually sounded much too easy.
"That doesn’t sound at all like how La Loba did it," Penelope said with a frown.
"Well he isn’t a pile of bones from the desert," August replied, throwing a hand the vampire’s way. "He may not be living, but he hasn’t expired either. This is quite different than La Loba’s story."
"That’s true," Nedra walked forward closer to the cage and to where August was standing beside it. "Let’s give it a try. It certainly can’t hurt anything."
