Chapter Six – Jade POV

“I’m so broken, mi rey,” I said quietly. It felt like every time I spoke to him, I heard him reply. Maybe it was in my head. Maybe it was his spirit. Or maybe I was delusional. I didn’t care. It brought me solace in the moment. 

I laid in our bed, under the covers, cuddling a pillow, despite it being mid afternoon.

“Tell me how to make the pain stop.”

And there it was, the sweet sound of his voice. “I can’t tell you how to grieve, mi amor. But please, for the sake of the realm, you have to do….something other than what you are doing.”

“I can’t. Not without you.” I felt tears fill my eyes.

“Jade, you’re a strong independent woman. You’ve never been codependent. Don’t start now. Go. Take care of the realm. I’ll be with you.”

“No you won’t, Marco!” I cried at the air. “You won’t be with me because you can’t be with me! We all fell into Orion’s trap. Now everyone wants him dead and they want me to tell them to do it. They need the order, but I won’t give it.”

“I know it’s hard,” he said. “And I’d never make that decision for you. But take a step back. Think about everything that is going wrong. Who is behind all of it?”

I growled. “To hell with this. I’m reviving you.”

“Wait! No!” He protested. “That will cause problems in the realm. Jade, please!”

I kept walking, heading to the memorial room. Marco tried to stop me all the way there, but I didn’t listen. He made one final attempt as I pulled out my wand, but I ignored him.

“Necrocall!” I shouted, pointing my wand at the coffin.

Marco appeared before me, as a ghost.

“Don’t do this,” he pleaded. “Jade, you could be causing-“

“Defeathify!” 

We both fell silent. I gazed at him, confused. He remained a ghost, standing before me the way he was before I cast the spell.

I stood back and pointed my wand at him again. “De-dedeathify!” My voice shook. Why wasn’t it working?”

He stepped closer. “Jade, stop. Just take me as I am right now.” He wrapped his arms around me. I felt cold, but I followed, hugging him and crying into his chest. He stroked my back lightly, comforting me.

“Don’t leave me, Marco,” I sobbed.

“I can’t stay in this form for very long, mi amor,” he said quietly. “But I’m always with you. I will guide you.”

“It’s not the same!” I cried, gazing at him. Seeing the expression of sadness on his face made me cry harder. “My son…he’s ruined everything. We all know what needs to be done, but how am I supposed to do it?”

He sighed as he began to unwillingly fade. “I can’t help with that,” he said quietly. “I can’t stay like this. I have to go.” He stepped back and took my hands. Mine phased through his after only a second or two.

“Wait!” I said, pulling him toward me before my hands phased through his jacket. “Kiss me.” I looked at him with tear filled eyes. “One last time.”

He leaned in, placing his hand on my cheek as he kissed. After a short moment, I couldn’t feel his cold lips or hand anymore. I opened my eyes and he was gone.

“I love you,” I said, caught in a sob. I stepped out of the room, wiping the tears from my eyes. “And that’s why I’m doing this.” I stood with a determined look, surveying the room from the top of the balcony. It was clear. No one would see me.

I rushed to Orion’s cell. Before he could speak a word, I summoned magic to keep his mouth shut.

“You listen to me,” I said calmly. “No snarky comebacks, no cocky attitude. This isn’t me being a mother. This is me as a sage, a spellcaster, and a protector of this sacred realm. If you leave this cell, I assure you, you won’t survive. I’m giving the order to kill on sight.”

“Mmph!” He exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widened in a rare show of fear. 

I grinned. “I know, I know. “But Mama! I’m your son!” Right? I don’t care anymore, Orion. You killed Marco in cold blood.” I released my magic hold on him and started to walk away. “And now I’m going to do the same to you.”

“Mama!” He called as I continued walking. But I didn’t stop. I opened the chamber door and left. 

I marched straight back up to the balcony, took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “This is it, Marco,” I said quietly. Opening my eyes again, I raised my hands. “May I have everyone’s attention?”

Spellcasters from all over the bottom floor gathered near the stairs, watching me closely.

“As you are probably aware, our realm’s leader, Marco Lew was murdered by Orion Hunter-Vatore.” I stood tall, despite the growing lump in my throat. “We need to save this realm. We need to free it from darkness. While this may sound like revenge, it’s not. Orion needs to be held accountable for his crimes. He won’t stop until this safe haven is destroyed. Absolutely do not, under any circumstances, allow that to happen. Ethan, Kyler, Morgyn, you have my order to stop him in any way possible.” I stopped to collect myself. “Even if that results in his death.” I looked at Caleb. “Caleb, I’m so truly sorry it has to be this way. We cannot reason with our son, and he is dangerous. The realm will forever be at risk as long as he’s alive.”

Caleb bowed his head sadly, so I looked away. “Orion is angry. I have informed him of my plans. Be on the lookout, because he will break free of his cell. For spellcasters who choose not to fight, that is your right, and I encourage you to leave the realm so you aren’t caught in the crossfire. Revival may not be an option. For those who choose to stay, please stay close to one of us if higher power. If you stray, you may be killed. This is war. This is where we fight, where we protect, at all costs.” I saw Damien and Declan, shocked at my announcement. “And as for you two, watch your back. You are on the wrong side. You either fight on our side, or you will have the same fate as Orion. You will not be spared.” I looked around the room. “Now, for whatever you choose to do, you’re free to go.”

I felt hands on my shoulders and I closed my eyes happily. Marco was with me. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him. That’s what mattered.

“I will find a way, Marco. This is my promise to you.”

I went back downstairs, found Caleb and hugged him close. “I wish things could be different.”

“I know,” he said quietly, gripping my shoulders. “We’ve known for a long time there was no hope for him. I know we never expected it to come to this, but after Marco’s death, I’m not surprised.”

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. I buried my face in his neck and sobbed. “It’s what we need to do.”

He rubbed my back. “I know, my love. I know.” Despite us not being together, Caleb would often still refer to me as “my love”, a kind and calming gesture.

I gripped him tighter as I cried harder. Morgyn saw what was happening, as did Ruby, and they both came over to hug me. Though, Ruby seemed quite angry. I assumed she was still angry with me, given the reason she was here in the first place.

“We love you, Jade,” Morgyn said. “Never forget that. We support your decisions and that won’t change. I think we all know this is a hard one to make.”

“That’s an understatement,” I said, wiping my tears. “But I do appreciate all of you.”

Morgyn smiled. “It’s what best friends do. And dammit, I’ll work my ass off to bring Marco back too.”

I couldn’t help but smile a little as well. “Thank you, Morgyn. That means a lot.”

He bowed his head.

The waiting process was excruciating. I thought for sure Orion would break free to execute his plan right away, but he didn’t. Everything was actually quite peaceful and calm. Things were still a bit off and strange because I was in a leadership position I shouldn’t have been in, but given the state of the realm, it had to be this way.

I made my way to the memorial room again and locked the door behind me. I made a point to visit Marco every other day. Even if it was just in ghost form, seeing him gave me much needed solace. 

“How are you holding up?” He asked as we sat.

I shook my head. “This is really hard. I need you. I know you’re kind of in my head or whatever, and I can see you like this, but I miss you. I want you. I want you to hold me, calm me, make me feel at home.”

He sighed. “I know.”

“And making the decision to allow any and all spellcasters to kill my own son. I know I don’t have a choice, but I’m angry at myself for making that decision.”

He rubbed my back. “Are you going back on it?”

I shook my head. “God, I want to, but I can’t, and I know that.” Tears filled my eyes. “I’m so lost. I don’t really know how to fix this any other way.”

We stayed silent for a moment, until Marco suddenly perked up. I looked at him, and he had a look of fear.

“What is it?” I asked, confused.

“Something is happening,” he said. “Go, now. They need you.”

I nodded and rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Kyler and Ethan were conjuring magic, and Orion stood before them, a black shield surrounding him. His arms were outstretched, and he had that cocky smile across his lips.

“You’re a goddamn coward!” Kyler roared. “You can’t keep that shield forever.”

“Oh, how little you know, little brother,” Orion laughed. “I could keep this up for days.”

Caleb and Morgyn joined us, standing behind me. As Orion saw his father, he froze.

Caleb grinned. “You can?”

“Dad, I…”

Caleb held out his hand. A swirl of black and green formed, sucking the shield into it like a vacuum. This allowed Kyler to launch his attack at Orion, who was knocked to the ground. Ethan pinned him.

I was actually impressed. I had only ever seen Caleb use his powers twice, and those times certainly weren’t as strong as that was. I realized we needed him for this fight. Orion had abilities from both spellcasters and vampires. He could use either freely. Caleb could counteract the ones we couldn’t.

He called for Ruby, who came rushing to him. When she realized what he was requesting, she shook her head angrily. “I absolutely will not be a part of this,” she growled, walking away again. Caleb watched her leave, a dumbfounded look on his face.

“Yikes. Denied,” Orion laughed. “Looks like you’re on your own here.” He groaned as Ethan strengthened his spell. “Think you can handle me, father?”

“I know I can,” Caleb snarled. But could he? I couldn’t read him. He looked worried, yet confident.

Orion finally counteracted Ethan’s light spell with a dark one, freeing himself. He lunged at Caleb, readying an attack. It was a mix of vmpire and spellcaster magic, something only he could use.

Caleb charged back at him, and they collided, literal sparks flying from them, which caught me by surprise. Morgyn and I rushed to them. Caleb would need our help with the spellcaster magic.

“You bastard!” Orion shouted at Caleb. “You can’t even counteract? What kind of vampire are you?”

Caleb darted out of Orion’s grasp, grabbing him with vampire magic and pulling him closer. As Orion struggled, Caleb looked him in the eye.

“Maybe I’m a tad rusty, but I’m clearly a better one than you.”

“How could you say that to your own child?” Orion growled.

Caleb dropped him. “You really need to stop using that defense. It’s not like I haven’t tried to help. You just ran away from it. It’s too late now. You’ve killed someone in cold blood. You aren’t a little, innocent child. You are a killer, and I want no part of that. I am fighting you because I know it’s best for this realm.”

“Why do you even care?” Orion continued angrily. “You’re a vampire! This place means nothing to you.”

“This ‘place’ means a lot to me, actually.” Caleb crossed his arms. 

Orion stepped back. “You’re useless, just like all of these pathetic spellcasters.” He conjured another mix of magic. Morgyn and I stood at Caleb’s sides, blocking the spellcaster magic as Caleb counteracted the vampire magic. 

At the same time, Damien and Declan stepped in, blindsiding Kyler and Ethan with magic. Ethan turned just in time to shield both of them, and Kyler jumped back, surprised. This started a full on battle between the four spellcasters, along with the battle between the four of us. This could turn ugly quickly. Especially with Caleb being the only other vampire willing to help. We needed Lilith. 

Declan charged Ethan, and I left Caleb’s side, running into Declan at full force and throwing him down.

He stared up at me, shocked.

“Yeah, I’m oh-so-strong for a girl, huh?” I growled as I grabbed his throat. “You should have stayed dead, where you belong.”

“No please!” He choked. “I’ll be on your side! Give me a chance!”

“You’ve had several chances. Going after my son was your last.” I pressed harder on his throat. 

Kyler grabbed me. “Mom, no, stop! We all hate him, but he doesn’t deserve death.”

I got off of him, frustrated, then picked him up with magic, slamming him against the wall with everything I had. “My son just gave you a reprieve. Use your chance wisely.” I dropped him and walked away.

Everyone just watched me, shocked. I paid no mind to the staring, walking straight up to Orion, brushing past Caleb and Morgyn. We stood toe to toe, glaring at each other. Caleb and Morgyn moved to my sides, ready to protect if Orion pulled any punches. 

“You’re a traitor,” he said.

“You don’t have it in you,” I challenged.

“Oh, I don’t?”

“Try it.”

“What are you doing?” Caleb asked quietly. I held up my hand and continued.

“What are you waiting for?”

Orion glanced around nervously. “Well….it’s, um, less enjoyable if the person actually wants to die.”

“Who said I wanted to die?” I grinned. “Getting cold feet?” I knew if he finally acted, everyone around me would jump on him.

He growled. “Why are you provoking me, then? You know what I’m capable of.”

“And I know what everyone here is capable of.” I held out my arms. “So, I’ll ask again, what are you waiting for?”

He laughed. “I’m stronger than everyone in this room.”

“Prove it.”

He let out a roar, shoving me backwards. Standing over me, he grinned. “Perhaps I’ll kill you slowly like your beloved husband.” He surrounded me with a searing, fire-like magic. “Watching him writhe in pain, hearing his pleas, it was great.” He crouched down. “Will you do the same, Mother?“

I narrowed my eyes as the magic closed in around me. “No. Never.”

By this point, as I suspected, Ethan, Kyler, Caleb and Morgyn were desperately grabbing at Orion, who activated a shield, pushing them back. We hadn’t planned for this. Now I would have the same fate as Marco? I felt a blinding pain in my legs as the magic slowly crept up. I winced in pain, trying my best not to let out the scream forming in my throat. I wanted to beg for my life, but I wouldn’t give him that.

“She’s your mother!” Caleb cried, trying to go to me.

“Ah, if I can’t use that, then you can’t either. She’s nothing to me. Neither are you. I’ve been on my own for a very long time. If you keep protesting, you’ll be next.” Orion stood up and approached him. “Do you dare?”

Caleb grabbed him, wrestling him to the ground. “Morgyn! Go!”

“I-I can’t break the spell!” Morgyn frantically casted spells, trying to break me free.

“Pull her out!”

“I can’t!” Morgyn cried. “She’s pinned.”

I struggled, whimpering as the magic crept up my thighs, the other side coming close to my face. I tried to summon my own magic, but I couldn’t focus on it. The pain was far too blinding. “Orion,” I whispered. “I never stopped loving you. No matter what, no matter what you’ve done, you’re still my son.”

Everyone fell silent. I watched in horror as the magic moved closer to my head. It was almost over. I stopped struggling, accepting my fate. Closing my eyes, I felt the magic touch my forehead, the agonizing burn making me lose consciousness.

This is the end.

But, it wasn’t. I awoke in someone’s arms. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by warmth. Not the warmth of the fire, but a calming warmth. I was in complete darkness, feeling the arms around me, but not seeing who it was.

“Jade?” I heard. As I looked up, it was like a light flicked on. A warm orange glow illuminated a friendly face.

“Marco!” I cried happily, hugging him tightly.

He laughed as I held him, but turned serious quickly. “I wish I could say I’m happy to see you too, mi reina, but I think you know why I’m not.”

I sighed as tears filled my eyes. “I’m dead.”

“Yes. But you can still be saved.”

“I don’t want to go, though.”

“Jade, the realm is depending on you,” Marco said, stroking my hair. “I think you know this as well as I do.”

I sobbed. “They have Morgyn, and Caleb. And our sons.”

He shook his head and gestured to our side. “Look.” 

A screen appeared, like the memories Ruby would show me in my dreams. But this was showing me what was happening now. Orion had everyone pinned, torturing each of them with blasts of magic.

“No,” I whispered, sitting up. “Oh god, Kyler. Ethan.” I looked back at Marco. “We need to go back!”

“It’s too late for me, Jade,” Marco said. “But you can.”

I looked back, seeing my body out of harm’s way, no longer surrounded by magic.

“Orion broke his spell and moved you.”

“He did?”

“Yes. What you said really resonated with him.”

I sighed. “I’m about to feel really bad for saying what I said and doing what I’m about to do.” I stood up. Marco followed. I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his shoulder. “I’ll bring you back, somehow. I can’t live without you.”

He stroked my cheek. “I love you.”

I lifted my head and gazed at him. “And I love you. More than you’ll ever know.”

We kissed, and tears streamed down my face. As we pulled away, he wiped them.

“Go, mi reina. I’ll be with you.”

Chapter Seven (click here)