Chapter Seventeen – Various POV (Final)

Caleb POV

I called Ambrosia over to watch Orion as soon as I heard the news. There was a battle in Henford-on-Bagley, but I was specifically told not to join. But Jade and Marco called me to tell me where Ruby was. I had to find her.

I sped into Forgotten Hollow and to the red Victorian home next to my old house. I knocked on the door.

Inna opened it, and we both stopped.

“Inna,” I said quietly.

“You finally came to see me, huh?” She smiled. Then her face fell. “Or maybe you’re just looking for Ruby.”

I hung my head. “I was hurt, I’m sorry.”

“For sixty years, Caleb?” She glared. “Surely you just forgot I existed, despite me being your neighbor.”

“Inna, can we please talk about this st-“

“No.” She stepped closer. “I loved you, and you became a ghost.”

“I-“

“You could have just said you didn’t feel the same.”

I looked into her eyes. “But I did. That’s why I left. I felt like I was forcing myself to find someone after Ruby. I was hurt and didn’t want to hurt you.”

She looked away, but didn’t say a word.

Ruby came to the door. “I don’t want to see you,” she said. “I didn’t ask to return, and I certainly didn’t ask to step between you and Jade.”

“It’s doesn’t matter,” I said quietly. “She left anyway and has been quite happy with Marco.”

“You’re not even going to try?” She demanded.

“Jade will do what Jade will do,” I explained. “I won’t get in the way of what makes her happy.

Inna walked inside, closing the door as Ruby came out.

I hugged her. “Ruby, I need you.”

She hugged me back. “And I need you, but this is so unfair to Jade.”

“Let’s go home. I assure you Jade is fine with it. She was the one who told me where you were. If she didn’t want us to find each other, why would she tell me?”

Ruby stared at me for a moment. “Alright. But if she has a change of heart, I refuse to stand in the way.”

I nodded. “Of course, my love.”

—————————-

Morgyn POV

I stood at the ready, and Jade and Marco teleported in next to me.

“I hope you two kissed and made up,” I glanced at them.

Marco nodded, standing next to me. “Yeah.”

Jade stood at my other side. Aidoneus was beside her.

Damien readied an attack, which we dodged easily. In fact, the short battle we had weakened him enough where we stopped fighting.

Marco straightened and approached him. “Stop this, my friend.” He held out his hand and helped Damien up. “Let’s just end this now.”

Damien clenched his teeth, firing an attack straight into Marco’s chest. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Jade darted to him in a flash, knocking Damien down with an attack as she did.

Marco was breathing heavily, blood at the side of his mouth. A strong attack like that, especially straight into his chest at close range was similar to being shot.

“What hurts?” Jade cried.

He pointed to his chest as his breaths became more strained.

Aidoneus ran over to them. “Jade, it’s a puntured lung. Use a healing spell. It should help.”

She placed her hands on his chest. Slowly, his breathing became easier. He started coughing heavily, blood coming out with each one. Jade helped him up, and he got away from the fight, still coughing, spitting into the grass. Jade went with him, but Crystal came to my side. Damien was down again from one of my last attacks. He would never surrender. He didn’t want to live in peace. But I refused to kill him.

I lifted my wand. Pointing it at the sky, I spoke slowly. “Damien Parker.”

Marco turned around quickly, watching me from a distance as magic swirled around me, then around Damien. Just before he vanished, he cast an alluring spell on Crystal. Before I could stop my banishment spell, she was taken away, swept up in the magic and taking her to the dark realm with him. His dark magic had made her a target for my light magic, banishing her with him for eternity.

I sighed. There was nothing I could do about it.

Marco came over, Jade following close behind. He was still breathing heavily, but he was better than he had been. Jade’s healing spell was still working. Jade hugged me tightly, then Aidoneus.

“Thank you so much for coming to me,” she said quietly. “Or us, rather.”

Marco smiled. “I second that. Thanks. And I’m sorry for all of my actions.”

I stood back. “It’s all becoming a blur to me, fading from my mind quickly. The only thing I know is that I was incredibly sad and somehow ended up back at Marco’s house.

Marco waved his hand. “Ah, mi reina, that doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters now is that everything is okay, and things will return to normal.”

I felt a pang in my heart. “Does she know what that means? Reina?”

Jade nodded, resting her head on Marco’s shoulder. “‘Mi reina’ is ‘my queen’.”

I hung my head. “And you enjoy him calling you that?”

She laughed. “I do now! It’s not like how it was then.”

“I see,” I said, closing my eyes.

She stepped closer. “Morgyn. We have a bond that will absolutely never be broken. You know this. But I’m happy. And you and Caleb are happy. Ruby is happy. Everything is okay.”

Aidoneus touched Marco’s arm. “Let’s give them some time.”

Marco nodded as they walked away.

“I’m so sorry for the way I acted,” I said. “I should have believed you from the start. I know that spell can also cause amnesia, but I ignored that. I was angry and jealous.”

She smiled. “I know. But there are some things that can’t be changed. I forgive you, of course, but things just can’t be the way they were.”

I nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

She hugged me tightly. “I still love you. I always will. Just maybe not in the way I used to.”

I buried my face in her shoulder. “I love you too, Jade.”

————————–

Marco POV

We tried to get him to surrender. He refused. Maybe I should have felt bad seeing my friend be banished to that hell, but I didn’t. He brought this on himself, and if there was one thing I had learned, it was that this world had no place for dark magic.

Well, unless it was used for good.

I sat down, clearing my throat from my coughing spell. “I guess I can add chronic coughing to the chronic headaches, eh?’ I grinned at Aidoneus.

He shrugged. “Those will go away in a few days. You should get the headaches checked out.”

I shook my head. “The hospital wasn’t very positive that they would go away. Guess it’s just a side effect from my encounter with Damien.”

He nodded. “I’m just glad it’s over and everyone is alright. Jade can go back to being sage, and all of this can just be forgotten.”

“I’ll never forget it,” I smiled. “It’s what brought Jade and I together.”

Aidoneus grinned. “You love her.”

I looked at him so fast it made me dizzy. “What? No!”

He laughed. “Can’t hide it from me. You have that gleam in your eye when you talk about her. She means a lot to you.”

I looked down with an amused smile. “Of course she does. But that’s not love. Not yet. Let’s not rush it.”

He grinned. “Whatever you say buddy.” He patted my back.

I laughed and shook my head as he walked away. No. Someone like me could never love. Even if I loved everything about her, I could never love her. Not after being who I was then. If I couldn’t BE loved, then I had no right to love anyone else. I looked up, gazing at her as she cheered Morgyn up, eventually leading to laughter between them. But she was perfect, wasn’t she? And she certainly saw something in me she had never seen before. Something I never thought she would. But something I had seen in her from the moment I met her.

I just didn’t show it very well, did I?

If she can love me, I can love her. I smiled. “Yeah,” I said out loud with a nod. Of course I couldn’t rush it, but the thought of it was comforting.

Jade and Morgyn came over to me, and Jade motioned for Aidoneus to come back and join us. I stood up and put my arms around her, kissing her.

“You did great. Truly exceeding your expectations as sage.” I smiled at her.

Her expression shifted. “About that…”

Morgyn looked at her, confused.

She wrung her hands together and explained, “Aidoneus has done an excellent job being the sage of Alchemy. Morgyn, Aidoneus, if you two agree, how would you like to keep that role? I just want to focus on being a mom and living a semi-normal life.” She laughed softly. “As normal as our lives could ever be.”

Morgyn and Aidoneus nodded in unison. “Sure,” Morgyn said. “He has done well.”

Aidoneus bowed his head. “Thank you.”

Jade hugged him. “No, thank you. You took over when everything went to hell. If anyone deserves that sage role, it’s you.”

He smiled, hugging her back. “Thank you Jade. That really means a lot.” He seemed like he wanted to ask her something, and I felt I already knew. As they pulled away and he looked at me, I shook my head. I was sure Jade didn’t remember the discussions about the legend about us. I hoped she didn’t remember the one about Orion either, but that happened before the spell.

Wait, the other conversation was after the spell, right? Did she actually remember? I broke out into a cold sweat. What if she knew? What would that do to her? To us? I tried to clear my mind.

“You alright, Marco?” Morgyn asked.

Too late.

“Yeah I’m good,” I smiled. I looked around. “It’s just nice here. Peaceful. I love San My, but the atmosphere here is just stunning.”

Jade walked over, resting her head on me. “Well, this house is vacant, isn’t it? Maybe it could be our little getaway.”

I grinned. “That sounds nice. We could set up a little playroom and bedroom for Orion, get some farm animals, grow stuff. Hell yeah.”

Jade giggled. “Farmer Marco had this all planned out.”

I kissed her forehead. “Damn right.”

We all smiled at each other.

“For now, do you all want to come back to our place?” Morgyn asked. “I mean, Jade’s old-uh, wait.”

Jade smiled. “it’s yours, Morgyn. It’s alright.”

He also smiled. “Thanks.”

We headed back to San Myshuno, going to the old penthouse.

———————

Jade POV

It felt like it had been weeks since I was here, but it had only been a week and a half. While I didn’t remember anything after leaving Damien’s house, it still felt like I was home for an eternity. I’d ask Marco later why I couldn’t remember and what even happened.

Caleb stood up, kissing Morgyn on the cheek. “Welcome back.” He nodded to me. “And you too.”

I smiled and hugged him tightly. “How are things going? Did you find Ruby?”

Ruby stepped out of the kitchen. She was in modern attire and makeup. “Yes he did.”

My eyes widened. “My god, Ruby! You look stunning! I’ve never imagined you in anything but the Victorian attire, but…wow.” I stepped back. “Wait, is it weird I’d I’m crushing on someone who’s technically me, or used to be, or I used to be her?” I crossed my arms in front of me.

Caleb laughed. “Maybe, but we won’t see it that way, okay?”

I giggled. “Of course not.”

“Living in your mind gave me a window to this world,” Ruby said. “It’s certainly different to live it than just see it. There are many things I must adjust myself to. I suppose language would be the first thing I shall work on. Most people don’t speak in the same mannerisms as I do anymore.”

I smiled. “Don’t change a thing, girl. You’re unique, and amazing, and so damn beautiful.”

Caleb grinned. “Jeez, Jade, there’s a bedroom upstairs. Get it out of your system now.”

I giggled. “Bet you’d love that, huh?”

Marco cleared his throat, and I laughed. “Yes, you would too.”

“Stop it,” he grinned.

I walked up to Caleb and took his hands. “Caleb, I’m so happy for you. You were reunited with the love of your life, and while I was hurt at first, I’m so happy you finally got the happy ending you deserve.”

He looked sad. “But did you?”

I smiled and glanced over my shoulder at Marco. “I definitely think I did, yeah.”

Caleb also smiled. “Then good. I’m happy for you as well. And Morgyn? Are you guys still a thing?”

Ruby shifted her weight. Caleb smiled at her. “Go ahead.”

“Caleb and I talked about that. While I personally was unaware of how to live in a relationship like that, I saw it through your eyes. If Morgyn is willing, then I am too.”

Morgyn bowed his head with a smile. “Of course, Ruby.”

I smiled happily. “Then it’s settled. Maybe this wasn’t a bad thing, you know? Everyone is still happy, even if some people got shuffled in the mix.” I glanced between Morgyn and Caleb. “And you two will always have a special place in my heart. I will always love you as my dear friends. Nothing in this world will ever change that. I promise.” I turned to Ruby. “The same goes for you. We may be separate people now, but you are still a part of me. You made me so much stronger than I could have been on my own. I’m so honored your spirit chose me to help you find your daughter. I’m happy we had the time we did. And now, we can make even more memories as good friends.”

She hugged me. “I love you Jade. In, of course, a platonic way.”

I giggled. “I love you too, Ruby. Platonically. Or maybe as family. You’re like a sister to me. Like twins, in a way, yeah?”

She nodded happily. “Yes! Well said! We are family.”

I stepped back over to Marco, standing in front of him and still looking at the others. He put his arms around me, holding me close and swaying me from side to side playfully. I laughed.

Ruby tilted her head. “Call this intuition from living in your head for so long, but it does appear as if you may love him, Jade.”

I stiffened and my eyes shot open. Marco snorted, holding back laughter. “I, uh, it’s way too soon to tell that yet, Ruby.” I laughed nervously.

“No it’s not!” She exclaimed. “I knew I loved Caleb from the moment I laid eyes on him. Love at first sight does exist.”

I let out another nervous laugh. “I’m, um, a bit more guarded. It takes me awhile to fully realize these things.”

Marco nodded. “Me too.” He paused. “But I think, maybe with us, it might be sooner than we expect.”

I blushed. “Time will tell.”

Move on to The Destroyer