Authors: Chanda Hahn

Forever (28 page)

BOOK: Forever

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Mina
turned and looked at their hands clasped together and over at the world that
was crumbling and dying around them. She wouldn’t let the circumstances
pressure her into doing the wrong thing. She glanced into his eyes and still
saw white. It didn’t scare her. On him, it looked majestic and not deathly.
Maybe because his eyes conveyed so much love.

In fact,
there was so much love, so much honor, that she wasn’t searching for them to
change to blue or gray. The color didn’t matter anymore. The soul did. The
prince, as he stood before her, was both Teague and Jared, and she had a part
of his soul.

Teague
also possessed a bit of hers.

“Yes,”
she answered. “I’ll stay.” She felt a thrill as he smiled and bent to kiss her.

His lips
claimed hers in a passionate kiss, and he whispered, “I’ve waited forever for
you. Now I’m yours. Love me, rule with me. I’ll love and protect you for
eternity.” The corner of his mouth lifted up in a smile as he reached up to
caress her cheek.

“Eternity
sounds perfect.” Mina rose up on tiptoes to wrap her hands around his neck, and
he laid a trail of kisses down her face until he kissed her mouth again.

“Then
open your soul to me like you did before.” He gently pulled away, and they
turned to look out the tower across the land.

It was
easy to do, to close her eyes and think of the love she had for him. She felt
Teague do the same, and their minds touched.

He
whispered, “Open your eyes.”

She did,
and she saw hundreds of lights rise up out of the land, and more come from the
palace and flow to her. She didn’t flinch or run away but felt the Fae magic
flow through her and Teague, magnified like a prism. She and Teague began to
glow together, and the Fae magic drew closer to them, uniting their souls.

Then, it
shot out of them, across the sky, and into the Fae world.

She was a
magnet—the conduit—for all the Fae power in the land. It flowed to
them and through them. Mina understood now what the Fae lights were. There
never had been anyone else in the palace. It was the magic that kept her
company. She could see it, and it responded to her, just like when she was
younger. It had always been attracted to her. It always seemed to come
willingly to her.

It knew,
just like Teague knew, they were meant to be together.

Mina felt
no pain, only joy, as the Fae world slowly changed, grew and blossomed before
her. The two suns brightened, the grass turned green, and the land healed
itself. Water filled the lake again, but the magic wasn’t done. The palace
rebuilt itself, and the magnificent structure returned to its former glory.

But it
didn’t look the same. There were fewer towers, more rounded glass domes like
observatories, and the river-paths flowed through the grounds.

Teague
shifted into a black griffin as he turned toward Mina. This one had specks of
white on the tips of his feathers, and his eyes stayed the same white as
Teague’s. Mina climbed onto his back as he jumped from the tower and flew
across the palace and over the lake. For hours they flew, watching as the Fae
world reknit itself and became even more beautiful. It was everything she ever
dreamed of.

When
everything seemed to be in order, they flew back to the palace and alit on the
steps. Mina slipped off, and Teague shifted back. He stood by her side as
hundreds of Fae pressed close, crying out in tears of joy and thankfulness.

Teague’s
face turned down, and she recognized his frustration. “What’s the matter?” she
whispered.

“I’ve
only just got you, and I’m not in the mood to share,” he grumbled as a Fae
child ran up and hugged Mina around the waist. His frown turned to one of
bewilderment as the same child, in turn, hugged him. He looked at a loss, and
then his hand came down and gently patted the girl’s head. “She can see me, and
she’s not scared of me.”

“I think
people can see you if they don’t fear Death.”

The
little girl whispered, “Thank you.”

At that
moment, Teague must’ve appeared to others. They began to understand that it
took two to save the world.

“All hail
the Fates,” Adrith called out from the crowd. “King of Darkness, Queen of
Light.”

“Alright!”
Ever whooped.

Nix
clapped eagerly. The Fae cheered on relentlessly, and the sound became
deafening.

“Fate?”
Mina asked as she looked to Teague.

He seemed
a little confused. “What did you think I meant when I asked you to stay with
me? It was a marriage proposal.” He shrugged. “So maybe it wasn’t the best one.
Don’t worry, the title of Queen won’t come into effect until after the
ceremony, but your fate’s already tied to mine. We became the Fates when we
saved the Fae plane.”

“I guess
I didn’t expect to marry a Fate worse than Death.”

Teague’s
eyes lit up as he picked Mina up and twirled her around to the encore of the
crowd’s cheers.

“I
promise to love you forever,” Teague said when he put her back down on the
ground. He reached down and kissed her knuckles.

Mina
smiled and spoke softly, “Forever isn’t long enough.”

Epilogue

The next
few weeks were a whirlwind as the Fae planned her wedding to Teague and the
coronation soon after. Teague kept his promise and returned to the In Between
to help Ferah cross over. He also found her mother’s soul, but he didn’t just
help her to the other side. He was able to do one better.

It seemed
no one knew what to expect when a rogue prince who hardly played by the rules
became the official Death Reaper. He was a Fate, and a Royal, and more powerful
than any before him, so the rules became guidelines, and he bent them all.

Mina
cried a river of tears when her father’s spirit appeared to her in the Royal
gardens. James was smiling, his short mustache wiggling over his teeth. A
second later, her mother appeared by his side in her full siren glory, and her
father didn’t seem to mind. They both waved, and she watched as her father
wrapped his arms around her mother before they slowly faded out. It was the
best gift anyone could have given to her.

Her
grandparents and brother finally made it back to the Fae plane, and Charlie
seemed to be loving the siren life. He was wholly acclimated to the Fae world
and customs. His clothes were covered in nets and shells, and he preferred to
run around barefoot. He had even made friends with a younger siren boy.

Kino,
Genni, and Reef frequently swam up the new networks of smaller streams in and
around the new palace grounds, and Mina saw the reason the streams had been
created. Because of her—for her family and friends. Nix loved to swim the
streams too, and he would frequently pop out of the water and place shells and
rocks along the sidewalks that lined the streams. Charlie planted his mother’s
remembrance seed in the palace gardens, and it sprouted into a beautiful and
fitting red orchid, aptly named a ruby siren.

Everything
seemed to be in place, except that she couldn’t help but worry over her
friends—the Godmothers, Nan, and Brody. The natural gates were still
open, and there were hundreds of Fae that roamed the human plane—many
evil ones who had been released when the Grimoire was destroyed the first time.
She had some contact with the GMs, and it seemed like they had moved to a new
location and were rebuilding, but no one was handling the rampant Fae.

Mina had
wanted to go initially, but Teague said that was too dangerous for them all. If
something happened to her, the Fae world would collapse again. She now
understood the Fates’ dilemma and the reason for sending the Grimm brothers
after the Fae.

They’d
done it out of desperation, and Mina was about to do the same.

Mina and
Teague spent hours discussing it, and they agreed. Teague sent for Ever and Nix
and had them brought to the throne room. They stood in front of the thrones on
the floor, so they would be on the same level when Ever and Nix approached.

Their
dear friends—and now subjects—looked nervous, because things had
changed. Especially now that Mina wore royal Fae robes of gold and white, and
Teague wore his own in shades of gray and black. Behind the two thrones, on the
wall, mysteriously appeared the betrothal picture of her and Teague that she
had been looking for in the storage room. Mina had a suspicion that Teague was
the one who hid it and was also the one who made it reappear.

Teague
and Mina laughed when Nix curtsied and Ever bowed.

When
everyone’s laughter died down, Mina asked them, “What are your plans for the
future?”

Ever ran
her fingers over her skirt and looked wary. “We’re going to stay with you.
Remember, I’m your Godmother,” Ever answered.

Mina
shook her head. “There’s no need anymore. The curse is broken.”

“Oh,
yeah.” Ever’s wings slowly dipped in sadness.

Nix threw
his arm over her shoulders and nudged her gently. “You can always be my
guardian.”

Ever gave a wry smile, but she was still sad. “I just
thought that we make such a good team. It can’t be over.”

Mina turned and picked up the Grimoire from the throne
behind her. “It’s not. There are still hundreds of rogue Fae that can’t be left
to roam free on the human plane.” She handed the book to Ever.

Ever’s
hands trembled as she held the book. “I can’t take this. I’m not a Grimm.”

“Grimm is
just a title. Think of it as a job description,” Teague said. “And as I’ve
proven, those can be loosely followed. I think you’ll do just fine. You’ll make
a phenomenal keeper of the Grimoire.”

Ever ran
her fingers over the gold lettering and opened up the pages. Her wings
fluttered in anticipation. “I’m in, as long as you’re sure you don’t need me.”

Mina
smiled. “I’ve got my very own Reaper to protect me.” She nudged Teague, who
placed his arm around her waist in affirmation. “Although as a Grimm with the
Grimoire, you may need a Godmother.” Mina looked at Nix who seemed to balk at
the idea.

“Nope,
huh uh. I’m not going to do it if I have to be called a Godmother.” He puffed
out his cheeks and drawled in a thick accent. “You can call me the Godfather.”

Ever
rolled her eyes.

He
grinned and winked.

Mina
smiled. Her best friends were up for the challenge. She knew that Ever and Nix
would look after Nan and Brody. The Godmothers, once they were reestablished,
would help Ever as well. She hated that she was unable to help over there in
the world she loved so much, but the Grimoire would be in very capable hands.

Mina let
out a deep breath. “I’ve waited so long to be free of the curse. And now that I
am, I can’t continue the quest. My story is done, but your story, Ever… is just
beginning.”

The End.

About the Author

Chanda Hahn is a
New York Times
and USA Today Bestselling Author
. She uses her experience as a children's
pastor, children's librarian, and bookseller to write compelling and popular
fiction for young teens. She was born in Seattle, WA, grew up in Nebraska, and
currently resides in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their twins.

Visit
Chanda Hahn’s website to learn more about her other forthcoming books.

Other Books by Chanda Hahn

UnEnchanted
(An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)

Fairest
(An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2)

Fable
(An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 3)

Reign
(An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 4)

Forever
(Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 5)

The
Iron Butterfly

The
Steele Wolf

The
Silver Siren

Connect with Me Online at:

Web:
www.chandahahn.com