A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(65)

“It was one of the few loopholes that we could take advantage of… We shrouded Eritopia in a mist that cut it off from the rest of the universe, from the other worlds,” Rubia added.

“It was mostly meant to stop his darkness from spilling out,” Ruelle said. “And to keep anyone else from accidentally stumbling into this disaster that had once been our most precious gem, our home.”

“Our mother.” Chana scoffed lightly. “We let Eritopia down, and Draven was the one to show us that there are more important things in this world than our feelings. We didn’t have his courage. We couldn’t bring ourselves to sacrifice our sister. And we couldn’t bear being reminded of our own cowardice.”

“We felt ashamed and frustrated because we’d allowed Azazel to get so far,” Effissa said. “But the greatest shame came upon us when Viola, our own sister, stood up for the Druid, for Phoenix and the rest of you. It was then that we truly understood that we’d made a very poor choice. It was then that we were reminded of our true purpose, as guardians of Eritopia.”

A moment of silence passed as we all looked at each other. I could feel Serena’s awe and genuine amazement, and I accurately mirrored it—neither of us had ever thought we’d see the day when the Daughters of Eritopia would stand before us and admit they were wrong. I thought I would’ve seen hell freeze over before they spoke out, and yet, I had to admit, it was comforting to see and hear them being apologetic and aware of their shortcomings.

“We were wrong to react the way we did toward Viola, as well.” Ruelle looked at me and Viola. “We weren’t ready to sacrifice Nova, but we constantly pushed Viola to end her own life in order to bring down Azazel. We overreacted when she influenced the shape-shifters that were trying to harm you all. She was only trying to protect the only family she ever knew, and for that, we are deeply sorry. We couldn’t see the forest because of the trees…”

“‘Overreacted’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I replied dryly, prompting Ruelle to lower her head in shame.

“While that may be true,” Draven interjected politely, “in hindsight, it did give us an unpleasant but necessary push to fight harder and destroy Azazel once and for all. While their methods were questionable, to say the least, the Daughters proved that we were all ready and perfectly capable to stand up for ourselves and for Eritopia.”

I had to admit, Draven had a point. As petty as the Daughters’ gesture had been at the time, it had brought the best out of us. We’d been forced out of the safety of the mansion and thrown into the heat of the battle. We’d fought hard, worked together, and made it to Stonewall in one piece.

“It’s all in the past now, Phoenix,” Viola said, then glanced at Aida, Field, Anjani, and the others. “We shouldn’t hold on to grudges. I think we’ve all learned something from this experience…”

“You’ve all managed to accomplish something we never could,” Rubia said. “You sacrificed your own to rid Eritopia of the darkness and poison that Azazel had cast upon it. In return, we would like to offer our apology, along with a promise that we will never put Eritopia second again.”

“We would also like to offer our assistance in helping to rebuild the kingdoms,” Safira added. “Balance must be restored.”

She looked at Draven, who gave her a half-smile and nodded his approval. She then raised her hand and, with the flick of her wrist, sent out an invisible pulse that knocked Azazel’s massive portrait off the wall. Its large, gold-brushed frame broke as it hit the floor, and the canvas came down loose.

We all stilled at the sight of what the painting had been covering – a large stone portal framed with polished and rounded blocks of obsidian. It was sealed shut with black marble blocks, but it reminded me of the portals I’d seen in my past visions of the Master Druids’ gathering between the kingdoms.

“A kingdom portal,” Draven gasped, staring at the sealed archway.

“Azazel sealed them shut,” Rubia explained. “He only opened this for his own purposes, moving between planets along with his armies.”

“The kingdom portals lead to the Hall Between Worlds, where the Master Druid Council convenes. It also takes you to the other portals of Eritopia,” Safira continued, placing her palm on the wall at the center of the archway.

The surface rippled as pink light spread through it. The stone dissolved, and the portal was opened, revealing a dark interior with starry reflections. Safira then turned to face us with a soft expression on her face.

“I’ve made it so this portal will also take you to The Shade,” she said. “A portal will form on the other side as soon as you step through this.”

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of home. Serena and I glanced at each other, and I could see the same sparkle in Aida, Vita, Jovi, and Field’s eyes. We could finally go home and see our families again. A silent joy washed over me, and I felt Serena’s exhilaration sizzling out of her like the sweet scent of freedom. She winked, then nodded at me, and I knew then that the time for us to see our parents and friends from The Shade had finally, finally come.

“However, before we go on, I feel like we must resolve one last issue regarding the kingdoms,” Safira said, her gaze moving between Serena and me. She’d obviously sensed our excitement, and I had a feeling the wide grins plastered all over our faces had been a dead giveaway. “The planets need Master Druids in charge. Of those left standing, however, none have ever acquired the Hundredth Circle required for the nomination.”