I nodded. “I guess so.”
“Hey,” she said, leaning over to catch my gaze. “I regret nothing. You shouldn’t either.”
I chewed my lip to keep in the tears. “I know. It’s just—”
“Sabina, it all worked out as it should. I actually kind of like it down here.”
My head jerked up. “Really?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Does that make me weird?”
I laughed. “Maisie, we’re mixed-blood demigoddesses who just consumed the most evil human alive. I’d say we zoomed right past weird a long time ago.”
At that point, Phoebe approached us. I’d met my mother before in the Liminal, the night Maisie had died, but this was the first time we’d faced each other like this.
“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling unsure of myself.
She smiled at me. “Hello, daughter.” She winked at Maisie. “I am so proud of both of you.”
The corner of my mouth lifted in an awkward, self-conscious smile. How weird was it that her pride meant so much? “So what will you do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Tristan’s down here now. You two can finally be together.”
A shadow passed over her face. “I’m afraid it’s too late.”
“Too late because of what Cain did?” Maisie asked. “With the spell?”
My mother nodded. “You saw Tristan’s reaction when he saw me. I’m afraid he’s convinced that what we had wasn’t real.”
I certainly had seen his reaction. She might be remembering when he withdrew, but I saw the joy on his face the instant he saw her. I had a feeling it wouldn’t take much for her to convince him he was an idiot if he didn’t believe their love had been real. “Look, I know we just met and all, but I have a feeling I got a lot of my stubbornness from you.” Her lips turned up into a rueful smile, but I wasn’t done. “If I were you, I’d march over to Hekatian Fields and make him stop being a blind fool.”
She barked out a shocked laugh. “That would be great if I could enter Hekatian Fields.”
Maisie cleared her throat. “Well since I sort of run the dark races in Irkalla now and you’re my mom and all, I could probably be convinced to give you permission.”
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “I… I don’t know. What if he rejects me?”
“Oh, I have a pretty good feeling he won’t,” I said. “He might put up a token resistance at first, but don’t kid yourself. That man is head over heels for you still.”
“Sabina,” Lilith called. “It’s time for you and your friends to go now.”
I nodded at the goddess and turned to Phoebe. “We have to go. But next time I see you, I expect progress with Dad, okay?”
My mother laughed. “Deal. Please come back soon. I want a chance to get to know you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t bother fighting them. “I’d like that.”
With that, my mother floated off to speak with Lilith.
I turned back to Maisie. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Maisie forced a smile and grabbed my hand. I’d half expected it to wave through my skin. Instead, her hand grabbed mine as if she were made of flesh and bone rather than spirit. “I love you, sister.”
I wanted to pull her against me and give her a hug, but Lilith’s warnings about staying connected too long echoed in my head. As it was, the contact was draining what little was left of my energy. Instead, I squeezed her hand, ignoring the chill that crept up my arm, and looked her in the eye. “I never wanted a sister, you know.” Her eyes flared. “But I had no idea how much I needed one. Thank you for finding me and showing me the real meaning of family.”
Spectral tears glimmered in her eyes. “Ditto,” she said, echoing the words I’d said so often in the past to avoid putting voice to my true feelings.
The corner of my lips quirked. I leaned forward. “I love you, too, Maze.”
This time separating wasn’t as hard. I guess with practice it’d get easier and easier.
“Red?”
I turned slowly. Adam stood off to the side, looking unsure. I held out a hand to him. Slowly, his eyes wary as he glanced at Maisie, he came over to us. Maisie’s spirit shifted uneasily the closer he got.
“I think it’s way past time you two had a chat,” I said. I smiled encouragingly at both of them–the former best friends who’d been torn apart by the machinations of narcissistic vampire rulers and madmen.
I turned away and saw Nyx and Lilith talking over by one of the thrones. Whatever they were discussing seemed pretty serious, so I sidetracked to join Giguhl and Valva. They were talking about wedding plans while Asmodeus looked alternately bored and irritated. I tried to listen and look enthusiastic, but I kept glancing at the man I loved and my twin.
Adam’s head was bowed as he listened to whatever Maisie said. Occasionally he’d nod and the light would catch the tears on his cheeks. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that the events of that night would miraculously solve all of their problems. Or that it would solve all of everyone’s problems. But a sense of peace descended over me. Cain’s death meant a fresh start for all the dark races. We could finally stop trying to fix the past and survive the present. It was finally time to embrace the future.
“Sabina, what do you think? An autumn wedding?” Valva said.
I shook myself and looked at the demon. “That’s so not my area.” Then a thought occurred to me. “Hey, G. You know who would love to help you plan this?”
The demon frowned. “Who?”
I smiled broadly. “Brooks.” Oh my gods, now that I mentioned it, I couldn’t wait to see how Valva and the drag queen got along. Giguhl was going to have his claws full if those two started conspiring against him.
“Who’s that?” Valva asked suspiciously.
Before I could get another word out, a warm hand grabbed mine. I looked up to see Adam had returned. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he was smiling. “You guys ready to head out?”
I glanced over and realized Maisie had already left. “Wh—”
He shook his head. “She didn’t want a big scene. She said to be in touch once you got settled back on earth.”
I leaned up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You okay?”
“You know what? I think I am.” He squeezed my hand and I knew he was a lot more than okay. “Red?”
“Yeah?”
“Your hair’s back to normal.”
Now that he mentioned it, I felt back to my old self again. Only more. Magic hummed in my marrow and—I touched my teeth with my tongue. “Holy crap, my fangs are back, too.”
“Thank the gods,” Adam said. “No offense but the blond and toothless look was going to take some getting used to.”
I smiled at him. I couldn’t imagine how pitiful I’d looked. “Where does this leave us on our miracle tally?”
He tilted his head. “What are we up to? Five?”
“Six, I think.”
“Look at us. Saving the world with a miracle to spare.”
“Well what did you guys expect?” Giguhl said. “We are Team Awesome.”
Lilith and Nyx joined us then. The vampire looked a little shell-shocked, which I supposed was understandable, all things considered. “You ready?” I asked her gently.
Nyx nodded. “I think so. I’m just not sure what’s next.”
I realized then that Nyx hadn’t just lost the man she loved. She’d also lost the team that had become her family for the last few decades. Now that her debt to Asclepius was wiped clean, she had a chance at a new life, but what that life would be was a major question mark.
I patted her on the arm. “Actually, I’ve got a few ideas. We’ll talk about them once we’re back in the mortal realm, okay?”
She swallowed hard. “Thanks, Sabina.”
“Before you leave, one more small thing,” Lilith said. “You can never let the humans know of the existence of the dark races. A few here and there are unavoidable, but the bulk of the Adamites in the mortal realm can never know.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“Because that was the deal I made with him.” She pointed up to indicate the mortal deity. “I imagine that’ll be harder once mages and vampires realize they can finally stop hating each other and get bored. But if the humans ever find out, I’ll have to kill all of you. Bye now!”
I sighed. “You’re a real bitch, Lilith.”
If I’d spoken that insult just two hours earlier, she wouldn’t have hesitated to level me to the ground with a single murderous stare. But since we were now equals of a sort, she threw back her head and laughed. “That I am, Sabina. That I most definitely am.” She waved. “Don’t be a stranger!”
Ha! If she thought I was going to pop down to Irkalla one a week for a fucking deity coffee klatch, she was crazier than I thought.
In the next instant, Lilith, the Great Mother of all the dark races, snapped her fingers and sent us home.
Epilogue
Eight months later
A full harvest moon hung fat and low in the sky. Plenty of time left before sunrise.
Not that I was worried about the sun rising anymore. Becoming a deity had ended my lifelong feud with the solar demon. But, as usual, time was still my enemy.
I rushed through the courtyard with Adam trailing behind at a more leisurely pace. “Red? Relax, it’s not like they can start without you.”
I shot a glare back over my shoulder. “Right, but what kind of leader is late to her own meeting? I swear, next time you suggest a quickie, I’m going to remind you of this.”
He chuckled. “It’s not my fault you find me irresistible.”
“Yes, it is, actually.”
I reached the doors to the building and wrenched them open. Inside the antechamber, two dozen security guards from every dark race pulled their weapons. I suddenly had ten guns, five swords, three bows and arrows, and several magical weapons pointed at my head.