I peered over the Gorge, fending off memories of Harmon's final moments and Fudge slipping past me on the swinging bridge. Fighting the flashbacks of Demon-Will hopping off a snowy ridge, smiling at me like he'd won a sick game of cat and mouse.

Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of ravines, bluffs, or other precipitous varieties these days.

Of course, this gulley wasn't nearly as deep as last time, and its lazy river appeared shallow and calm—a consequence of staying south by the sagebrush. We could have crossed even closer to the Southern Range where the canyon petered out, but we'd have forfeited our tree cover, and most of our grandfathers had died on that arid Rhean path.

So, a small canyon crossing it was.

Narrow dirt roads zigzagged down either side of the Gorge, carved in such a way that made them almost undetectable from a distance. We never would have found the trailhead if not for Laughlin's map, and it seemed to pacify our more resistant soldiers that we did, indeed, have an ally in Freemont.

"Where's the bridge?" Rover murmured as Siren and Victor descended into yet another unproductive argument. They'd been fighting nonstop since Victor asked Siren to stay in Havenbrooke to deliver their baby. The archer had refused, insisting that she wouldn't lead her men into battle, but no one could stop her from cheering them on from the sidelines either. And the collision of smothering protection and stubborn independence wasn't pretty—especially with tumultuous pregnancy hormones at large.

I scanned the winding river below us, then the map. "Laughlin said the bridge wasn't easy to spot."

"Did he elaborate on that by any chance?"

"...He's not much of a talker."

Frowning, Rover examined the water reflecting the dead sky. Then he nodded to himself. "Alright. Let's take a closer look."

A small team of us hiked down the rock face to inspect the riverbank, while the army above kept an eye out for lurking Pans or demonic wildlife. Luckily, we'd only encountered a few rabid bucks and an angry, white-eyed beaver this past week, which was probably unavoidable considering my demon-magnet properties. But honestly, I wasn't sure if our lack of obstructions boded well for us or not. Because if they weren't here, emerging from their dens after hibernation, then where were they?

"Found something!" Jo bellowed, and she toed a thick, rusty cable that ran along the river rocks and riparian habitat.

I followed the metal cord to the river's edge where it vanished into the depths, and as I bent toward the water, I could just make out the cable amongst the rocks, sediment, and plant life. It hugged the side of a solid, man-made structure that protruded from the gravel and stopped several inches beneath the reflective surface.

My lips twitched. 'Hard to spot' is quite an understatement, Chief.

I stepped into the icy water, my boots making contact with the flat, sturdy block, and I walked a few more feet toward the opposite end of the canyon. But the slab of concrete continued on, and as I made my way across the river, the water level never rose past my shins.

I tutted, amazing once again by Rhean ingenuity, and I glanced back at a dumbfounded Rover.

"The bridge is underwater!"

The army spent hours traversing the Gorge with their carts, pack horses, and supply wagons, and as I helped an apprehensive Frank across the river, I imagined Sol's afterlife looking something like this—thousands of men and women squeezing through a bottleneck into hell. One by one. Soul by soul.

When we finally made it to the trees again, it took less than thirty minutes to locate the Rhean military base, and I almost collapsed to my knees when I spotted their encampment.

They were here, just like they said they'd be.

Our alliance hadn't dissolved the second we turned our backs on Freemont, and neither had their intention to fight.

Thank the skies.

The clans pooled out of their tents and lean-tos to greet us, and nervousness churned in my belly as they stopped to observe our parade. This was really happening, wasn't it? Today we'd see the union of two forces, two enemies, two countries—one that hadn't existed since the Crash. We'd see if Tori, Will, and Jackson's integration made successful pilots, or if our people were destined to draw blood and misery. And despite so many centuries of carnage and betrayal between us, I sincerely hoped it was the former.

We paused just short of their camp, and I searched the crowd for that shaggy raven hair and an unmistakable face tattoo, but Will was nowhere to be found. And when I glanced over at Siren and Rover, pouting my bottom lip, I found them staring at me expectantly.

I immediately snapped to attention. Right.

You're playing mediator today, Al. On with it.

I stepped forward, nodding at the Rheans I recognized, smiling at the ones I'd come to befriend. Then Laughlin and Reese appeared, and they both heaved giant sighs of relief, like they hadn't expected me to hold up my end of the deal—or find the bridge crossing.

"I'm hurt by your lack of confidence," I teased, offering my hand.

Laughlin clasped my forearm and grunted. "Don't take it personally. I doubt everyone's capabilities."

My tense smile loosened a bit at their cordial welcome, and Reese pulled me in for a hug to destroy any lingering awkwardness. "You had a lot on your plate, Alex. Well done."

If you only knew the half of it...

I beckoned Rover and Siren closer, completely ignoring Burroughs and General Iver, although they seemed far too cagey for introductions anyway. "Reese, Chief Laughlin, I'd like you to meet my commanding officers, Lieutenant General Wright," they shook hands, "and Siren, the—"

"Reaper of the Canopy," Laughlin cut in, dipping his chin. When he was met with several bewildered glances, he added, "Folklore isn't exclusive to Ellsians. Word gets around."

Siren narrowed her eyes, but when she spoke, a meager helping of respect coated her tongue. "Alex spoke very highly of your village," she commended. "I hear you're entirely self-sustaining."

"We do our best," Reese said, shooting me a private smile.

"I've built a community of my own as well, one independent of Ellsian oversight." The archer nodded approvingly. "I admire your success."

Laughlin's eyes flicked to the wall of female archers behind her, and he cocked his head. "Likewise."

Rover and I traded looks, pleased by our prickly leaders' civility. Then the captain showcased that warm, disarming smile that had built him his army, and he shed his traveling pack. "We have a lot to discuss. Perhaps while my men get situated, we can chat over that Rhean mead Jackson's told me so much about."

Laughlin opened his mouth, taken aback by Rover's lack of formality, but Reese elbowed him in the side before he could protest. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said. "Let's head to my tent. Much more homely than this oaf's sleeping arrangements." She turned to her eldest adoptive son. "Why don't you assist our new arrivals with their lodgings, Ollie? Get everyone settled."

Rover communicated something similar to Grismond and Jo, and then my superiors followed the Rheans to a large tent at the edge of the glade.

"Um," I got out stupidly, and they slowed. "Where's Will?"

Reese and Laughlin brushed gazes, and a painful, uneasy feeling crawled up my throat like stomach acid.

"He led a team on a supply run to Colona," Reese explained. "As far as we know, they were the last district to hold off Sterling's advances, and according to my contacts, they left behind an armory worth raiding."

I felt everyone's eyes on me, and I struggled to keep the anxiety out of my voice. "When were they supposed to be back?"

Will promised me he would be here today. He promised.

Reese winced, constructing a reply that wouldn't hurt me, but Laughlin didn't shy away from blunt honesty. "Two days ago. But their deadline was tentative; we weren't sure what kind of conflict they'd encounter."

In other words, they'd run into trouble, and no one knew when they'd be back.

When Reese saw the panic fill my eyes, she waved away the gravity of the situation. "I'm sure they're fine. They're probably being extra cautious on the king's soil. Armor isn't the quietest of cargo, you know."

Rover looked like a bomb was about to detonate, and Siren opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but I needed to walk it off before I started crying in front of the entire army.

"Got it. Thanks."

I pivoted on my heels, avoiding eye contact with my peers as I stalked through the campground with my bags in tow. My teary gaze searched the forested landscape for a place to pitch my tent, and I zeroed in on a spot that was far enough from prying eyes but close enough to other soldiers to prevent any secret, late-night rescue missions.

I couldn't trust myself not to do something stupid while all my friends were gone, so I had to enact a failsafe now, before the desperation set in.

Irrational Me could thank me later.

After setting up my bedroom for the foreseeable future, I wove through the trees, observing the female warriors, medics, and cooks who'd joined the ranks. Hundreds of mothers and daughters who'd left their homes and livelihoods behind to be here. Ellsians who'd spent less than a month training for war, and Rheans who'd exchanged blissful retirement for justice.

They were all under my wing now—every single one of them—and no man would make them feel unwelcome here. Not under my watch.

As the sky darkened to a charcoal gray, I settled on a large pile of boulders west of camp, surveying the international summit from above. It was amusing, watching Ellsians and Rheans gather around the fire pits, forced to intermingle beyond introductions and pleasantries. They looked like schoolchildren with their stilted body language and established friend groups. Thankfully, though, my superiors paved the way for benevolent conversation, and when Laughlin began laughing loudly at Rover's antics, the tension shattered, and the rest of the army followed suit.

Of course, many remained guarded and suspicious on either side, but enough soldiers were grateful to have a bigger, stronger army behind them that nationality and gender were, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant. And slowly, as the alcohol and nutritious food took effect, the distinct line between campers began to crumble.

It should have been a momentous night, this merging of two worlds, this groundbreaking peace accord, but it felt incomplete without Will here. Without Mason, Valerie, and Tori here to witness their accomplishments.

I brought my knees up to my chest. This whole war effort felt less meaningful when my loved ones were scattered across the northern hemisphere. They'd left me without my compass, my logician, my sister, and my healer. And without them, I was floating in space, untethered and listless.

I glanced at Richard, who chose to sit with me despite the heavenly aroma wafting up from the stoves. "But I've got you, don't I?"

The mutt blinked at me with his tongue out, and then his head jerked sideways, and he abruptly scurried down the rocks behind us. As if I'd just granted him permission to bail.

I scowled, wondering what dead animal they'd thrown on the grill to have my dog sprinting into the trees with reckless abandon. But when Richard didn't veer back towards camp, the hair on my nape stood on end.

Oh, gritz.

Unzipping my glove, I followed my oldest friend into the shadows, dreading my next altercation.  What would it be this time? Another demon bear enticed by juicy memories and savory meat? Or one of the king's soulless messengers inviting me to tea?

A high-pitched whine erupted from the aspen grove ahead, followed by a grunt and a raspy laugh, and I was practically tripping over my feet to eliminate the distance. Pushing through branches, hopping over rocks.

My heart in my throat, my eyes on the prize.

My breath rushed out of me when I saw him sitting there on the forest floor, trying to keep upright as Richard assaulted him with kisses. A few nicks and bruises marred his ivory skin, but he was mostly unharmed. Mostly unchanged.

Except for his hair.

At some point during our separation, Will had axed that tiny knob of a ponytail, and those pretty dark locks now hugged the base of his skull. I didn't know what the change signified, considering how Rhean chiefs sported longer hair, but it seemed to me he'd made up his mind about his identity, one way or another. And while it was a little sad to see the classic hairstyle go, he looked like he'd aged another year in my absence, and the butterflies in my stomach didn't hate it.

A team of Rhean fighters surrounded him, guarding three horse-drawn wagons piled high with armor, weaponry, and vanadium scrap metal.

A successful mission, then. Good.

Will had solidified their alliance by leading this supply run, and, judging by Jeremy's crooked grin and Cillian's amused gaze, their loyalty. It wasn't exactly surprising, though. Will had a habit of winning people over, and no one was ever worse off for it.

The prince's gaze rose to mine, and fond annoyance morphed into something loving and gentle and kind. "Six weeks," he confirmed, acknowledging how close he'd pushed it.

"Six weeks," I echoed.

A warm smile split his lips, and I tried to smile back. I tried to be the tough, resilient girl he'd fallen for. The one who could always muster a joke or a broken laugh on her worst days.

But tonight, I just burst into tears.

Once I'd started crying, I couldn't stop.

Will had raced forward to hug me, but his baffled amusement quickly turned to alarm—then dread. He'd exchanged a few sentences with the others, snatched my fully gloved hand, and led me deep into the forest where we could no longer see the glow of open flames between the trees.

We sat across from each other in an open meadow, and he waited for me to stop crying, distressed shadows creeping onto his face with every passing moment. Eventually, I reeled in my hysteric sobs, and when I found the courage to open my mouth again, the words gushed out of me like a dam release—heavy and irrepressible.

I filled him in on everything that had happened since the day we parted: the High Court slaughtering prisoners behind our backs, the Pan I killed, the bunker, the coup. Valerie's assault and Sidney's murder. I didn't offer any euphemisms; my own mind was sick of tiptoeing around harsh realities. But I did spare him the details of that night. There would always be things too private to share with anyone, even him. Things he never needed to know, lest they haunt him too.

As he listened, he didn't interrupt me or ask any clarifying questions. He hardly made a sound, and he might have stopped breathing for all I knew. I didn't dare look at his face.

When it was all out, and I'd said the words that had burned my tongue for weeks, I felt...better. Wretched, because somehow, saying them aloud made the events permanent. But better.

I finally glanced at him, scared to see what pain I'd inflicted, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. His hand covered his face, shading his eyes, and he sat there, unmoving, as the silence stretched on and on.

I exhaled shakily and crawled forward, bumping his knees. "Will...please say something."

When he looked up, his expression was all venom. Except his eyes—they were wet with remorse.

"I should have been there."

"Don't," I begged. I'd anticipated this response—I could work with this. "I didn't tell you because I wanted you to feel guilty. I told you because you're the one person I knew I could."

Hard lines softened a little. "I'm the first person you told?"

"Technically...the only person."

The words didn't have their intended effect. "You and Val suffered through this alone. For weeks. And I had no idea..." His shoulders fell, and he cursed at the wildflowers. "Alex...I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

It hurt to see the despair dampen his eyes. This was not how I imagined our reunion at all. We didn't have time for more pain.

"Don't blame yourself," I said. "There's enough of that going around." Val and I certainly had enough regrets for the three of us.

"Aimes got what he deserved," he growled after a minute, and I flinched, unable to articulate my conflicted feelings on the matter.

Because yes, he probably did. But that didn't erase the fact that I'd just...left him there, rotting on his bedroom floor. Did Will really not see me any differently after that?

The royal leaned forward, detecting the uncertainty in my gaze and dousing the embers. "I would've done the same thing in your shoes. Except in my hands, he'd have begged for death."

The seriousness of his response released a shell of a laugh from me, and I hardly sounded like myself.

"I know you're not a murderer, Al," he assured me, pinpointing exactly what I feared. "But of all the monsters you regret killing, he shouldn't make the list."

I nodded, my posture relaxing a bit, and he squeezed my hand.

Gritz, I'd missed this. I'd missed Will. And I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep together tonight, holding him close, stealing his warmth, kissing his wounds.

But...

"There's one more thing," I murmured.

He kept the consternation off his face while I pondered the best way to deliver my secret, but when I couldn't get the words out, he jumped to my rescue, like always.

"You think you're going to die in battle."

My startled gaze snapped to his. "How—"

"You've been...off...since you brought Sol back," he said, though he seemed relieved to know I wasn't harboring another tragedy up my sleeve. "But I didn't realize it was resignation until I told you I was staying in Freemont, and you got that same sad, accepting look on your face that you'd worn all month." His brow creased. "Then I thought about how scared you were to tell me your feelings and how you kept saying we couldn't have a future together, and it finally clicked."

I stared at the purple flowers I'd squashed with my boots. I should've known I couldn't hide anything from Will. He'd always seen through my walls, ever since he'd moved to Belgate. All my life, I'd been a window to Will and a mirror to Mason.

"Before she died, Nova gave me a pretty bleak reading of my future," I explained. "And during my blackouts, I've hallucinated some interactions that...well, they suggest I'm not going to be here much longer."

Will didn't ask me to elaborate, and I was grateful for it. Like Valerie, he just let me speak. And he let me verbally process the feelings I'd repressed.

"I know my powers are tied to the portal, and that I'm needed to defeat your brother, but I just...I have a feeling winning will require the ultimate sacrifice." Dying had always been a very real risk, but it was different now, knowing my end was so imminent. I guess I wasn't as brave as I'd thought, not when I had someone to leave behind. "And I know running out of time doesn't scare you, but I didn't want to spend these last few days together without you knowing where my head was at."

He didn't try to comfort me with empty reassurances, and he didn't dismiss my pain. He simply pulled me into his arms, and my bones instantly melted against him, molding themselves to his frame, my muscles unclenching for the first time in weeks.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, overjoyed to have some semblance of normalcy back in my life, and my body trembled with another repressed sob.

Jeez. I wasn't even sure why I felt like crying this time. Was it relief? Was it the pain of picking at a scab? Or was it the emotion that comes from being held and cradled by the person who loves you?

"You've been strong," he whispered, and it meant the world coming from someone who'd suffered worse than I had. Will didn't give underserving praise.

"I'm kind of sick of being strong," I admitted, only half-joking.

I felt him grin against my shoulder. "Then take a break."

A feeble protest inhabited my throat, but I was just so...tired. Tired of holding politicians accountable. Tired of feeling distrustful. Tired of pretending like I was intact when I wasn't.

"Take a break, Alex."

So I did.

********************************************************

Heyyyo. I know these last few chapters have been super slow and kind of depressing, but things are ramping up quickly.

I think we're only a chapter or two away from the final battle?? Like, what? How did we GET HERE? I've been waiting to share the final arc of this story since I was eighteen!!!

Ya'll are gonna LOSE it, and I can't wait. XD