SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 52- Unfortunate Souls

"Wait, what the fuck are you saying?" Roxie asks, and I can tell her heart is beginning to pound.

"Oh my god," Aurora says under her breath, suddenly turning to me with a pained expression on her face "How do you know about this?" she asks worriedly. I pause and remember Kai's Gate as I try to find the right words.

"That sacrifice we found in the woods was to resurrect him, and when they brought me in, I met my brother," I state, trying to stay calm.

"Are you serious?" Roxie asks, already knowing the answer "We didn't know that you were able to be reborn back then, so I never expected that..." she trails off, sinking into her own thoughts "What have I done?" she mutters under her breath.

"Does he know who he is?" Aurora asks worriedly.

"He knows that he's Gael's son, he was born with the same hex embedded into his forehead." I explain, looking somberly at Roxie "Scara, I saw the memory where you offered to help my mom." Suddenly, Roxie's face goes pale.

"He remembers that?" she asks, sinking down to the ground on her knees "What have I done..." she begins to cry.

"Roxanna, it's not your fault, there was no way you could have known that anything like this could have happened," Aurora explains, sitting beside her.

"She's right, you had no idea back then." I state, trying to sound confident "The fact of the matter is that he's alive, and he's with them now." I explain.

"... How is he?" Roxie asks nervously.

"He's... troubled." I begin "He was raised by those ancient lunatics, so you can expect that some of his views are corrupted. But... he's not a bad kid." I explain.

"What do you mean?" Roxie asks curiously as she tucks her knees into her chest.

"When Sterling had me locked up, he came to visit me every day, he wanted to get to know me for some reason. Curiosity about his real family, I suppose." I explain carefully "After getting to know him a little better, it became clear that he's just a little lost, that's all."

"More than a little if he's with them," Aurora sighs "What the hell are we going to do?"

"Not only that but why did you bring this up to me instead of your mom?" Roxie asks nervously. Before I answer, I stop for a moment and slide my back down the wall, sitting down on the floor and resting my head back.

"She's going through enough right now, I don't have the heart to bring it up yet." I explain, taking a deep breath "At least not until we get that bitch out of her head."

"What if Ember tells her?" Roxie asks worriedly.

"Shit, I didn't even think of that." Aurora sighs.

"Regardless of the reason, we need to get that done as soon as possible," I state, looking up at the sheet-covered table above us.

"Agreed," Aurora states "But before that, there's something else we need to tend to."

Swan Upon Leda- Hozier

The wind begins to pick up as we walk through the darkness to the amphitheater. Aurora stays by my side as we try not to let the wind blow our hoods down. Following us are the palace guards carrying five caskets, one for each victim of the Ancient Ones. My Mother and Father are leading the way as we file in, taking center stage around the unlit pyre. Our people stand waiting as we take our places, and my nerves feel as though they are going to break me as I look across at all of their faces. As the caskets are placed around the pile, the guards find their way to their seats, and with that, we're ready to begin. Roxie sighs as she steps forward, the torchlight illuminating her painted face.

"Welcome to Ruthus' Amphitheater." she begins, scanning the crowd as if to look for someone "The rumors of a new threat to our people have begun to spread, and I regret to inform you that they are all true. Ancient beings from long before our time have come back, hoping to force their will onto us. As a result, five victims have been taken, their lives used for grotesque purposes." she explains, and suddenly I can hear everyone whispering to each other in fear. "We, the Eternal Family, will do whatever it takes to protect you from this evil, just as we did before the gap years when Gael formed a revolution against us. I promise we will find a way to irradicate this threat, and once again find a way for our people to thrive peacefully as we always have." she suddenly turns to look back at us, waving Aurora forward.

"Before we can begin to release these souls into the afterlife, I have an announcement to make." she begins, and I take my mother's hand "Recently, two members of our family have blessed us with their return. I am proud to announce that mother and daughter, Veronika and Breeze, have returned to us once more," she states as she waves us forward. As we reach the front of the stage, we pull back our hoods, revealing our faces to the people as they begin to cheer. This was it; I was officially royalty once again.

"Artemis, Tessa, I would personally like to express how good it is to see you again. I know that Arsen feels the same way." she smiles warmly, "Now, Tessa, if you would like to take the floor." she states, backing away with my mother as I pick up the ceremonial torch.

"Thank you," I say as I take a deep breath. "Though I didn't know all of the victims we have gathered to celebrate, I did know one very well; my adoptive sister, Pearl." I begin and find Aria, Magnus, and Alex in the crowd; this speech is for them. "Pearl was one of the sweetest girls I have ever known. When she wasn't making us laugh with her innocent sense of humor, she was always curled up with a good book, excited to share what each one was about. Hearing her tell stories was one of the things I looked forward to the most. She always knew how to brighten my day, even when I didn't realize that I needed it. Now, I just can't believe I'll never get to see her smile again." I begin to tear up, and Aurora comes to take the torch.

As she reaches for it, I hesitate, shaking my head as I look back at the pyre; I had to be the one to do this. Understanding my motives, she backs away, joining the rest of my family as they surround the pile.

"The odds were against us when we found ourselves in this place all of those years ago when our ship went down. We have experienced tragedies that should have ended our lives, but it's as if something was looking out for us. This island has been a gift, a paradise. As much as we should thank ourselves for this life we have been given, we should also honor death, for it is uncertain at any moment. As hard as it is, we accepted our reality and found a way to not only survive but thrive. These souls would have wanted us all to be happy, and I want to make them proud as they begin to enter the afterlife. So now, look to your own personal savior, whoever that may be, ask them for guidance in this hard time, and do whatever you need to do to conquer the feelings of grief that ail you." I begin to lift the torch into the air, and everyone in the crowd respectfully stands "In fire, we burn away the sorrows of the past. We all gather here to send these poor souls into the next world, hoping they may find peace knowing that their friends wish them the best. On this night, we will not mourn what we have lost but celebrate what we have and appreciate the memories we share. Farewell, my friends, and safe travels." I look to the sky, feeling the breeze pick up as I lower the torch, igniting the pyre as it begins to consume that which surrounds it.

"Safe travels," everyone repeats, and at that moment, all of our hearts began to beat as one. Our future has become uncertain, but I know in my heart that I will do whatever it takes to protect the ones that I love; every single one.