Luver of Ralts

Anakin looked out the window at the chaos outside. Between burning fireballs and endless flashes of lightning, the streets had cleared. No one dared suffer a god's wrath.

"Um, maybe you should let up a little," Anakin suggested meekly. "I think everyone gets the message."

"You summoned us. How can we serve?"

Anakin whirled around to find four angels kneeling before Izanami.

"Finally!" Anakin said. "What took you guys so long? The afterlife nearly burned to the ground again. You couldn't have come earlier and prevented all of this?"

"I am Death," Izamani growled at the angelic beings before him. "You answer to me. This is my realm. You are going to tell me what the Ocean wants with me and Lukas and what his plans for Jubilant Accosts are. I know he speaks to you and you will speak to me too."

After a moment of silence, Izanami growled once again and increased the wild storm raging through the afterlife.

"You will tell me!"

The angelic beings only stared in reply.

"Um, I think that they're not going to respond to Death," a quiet voice suggested. Izanami turned to see Evalla, the one who had wielded Lukas' powers while they were comatose. She was creeping out of the library, clearly distracted from her reading by the apocalypse raging outside. "They are in your realm, but they've always been commanded by Life. I think they've only come here to stop your tantrum."

Evalle winced at her word choice, especially saying that the god lashing out with all the anger within him, was having a tantrum. Izanami barely seemed to notice her words, though her presence gave him an idea.

"You! You descend from Lukas, and have used their power before. You tell these obsolete beings that their only purpose is to serve Life and Life's interests. You can access Lukas' power, so make them comply to my orders."

Evalla gulped nervously, staring at both Death incarnate raging, and four stoic beings who barely listened to Lukas. If she did try to use some of Lukas' power, she was going to be screamed at when Lukas returned, but if she didn't channel some of their power, Izanami might destroy her before that could happen.

"Okay, guys, listen to me," Evalla tried. Glowing orbs of Life energy pooled around her fingers. She wasn't borrowing a lot of power, just in case Lukas could feel her efforts and somehow tore their way across existence to stop her. "Death wants to know about the plans of the Ocean. He and Lukas are gods, and should be informed of any plan that involves them. Do you think that you can do that for me? I'm acting as a representative of Life, who you serve. Please, just answer the questions."

Anakin stared in disbelief at Evalla's failure. He had seen Evalla channel Lukas' power when she was a teenager, and no one had been able to ignore her back then. Was she weaker now that Lukas had their full power back or was even Lukas too weak to command the Ocean's servants?

"Listen to me," Evalla intoned, drawing more of Lukas' power, and hoping that they didn't notice all the way in Jubilant Accosts. "You will answer Izanami's questions. What is the Ocean planning? What can we do to find out?"

This call was stronger. The angels noticeably wavered in their resolve, swayed by Life's magic. It was more success that Evalla could have reasonably hoped for, she she tried to increase her control over the angels.

"He-he wants revenge for Jubilant Accosts," Leyna whispered. She was the sole woman among the angels, and who Evalla assumed was in charge by the way the others looked to her. "Soulmates are prone to desperation. He needs Life and Death to-"

Leyna's words were cut off by a rush of wings, effectively ending the spell Evalla had cast over the angels.

"Izanami. It's not like you to pry into my plans," the Ocean hissed angrily. "This temper tantrum of yours is something Lukas would have planned. Meanwhile, they are the one doing your job and acting mature. How your roles have changed during this trial of mine. I'm disappointed in you. Badgering my servants will only bring you pain."

Izanami reeled backwards, his eyes spinning back into his head. He was saved from falling only by the size of his wings, which struggled to keep him upright.

"I deserve to know what's happening to me!" Izanami insisted, sounding uncharacteristically defiant in the presence of his superior. Over the centuries, Lukas had taught him to stand up for their family, and even if Izanami died as a result, he was going to protect what was his.

"Do you?" the Ocean asked. "I suppose my plan is nearly complete, so there's nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. You'd be proud of Life if you could see them in Jubilant Accosts. They know what's expected of them and have followed the instructions given to them, even if they get too close to using the powers of your realm. Seeing you two squabble over the centuries, trying to cross into the duties of the other's realm, has given me an idea. Why have Life and Death, when you can have Life and Death?"

"I don't follow," Izanami admitted quietly, still looking for clues among the angels. "You don't like when things are messy and lines are crossed. Life and Death are incompatible with each other. Our realms are separate. There is no way that both realms could serve the same god. It's impossible."

"Never tell me what is impossible!" the Ocean snarled. He reached out towards Izanami, pulling him closer until his hand rested on Izanami's stomach.

Izanami arched away from the touch, but couldn't escape. Something felt warm, then burning hot as his body made contact with its creator. Izanami could feel the burning deep into his being, like layers of his soul were being sheared off, exposing a fragile secret within. He could feel his abdomen swell, despite not having the same anatomy as even Lukas did.

"You're so close now," the Ocean whispered eerily. "I can feel her move. She's awakening."

Anakin watched in horror as his friend struggled to free himself from the grasp of a higher being. Izanami was trying to hide the pain he felt from this contact, probably for Anakin's sake, but his discomfort was obvious to anyone in that room.

"She?" Izanami finally spat, after minutes trying to ignore the pain. "What are you talking about?"

The Ocean laughed gleefully, never breaking contact with Death.

"Well, isn't it obvious? You're having a baby. I thought you'd be thrilled. After all, wanting a child of your own has driven you and Lukas mad over the years. I know that you two have cheated and made those adorable little twins of yours, but their relationship to you is cosmetic only. They are mortals who don't have a drop of either of your essences. They're just decorative dolls for you to play house with."

Izanami snarled at his superior, enraged at the thought of the twins being anything other than his children.

"They're mine, and I don't care what you say about them or what you threaten me with, I will protect them from you!"

The Ocean glared back at Death, unamused with his outburst.

"Hmm. You could try, I suppose. You'd fail, but trying counts for something. You'll need those protective instincts for this child too. As you said, Life and Death are incompatible, so things with your daughter will likely be...messy."

Izanami's face changed from anger to hope and then fear.

"I'm pregnant with Lukas' baby? But we can't. It's never been possible! How-"

"You've never had me involved with your prenatal care," the Ocean replied, as if this answer should have been obvious. "You can make a pregnancy together, but your incompatibility can't sustain it. All I had to do was wait for another pregnancy to start, and say some magic words. My ultimate experiment: Life and Death together. She's going to bring Jubilant Accosts to its knees."

"A baby?" Izanami repeated the words, but they weren't sinking in. "D-does Lukas know? Did you tell them?"

"I just told you, and you're about to give birth," the Ocean scoffed. "They're too busy with work for all of this. I'm sure they'll know eventually. It doesn't matter, really."

Izanami tried to control his panic at the thought of giving birth to this mystery creation of a deity who didn't care much for the suffering of his creations. Was this another test? Was this even his and Lukas' child? How did Death birth anything?

"Give birth?! So my sickness, and Lukas' being trapped in one form is because of a baby? A baby I need to birth? How is Death supposed to give birth? That very much seems like a job for the realm of Life!"

He sometimes dreamed of his father, not that he'd ever admit that to Despina. Like Despina, Eero never knew what his mother had looked like, but he saw his father's reflection whenever he looked in the mirror.

He shared his green eyes with his father, though his face wasn't as slim, and he could barely hold a wand, let alone use it like his father could. Adam Darktide came to him as a nightmare, always looking to take from his son, never caring for the life he'd created. He wasn't anything to his father, just a resource to be exploited. Despina had inherited his gift, while Eero appeared to be be useless.

But he wasn't useless. He had the incredibly rare angelic gene from his mother, and might one day stand as an equal beside his sister if he could learn angelic magic.

He tried to remember this fact every time the nightmare came. Adam Darktide didn't know about what his son inherited. It gave Eero a chance to silence the nightmares in his head before his father caught up to him. It gave him the chance to survive.

Something was about to happen. Something big. The spirits weren't able to be clearer about what it would be, but they had swarmed Rien's mind, urging her to make a late night visit to Arkhelios to find the person they wanted her to speak with. It wasn't that big of a deal to teleport to Arkhelios without waking her parents up, and if they caught her returning, she would just lie and say that she missed her Arkhelios parents and had stopped in to spend time in her room there. No one expected her to sneak out at night, so her parents didn't set up the same security spells they did for Theo.

"Princess Bellamy, I didn't expect to see you so late. Is something wrong?"

Ginevra emerged from her temple, looking worried. Rien felt stupid for not thinking about the security in the temple, especially when showing up in the middle of the night. It wasn't like she'd planned this daring escape. The spirits hadn't given her any time to prepare a well crafted lie for Ginevra.

"Nothing's wrong," she lied. "I just had something urgent to discuss with Eero Darktide. I realize that it's late, but do you think he'll speak with me? It's a matter of some urgency."

Ginevra gave the teen a confused look, but everyone in Arkhelios knew about Roman's daughter. When Rien said something, it was usually wise to listen.

"Of course. I'll go see if he's awake. Come inside, Arkhelios is no place to wait outside in the middle of the night."

While Rien waited for Eero, she tried to take in her surroundings. While Adam had once visited this place, Rien had never been inside. He hadn't mentioned the various crystals hanging from the roof or piled on the floors. There was a great crystal tree that lit up the room which must have been a thrill for Adam. Rien knew the value of crystals for spiritual work, but that was all. The crystals were nice to look at, but she had no interest in using them for magic.

The Lane family. It's missing the youngest child. These pictures were from a happier time.

"Why isn't there a picture of the youngest?" Rien asked. The spirits made an uncertain noise in her mind at the question. Rien rolled her eyes at the "all knowing" spirits who liked to make comments without being able to clarify them.

"I recognize Lukas and at least one of these guys looks just like them. Which ones are their parents?"

The spirits at least had the answer to that question.

Riley. Lukas. Linus. Luke. Leander. Linus and Luke are their parents. Katie Lee was born after Riley died. She has green eyes from her grandmother.

Sometimes the spirits sounded more like a trivia contest than a source of wisdom. Rien knew so many useless facts about people that she would never use, and when she did, they usually just creeped people out. What was she supposed to say to Lukas when she saw them next? "I hear your youngest sister has green eyes?"

"You guys talk about Linus sometimes," she said, looking closer at the pictures. "He's-"

Angry. Lost. Dangerous. Pathetic.

Despina whirled around when she heard footsteps approach. This had to be Eero Darktide.

"Hi, my name is Eero. I think I've seen you around here with your dads. You're Luciana, right?"

Demon. Demon, but not. Heir of the Firstborn. The First Ones. Angel.

Rien stared at the guy in front of her with interest. He was handsome, far more handsome than she remembered, if they had indeed crossed paths before. Maybe he had come into her dad's restaurant while she was helping out, and she hadn't been paying attention.

He had dreamy green eyes and a face that certainly could belong to an angel. There was a sadness in those eyes, but hope as well.

His sister is with Theo. His sister is his hope. The Maiden in Yacothia was his ancestor. We remember her from before the beginning of time. Have the angels spoken to him?

"It's Rien," Rien replied, still lost in those green eyes. "It's actually Princess Adrienne Bellamy, but you can just call me Rien. This might sound strange, but I was told to talk to you about something."

"Oh, you're that Bellamy!" Eero exclaimed excitedly. "I've heard about you and your family. My best friend, Malik, is a Bellamy too. He says that his mom can do a bunch of crazy stuff and so can you. People talk a lot about you and your family here."

Rien sighed at the reminder of her reputation. As much as she hated it, she couldn't deny the rumours. The spirits were the only reason why she was here in the middle of the night, meeting a near stranger.

"Yeah, my family is pretty infamous. My older brother, Theo, is usually the one people gossip about, but I'd imagine that I'm a close second. People don't understand our family's gifts. Either way, it's those gifts that brought me here tonight. I hope I didn't wake you up or anything."

Eero scowled at the reminder of his nightmare.

"No, I wasn't sleeping. Besides, it sounds like you're here for an important reason."

Rien nodded, trying to form a sentence in her head that didn't sound insane to a "normal" person.

"The spirits want to let you know that something big is happening very soon with Jubilant Accosts. They've intercepted chatter about it, and want to know if you've heard anything about it. If you don't know, then they want to warn you about it."

"That's a little ominous," Eero joked nervously. "No, I don't remember hearing anything about Jubilant Accosts. Should I have?"

"The spirits know your ancestry, and want to know if the angels have spoken to you. They don't always appear to angel hybrids, but these times are strange. Do they know what the Ocean has planned?" The baffled look on Eero's face told Despina everything she needed to know. "Okay, so I'm guessing that you haven't heard from them then. In that case, I need to tell you something."

"About Despina or about the Ocean?" Eero was having trouble keeping up with all the strange questions.

"Maybe both? The Ocean has plans for Life and Death that are going to change everything. The threat posed by Xexys will be over shortly. Theo has a cure to wake up the victims of the plague or so the angels say."

"So you're saying that Despina is coming home soon?" Eero asked excitedly. His excitement deflated when Rien's stoic expression didn't change.

"The angels have been using her name a lot according to the spirits," Rien explained. "That's part of the reason why they wanted to ask you about it. She does dream magic, right?"

Eero's heart froze in his chest. Why would Rien ask about that? Everyone knew about his sister's magic; Despina shouted her love of dream magic to anyone who would listen. Despina was Adam Darktide's perfect heir, even though he'd never wanted one.

"Yeah, she inherited it from our father. Why? Is she in trouble? Is she okay?"

Rien inhaled deeply, trying to project a sense of calm for Eero

"The spirits have heard that Theo and Adam are going to be returning to Pleasantview within the next day or so. They will bring the cure needed and wake Pleasantview from the plague. The spirits, they...they are afraid that Despina might not be coming with them. That the Ocean has claimed her for his own purposes. It's speculation, of course, but the spirits are usually extremely reliable. They wanted to prepare you for the worst."

Eero felt like the floor was falling from under him. It was a gut punch he hadn't been expecting, despite knowing all along that his sister had left him alone for a mission she might not come back from.

"Is she going to die? Will I have time to say goodbye to her? Could I write something that Theo or whoever can give to her?"

The spirits whispered among themselves for a moment, splitting from a single voice to countless overlapping voices echoing in unison.

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Rien repeated, once the spirits were in agreement. "They don't think she'll die, but she may not be coming back. It all depends on what plans the Ocean has for her. I'm sorry, but the spirits thought that you deserved to know in order to prepare. Listen for the angels, and maybe you'll hear them too."

Lukas burst into Limbo, teleporting through the realms as fast as possible. There wasn't time to change things, not on the Ocean's schedule. Despina would ascend into the position of Dream Guardian and be sealed away from her home realm soon. How could they change the Ocean's mind? It wasn't fair to seal a mortal from one realm into another one, away from their family and friends. Lukas had seen into her dreams, and saw her wishes. Her heart lay in Strangetown with a prince charming and a cursed coven to heal. She was just like Riley: full of hopes and dreams, only to be taken from the family who loved her. They couldn't let the Darktides lose Despina. History couldn't repeat itself.

There was only one soul in Jubilant Accosts' Limbo. The stress of the transfer to an isolated, desolate realm was taking its toll on that soul, which pleased Lukas.

They grabbed Adam Taisto Darktide roughly, pouring all of their anger towards the soul.

"What did you do?" Lukas demanded. "What did you do to your children? What did you promise them for? Who did you promise them to? Answer me!"

Adam writhed under the deity's grasp, struggling even when it was pointless. There wasn't a single person here to help him, and Adam couldn't win against a god.

"You know what I did," he protested. "I'm sorry! You know that I would take it back if I could!"

"Not good enough!" Lukas shouted, raising the soul off his feet with a single, violent thought. "There's something that I'm missing. Something that you left out. When you sacrificed your children to kill the Grim Reaper, who were you sacrificing them to? Which god? With what spell? Charlotte Maricourt was a Strangetown witch through and through; she wouldn't have prayed to me or Izanami. I'm guessing she was trying to hack into whatever magic took the Lost Queens from the universe, which isn't enough to attack even a reaper with, let alone the Grim Reaper, if the spell actually worked. Did you promise your children to that magic? Tell me!"

Adam glared at the deity, but his soul couldn't endure a fight. He was already exhausted from projecting himself to his daughter, and wasting away in this desolate realm. It was in his best interest to comply with the god, even if his spirit wanted to rebel against them.

"Our plan needed energy strong enough to command Death, and destroy his Grim Reaper," Adam spat, fully aware that he was talking about his plan to murder Lukas' stepson and possibly controlling their husband. If he wasn't already as low as he could get in the grand scheme of the universe, Adam might be afraid of the god punishing him for even speaking of this plan, despite claiming to want to hear it. "The Lost Queens would have been the best option, but we couldn't access that magic. The trail was a literal dead end. Those souls were gone, and absolutely nothing remained of them. So we followed the magic of Death dying instead. All the reapers who vanished or were murdered...they were easier to track. There were trails to follow, magical residue we could try to convert into a weapon against the realm of Death. Magical essence that might help us ascend."

Lukas paused to try to compose themselves after this admission. Adam tried to avoid eye contact as best as he could, while Lukas realized that Adam had tried to use Riley's disappearance to become immortal.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Now it was beginning to come together. Why he had all the names of dead reapers, whispering them to his sister as confession. It was the evidence of what he'd done, the proof of his guilt. He used the names of Alicia Wenlock, Victoria Evans...Riley Lane as totems. Their deaths and the magical remnants of their demise were what he was trying to tap into in order to kill Lukas' stepson. He would have used Riley to come after Izanami if he could manage it.

There was no amount of deep breathing that could help Lukas now. This horrible man had come after their family, using their family, in order to sacrifice his innocent children in exchange for power. If Adam wasn't already dead, and his location made known to the proper afterlife authorities, Lukas was tempted to see just how much Life could make a soul in Death's realm suffer.

"That's not enough!" Lukas shouted, digging their fingernails into the inside of their fists to keep from using magic. Now wasn't the time to vent their feelings about Riley. The Ocean was moving quickly, and Lukas had no time to act on their anger. "I know to mortals that might make a kind of sense, but you can't sacrifice people to what's left behind after a reaper dies. You can use that residue to boost a sacrifice, but you can't just shoot your demands out into the universe. Someone needs to accept your sacrifice."

Adam clutched his chest and leaned against the white void he was trapped in. Physics didn't make much sense in Limbo.

"There was...I can barely remember. I think I forgot all about her until I came back here. One moment I was playing piano, listening to Colby ramble on about his childhood...and the next moment...she was there."

"She?"

"A blonde teenager. I don't remember her name. Carrie, maybe? It was like a dream- maybe it was dream magic. If it was, it so realistic. Her eyes were so clear, so focused on me. She had a question for me, one I can't believe I forgot."

Lukas' heart sank at these words, their suspicions confirmed.

"She asked you for your children, didn't she? Before you made Sebastian, this girl asked you to sacrifice your children to her. You're from Strangetown, hoping to use the Lost Queens' energy for a spell. Are you fucking stupid? No one can be this stupid! What did she promise you in return?"

Adam cringed at the deity's anger, not completely understanding what was happening.

"It's hazy," he replied cautiously. "Like I said, I didn't remember this until after coming back to Jubilant Accosts. It was something to do with blood. Something about making the Darktide bloodline special or something? I thought that she'd make me special, more special than I already was as a dream magic user. Some kind of demigod."

"You've played into his plans," Lukas seethed. "You've ruined everything! The Lost Queens asked for power, to be gods as well as queens, and what did they get? They vanished so powerfully from existence that assholes like you try to channel that energy! They died, and who got their power? Their daughter. You gave your children to a being that was already going to use them for a special purpose. He gave you nothing, just a promise that your bloodline, your children, would be powerful. You got scammed and you deserve it. Your attempts on the Grim Reaper would always be doomed to failure because you had already promised your children to the Ocean without even remembering it. He has the bloodline he wanted, and never had to worry that your little cult would ever succeed. It probably brought him enjoyment to see you try, knowing him. Despina was always supposed to come here. She was always supposed to replace the Dream Guardian who you killed. The Ocean has been planning this revenge scheme for almost two decades, and it's all your fault!"

"What?"

"I have absolutely no way of helping Despina escape this. Your daughter will be punished for your crimes, the Ocean has made that abundantly clear. She will be cut off from her brother and friends, even the aunt who can't stand the reminder of you. You've taken her from her family, to sit in this realm, forever fulfilling the duties of the being you killed. I hope this makes you happy. Your bloodline is indeed powerful, but it comes at the cost of Despina's happiness. Pray that I never reveal to her your part in all of this."

"It has been a long time since I've gathered the angels," Izanami admitted, staring at the tall building with trepidation. "They might not listen to me or even assemble. What happens if they don't? They're my only idea for solving any of this. The Ocean whispers to them still, even if they don't always listen. They have always served Life, but I don't see why they wouldn't listen to me, especially since Lukas seems to barge into the private details of my realm pretty frequently."

"I've listened to Destiny drone on about the angels at family dinners for the past decade now," Anakin replied. "Her and James know everything there is to know about the afterlife and all the creatures that make it function. You can call to the angels as Death, and if for some absurd reason you can't, we'll get Destiny to call her father. He usually comes to her when she calls, or so I've spent last Winterfest dinner hearing about. I just hope that they can answer your questions. Reese thinks that they're holding something back from us. He's been helping Fiona from time to time in Lukas' place, and she's been really frustrated."

"I didn't know that he was helping," Izanami said. "It's a bit unusual for a retired reaper to assist Life's realm. Then again, there isn't really anything conventional about your husband."

"You can say that again," Anakin sighed. "He hasn't been this excited about something resembling work since Lukas awakened in their third form. It's strange watching him order around people who don't answer to him, but it's making him happy. He'd do anything for Lukas; they're the only sibling who gets Reese. No offense intended, but he's probably the only one who gets Lukas too, aside from you. They're both like their father."

Izanami wrapped one of his wings around Anakin, laughing at Anakin's words. It was a gesture he often did with Lukas and the children, but Anakin was family too, and the only one Izanami trusted to help him with this task.

"No offense taken," Izanami assured his brother in law. "It's good that they have each other, and because of their friendship, I also have a friend in you. I appreciate you coming with me to do this. I don't think that I could have done this on my own. Gee keeps hovering around me, afraid to let me do anything, but I'm Death. I have responsibilities despite Lukas' worries. I need to know what the Ocean is up to before it's too late. For all I know, Lukas may be in trouble, waiting for me to rescue them."

"I agree. The sooner we investigate this, the sooner Lukas will return, and Reese can stop barking orders at the afterlife with Fiona."

"I hope so. Let's just hope the angels have been paying attention to the Ocean's whispers."

Anakin held the door open for Izanami to fit through. His wings were magnificent, but difficult to get through a doorway.

"Is this where we're supposed to meet?" Anakin asked. He looked around at the empty hallway, expecting to find someone waiting for them. If not an angel, then at least a helpful reaper or something. Anything was preferable to an empty room.

"They didn't come," Izanami seethed, searching the empty hallway with his eyes. "I ordered them to be here! They can't refuse an order from me! This is my realm!"

Izanami paused, inhaling deeply to calm himself. He exhaled, imagining that Lukas was there beside him to lend their strength. If the angels didn't want to listen to him, that was their mistake. He had been asking for their help before. Now, he wasn't asking.

"I came to talk to Despina," Theo lied. He certainly wasn't going to admit to wanting to see Adam, especially after their blowup in Chinh's yard. Jesse was fun to hang out with, and a good kisser, but the more distant Adam was, the more Theo remembered how sweet and thoughtful he was. Adam had made him a cake for his birthday just so it would be special. Adam was always thoughtful like that. Theo would often stare at the crystal ring on his finger, and imagine all the effort Adam had put into making it, just to see Theo smile. When Adam wasn't suffocating him with his jealousy, he was kind of perfect, not that Theo wanted to admit that to Adam. Maybe he would apologize and Adam would apologize and then things would be good again, without having to tell Adam how much he'd missed him.

"You came to talk to Despina?" Adam asked skeptically. "About what? She doesn't know anything about vampires, and I'm pretty sure that she hasn't slept with Jasper, so she doesn't know anything about either of your hobbies. You should probably ask someone else."

"Despina and I have a lot in common, thank you. If you must know, I wanted to talk to her about the work Jesse and I have done. We have a prototype of a spell that will wake those with the plague up, and we wanted to see if she thought that it could be captured in an amulet, like the amulets that protected us here. Maybe like forcing it into a crystal or something?"

Adam stared at Theo with disbelief. Over the years, Theo had only seemed to get worse at lying. He didn't seem invested in this amulet idea, or at least he wasn't as intense about it as he was with other projects. If Adam had to guess, the whole thing was a ruse.

"You came here to ask Despina about crystal magic? Despina knows tons about crystal magic, so that makes sense. Are you trying to ask me to help you and your vampire with an amulet or is this just an excuse to see me without apologizing? Which is it?"

"I don't have to apologize for sleeping with other people when we're casual," Theo said. "You said that you were fine with that, and Jesse and I really have gotten a lot accomplished by enhancing my blood magic. If you don't want to help me, then I'm sure Despina will.'

"Because you came here to ask for my help, right? I thought you only wanted to talk to Despina?"

"Well-I...if you wanted...maybe you'd have more expertise-"

"Theo, I know that you don't want to talk to Despina. I know that you don't care about amulets either. Just tell me why you're really here, so we can get it over with. Did you need condoms or something for your vampire orgy, because it's not like there are a ton of those here and I can't help you with that."

Theo scoffed. This was why he'd been afraid of getting in a confrontation with Adam. No matter what he did, Adam always knew what to say to catch him off guard.

"Why would I need condoms when Jesse is a vampire from a realm where guys can't get pregnant?"

Despina could hear the shouting from upstairs and rushed to the window to see if she needed to come help save her cousin from Xexys. To her relief, Xexys was nowhere to be found. It was only Adam and Theo screaming at each other in the front yard for all of Jubilant Accosts to hear.

She groaned as she caught some of the words they were yelling. Despina didn't have time for this nonsense, and neither did Jubilant Accosts or Pleasantview.

"Theo, you are the stupidest, most willfully ignorant person I have ever met," Adam stated. He tried to control his breathing to calm himself, but nothing could touch the anger boiling inside of him. "You don't listen to anyone, even if they have centuries of experience guiding them. You take your powers for granted, and you barely study unless there's either a test or a chance to jump into a vampire's bed. You're constantly being saved by people smarter than you or dumb luck or the pity of a deity. You don't take anything seriously, even when the stakes are high. You take your family for granted, even though all they've done is love and protect you. I would give anything to have my parents love me like that or to escape the stigma of my uncle's actions, but you can't even understand those feelings because they're not about you!"

"Adam?" Theo blinked back tears, staring at the white hot rage burning in Adam's eyes. This wasn't like their usual arguments where they shouted a few nasty words and then moved on. No, Theo had never seen his ex quite like this before. "Adam, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Yes, you did," Adam replied coldly. "You always mean it when you have the chance to twist the knife a little deeper. You love being petty and you love making me feel bad about the smallest possible thing I've done. You always have to be right, especially if it means that I'm wrong. I kissed one person while recovering from the damage you did to me, and I'm just supposed to repent for that for the rest of my life?"

Theo winced at the hurt in Adam's voice. He must have been holding this all inside for a while.

"I nearly killed you; it's for the best that I-"

"You can't hurt me, Theo," Adam laughed. Theo had never heard Adam make a sound like that in all the years they'd known each other. "It took me a long time to realize, but you can't hurt me. Your powers are stable, and you're lazy enough just to coast through life. Theo, I share your power. I don't have access to all of it, but grounding your power gives me more than enough to hurt you, especially when I've been practicing. I love magic and magical theory. My dad runs the best coven in the world. While you run around chasing boys, I actually study magic. Despina studies magic too. Us Darktides live for magic and I know yours far better than you do. You won't ever hurt me again, even if you wanted to."

Theo felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Lukas had warned him about Adam using their shared power against him, and like the idiot Adam said he was, Theo had never really thought of that. He was used to being Theo, blood demon hybrid with power deities and demons went mad for. He'd almost killed Adam, and then he'd underestimated what Adam could do. His guilt had blinded him to the fact that he'd caught Adam unprepared when the accident happened, and his magic had still been unstable. Adam was always the victim to be pitied in Theo's story, but that didn't seem to be accurate anymore. This version of Adam facing him wasn't a victim at all.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Theo asked, watching his ex's face carefully. He wasn't quite sure how to read Adam's expression. "I believe you. I'm sorry! I'm a jerk and I'm stupid, okay? Tell me what you want me to say! I'll study more! Is that what you want?"

"You don't mean it," Adam replied angrily. "You don't see me as an equal anymore. I'm just poor, weak Adam who loves you too much so you can walk all over him. I don't challenge you enough and I walk on eggshells trying to avoid making you feel guilty. Well, that ends now! Duel me, and I'll prove to you that you don't know anything about my abilities."

"I'm not dueling you," Theo exclaimed, paling at even the thought of fighting Adam. "I dueled at Shadowvale; we've always been too young to duel in Pleasantview, so you don't have any experience."

With a frustrated groan, Adam slipped into his dark form, the Maricourt wand firmly in his hand.

"No more condescension! I'll make it easy and use the Maricourt wand. You couldn't handle me with my crystal wand. Take your position."

"I'm not dueling you," Theo insisted. "It's not fair and you-"

Adam cast a simple spell that easily pushed Theo to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

"I'm not joking, Theo. You and I are settling this today. No more bullshit about the past and guilt and condescension. I love you and you're either going to tell me that you love me back or we're done being 'casual'. Plain and simple. I'm not going to pine after you if you don't want me and I'm not playing any more of your stupid games and walking in on you throwing yourself at whoever will take you. I'm a Maricourt and a Darktide, while you're just the son of two magically illiterate backwater nobodies. My uncle was an asshole, but he was right about our bloodline and our power. I come from royalty and magic users strong enough to fight demigods. You're just the son of a chef who can't keep it in his pants. Without your curse, you would have never even made it through the doors of Pleasantview Academy. You don't even realize how lucky you are to have been born cursed, otherwise, you'd be about as magical as Saturnia is!"

"It's better to have parents that love me than high born narcissists like yours!" Theo snapped, assuming a dueling stance. He knew that Adam was deliberately trying to make him angry, but he had crossed a line. "Your dad doesn't even know how many children he has and your sister is hoeing around on the Queen of Pleasantview. Talk about trashy! I'm sure that Saturnia could be a great witch if she wanted to, but not all of us obsess over magic like your lunatic uncle. I'd take a sister without magic over an uncle willing to sacrifice children any day!"

Theo didn't need to summon a wand for this duel. He knew Adam's magic inside and out. If he wanted a duel, then Theo would give him a duel.

"You can do better than that," Adam teased. He shot Theo a confident look, one that Theo had never seen before. Adam wasn't holding back or second guessing himself and Theo tried not to be distracted this confidence. He'd never seen this side of Adam before and he liked what he saw.

"Maybe I'm taking it easy on you too-"

Theo was cut off by another spell, one he'd been too distracted to see coming.

"Too slow!" Adam crowed. He laughed as Theo flew through the air helplessly. "You should have picked a wand! Do you even remember how to summon the Maricourt wand or have you forgotten already?"

Theo landed roughly on the ground when Adam released him from the spell. He hadn't been able to escape from its clutches despite his best efforts. There wasn't any life-threatening danger around to kick his abilities into gear or Adam at his side to help him. Theo was starting to realize that maybe Adam had a point about his inattention to his studies except for when there was a problem before him. Could he summon the Maricourt wand without the adrenaline of seeing Sebastian and Adam in danger? He truthfully wasn't sure.

"All right, I'll pay attention in magical theory class," Theo grumbled. He couldn't avoid smiling despite his defeat. Dueling Adam was actually kind of exciting. Clearly, he had underestimated Adam's skills and it was a nice change of pace to discover this new side of a guy he thought he'd known everything about.

In a flash, Adam had dropped his wand, and pinned Theo against the nearest wall, taking advantage of his distraction once again.

"Do you concede the duel?" Adam asked. His eyes sparkled in a way that would have ended the duel no matter what move Adam had made. Theo was entranced without magic and couldn't look away.

"Yes, you win," he whispered, locking his lips on Adam's, never intending to let him go again. "That was incredible. We should do that more often."

Adam smiled cautiously. Theo might be caught up in the moment and saying things that he wouldn't follow through with. From the look on Theo's face, Adam was reasonably sure that he meant what he said, but a part of him still worried.

"I hope you can see that I'm capable of defending myself against you and you don't need to worry," Adam assured Theo. Theo nodded, trailing kisses down Adam's neck as he spoke. "Do you want to talk this through?"

"You're right. You're right that I did come here to see you, and that I was being a giant asshole about magic and underestimating you and we can talk later if you want. Jesse and I finished our spell, so we won't be working together anymore. We should test it at the portal. You and I can test it in Pleasantview and go home! We can go home, even if it's just to do a trial run of the spell. You and me and Despina and home!"

Adam grinned at the idea, but still felt uneasy at the reminder of Theo's past with Jesse.

"Don't talk about Jesse while you're kissing me," he replied. "Does this mean that you want to be together when we go home? Like together in a completely non casual way? I don't think that I'm any good at casual relationships."

"Not at all," Theo agreed, wrapping his arms around his ex and pulling him closer. "You're absolutely terrible at them, so I guess we'll have to try things your way. I love you too, even when I try my best not to. Just, maybe be a little bit less jealous going forward? I love this confidence, but I can't handle you glaring at anyone who comes to talk to me. If you're less jealous, and I'm less of an asshole, I think we can make this work. Promise me that you'll try."

Adam pressed his lips against Theo's, thanking any deity who would listen for this breakthrough in their relationship.

"I promise."

Despina groaned as her cousin made out with Theo in the yard. It looked like they were back together, for now at least. All the shouting and dueling had attracted attention from the Lindgren house, where Despina could faintly make out a blonde woman watching from the window, just like she was. At least Theo was ready to try this spell of his. If she had to live with Theo and Adam being happy together, it somehow felt worse than living with them when they hated each other. There would probably be a lot more awkward situations involving nudity.

A noise behind Despina startled her away from gawking at her cousin's train wreck of a love life.

"Oh, hi, I don't think we've met," Despina said, awkwardly staring at the blonde teen who had appeared in the house despite all the various wards protecting it. "W-who are you?"

The girl only smiled back at her. With a snap of her fingers, both she and Despina disappeared.

"Despina, Theo and I are going to...uh, read some tarot cards down here," Adam called out. If Despina caught him and Theo together, she would probably murder them for near public indecency. It was best to issue a warning before she tried to use the dining room.

"Despina?"

A new grave had been dug for Gabriel Dean, shortly before Xexys' chaos had started. He was the last of the sacrifices that would be offered to the Watcher by the Proxy, so the set was now complete. The Ocean had always liked their Watcher character and the way the mortals enjoyed the idea of him watching over them. He didn't care to assume that role for his followers, but unlike Life's jealous claims, the Ocean did appreciate the sacrifices made in his persona's name. They would come in handy.

If Lukas hadn't worked so hard to create something that functioned like a reaper, they would be incredibly tempted to end the existence of Trysten Vienot. The man was irritating, slow to accept anything that challenged his Jacobean views, and completely underwhelming as a reaper. He struggled with using the abilities of a proper reaper, which was somewhat understandable given the circumstances, but even Abercius in his mortal body could wield some of the basic magic of a reaper better than Trysten.

Lukas still didn't understand why they had been given the task of babysitting the terrible reaper. Abercius had tried tutoring his father personally, and while he didn't have to take on the uncle he was still quite angry with, Trysten wasn't Lukas' responsibility either. Life had already overstepped in the realm of Death, and Lukas was more than happy to leave Trysten to Gee whenever this realm was stable.

"I don't see why we had to come to Mystic Drownwell," Trysten complained. "This place is sacred to the Watcher and Jacobeans. It's where the chosen sacrifice first meets the Watcher."

"You don't have to be here at all," Lukas snapped. "For the last time, the Watcher is the Ocean and he doesn't care about any of the lives you ended in his name. You're a pretty shitty reaper, and a worse brother. It's not my job to babysit you because your nephew hates you, and you're free to leave at any time. There's not even a point in me teaching you anything if you can't leave your indoctrination behind with your life."

Izanami would want them to be more kind to the fledgling reaper, but Lukas was already in a bad mood, and besides, it wasn't like Izanami was ever any nicer to his employees. Trysten was the least of their worries. They still had to appoint a dream guardian, discretely monitor a blood demon hybrid who was intentionally pushing his boundaries, and, oh yeah, meet with the Ocean for a reason he hadn't disclosed. The very fact that the Ocean was here in this realm while Lukas was trying to piece things together was unsettling. What if they weren't doing their job to the standard the Ocean wanted? What if this was phase two in his schemes against Life and Death? Could things get worse than being stuck in their second incarnation? Probably. His idea to meet in the creepy cult temple was not reassuring either.

"Fine. I'll go home and check on the kids," Trysten said irritably. "It's not like you have anything important to teach me anyway."

"Yes, thank you! Be sure to mention that to Abercius when you see him! You're not my problem to deal with!"

Lukas grinned at the sight of Trysten vanishing into a shower of sparkles, finally leaving their presence. At least the idiot had figured out how to teleport correctly.

Their celebration was short lived, however, as the pool of water in the sacred temple began to boil despite being calm only seconds ago. Before Lukas' eyes, a blonde teenager emerged from the pool, completely dry and looking quite pleased with herself. Lukas bowed their head in greeting, and the teen sat down on the bench beside them.

"Calista. I don't think I've seen this form in a while. I was expecting your usual appearance. Why even bother with the disguise? At this point, this entire realm has been destroyed to the point that the Ocean can manifest in the street and no one will even question it."

Lukas tried not to pull away from the teenager making herself comfortable beside them. They knew she could feel everything they felt, including their fear, so pretending it wasn't there was useless.

"Lukas, you of all beings should understand the value of a good disguise. There's nothing quite like walking among the mortals when they think you're one of them. They like speaking with someone like them."

Lukas cringed at the memory of "Calista's" last adventure among the mortals and how well the Ocean thought he was doing at playing human.

"This is definitely better than last time," they grudgingly admitted. "No one's been hospitalized yet."

Calista ignored the deity's comment completely. She didn't have time to be shamed about prior manifestations that had happened millennia ago.

"Congratulations on tricking your way into doing your husband's job, by the way. There's something different about you that your predecessor never had. You're creative and resourceful, and I appreciate that."

"You could fix the reapers I helped make," Lukas replied. "Why didn't you make Trysten into a proper reaper? It would take just a single thought to fix all of them, and the realm would be safer for it. They'd probably be easier to deal with too."

"Maybe I like what you did with them," Calista laughed. Lukas tried not to flinch at the sound of her laughter. "Maybe I have plans for this realm and I wouldn't want to squash your creativity. Using a Timelady and that pesky ex-reaper? I like it. Now tell me your plans to replace the Dream Guardian. It's last on your list and I want to see that creativity of yours shine. Who is the new Dream Guardian?"

Lukas paled at the question. There were a few candidates they'd thought of, though the obvious candidate didn't sit right with them. It was a cruel destiny to hand to someone so enthusiastic about putting down roots in another realm. Ascending to a position of such power wasn't for everyone, especially considering the fate of the last Dream Guardian.

"I have some thoughts, but I wanted to think it through before filling the position." They paused to stall for time. "What are your thoughts on the matter? I'm sure that you have someone in mind. That must be what you wanted to meet about, right?"

"An eye for an eye," the Ocean intoned. "The one who killed my creation, must pay with his own. She has the talent, and was only born as a gift to me. Her parents offered her willingly to me, same as the people of Jubilant Accosts offered themselves and their children. They are, therefore, mine to do with as I please."

So it was as Lukas expected. The Ocean had someone in mind, and came to see to it that his will was obeyed. She was the candidate that made the most sense to Lukas, but they couldn't bring themselves to put that plan into action. They had seen into her dreams, and wanted the best for an innocent child of two cruel parents.

"Despina wants to go home," Lukas insisted. "She's helped me sort through my dreams, and I've seen hers. She belongs in Pleasantview and Strangetown. I have her father in Limbo here, take him instead. Make him pay his own debts."

"And promote him to the demigod he always wished to be?" she laughed. "No, it's more appropriate to have his daughter ascend. It will torment him for the rest of his existence, and I wish to enjoy that torment. I respect his ambition, but I have to draw the line at attempting to force me to elevate him and his friends into gods above Death. The very thought of him forcing my hand! He sacrificed his children to me, and I will do with them as I wish. The girl is talented and resourceful. She found her own way to this realm and has so much of her father's promise. Her mother's blood ties her to this realm and to my angels. She's the perfect candidate. My first Dream Guardian never lived up to his potential, while she has a fire within her."

Lukas tried to hide their confusion over an angel being in Despina's bloodline. Her mother had been powerful, yes, but an angel? In Jubilant Accosts? This, Lukas would have to look into.

"If you won't tell her, then I will," Calista stated. "The ceremony will take place here, soon. I don't intend to wait much longer for the end of this realm. If you don't do it, then I will."

"The end of this realm?" Lukas repeated. "Why appoint a Dream Guardian if you intend to destroy this realm? Why have me try to piece a defense back together at all? Most of the people here might deserve to be destroyed, but not all of them! Do you know how hard it is for Life to make a reaper? All I did was for nothing?"

"You're becoming sentimental, Lukas Lane. You care about the subjects of your realm, like this blue girl with the horrible parents or the demon hybrid who thinks he can tame blood magic. I never thought that I'd see the day that you cared about something outside of Izanami or your many schemes for revenge. No, this realm won't be destroyed entirely. It will have a rebirth, just as that reaper used you to trigger hers."

"You, uh, know about that?" Lukas said quietly. They'd hoped this subject would never come up during their infrequent meetings with the Ocean. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's my fault for letting so much of this realm rely on soulmates," the Ocean groaned. Lukas tried not to react to their creator taking blame for anything in existence. This might actually be a first. "Your new reapers suffer from that problem, the same as you and Izanami. That demon hybrid and his warlock too, but let's hope they never figure that out; that would be a headache. Great power needs balance, but that balance can cause dependency, and dependency breeds recklessness. This rebirth will correct that. My Dream Guardian has no soulmate and neither does the moon. It will be a clean and elegant solution. Power with the support of others, but not the dependency on another soul to function."

"Is that why Izanami and I aren't our usual selves?" Lukas held their breath, desperate to know the answer, but frightened at what it might be. "Is he going to be okay? I can be stuck like this, if you want me to be, but please, stop whatever you're doing to Izanami. Do it to me instead if you have to. I need him to be okay."

"You've come a long way from begging for a way to murder Death," Calista chuckled. She stood up, indicating that she was finished with this conversation. "Don't worry, my plans for you two will conclude shortly. Please continue to prove my point about soulmates though. I don't care if you notify my Dream Guardian about her new position or not, but the ceremony will take place within the next few days. There will be no other candidates considered, Lukas. Her parents promised her to me long ago, and I will have my justice on the man who murdered my creation. He can rot in Limbo for eternity, but I want him to know the consequences of his actions."

"What did he do?" Lukas whispered to themselves. The Ocean would never give them a proper answer, that much was clear, but what had they missed that promised Despina to a deity who barely interacted with mortals? This was going to need a visit to Limbo to answer.

"I'll see you within a day or so," Calista called out, as she disappeared into the pool she'd arrived in. "Don't be late."

The Temple of the All Seeing Eye welcomed its master after their long absence. It was relaxing to once again be within its walls, guarded by statues of menacing angels. The Ocean remembered when it was built, all those centuries ago after the fall of the monarchy.

It was a peaceful place to unwind and prepare for what was coming. There were a lot of moving pieces, but Calista had been planning this for a very long time.

Karin Jakobsson and Jason Dean played together, completely unaware of what was happening outside. Karin had finally talked her mother into taking Jason in after the death of his parents, and she couldn't be happier to have someone her own age living with her family, especially Jason.

While Karin played blocks with her friend, something miraculous was occurring outside.

"Tollak?" Jakobina gasped in shock, unable to believe her eyes. "Tollak, is it really you? It can't be-you're dead! What sorcery is this?"

Tollak smiled, though something about him still felt wrong to Jakobina. That wasn't his exact smile or the way he had held himself during his life, but they had been separated for a long time, so maybe she was misremembering.

"Mom? Is that you?"

Delicia Lingren dropped the watering can in her hand in shock and stared with disbelief at the sight before her.

"Guthini? Is that you? Has the Watcher returned you to me?"

Delicia had given her son to the Watcher when the Proxy had decreed that Guthini was needed. He was resting with the hallowed dead in the sacred grounds of the Jacobean faith, not standing on the road in front of her.

But it was impossible to deny what she saw. The clothes were a little strange, but it was the same hair, the same eyes...it was a miracle.

"Mom, do what the lady says. You have to-the Watcher needs your help."

Guthini's voice was just how Delicia remembered it. He had always been quieter than the other boys his age, and more sensitive. Perhaps that was why the Watcher had needed him in the first place.

"Lady?" Delicia turned her head in the direction her son was facing. "Oh! I didn't see you there. Hello."

Her words felt awkward, but she was still processing her dead son speaking with her again. Whoever this girl was, she would have to wait for Delicia's brain to catch up. Why was this girl with Guthini anyway? How was any of this happening?

"Hello," Calista replied cheerfully. "I've come to make you an offer. You know how things have changed around here since Xexys decided to throw a tantrum. The Proxy is gone, and outsiders are crossing the border to save their own realm. Men are giving birth, there's a blood demon hybrid down the street-things are changing fast!"

Delicia tried to nod politely, but there was something eerie about this teen. The way she spoke, the way she moved...there was just something off about her. She didn't feel real, though Delicia was conversing with her dead son at the moment, so who knew what was real anymore.

"What's a blood demon hybrid?" Delicia asked curiously. "Is it like the Demon of Nightmares, but with blood? I've never heard of a demon outside of Xexys."

"Ha! I suppose it is a little like Xexys if he was concerned with blood," the girl laughed. The mere sound of her laughter sent a chill into Delicia's bones. "Anyway, your family has served the Watcher faithfully, even giving up your child to him when he asked. What if I told you that the Watcher was willing to reward your devotion? Is there anything that you would want from him? Wealth? Power? Youth?"

"The Watcher couldn't grant a woman as old as I am with youth," Delicia scoffed. This conversation didn't feel real, so why even pretend that such a miracle could happen.

"The Watcher can do whatever he wants. If you want to be a teen again, it can be done. If you want to be a an infant again, sure, why not?"

Delicia's eyes flickered to Guthini. Calista caught this glance and smiled.

"If you want your son back, I can do that. Hell, I can bring anyone back. I could turn your dog into a goat or your baby into a countertop. I just need one little favour from you. The Watcher has a plan for Yacothia."

Lea Lindgren watched her mother in law converse with the air for at least ten minutes. Delicia had gone out to garden, only to hallucinate. Hopefully, their neighbour, Jakobina, wasn't around to witness this moment of weakness. They would never hear the end of it if she had.

"Delicia?" Lea asked gently, walking up behind the older woman. "Are you okay? Who are you talking to?"

Delicia beamed, her face an expression of pure joy Lea never thought she'd see on a woman who had suffered so much.

"The Watcher is going to return Guthini," she exclaimed. "It's a miracle! All I have to do is trust in the Watcher, and do as he asks when the time comes!"

Lea pulled away from her mother in law, searching her face for any sign of fever or delirium.

"The Watcher told you this just now? Delicia, you were talking to the air! There was no one there. Besides, the Proxy is gone and the Jacobeans are in shambles. Perhaps this was just a trick of the Demon of Nightmares meant to lead you into his web of lies. Come inside, and I'll make you some tea. We can try to talk through this."

Delicia shook her head adamantly.

"This was real," she promised Lea. "Guthini is coming back. The Watcher is going to destroy Yacothia and remake it as he pleases, and then Guthini will come back. All I have to do is accept his plan, and follow the commands of someone called the Dream Guardian."

Lea smiled weakly, while ushering her mother in law towards the house where her words wouldn't be overheard by the neighbours.

"Okay. That sounds very interesting, Delicia. Did the Watcher give you a time when this will happen? A couple of months? A year or two?"

Theo immediately pulled away from Jesse to face his accuser.

"Adam? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed, waiting for our mission? Are you following me?"

Theo hastily gathered his clothes and pulled them on, while Jesse did the same beside him.

"I'm not following you!" Adam shouted. "All I had to do is think of the stupidest thing I could think of doing and I knew I'd find you. Why did you leave without me? Why are you using blood magic with someone else? You don't even know this guy! This could be a trap!"

Theo rolled his eyes at this, only making Adam angrier.

"That's exactly what you said about Sebastian," Theo snapped. "Everyone is evil if they're interested in me, right? Even when Sebastian turned out to be the victim of his father, not the villain you imagined! We're not together, Adam! We're just casually hooking up and I can't deal with your insane jealousy whenever anyone else looks my way! You just can't seem to understand that I don't want a relationship right now, and you keep twisting-"

"I'm not twisting anything! We've all seen your dreams where you imagine us married! You want me back, but you're too afraid to admit it!"

Theo groaned, and shot an apologetic look to Jesse.

"I can't deal with you anymore! Even if I did want you back, I'm sick of dealing with your jealousy! Jesse and I are helping to break Xexys' curse, and yes, I'm using blood magic with someone else. Lukas told us that I need to work with someone undead, and you're just jealous that that doesn't mean working with you! I am trained to use blood magic, and my powers are stable, so I can do something good. It's not my fault that I wasn't directed to work with someone with crystal magic instead!"

"And the vampires were so quick to agree to help!" Adam shouted. "We don't know what their motives are. They could be helping Xexys for all we know. Aren't they supposed to be at war with werewolves? I'm sure blood magic could help them win that!"

"Goodbye, Adam. You're ruining our relationship with our new allies," Theo said, gesturing to his ex-boyfriend that he was free to leave the backyard at any time. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to your absurd, jealous theories. I'll report to Helle about my progress, and you can find something else to do that doesn't involve following me. I'm going to find a way to wake up everyone cursed with the plague, whether you like what I'm doing or not!"

"Fine! Go play the hero, and sleep with vampires "to save people". I don't care anymore, Theo! You're a selfish jackass who only thinks about what you want! It doesn't matter how many people you hurt or rules you break, as long as you're happy! Have fun explaining this to Helle, while I do something that's actually important!"

Adam stormed off, too angry to even be able to focus on teleporting. Theo's eyes followed him as he left. He was torn between rushing after him to apologize and screaming something hurtful while Adam could still hear.

It was a relief to finally be able to shout his many grievances with Adam. Theo was sick of walking on eggshells or avoiding Adam and now things were finally out in the open. Adam's jealousy was suffocating, and it was going to offend the vampires, just as it had offended Sebastian.

Sebastian....

Theo needed to work out whatever magic or cure he could in order to wake up Sebastian, just as he'd promised. Let Adam simmer in his jealousy, while Theo actually did something about their problems.

"Come on, I think we were on to something," Theo said, reaching for Jesse.

The vampire looked hesitant after watching Theo blow up at his ex, but slowly wrapped himself the demon hybrid once more.

"Are you sure that you don't want to go after him?" Jesse asked. "You could always come back later.'

Theo shook his head adamantly.

"No, let's get back to work."

For the next few nights, Theo stayed with the vampires to work on how his magic could be combined with theirs. Chinh had pulled out some dusty old books on blood magic that Theo had devoured. The library in Pleasantview's collection of blood magic books paled in comparison to Chinh's collection. Of course, there were laws and policies regarding blood magic literature in Pleasantview, while Jubilant Accosts and its vampire population had no rules on the subject at all.

Theo didn't even get so much as a text from Adam, which gave him feelings he didn't want to process. Adam was angry with him, obviously, but he was angry at Adam too. It was nice not having to avoid Adam's clingy behaviour, but Theo still found himself missing Adam. Helle had said that Adam was spending time with his cousin, but she hadn't included any other information. He tried not to let this bother him.

At least Helle was impressed with his easy relationship with the vampires. She didn't want them as a part of her kingdom if they didn't want to join her, and she would gratefully accept them as allies either way. If Theo did somehow find a way to hurt Xexys by working with the vampires, then Helle would be ecstatic.

She was less ecstatic when she would walk out of a meeting with Chinh, only to find Theo and Jesse tangled up together in the room next door.

At least those two were actually getting somewhere with their blood magic casting. The secretive magic of the vampires did align closely with Theo's blood magic and the last time that Helle walked in on them, they had produced a cloud like wisp of energy that hovered in the air. As long as Theo could keep his concentration, the cloud could billow out, filling the room. Anyone who had been in the room observing the process and had the cloud brush against them, had been unable to sleep for two days, which everyone took as a positive sign of its potency. If they could engulf all of Jubilant Accosts or Pleasantview with their wispy spell, it could pierce through the dream sickness, and wake Xexys' victims.

To Theo's surprise, a bat swooped in, changing into a human form in an instant. Now that was a vampire! Theo had studied enough about them in school, and that was a clear vampiric trait. The woman looked pale as well, with deep red eyes.

If she noticed Theo, she made no obvious move to acknowledge he was there. All she cared about was playing with the toddler.

This was strange. According to their intel, the vampires were at war with the werewolves, and possibly even against other vampires. This place didn't seem to have any security to defend against intruders, let alone an army of werewolves. He was supposed to have taken Adam with him on this mission, but Theo figured that he could handle this on his own. Adam hadn't given Theo much space since their "casual" hookup, and Theo just needed a break from all the confusing feelings sleeping with Adam had dragged up. He would take any mission alone if it meant that he was spared having to talk about his feelings.

Potentially valuable intel had arrived in the dreams of Lukas, which they had passed on for the mortals to investigate. The man who wrote Despina's textbook on dream magic had insisted that the angels had cryptically warned that Theo might be able to weaken the plague in some way. With both his magic and that of the undead, there was a chance to cripple the illness, even if they couldn't defeat it completely.

There were no zombies in Jubilant Accosts, and the new reaper team hovered somewhere between undead and a proper servant of Death. They could try to combine their magic with Theo's, but neither Alphaeus or Trysten had proper control over their new form of magic or their unstable bodies.

Brion was the one to suggest the vampires as an option. He'd seen enough of Phuong's family to guess that they might be sympathetic, if they weren't currently battling the other supernaturals, that was. Theo had jumped at the chance to see an actual vampire, not just a hybrid like Bronwyn, and of course, Adam had volunteered to come as well. They were supposed to leave the next morning when the vampires might be asleep or tired, giving the warlocks the advantage, but Theo couldn't wait that long. He needed to see the vampires as they were during the night, and to sneak out before Adam followed him.

It wasn't that he didn't have feelings for Adam, especially after spending the night with him for his birthday. The feelings he felt were overwhelming and confusing, and hard to process. Maybe he did still love Adam, and maybe the idea of him kissing someone else out of desperation didn't bother him as much as he had always thought it would, but Adam had been relentless pursuing Theo since their night together. The guy had clearly never heard of a casual relationship, despite his twin sister having several of them over the years and whatever he'd had with that guy in Pleasantview. He was now openly pining for Theo, staring at him with love struck eyes, and trying to hold his hand whenever they walked together. Despina was nearly at her breaking point with her cousin, and Theo found himself feeling the same way. Maybe he could have a conversation with Adam, if Adam would stop assuming they were back together. Theo might have an answer for Adam about his feelings, if he didn't have to spend so much time avoiding Adam.

"Bleh!"

Theo jumped out of his skin, completely lost in his thoughts about his ex-boyfriend. While he had been distracted, a vampire lunged at him, fangs exposed.

"Oh, shit!" Theo tried his best to dodge the vampire's attack, slipping into his dark form as quickly as possible.

"I'm not afraid of you!" he shouted. "I'm an incredibly strong demon and I can protect myself! I just came here to talk!"

To Theo's frustration, the vampire didn't begin trembling in fear upon seeing his dark form. If anything, he looked amused. His fangs weren't even visible behind his smirk which should have been a relief, but somehow Theo was disappointed. The vampire winked at him playfully, making Theo's heart skip a beat. This wasn't how his grand reveal to the vampires was supposed to go.

"Well, what did you want to talk about?" the vampire asked. His eyes followed Theo's demonic horns with a look that was more than curiosity. "I'm Jesse by the way. What's your name?"

"Uh, Theo. My name is Theo Bellamy. I've been sent here by Helle Seavey Dean, future queen of Yacothia. She wants to extend an invitation to meet with her to discuss the future of this realm. I'm sure that you've seen the dream sickness that's spreading, and she might have information that could help us end it, with your help, of course."

Theo tried to smile diplomatically, just like Adrian had taught him to before entering the royal court. He was already doing better presenting Helle's message than he ever had interacting with customers at his father's restaurant. When he finally came home, Theo was going to blow everyone away with his diplomacy skills.

"Ah, we'd heard rumours of that cult crumbling," Jesse replied. His eyes seemed to linger on Theo in a way that reminded him of Adam, but without the messy knot of feelings attached to him. "I'll introduce you to Chinh. He's our leader. I'm sure that he'll be interested in hearing what this so called queen has to say."

"Welcome to our home," Jesse announced. "It's been in the Doan family for centuries. Before the schism, the Doan siblings lived here together in peace. Now, the family is divided, and Chinh leads our faction. We won possession of the home, while Hwa's faction lives with the demonspawn by the ruins."

"Demonspawn?" Theo repeated. "What demonspawn? Like Xexys type demons or demons like me?"

"I've never seen a demon like you before," Jesse admitted. "Your horns are like nothing I've seen, and they can appear out of nowhere!"

"That's called a dark form, just like some vampires can have. The demons beyond our realm mimic us vampires, and conceal themselves from the dangers of exposing their true selves. The outside world can be quite cruel to those who are different."

Theo tried not to gasp as another vampire entered the room. This vampire looked ancient, much older than even Grandma Elaine.

"Have you seen the outside world?" Theo asked. His voice was unsteady as he watched the much older vampire look him over. Theo must look as strange to Chinh as Chinh did to him. Theo couldn't name a single vampire in Pleasantview aside from Bronwen, who was only half vampire. Chinh probably couldn't name a single non-dream demon in Jubilant Accosts. Sure, Shadowvale had a demon curriculum and Alys Hooper in their staff, but outside of the True Jacobean's walls, Theo hadn't seen a single demon who looked like himself.

"I am a very old vampire, child. I have seen many things, and traveled to many places. There are ways to leave this realm if you know where to look. I have seen many of your kind, though not quite the same as you. You...you remind me of a class of demons long thought extinct."

"I'm a blood demon hybrid," Theo explained. "I studied at Shadowvale, though Pleasantview is where my normal school is. There's no other blood demon hybrids that I know of. It's been suggested by important people that I might be able to help control the Demon of Nightmares' plague if I had some assistance from the undead."

"I have no doubt that you could," Chinh said smoothly. "Have you seen a single vampire struck by this illness? The dream demon has very little power over us; being undead has its privileges. You share a common strength with us, demon: we both use blood to make ourselves strong. The Nightmare Demon is afraid of that power."

"You mean, I can do blood magic with a vampire and help break Xexys' spell? That's it?"

"In a very simple way, yes," Chinh replied. "It's much more complicated in practice. It takes practice and control and a firm knowledge of blood magic."

"I'm the only one studying blood magic in Pleasantview," Theo bragged. "I mean, my ex-boyfriends have helped a bit, but they don't practice it. I officiated my parents' demonic wedding, so I have experience with a wide range of blood magic. I can definitely work with vampires. Do you have a spell already or would I have to make my own?"

"Bleh!"

Theo was interrupted by a child vampire running past the table, shouting as he went.

"Excuse James, he's new to our coven and still learning our ways. Children are always hectic, but vampire children are especially chaotic."

"James?" Theo repeated, staring at the child now bouncing on the couch in astonishment. "James Pryor?"

Chinh nodded solemnly.

"Yes, we found him outside the Jacobean walls, completely alone. We feared that his family was killed by Xexys' attack and took him in. He asked to become one of us and we accepted him."

"His siblings are looking for him," Theo revealed excitedly. "They survived, and their parents died, but now they're reapers! I mean, Helena is in another realm too, but I'm sure she'll come visit when it's safe. And Abercius is engaged to the future queen, James will probably want to go to their wedding someday or see the castle."

"I'm afraid that James is a member of our family now," Chinh replied. "It doesn't sound like his biological family is stable enough to raise him even if he wasn't. His family is welcome to visit, but he is a child of the night now. We are his family."

Theo smiled his best polite smile, trying not to offend the ancient vampire. His own fathers would slay any vampire who stood between them and their son, but Chinh did have a good point about the Pryor family. The new reaper creations were still finding their way in their new existence, and no one had even seen Damiana since her resurrection. Trysten and Alphaeus were also juggling a newborn, while Helena was doing the same in another realm. Abercius and Brion were focused on creating Helle's new kingdom and helping end the dream plague. Finding James hadn't been in any of their priorities, but Theo couldn't really blame them. These weren't ordinary circumstances, and James had already decided to become a vampire instead of returning home. Brion had mentioned that James had disappeared before the rest of his siblings left for Pleasantview, so running away had clearly been James' solution to his parents' illness. The Pryor family was currently a giant trash fire that Theo wasn't capable of solving.

"I'll be sure to tell his family that he's safe," Theo said. "I'm sure that they'll want to visit. Thank you for taking him in."

"I can help you work on a way to stop Xexys' plague," Jesse said, changing the awkward subject of James' custody. "I've been a vampire for most of my life, so I know what I'm doing. You aren't afraid of being bitten, are you? I wouldn't be turning you into a vampire; just extracting your demonic blood for the spell."

Theo tried to picture returning to his family and seeing his parents react to him being a vampire. His dad would have a heart attack in his thirties. Still, the idea of being bitten was intriguing. He'd seen the sharp points of Bronwen's small fangs and always wondered what they felt like. There wasn't really any other vampires in his life and they'd always seemed like such a mysterious people.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of being bitten, especially if it can help other people."

"Good," Chinh said approvingly. "I'll see if I can find some books on using blood magic to help you two. I know I have some around here from my travels. Why don't you try to practice combining your abilities in the yard while I search? I have every confidence that you will create a solution eventually, but it will take some practice."

"This is a pretty nice yard for people who don't go outside during the day," Theo remarked. "What do you use the pool for if you can't go out in the sun?"

Jesse gave the demon hybrid a strange look.

"For night swimming or when it's cloudy out. Some of us can walk in the sun, like Chinh. He's so old, his skin has built up a tolerance to sunlight. He's a pretty good leader too. One day I hope to grow as old and powerful as he is."

"He sounds like a great guy," Theo replied, again trying to be as polite and diplomatic as possible.

"So, uh, you mentioned that your ex-boyfriends helped you with magic. Are you seeing anyone right now?"

The vampire blushed furiously, leading to many questions about blood and blood flow in Theo's mind.

"No, not technically," he answered. He felt a small stab of guilt, thinking about how desperately Adam was pursuing him, but he had agreed to a casual relationship and Theo was technically free to see who he wanted. "I hook up with my ex some times, but we're casual. I don't really want a relationship right now."

"Great!" Jesse exclaimed, grabbing Theo's hands in excitement. "I'm not seeing anyone either. I had someone a long time ago, but his cult sacri-it doesn't matter. It's really hard to meet people in a place as small as this, and Chinh doesn't like us dating within the coven to avoid drama. I was just thinking that it might be easier to work with blood magic, if our blood was pumping a little faster. I like you, Theo."

"You don't even know me," Theo pointed out, though he couldn't deny his interest in Jesse. A vampire was interested in him, and Adam had agreed to be casual, even if he was also being incredibly annoying about it. A million warnings went off in his head at the suggestion of using any kind of passion with blood magic, but his magic was stable now. A god had told him that directly, so Evren's warnings were outdated. Theo could handle doing blood magic with a very attractive vampire without worry. "I like you too though. Plus, you might be onto something. My stepdad always says that blood magic is stronger with things like sex or feasts or whatever, so maybe it might be good to work with stronger blood magic. It might be strong enough to do real damage to Xexys."

"That makes sense," Jesse agreed. He wasn't going to argue if Theo agreed with him. Chinh and the older vampires were finding new mates and having little baby vampires in the wake of the Xexys crisis, and Jesse was lonely. He might never see Theo again or Theo might be a large presence in his life going forward. Either way, he had to shoot his shot now.

Luckily for Jesse, Theo was finished discussing his proposition and was busy making plans of his own.

"So this won't hurt, or at least I think it won't. It's been a while since I've bitten someone. Chinh usually has bags of donated blood for us. He doesn't want us to hunt like unsophisticated werewolves, so let me know if you think something's wrong."

"Okay. Just make sure that I'm not going to be changed in the process. My dads will kill me if I come home as a vampire."

Theo could feel a slight pressure on his neck, but he focused his attention on maintaining his dark form instead. They needed a blood demon hybrid to interact with Jesse's abilities, and Theo couldn't let his nervousness weaken his focus on blood magic. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing, but he assumed that his body would figure it out. Casting blood magic with Adam had always been a struggle at first, until Theo's natural call to energy had taken over.

"Am I supposed to be gathering energy or doing something with the blood itself?" Theo asked nervously. "How will this disrupt Xexys' plans? Do we need to inject magically infused blood into the victims or is it magic that I process? Do vampires have magic? My half-vampire friend never knew her mother, so she doesn't know."

"I'm going to guess that it'll be magic we both process. I can't really say a lot about vampire abilities, but I definitely have some tricks up my sleeve. This will still take some trial and error though. I don't think that even Chinh has seen a blood demon in centuries, so we'll have to experiment with what you can do."

Adam snuck a nervous look around the corner, hoping to find Theo safe. When he found Theo missing, he immediately worried that Theo had rushed into their dangerous mission by himself. It was such a Theo thing to do, after all. Why wait for backup when you could rush into the unknown completely alone?

Theo was definitely intertwined with a vampire, though he didn't seem to be frightened. Adam could hear them whisper talking, though he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

"I can feel something getting stronger, can you? This has to be on the right track."

"Can you use life magic directly or is it something you can't control? The blood doesn't taste right, something has changed."

"Kiss me, and maybe it will fix itself. Whatever energy you're trying to attach to the magic is weakening."

Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Theo was willingly in a vampire's arms, clearly practicing blood magic for some purpose. Not only that, but practicing blood magic half naked, and kissing someone, in clear defiance of all of Evren's warnings about casting blood magic safely.

He was still curious about what the servants of Life wanted, which was his main reason for accepting the invitation. The afterlife was often dull for long periods of time, and this was interesting.

Purple eyed demons were somewhat rare compared to the usual red or yellow eyed demons, as they descended from some kind of angelic ancestry. There used to be many ranks of angels, all with different abilities, so each demon spawned from an angel, might have not have the same ability as another demon. Some purple eyed demons were exceptionally talented, and some of them were nearly as powerless as a human.

Alon had experienced death for the first time at the hands of red eyed demons helping reaper trained mortals. His powers weren't aggressively strong for situations like battles. No, his strength was better suited for stealth and deception. Alon could possess mortals or weak demons, controlling every part of them. He could also hypnotize or overwhelm any creature he wanted, but again, that was better done from the safety of the shadows and not in direct combat.

"Hi, my name is Zephyr," a friendly voice announced. Her dark purple eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'd like to welcome everyone to this meeting and thank you all for coming. I'm hosting this gathering on behalf of Lukas, deity of the realm of Life. They have some concerns that they hope you can help with."

"I'm Reyes, I'm co-hosting the meeting on behalf of those who practice dream magic, something Lukas feels is relevant with the dream plague that is ravaging the living world."

"Yes, former King Reyes is here to talk about dreams, but our meeting is primarily about angels and demons," Fiona pointed out, looking irritated that she had to share the spotlight with a mortal. Lukas' orders were clear on the matter, even if she didn't agree with them. "Let's go inside and get started. The living realm needs our help."

Gee sat in his office, listening to the concerns of the afterlife. Just like a monarch, Gee held office hours for the dead to notify him of their problems and ideas. It was something his father had scoffed at, but it was producing results. Most of the meetings he took were easy and uncomplicated. And then there was the matter of Celeste Goldman.

The former queen consort/death cult co-leader was part of the restricted program in the afterlife where dangerous souls were entrusted to family members or volunteers to rehabilitate until they could rejoin the afterlife society in peace. Celeste's father and stepmother had volunteered to care for Celeste, but it had been years and she only seemed to be getting worse.

"Celeste seems to be getting worse. I...I don't think we can be her guardians anymore," Ewan reported. "I love her more than anything, but she's so toxic now. More than toxic, hateful. She is actively cruel to her stepmother, she hates her own mother to the point that I wouldn't trust her alone with Cherry even if both of them were dead. She kept Cherry as a zombie for over fifty years and taunted her daily! This isn't how any decent human being acts, and I don't know how to get through to her. She's highly inappropriate with me just to get a reaction and with Ewan?"

"She gloats about killing him when they were children," Gee said with a heavy sigh. "I've had many conversations with her about her afterlife journey, and they've all concluded the same way. She's malicious and cruel just to hurt other people. I ended her life for attempting to kill me and she spent our last meeting swearing to try it again. She's a challenging case. I completely understand if you're unable to be her guardian any longer. I can reassign her care to someone else."

"I feel like I've failed her, but also, I died when she was eight. If I could have been there for her, I absolutely would have. I love all of my children. I don't understand how she could have been the queen consort of Crystal Cove, and helped lead two covens and still be this hateful and angry. I've never seen anything like it, and I fought in all of my father's wars."

"Has she ever asked about Travis Goldman? I'm told that a sign of rehabilitation is when a soul will ask about their loved ones or their victims. I'm not sure which option Celeste sees her son as."

Ewan shook his head sadly.

"She refuses to talk about him. The only thing she'll say is that he deserves to raised by the brother she killed. That weakness deserves weakness."

"I'll see where I can transfer her," Gee promised. "There has to be somewhere she can be contained until she's rehabilitated. I heard that Lukas has been using Limbo for unruly spirits, maybe that is the best path forward."

"Can I, uh, ask about Travis' other parent?" Ewan asked nervously. "Does she ever ask about her son or Celeste?"

"Charlotte Maricourt? At her last appointment, she was making excellent progress. She's staying with her parents, though who knows if the Maricourts are actually helping her or just helping her pass my tests. They're an interesting, and frustrating family. As far as I know, she doesn't talk about Celeste or Travis, but she doesn't really talk about any of her children, really."

"That's encouraging," Ewan replied. "I get the sense that Celeste blames her for their cult failing, so keep that in her file for if she ever does graduate. I have a feeling that their reunion might not be civil. I feel so badly for their son. When he does die, I hope that those two have themselves sorted out."

"Ewan and Anna take excellent care of him," Gee assured Ewan. "He's extremely loved."

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope more than anything that Ewan will visit us again once Celeste finds a new guardian. I miss him."

"What is this place?" Alon asked, looking around him in awe. "I don't think that I've ever seen this place before and I've been in the afterlife for centuries."

"It's the temple of the Ocean. Very few people will see this place and for good reason." Destiny Reeves answered, appearing out of nowhere, and immediately taking charge of the room. "It's one of the places the Ocean dwells. He's away on business at the moment, and this was the only place the angels would agree to convene."

"What kind of business?" Alon asked timidly. It was horrifying to think that the greatest deity, the one that even Death feared, could appear at any moment and wonder what everyone was doing in his temple.

"He didn't say," Fiona replied. "Just that he would be gone for awhile to oversee the culmination of a project of his. I didn't dare ask what that meant."

"He's tormenting Life and Death," another voice replied. Alon turned to see a being with purple eyes, and black feathered wings. He was like nothing Alon had ever seen. The markings on his face looked ancient, and the demon could feel the power behind those purple eyes deep in his nonexistent bones. It was unnerving to watch him look over the crowd with clear disdain. This had to be one of the angels they were meeting.

"He's watching over Life and Death, you mean," Zephyr Toyonaga corrected him. The angel bristled at being corrected. "Lukas is my grandparent and they're working very hard far away from home. We can help them, just as I'm sure that the Ocean is too."

"The Ocean doesn't help people," the angel hissed, temporarily distracted from the drink in his hand. "He never has. He has a plan for Life and Death, just as he has a plan for Xexys. He's the one who sealed Xexys away in the first place, and he has a plan for him now too. He wouldn't leave that choice up to Lukas or Izanami. Personally, I think he's gone to watch all the chaos of the demon and his plague for his own enjoyment. He does love a show."

"Life and Death are doing what they can," Zephyr insisted. "Their work will make a difference. All the mortals are working to defeat Xexys without the help of the Ocean, and they'll succeed."

The angel gave the demon a weary look.

"I know only one thing about his plans, and that is that it cannot be changed. Something is in motion that will unbalance the order of the universe. Just as the moon has power over the ocean, the ocean seeks power over the moon."

"That...that is not helpful," Zephyr replied. "No wonder no one talks to you angels anymore."

Alon had to agree with Zephyr. Creatures who spoke in riddles weren't exactly helpful in a time when the world needed answers.

"If everyone could assemble in the main stage, I'd like to begin."

Alon and Zephyr followed the sound of Fiona's voice, noting the large crowd of purple eyed creatures gathering. They appeared to be mostly demons, though neither of them really knew what they would be if they weren't demons. Really old demon-angel hybrids? Who knew?

"Thank you all for coming," Fiona said. "Lukas needs our help to make the living world safe for your descendants, or if you're a powerful enough demon, safe enough for you to return to some day. There is a very dangerous plague that is locking the living into an endless dream. Their bodies die without intervention and the soul is trapped in Xexys' web of dreams. We need to find a way to wake up those who have been caught by the plague and a way to do something about Xexys himself. Does anyone have any ideas about how to do that? Does anyone know something about Xexys that maybe Lukas might not know?"

"I was once a doctor," a purple eyed woman in a green sweater volunteered. "I served in the Demon Wars and saw just about every kind of demon there is, aside from the Great Demons or blood demons. Xexys doesn't look like a proper demon. He has no horns or a dark form, so we can't treat him like a proper demon. What kind of demon uses a warped version of dream magic, anyway? Every other demon uses demonic magic."

"Because he's not a regular demon." A woman just as unnerving as the angel in the hall appeared, along with another purple eyed man. There was no denying that these two newcomers were also angels. "Demons are angels who have fallen from the path and embraced a destiny they have made for themselves. They mutated into a lesser form with lesser magic. Xexys was never an angel or a Great Demon or even an angel-demon hybrid. He is and has always been, Xexys, Demon of Nightmares."

"What does that mean?" Zephyr asked. "Is he his own class of demon?"

"Why do you think he was sealed away from the rest of us?" the woman replied. "He's his own species. A mistake made by the Ocean that he was too curious about to kill. It's not surprising that this plague is happening. Xexys was always scheming something and he could never get along with the other demons. He thought he was superior to them, despite him lacking their strength."

"And they thought a team of reapers and a Timelady could contain him," the other angel laughed. "What's a reaper going to do to an immortal?"

"You know why they sent reapers," the woman replied. "He needs living victims to start with and the realm of Death silences the dream he weaves. Life and Death seal the door to that realm and Life and Death are his undoing."

"We can't send Death to Jubilant Accosts," Zephyr said quickly, before anyone else suggested the idea. "Lukas forbids it for reasons they don't need to explain. We could send the Grim Reaper instead. What does he need to do?"

"There's no substitute for Death," the male angel explained. "The magic is old and specific. It must be Life and Death."

"What about a magic user that was trained in dream magic?" Reyes asked. "There's a teenage girl in Jubilant Accosts that my daughter speaks very highly of. Maybe Luna and I could go in Izanami's place."

Both angels stared coldly at Reyes, while the angel drinking in the hall laughed.

"There is no substitution," he said sternly. "Life and Death, not dream magic sorcerers. Izanami was never a coward; why can't he go to fight the dream demon?"

"Because he's sick," Fiona snapped angrily. "As if you guys didn't know about the crisis Death is in! You must know how to fix him. He needs help. No one knows why he's been so sickly."

"Because the Ocean is tormenting him. I've already made that clear. If you won't use Death, I've heard that a blood demon hybrid exists in Jubilant Accosts. A demon able to use Life's most basic magic, and the undead able to reach the magic of the dead in return. It's not a replacement. It won't stop Xexys, but it might slow his plague. Life and Death."

"Stop saying that!" Fiona commanded. "I'm not returning to Lukas with some whispered ideas and the words 'Life and Death' repeated until they've lost all meaning."

"You wanted our help. We convened here for you. You cannot destroy Xexys without the Ocean's consent, and even then, you need Death to stand beside Life. That blood demon and the undead could slow things down, but they can't defeat Xexys on their own. No one can."

"The Dream Guardian needs to be replaced and no matter how clever Life thinks they are, there are conditions to be met, rules to be followed. Dream demon hybrids cannot escape the realm unchecked either. The ability to wield Dream magic is a rare gift that must remain rare. One who wields that magic might be able to lower Xexys' defenses. They can turn his magic against him, even though they can't defeat him."

"Everything was placed in that realm for a reason. The Jacobeans have inadvertently warped their society to favour the Demon of Nightmares. They spurn what was given to protect them. The Ocean does not distribute power to just one person, one group of people. Power is shared."

After their ominous statements, all three angels disappeared from sight, drawing disappointed groans from the audience of demon hybrids.

"That was them helping us?" Alon complained. "Why even bother?"

"It was a little helpful," Zephyr replied. "We know now that Death has to be involved."

"If the Ocean lets Life and Death intervene, that is," Alon pointed out. "And who wants to tell Lukas that their sick husband, who all of us are forbidden to speak to, needs to enter a battlefield in another realm?"

No one in the room looked excited by the idea, especially Fiona, who the task would likely fall to.

"But the people in the realm can stall for time for Izanami to heal," she said. "Those Pleasantview teens might be able to disrupt the plague and weaken Xexys. Maybe they'll lead us to the new Dream Guardian. This is still positive news, even if the work seems daunting. I'll be sure to let Life know about this information."

"So what do we do? Why are we even here?" the woman who had formerly been a doctor asked.

Zephyr immediately regretted not handing out name tags at the door.

"Keep your eyes and ears open for gossip about the situation," she replied. "Reach out to any contacts you may have who might know something about Jubilant Accosts that the angels haven't shared with us. If you can travel to the living realm through the Void, investigate for yourself, ask questions. If you can use dream magic or possession, find answers and report them back to either myself or Fiona."

Destiny made sure to separate herself from the group as soon as the three angels vanished. There was always a fourth angel lurking along with his people, even if he didn't make himself known.

"Keith Tangiela, I'd like to speak with you," she declared loudly. His true name wasn't known to many people, but his daughter knew it. They had had centuries of family issues, disagreements, and drama, but despite it all, there was still a father-daughter bond between them. Keith had always been forthcoming with any information he could provide about her research topics, but this involved the happiness of her favourite deity. This was personal.

A blonde man with black wings and strange face markings appeared before her, looking sheepish.

"Destiny! Daughter! I was hoping that you'd attend this meeting. You're no doubt assisting your stepchild in their quest to correct Yacothia, so it makes sense that you'd be here."

"I'm also the descendant of an angel," Destiny replied. "That should entitle me to some answers to my questions. Your colleagues weren't exactly clear on certain subjects."

"We angels aren't known for our clarity. We have lived long enough to see our species fall, along with every empire on the planet. What we know, isn't always easily understood by mortals."

"I don't need a history lesson, just answers that will help my family. Will Izanami be able to make the journey to Jubilant Accosts? He gets weaker with every passing day. He can't fight Xexys in this condition. Do you know how to help him?"

Keith shook his head.

"That's above even my level. I wish that I knew, but the Ocean doesn't like to share his schemes. I don't think that it's a plan to destroy him, like how the last demonic sovereigns drowned. This is a project that amuses him as much as Xexys does."

"Tell me about the Dream Guardian then. How can Lukas replace him? What was he? Where did he come from?"

"Many beings were sealed away," Keith answered. "Mortals, vampires, werewolves, reapers, and a breed of demon unique to that realm. The Dream Guardian was something else unique to Yacothia. Much like King Reyes' daughter, Luna, he acted as a steward of the dream realm. A demigod for those who practiced dream magic. His death at the hands of one of his own subjects was obscene. Heresy."

"But how do we replace him?" Destiny insisted. "Luna is fairly young compared to an angel. How long did the dream realm sit undefended until she was born? How much longer will we have to wait before someone is born with enough dream magic to ascend to the Dream Guardian's role?"

"That debt will be paid in blood," Keith replied cryptically. "What blood, I cannot say. There are several bloodlines that would satisfy the debt. Perhaps the Ocean will choose one or perhaps it will reveal itself." He paused for a moment to reflect on how much he was allowed to explain. "There is a secret my colleagues wish to keep from you, but if anyone can understand the need for discretion, it's you. It's a shame that you favour your mother's genetics. You would have been an excellent angel hybrid."

Destiny rolled her eyes at the reminder of her genetic inheritance. Her mother had also hoped that Destiny would be an angel hybrid with angelic power, but that wasn't her fate.

"That's never held me back before," she declared. "Tell me what I need to know. I can handle anything even the deities throw at me."

Keith looked torn, but nodded his agreement.

"There was one of my people sealed away in Yacothia," he said quietly. "An angel of enormous power. We don't know what became of her, but she hasn't responded to any of our messages in centuries."

"An angel in Yacothia? Why was she there? Why haven't we heard about her? She was sealed with the reapers and Dream Guardian but there's nothing written about her?"

"She was meant to oversee the experiment of Jubilant Accosts," Keith explained. "Back when there were thousands of angels, it was common for some of them to be assigned to oversee the mortals. Secretly, of course. The reaper and Dream Guardian had to assume that they were in command in order to judge whether interference was needed."

"So there was a spy in Jubilant Accosts. Life and Death didn't know about this?"

Keith shook his head slowly, trying to find the right words.

"Death didn't, but the first Life deity was connected to us in the beginning. He knew. He'd always known."

"So when did this angel lose contact? I need specifics if I'm going to research this," Destiny asked.

"I don't know. No one knows. The destruction of my people had many consequences. My three coworkers were sealed away, unconscious until the second Life deity's second incarnation failed. I lost my memories during a fight with a fallen demon, and had no clue that I was an angel until the others awakened. None of us were able to keep in contact with the angel in Yacothia over the centuries, so we don't know when she disappeared. The only clue we have is a painting of the so-called "Maiden of Jacob". This maiden looks just like the angel we lost, and is described in texts as being otherworldly and powerful. This has to be her."

Destiny filed all of this information away for research later. She and Alex Alocasia-Lane were going to have another award winning paper after researching something this old.

"Is there any lore regarding what became of this maiden? Any friends or associates she might have had?"

"She died. Tragically, if later writings are to be believed. There is no record of her death, just mentions over the centuries of the tragic fate of Jacob's Maiden."

"Any hint of it being related to Xexys?" Destiny asked. Her mind was already fast at work formulating theories. "Is this related to the murder of the Dream Guardian and the other safeguards?"

"I don't know. That will be for you to determine. Please don't mention this to anyone other than your research partner and Life. It's somewhat of a sensitive subject."

Destiny fought against the urge to roll her eyes at this. A lost secret operative that no one knew what happened to? This information could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

"I'll keep it a secret," she promised. "I need more information on the Dream Guardian though. What did the angel mean that his replacement needs to come from a bloodline? Why is a blood demon hybrid able to help curb the plague? I don't understand what any of that has to do with the Demon of Nightmares."

"Yacothia was created under a blood moon. Whatever lurks in the shadows of that land was put there for a reason. It is self sustaining-or it was until it was breached by intruders from this realm. If you find this missing maiden, I believe that will be the key to understanding what's happened to Jubilant Accosts."

"That didn't answer any of my questions." Destiny had played this game before with her father and usually ended up more frustrated than when she'd started. "If you want me to research this for you, then I'm going to need more to go on than your vague descriptions."

Keith looked over his shoulder nervously, just in case his coworkers had discretely returned. If he wasn't allowed to speak of the Maiden of Jacob, then he was absolutely barred from continuing this conversation.

"The Dream Guardian will make themselves known once they awaken, whether they do that themselves or the Ocean does it for them when the time comes. Obviously, it will be someone with the ability to use dream magic, like the demonic spawn of Xexys, or...something else. Some say that the Dream Guardian was made by the Ocean in the image of an angel and there is conveniently an angel missing in that realm. Daughter, I cannot say any more. You will have to do your best with what I have given you."

"That cough sounds worse than it did yesterday," Davis said, wringing his hands nervously. "I wish Mom were here. They would know what to do."

"No, they wouldn't," Arterius assured his brother. "No one knows how to help him. We're only acting on Mom's guesses. They're trying to find a way to help Jubilant Accosts and Dad, but it will take time. Besides, Gee won't let anything happen to Dad. The Grim Reaper knows more than any of us do about Death."

"Not if you ask Mom," Destiny remarked, earning a glare from her older brother. "What? It's true! I've seen Gee creep around Mom's office, looking for stuff he's never been trained for. Gee's just as useful as any of us."

Izanami smirked at the comment, silently agreeing with his daughter. He hadn't given Gee much training, but he'd done the same for every other Grim Reaper who had stood in for him over the centuries. Gee getting the Grim Reaper job might have an air of nepotism to it, but Izanami was determined that his son learn the ropes just like every other Grim Reaper had. It wasn't like the Ocean had handed Izanami a handbook of his own abilities on his first day.

He did have faith in Gee, though he would never outwardly show it. Gee was concerned about his father's well being, and he had existed long enough to have gained considerable experience that might help Izanami. On top of all that, Gee was doing a satisfactory job of maintaining both the afterlife and the seal on Jubilant Accosts while Lukas was gone. He had reaper teams organized and working around the clock, as well as managing Lukas' creations as they did whatever secret work their creator demanded of them. It couldn't be easy to oversee both the realms of Life and Death while attempting to research whatever was slowly causing his father to deteriorate. When Gee stopped by next, Izanami planned to tell his son that he was adequately meeting Death’s expectations.

"Come on, Des, we have to stay positive," Arterius urged his sister. "We promised Mom we would do everything that they would do if they were here, and we will. Something will work."

"Is Mom ever coming back?" Davis asked softly. "They're safe, right? They can't get this plague?"

Arterius silenced his brother with a quick, magical hand movement that Davis was certain Miruna had taught him.

"Dad might hear us," he whispered. "We can't let him see us scared. We have to keep him positive before he gets sicker. Mom is coming home, and Life can't get sick, okay?"

"We didn't think that Death could get sick either," Destiny pointed out, earning another glare from her brother.

Izanami groaned. The children were worried and he had no way of comforting them. This was where Lukas shined as a parent, and where he usually failed miserably. He had no positive thoughts to share or guarantees that either of their parents would be okay. Death was usually never sick, and Lukas wasn't usually stuck in one form like they were currently. These weren't usual times and Izanami had no guarantees. Guarantees were what his children needed, and Izanami couldn't give them that. He was an inadequate father, just as bad as all the other mortal fathers he encountered.

What would Lukas do? Aside from looting a castle or curating new secrets for their husband to stumble upon, that is. Lukas complained at length about their own parents' emotional distance and always took an interest in their kids, even when their kids complained.

The solution was obvious, though Izanami began to second guess himself. Hugs were what the twins had needed when they injured themselves or were upset as children, but now they were teens, and Arterius was even older. Was it still appropriate? Lukas would do it regardless.

"It will be okay," he said in his warmest tone. "Your mother will come back and I will be fine. You won't lose either of us and we'll be a family again once this danger has passed. No matter how hard people have tried, you can't kill Life or Death. The universe would be unbalanced without us. I appreciate everything you all are doing, and I know that your mother is proud of you."

Izanami had barely released Arterius from his embrace when both twins rushed to hug him as well. This had been the correct parenting choice after all. He would have to record it in his parenting logbook.

"Let's get you another drink, Dad," Arterius said, looking at the empty cup on the counter. "Maybe a blanket too. We should all watch a movie together and have a family day. Does anyone have to be somewhere today?"

The twins shook their heads despite Destiny having plans with Juliet later that night. Juliet was always worried about not getting to spend time with her parents, so she would understand if Destiny wanted to stay home to be with hers.

"Then it's settled. I'll make popcorn."

Izanami waited for his children to prepare themselves for their impromptu family day. The twins were squabbling over what movie to watch, while Arterius tried to make popcorn without spilling kernels all over the floor.

Izanami would join them on the couch when they were ready, but while they made a mess in the kitchen, he planned to wait in Lukas' office. It was quiet there and filled with reminders of the spouse he desperately missed.

Lukas would return soon, of that he was certain. As much as he missed them, Izanami was proud of his spouse for dedicating themselves to their mission. It could be difficult to keep them focused on their responsibilities, but Lukas knew the stakes. Xexys' reign of terror would no doubt be over shortly, and then Lukas would be home.

Adam leaned closer to his ex-boyfriend, smiling when Theo did the same. While their friends worked through family drama, and Despina threw herself into her work with dream magic, Adam and Theo now found themselves alone.

After eating most of Theo's birthday cake, the teens had elected to find somewhere quiet to spend the rest of the night. They'd settled on the abandoned Dean house, which Helle had claimed as another property belonging to her by birthright. She was a Dean by blood, and if any of her siblings returned to the family home, she wanted to be the first to know. Helle and the Pryors were all sequestered in the castle, no doubt continuing their arguments about infidelity and what the Proxy had considered to be sin. Adam and Theo couldn't be paid to wander into that mess. They had more than enough family drama of their own at home.

"No, I think we should stay here," Theo replied. "This bed is comfy, and it's my birthday. I don't want to celebrate it playing guitar and avoiding Despina's magical experiments. I want to celebrate it with you. The way we used to. You know, before we broke up...or how we would have spent it before...before the accident."

Both boys' faces flushed at the reminder of how they spent their nights before Theo's blood magic had sparked a disaster that had almost killed Adam. Theo ran his fingers gently down Adam's face, tracing the lines of the scars his magic had left until Adam reached out his own hand to stop him.

"Hey, we're stronger now and more practiced at holding your power back," Adam softly reminded his ex. "That's never going to happen again. We will never be caught off guard like that again. I promise."

Theo smiled.

"It hasn't happened since I got back from Shadowvale, not even once. Sebastian never...well, we never...it was never dangerous or out of control. He was safe, but he was never you."

Adam cringed at the mention of his cousin and the implications of what Theo had done with him. Only Theo could bring a guy to an empty bedroom, just to talk about his ex. It seemed to be a Bellamy trait, from what Adam had seen, one that Adam had hoped Theo would grow out of. Still, Adam was sitting in a bedroom with Theo, which was more than he could have hoped for even a month ago. Theo wanted him here, even if he couldn't keep his foot out of his mouth. Maybe this was Theo trying to open up about his insecurities about what had happened between them. He wasn't doing a great job at communicating, but this could be a start.

"Of course he's not me," Adam declared, pulling Theo closer to him. "We're magic together, everyone knows that. We always have been and we always will be. I know that you don't want a commitment or relationship right now, but I will always love you, Theo. No matter what. No one else comes close to you."

"H-how many other people are you comparing me to?" Theo asked nervously. "I've only been with Sebastian, but you...Remy made it sound like maybe you've been with a lot of people. Like a lot. I know she lies about just about everything, but is she lying about that too?"

Adam pulled Theo into a passionate kiss, silencing his nervous stammering.

"They don't matter," Adam replied, breaking the kiss just long enough to get the words out. "Nothing else matters. We're sixteen and far away from our home and families, just waiting for a powerful demon to attack. If you want something to happen between us, then that's something we can control. Do you want something to happen between us? It's okay if you don't. I'd understand."

Theo sighed and rolled back onto the bed, unsure of what his answer should be. Yes, he wanted something to happen, and had taken Adam specifically there in order to ensure that it happened. But there was still a million thoughts running through his mind that questioned this choice.

Adam was more experienced than he was. Theo felt a powerful spark run through him at the thought of being with Adam, that had never happened with Sebastian. He had been happy with Sebastian, sure, but there was something wild and dangerous about his feelings for Adam. Had Theo learned to control his powers enough not to injure Adam again? Would he ever have control over those wild feelings? He couldn't explain to Despina that he'd hurt her cousin again; the grief and self-loathing would be more than he could bear.

"I think that I now understand why you kissed Josh," Theo said, reaching for Adam's hand.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I didn't know how to process what happened between us and I could never understand why you would be afraid to be physical with me after the accident. I knew that I wasn't trying to hurt you, but I've never seen what my magic looks like to other people before Xexys accidentally showed me. It just feels normal to me, but the curse, all of that power? Through Xexys' eyes, I could see it for the first time and it was terrifying. Literal nightmare fuel. It doesn't feel natural or safe to other people, but it's all that I've ever known. So, I get why it freaks you out so badly that you wanted to see if kissing someone else was safer. I don't like it or forgive it, but I understand."

Adam rolled close enough to stare Theo in the eyes. Theo was actually admitting that he could understand Adam's actions, and there was no chance that Adam was going to let this opportunity slip past him.

"You saw it in a dream? I'm glad that you got to experience for yourself, so you can understand what it's like for the rest of us. Well, for everyone else, at least. Since I ground your powers, it's a little different for me. I can feel and channel some of that power, but it's still overwhelming. Very overwhelming, if you're not prepared. Remy...Remy was always worried about me dealing with all of it, especially after the accident." Adam smiled wistfully in an attempt to block the tears he felt coming from thinking of when his sister was healthy and awake. He missed her terribly, but he couldn't think about her right now.

"I don't want to hurt you again," Theo murmured. "I know that Evren and my parents shielded me from what happened after the accident, and that you were really badly hurt. I would have come back to see you if I hadn't been sent to Shadowvale. I would have been there for you; I begged to come back."

Adam paused, remembering the months of misery, pain, and confusion he'd endured after Theo had been sent away and how it had all led to him kissing his friend, Josh. None of those memories were pleasant, and he definitely didn't want to remember them now.

"Theo, that won't happen again, I promise. We can't be stuck in the past if we want to move forward together. I'm healed, and you're in control of your powers now. Is this the only reason you've been afraid of being with me?"

Theo looked away, unable to meet Adam's gaze.

"No," he lied. "You cheated on me. I don't know if you would do it again if something else went wrong. That's it."

"That's why Despina is about to murder you if you have another dream about me again, right? You don't care about that kiss with Josh; you care about me but you're afraid of what happened. You're afraid to get close to me again in case something goes wrong. Admit it."

"I'm not afraid of anything," Theo replied quickly. Adam could sense Theo raise his usual walls, effectively ending their conversation about emotions he didn't want to admit to. "I'll prove it. Let's do this, if you're okay with the risk. I'm sure that you're right, and everything will be fine." He put his lips against Adam's and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did. He wasn't nervous. He wanted to act on all of the dreams Despina shouted at him about, and he wasn't nervous. Everything was going to be fine. Better than fine, even. He was in Adam's arms and that was going to be fine.

"If you're sure." Adam could see the worry in Theo's eyes, but he knew that his ex was never going to talk about his feelings. The only thing Adam could do was support him and assure him that they weren't in any danger. "I love you, Theo."

Adam couldn't bring him to Arkhelios, but he could try to do something special for Theo. He wasn't skilled at baking like Roman Bellamy, but he did have some practice making a cake. His family could easily afford to buy cakes or have chefs make them for them, but his stepfather, Ewan, loved to bake. He once told Adam that his own father used to bake as stress relief, a skill that he learned from his older sister, who had learned it from their father. It had sounded like Ewan was trying to use baking to bond with his stepson, but to Adam's shame, he had always given up on baking and just ate what Ewan made. Now, he was going to prove to his stepdad that he'd learned something, while also cheering up Theo. When he got back, maybe he'd even make a cake for Ewan.

There were recipe books in the house which contained cake recipes that Adam thought he could make. There were a ton of more difficult recipes, but Adam didn't want to risk having this whole experiment blow up in his face and have nothing to give to Theo. The simpler, the better.

He'd somehow made too much batter for a single cake, so Adam tried to make little cupcakes in a separate pan. He had no idea of they'd be edible, but he at least had to try. Something he'd put in the oven had to succeed or the whole gesture would be ruined. There was only white, boring frosting, but it had been all that Rita could offer. It would at least taste good, she'd promised.

"Adam? Are you making something? It smells smoky in the hall. Despina's not trying some weird spell is she?"

"Surprise!" Adam shouted, gesturing wildly at the cake behind him. "Happy birthday, Theo! I wanted to make you something special for your birthday since you can't be with your family. It's not your dad's cake, but I think it turned out okay. There's even little mini cakes that should be good if the main cake isn't."

Adam left out the fact that the frosting was covering a very underwhelming cake that may still have pieces of eggshells in it, but Theo didn't seem to mind.

"You made this? For me?" Theo gasped. He looked genuinely impressed. "I didn't know that you knew how to bake. This must have taken you forever!"

"A little bit under forever," Adam laughed. He hadn't seen Theo look this excited all week. "Baking is a lot more work than I imagined, but I wanted you to have something special. You do only turn sixteen once, after all."

"I can't believe you found everything to make this in a place like this," Theo exclaimed. He rushed to wrap his arms around Adam, overwhelmed by the gesture.

"I did have some help," Adam confessed, sinking into Theo's arms as deeply as he could. It had all been worth it just for this one moment. "I asked around for the ingredients, but the end result was all me. Do you want to try a piece now, or do I have to sing Happy Birthday to you first?"

"I'm not opposed to hearing you sing, but I am actually pretty hungry. I'm curious to see how this tastes. Did you use any magic to make it?"

Adam shook his head proudly.

"Nope. I did it all by hand. As your dad says, magic doesn't always belong in the kitchen. My stepdad taught me a few things about baking, when I wasn't ignoring him to study crystals. I wanted you to have something special."

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for my birthday. Ever. I love it."

It probably wasn't true, but Adam's heart swelled with pride all the same.

"Well, uh, we should probably try it before Despina smells it and tries to recruit us for more dream experiments," he said. The last thing he wanted to do was let go of Theo, but eventually, they did have to try the cake.

"I think I heard her snoring, so we should be safe," Theo laughed. "She's probably in her own experiment now."

"We can save her a piece. Helle and the Pryors too, if it's any good. I'd imagine dessert might help break up family fighting. I feel bad for them. I remember how upset you were when you learned about your dad's affair, plus the reapers trying to learn how to adjust to their afterlife? It's a mess."

"You know me so well," Theo replied softly. "You've been my best friend since I was six and you've been through everything with me. I don't know why I thought that I could live without you in my life. It's impossible."

"Impossible?" Adam repeated. His knees nearly buckled from the look in Theo's eyes. "How do you want me to be in your life?"

"I don't know right now. I don't know anything. Helle and Abercius loved each other across two lifetimes, and my parents are happy together now, I think, despite them cheating on each other."

Adam tried not to roll his eyes at the reminder.

"Theo, your dad has two secret children hidden in two monarchies. I kissed one guy because I couldn't handle being afraid of touching you. I almost died, and I still want to be with you. I love you."

"You do?" Theo's voice wavered when confronted with what had been extremely obvious to everyone around them. He knew. There was no way he couldn't know, especially when Despina kept threatening him over his repeated fantasies about her cousin. It was just too complicated to think about, with too many conflicting feelings. Did he break his promise of never taking back a cheater, even after he was able to feel for the first time just how immense his power was to others?

He understood why Adam was afraid of the power attached to him. He understood that Adam had gone through a traumatic event after their accident, and then still braved the dream realm just to talk to him. It was just scary to trust again and allow himself to be open to being hurt again. He knew that Adam had been hurt just as badly, and that living in Jubilant Accosts with the immense pressure being placed on them probably didn't make the situation any easier. Would he still be this desperate to hold Adam as tight as he could if they hadn't left Pleasantview? Probably, though Theo would never tell another living soul about that desire.

"Hey, let's sit down for a minute," Theo suggested nervously. Adam was staring at him with an intense look that Theo didn't know how to interpret. "This is all overwhelming."

Adam obeyed, pushing his chair close to Theo's.

"Theo, we're both sixteen now and more mature," he began. "Well, somewhat mature, considering that I doubt we'd be even having this conversation in Pleasantview. You can't ignore me here, and that makes you nervous. We need to talk about us, even if we're not together."

Theo lowered his eyes and sighed.

"I know. It's been so weird living with you and sleeping next to you again, and all these weird feelings keep popping up that I can't understand. Plus Abercius and his dad having literal soulmates because that's apparently a real thing that exists outside of romantic greeting cards, and what if you're mine? Would I ever know it for sure? Have we just known each other for so long that you're familiar to me or is it something else? And if we are, what does that mean? I don't know if I want to be in a relationship right now. Sebastian only dumped me to protect me, and if he wakes up and I'm with someone else, is he going to be hurt? Do I want him to take me back if we can cure him? I don't know."

"Take a breath," Adam ordered, shocked that Theo was actually being candid with him. Clearly, he'd been thinking about their relationship a lot lately. Adam should have baked him a cake weeks ago. "I don't think that everyone gets a soulmate or that you need to assume you have one. My dad's been with a bunch of women and even had kids with some of them. Are any of them his soulmate? Do you think that anyone's soul could match Remy's? Don't tie yourself into knots thinking about soulmates. Maybe they're just for gods and people from this realm."

"We're connected by blood and magic," Theo insisted. "You ground my powers for me. I still have feelings for you, even if I pretend that I don't. I want to kiss you and never stop kissing you, but then I feel bad about leaving Sebastian and bad about nearly killing you and scarring your face , and maybe I just can't be in a relationship right now. We have to save two realms and save your family or we can never go home! It's all too much."

"Hey, don't worry about that. We can worry about it later, and we don't need to be in a relationship right now. Nothing's going to change if you don't worry about the future for a couple of hours. If you want to kiss me, just kiss me. I want to kiss you too."

Theo's expression still seemed hesitant, but he leaned closer to his ex-boyfriend anyway.

"You're really okay with leaving things casual? I mean, until I can figure out what I want? I don't want to-"

"Theo, it's your birthday," Adam interrupted, bringing his face closer to Theo's. "Just kiss me already."

Theo didn't have to be told twice.

Helle, Brion, and Abercius obviously had family issues to work out, and Trysten and Alphaeus had some catching up to do, as well as learning how exactly their new bodies worked. Deia and Xanthos took Desdemona to try to help their family adjust to this new change, leaving only the infants, who would likely be miserable in such chaos. Brion had recommended Theo for the job, since he had so much experience with his younger siblings, and Adam had immediately volunteered to help. Despina had mumbled something about dream magic and volunteered to help protect their base of operations while the boys were gone.

Theo hadn't minded as much as he'd pretended. Honestly, it was kind of nice to be away from high stakes magic and complicated family dynamics for once. Babysitting wasn't all that hard with all the practice he had with his siblings, and though he'd never admit it, spending some time alone with Adam didn't seem like much of a hardship either.

"I hope Brion and Abercius are doing okay," he said, breaking the silence that had fallen in the room. "I can't imagine what it's like to lose your parents, get them back, and then have to deal with a secret half-sibling." He paused. "Well, I do have some experience with that last part. Still, I can't believe Sebastian was right about their dad being in love with their uncle. That's going to be a huge thing to accept."

Adam bristled slightly at the mention of Sebastian, but quickly smothered the jealousy before Theo could notice. Sebastian was family. Sebastian broke up with Theo before he succumbed to the plague. There was nothing to be jealous of.

When Alphaios began to cry, realizing that he was no longer being held, Adam leapt into action before Theo could pick him up again.

"I've got him," he said. "I've held Abe enough times to know how to hold an infant. Your dad was going to murder me if I didn't do it perfectly."

Theo laughed at the memory. His father usually glared at Adam whenever he had come over in the past, especially when Adam had been given Abe Jr to hold. Adam had to be knowledgeable about infants or face the extreme displeasure of Roman Bellamy.

"Yeah, you're lucky to have survived. Luci answered her phone while holding him once, and Dad flipped out for like, an hour."

"Well, he seems like he's-oh my god!" Adam tried to push the infant as far away from himself as possible, but he was too late. Baby spit up was all over his clothes, and even in his hair. "Ugh, Abe's never done that before."

"To you maybe," Theo snickered. "Welcome to the joys of having a million little siblings. I've been thrown up on more times than I can count."

"It's in my hair," Adam whined, looking distressed. "Is there a spell for cleaning this up? I really don't want my wand anywhere near this mess though. Can you cast something?"

Theo shook his head with a teasing smile.

"No, the easiest thing is to bathe it off at this point. I can cast something for your clothes, but you're probably going to want to wash those too. Here, give me Alphaios and I'll clean him up. There's a bathroom down the hall if you want to have a shower."

Adam passed over the infant as quickly as he could, and took Theo up on his offer. He gingerly removed his jacket, leaving it on the floor for Theo to charm. There was spit up all down his pants, and Adam flushed with embarrassment taking those off in front of his ex-boyfriend. It wasn't like Theo hadn't seen him in his underwear before, but that was a long time ago and he could never seem to accurately judge Theo's feelings towards him. One day Theo ignored him and the next, he had his hands all over him in a way that felt anything but platonic. Adam didn't dare ask Theo what he was thinking about their future for fear of spooking him and losing any progress they'd made, but it was really starting to get frustrating. There was no way Theo would make a move with two infants in the room and spit up in Adam's hair, so it was probably safe just to imagine that he was Despina, who absolutely did not care if Adam was in his underwear, so long as he had something on.

"I'll be just down the hall then," he announced awkwardly, covering his boxers as much as he could with his hands. "Call me if anything happens."

Theo waved him away, pulling out his wand to use the gentle cleaning spell Evren had taught the Bellamys when the kids were younger. Theo's parents weren't great at it, and while Adrian was able to complete the spell, he was worried about being unable to control the strength of the very specific spell with the amount of magical military training he'd received, so Theo and Rien had had the most practice with it. Using it on small spots on an infant was easy, trying to clean all of Adam would be more effort than it was worth.

Adam sat in the tub and let the hot water relax all of his tense muscles. It had been far too long since he could actually just soak in a tub like everything in his life was normal again. The tub in the house they'd been staying in was broken, and though Helle's castle was safe and spacious, the plumbing hadn't been updated in centuries. Short, mostly warm showers were all that he'd had since coming to Jubilant Accosts, so an actually hot bathtub was a luxury he didn't know how much he'd missed. Still, he felt guilty leaving Theo with two infants while he relaxed. It wasn't fair to leave Theo alone, and it was pretty rare to get to spend time with Theo without either Abercius or Despina around, so Adam reluctantly got out of the bath.

There was a housecoat in the bathroom closet that had to belong to either Trysten or Xanthos. Adam borrowed it, hoping that it was clean and no one would be angry about its disappearance. He could throw his clothes into the washing machine and wash the robe and Alphaios' tiny clothes later.

"Hey, is everyone alright?" he asked. "Sorry that I took so long."

To Adam's surprise, Theo gave him a look Adam hadn't seen in over a year. Theo was checking him out and barely trying to hide it. Adam flushed furiously, pulling the housecoat over more of his exposed skin self-consciously.

"You didn't miss anything," Theo replied. "Alphaios went back to sleep, and I've been playing on my phone. Nice housecoat, by the way."

"Uh, thanks."

"So, crazy stuff keeps happening," Adam said, sitting on the floor, hoping that Theo would join him. To his delight, Theo's phone disappeared and Theo sat across from him on the floor. "Helle and Abercius are reincarnated lovers and starting a monarchy, the Pryors' dad is in love with their uncle and they're both reapers. What do you think is going to happen next?"

"I hope Xexys will be defeated next and we can go home," Theo replied. "Seeing these kids reminds me of my family. Don't ever tell my parents, but I miss them. All my siblings too. It's lonely here and I'm tired of pretending that things are okay. I'm turning sixteen next week and no one will be here to celebrate with me. I won't get to have my dad's birthday cake or wear the stupid birthday hat. I'll be stuck in this stupid place and I know my parents are going to be falling apart back home. My dad especially. I'm worried about him."

Adam tried not to look surprised at Theo's openness. Theo wasn't exactly an open book since their breakup, even if he had been getting better since they'd arrived in Jubilant Accosts. Adam could have probably guessed at Theo's feelings, but it was nice to have them confirmed.

"Your Dad will be okay," he replied. "He's been through a lot, and he's a lot stronger than you think. I'm sure that he'll lean on the rest of your family until we get back. You can't feel guilty about what he feels; he's the parent and you're not responsible if he goes to a dark place. We have to be here."

"Do we?" Theo asked. "Helle and Abercius have to be here. Despina wants to be here to chase after the ghosts of her parents. What are we doing, except for letting Despina experiment on our dreams? I feel so useless, Adam. Why are we hurting our families by staying and watching everyone else solve this?"

"Some of us don't have families to go home to," Adam said quietly.

Theo swore, then looked apologetically at the babies for swearing in their presence.

"Shit, I didn't think about that. Sorry. Of course, I want to solve this plague so your Dad and sister wake up. Sebastian too. It just all feels so hopeless! Lukas has gotten things done. Despina is getting things done, I think, and what have I done? Blood magic isn't going to help here, and the demonic magic I know doesn't seem effective against a type of demon no one has seen in millennia. Don't you ever feel like this?"

Adam sighed heavily.

"Yes, at times," he admitted. "Not for long though. We're helping Despina do important work. We're helping provide security for Helle. People are afraid of your powers, even if Xexys isn't, and we're ambassadors from another realm. We get to show Jubilant Accosts what life outside their realm is like, and by giving our support to Helle, we're lending credibility to her government. Our mission isn't just battles and sword fighting, Theo. Our mission is to find a cure, defeat Xexys, and be an example of what all 'Tredonians' can be in this realm. We have to do the same things that my dad does when he represents the coven. Some days are tougher than others, but it's our duty to do everything we can to help this realm while representing ours."

"Yeah...yeah, sorry. Like you said, it's a bad day, but I'll be fine tomorrow," Theo lied. Adam could practically feel the giant emotional walls surround Theo once more. "It was just as moment of doubt. I know my family will be fine. Turning sixteen isn't important, and our work here is. Sorry."

"Are you sure that I can wake them up?" Trysten asked nervously, looking at Abercius for confirmation. "I don't know anything about being Death."

"You're a servant of Death!" Abercius snapped. "Death is your boss, the deity you work for. You are, and can never be Death himself! And yes, you should be able to do this. I don't exactly want to be forced into a time manipulated state again any time soon, so you're going to do the work that your new body is made for."

Trysten held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry. Sorry. This is all new to me. I never imagined that the Watcher had these kinds of servants. It makes sense though; the Watcher is always watching, so it makes sense that he has armies to do his will."

Brion rolled his eyes at this comment, which pleased Abercius. Both teens had given Trysten, Deia, and Xanthos a crash course in theology and the purpose of the reaper teams in each country, and Brion had helped explain what he understood of how the universe worked without even having to check with Abercius for the right details. Brion was listening to everything that Abercius had told him, and that felt better than he could have ever imagined his relationship with his brother could be.

Despite loving someone the Proxy didn't approve of, Trysten had been a Jacobean all of his life, and firmly believed that the Watcher had led him to his soulmate. He may not be as devout as his sister, but Trysten still held onto some version of the Jacobean faith. Abercius had no doubt that his father felt the same. They had all been complicit in the Proxy's sacrifices along with the rest of the settlement, and they weren't just going to abandon their long held beliefs in an instant.

But why cling to a faith that didn't want you the way you were? If the Proxy had caught Trysten and either his affair or his pregnancy, he'd be as dead as the Deans were. Abercius and his siblings never really worshipped the Watcher, even if they were taught to fear him, so they had that advantage over their parents at least. It might take some time for the adults of the Pryor and Vienot families to adjust to a world without the Proxy and his rules. Despite understanding this, Abercius felt deep embarrassment that the only reaper Jubilant Accosts had was still going on about the Watcher and ignoring the true ruler of the realm of Death, Izanami.

"Now extend your hand and do what I told you," Abercius commanded his uncle. He tried to keep the anger that still burned inside of him hidden, though he probably failed, given the miserable look on Trysten's face. "Alphaeus Pryor, Damiana Pryor, rise and awaken to your sworn duty to the realm of Death."

There was a loud thud as Alphaeus Pryor fell to the floor. His legs were still shaky after months of prolonged illness and then death, but he was slowly grasping how to use his new reaper body.

Abercius tried to fight the elation he felt seeing his dad again. He needed to be mature and regal, the very best reaper possible, to show these new recruits what was expected of them.

They weren't perfect, this Abercius was well aware of. If they were proper reapers, they should be separate from their physical remains and only tied to them with the sacred link all reapers held with their bodies. These undead almost reapers would shed their current bodies and likely the red glowing eye, once a proper reaper could fix them. They would do for the moment, though Abercius wondered what Lord Izanami would think of his handiwork. Lordem Lukas would probably speak well of his efforts to their husband or at least, Abercius hoped so.

"Alphaeus? Is that you? Are you finally awake?" Trysten stared at the man he loved in astonishment. From his place on the floor, Alphaeus stared back, equally as shocked to see Trysten again.

"Trysten!" Alphaeus bounded down the stairs and swept his love in a passionate kiss, completely ignoring anyone else in the room. His eyes, now that they were free of the film of the plague, could only see Trysten.

Abercius and Brion shared a miserable look. Their father was truly in love with their uncle. Trysten could have been lying to them when he confessed to the love affair, but there was no room for doubt now. They should be happy for their father to have a so called soulmate and new child, but that happiness would have to come with time, if it ever came at all. There was still too much hurt from years of secrets and hypocrisy, and even if they knew their mother wasn't accepting of their own secrets, she was still their mother and she didn't deserve to live her entire adult life in a lie.

"Abercius! Brion! You're safe! Thank the Watcher for his mercy."

Alpheus threw his arms around the son closest to him, squeezing Abercius tightly.

"It's not the Watcher who saved you," Abercius corrected his father. "It was the deity of Life, acting in part with the realm of Death and a Timelady of Ticktop. You're a reaper now, destined to reap souls and maintain the balance of the realm. You'd better get used to addressing other deities with your praise."

"A reaper?" Alphaeus repeated. He looked over his son, noting the changes Abercius had made to himself while he had slept in Xexys' nightmare. "Are you a reaper too? Your eye is very similar to Trysten's. Your hair is long now too, and is that your sister's dress?"

"It's a modification of one of Helena's dresses, yeah. I've tried to hide this my entire life, but you need to know my truth, Dad." Abercius took a deep breath. "I've never felt like a guy, and I don't intend to live as one going forward. I used to be a reaper in my past life, a really old, powerful, female reaper. I'm going to have to train you, Mom and Uncle Trysten to be reapers, even if my current body has limited access to the realm of Death."

Abercius held his breath as his father processed his words. Alphaeus looked over to Trysten who nodded, confirming Abercius' strange story.

"I see," Alphaeus said slowly. "That sounds like we might need to break all that down a little more later, but I'm happy that you're safe and happy. You are happy, right?"

"Yes, I am," Abercius confirmed. "Helena is too. She's safe in Tredony with Phuong. They have a daughter together, just like you and our uncle have a kid. You're a grandfather, but Helena was too afraid to tell you and Mom before you got sick. Before we knew that you were just as attracted to men as Helena is women."

An awkward silence filled the room as Alphaeus tried to process this news on top of the information he was already trying to digest.

"Children are a blessing from the Watcher...er, your god of Life, I guess? She's so young to be a mother, but I'm glad that your sister has found happiness like I have. This impossible pregnancy must be a blessing to confirm that her soulmate is Phuong. Phuong always seemed like a nice kid. She's one of those Dean children, right?"

"She's a werewolf, Dad," Abercius said quickly, before Brion could answer. "Her parents are a vampire and werewolf from outside the settlement."

"Oh. That...that sounds interesting. I'll have to meet this Phuong."

"Abercius is going to marry the queen of Yacothia," Brion added, staring his father in the eyes, daring him to react badly. "They were reincarnated together. They're soulmates too."

"Brion! Come here, let me hug you too!" Alphaeus wrapped his arms around his other son in a bone crushing hug. "I'm so glad that you're okay, and not sick! You and your brother...er, sibling are alive, and that's all I could ask of the Watcher."

"How did you know it was me?" Brion choked out, trying to wriggle free from the reaper who didn't know his strength. "I'm in my wolf form."

"Trysten told me when he joined the nightmare," Alphaeus answered, releasing his son from his grip. "He said that you and your friends were helping fight the plague, and that we weren't the only ones keeping secrets in our family. I don't care if you're a werewolf or if your sibling doesn't feel comfortable being male or that your sister is dating a woman- she probably gets that from me! Though, I do have a lot of follow-up questions about where James is, kids, your happiness comes first. I wish I'd had a parent who told me that. I died, and was granted a miracle; there's no way that I'm going to waste this chance to make things right."

Brion and Abercius grinned at each other, hardly believing their luck. Their parents were dead, but not gone, and the whole experience had opened up new possibilities for their family. The Proxy was dead, and a whole new world was emerging.

Damiana stared in bewilderment at the scene before her. One minute, she had been in the hands of the Watcher, and now? Now she felt strange and disoriented. The world didn't look the same as it had before. She could feel an extraordinary strength in her arms, and could hear her sons' heartbeats from across the room. Her usual magic felt inaccessible and distant, something she'd never experienced. She could hear the sounds of her family. Brion laughing as he and Abercius launched into some chant they likely learned in the schoolyard and Alphaeus teasing her brother.

She focused her eyes on her family and took a tentative step off the stage, ready to rejoin them and thank the Watcher for this miraculous mercy.

In that moment, her entire life changed. Abercius was wearing a dress and a very expensive looking crown, nothing like the fake crowns they played with during the Feast of the Watcher, where they celebrated the fall of the monarchy and the rise of the Proxy.

She froze in terror watching her son frolic with a ferocious werewolf, until she heard the wolf speak with the voice of her other son.

"B-Brion? How? How did the Proxy miss that you were a werewolf? Alphaeus-"

Her voice caught in her throat as she looked to her husband, only to see him passionately kissing her brother.

"Trysten?! Trysten, what are you doing with my husband?" Damiana shrieked. "Get away from him! What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? I always told Mother that she was wrong about you, but she was right! You're a heretic and have cast some spell over my Alphaeus!"

"He's actually been my Alphaeus since the moment we met," Trysten replied, releasing Alphaeus to shout at his sister. He'd been holding his secret for all of his life, and now that his life was over, he wasn't holding back. "We've been together since middle school. He's my soulmate. You and Mother couldn't see it, but he has a Watcher blessed eye opposite to my own! We waited all our life for the Watcher to reveal our destinies, and he finally answered. We have a son together with blessed eyes. He's perfect and healthy and everything my life with Alphaeus has been leading to!"

"Trysten, be gentle," Alphaeus said softly. He placed a calming hand on Trysten's chest and faced his wife. "Damiana, I'm sorry. Trysten is the love of my life, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you too, just in a different way. We had a great life together, but the Proxy was wrong about so many things. Our children don't fit into the narrow vision of the church. I don't fit into that vision either, and neither should you. I know you loved my brother."

"Don't you mention him!" Damiana snapped. She stared at her sinful children, who were watching her sinful husband and her traitor brother with concern. "Don't you dare mention Cleopas! I-I don't know what is happening here or what kind of sick joke this is, but I'm done with it! I'm done with you!"

Damiana vanished in a flash of light without another word.

"You could have broken the news to her more gently," Alphaeus chided Trysten. "There's a lot to process and it's not going to be easy. She's a good woman, and she's just lost her husband and kids to what she's been told was sin. Plus, she died and wasn't taken to paradise to sit at the Watcher's feet. She's going to need some time."

"You're taking this all pretty well," Trysten remarked. "I'm sure she can deal with it the same way as you have."

Alphaeus sighed, and looked at his children. Neither one seemed surprised by their mother's outburst, but the hurt was written across their faces.

"I have you to lean on," Alphaeus explained. "We knew that if Damiana ever found out about us, she'd take it hard. Being a mother and wife was all she ever wanted in life aside from serving the Watcher, and now nothing is like she expected it to be. She's not with the Watcher and her husband betrayed her. You need to give her some time. You too, kids. Your mother has said some hurtful things, but we need to give her space to absorb everything that's changed. If she is still cruel to you after she's had time to reconcile everything that is with everything she once thought, that's different. We owe it to her to give her a chance. She may surprise you...I hope she surprises you, that is. It's very traumatic to die and not be united with the Watcher, and your mother's faith was very strong."

"I guess," Brion sighed. He didn't look enthusiastic at the idea of giving his mother any grace because of her lifetime of hating werewolves, but maybe his father was right. Maybe his mother could come to accept werewolves because of her love of him. Helena's part werewolf baby could also change her mind, though that might just be too much for Damiana to handle.

"I'll try," Abercius promised, looking as enthusiastic as his brother. "Mom might never accept us though, and I'm not going to tolerate that going forward. Jubilant Accosts is changing, and our family is going to have to change too."

"I understand," Alphaeus replied solemnly. "Just a little bit of understanding is all I ask. I know that she loves all of you very much."

"As long as we're not ourselves," Abercius grumbled. It had taken him a long time to become this open and honest about himself, and he wasn't about to apologize to anyone for being who he was.

"Look who decided to stop by?" Trysten distracted all of the Pryors from their conversation by introducing their newest sibling. "Deia brought him over to see his dad."

"Is that?" Alphaeus was so overcome with emotion that he could barely speak. "That's Alphaios? Our son?"

Trysten nodded and held Alphaios closer to his father.

"Our miracle. I never thought I could carry him to term with the plague or that he could ever exist in the first place. I didn't believe it was possible until Deia made me take that pregnancy test. All of our prayers have been for this moment."

"Our miracle," Alphaeus repeated. "He's perfect. Brion, Abercius, have you met your brother yet?"

"I watched him bring born," Abercius said grudgingly. "I can't believe that you've been cheating on Mom all this time. It's disgusting. You should have just left with Uncle Trysten when you were kids."

"Things are complicated," Alphaeus acknowledged. "We have a lot to talk about as a family and I know I've screwed up over the years, but please don't take your anger out on your brother. He's innocent in all of this."

"Yeah, your miracle child is great," Brion remarked, crossing his arms. Beside him, Abercius did the same. "We don't know where James is, but sure, let's celebrate our new little brother."

"You see, what I have is a mortal with a permanent physical connection to their reaper past, and a Timelady of Ticktop. It's a little unconventional, but it's all I have to work with. You, Abercius, are as old as the universe. Power like that goes dormant, but never truly leaves, just like your eye. Each reincarnation still leaves a little of the past each time. I have forms to switch between, and while you're not a deity, I believe that you have another form as well. You just need help to find it."

Abercius paled at these words, looking worriedly at Rani to support him.

"I-I don't have any other form," he stammered. "I promise! I wouldn't even know how to even-" He stopped when Rani lifted her hand, revealing a swirling ball of magic.

"This shouldn't hurt, Abby," Rani promised. The magic in her hand somehow began glowing more intensely than before. "It's Time magic. I'm just manipulating time around you, gradually subtracting the years before your awakening, until we get to the time when your old body released your soul and your new body accepted it. That time in-between when you first became Absydee-Abercius, the fusion of Life and Death."

"And I will help peel away some of the Life in you that enough of Absydee's connection to Death will remain the dominant energy in you," Lukas explained. "With us giving you your best chance to access Absydee's powers, you can guide Trysten towards death, killing the plague when he dies, and then reviving him as a reaper after his heart stops. I've seen Gee do it before, and because of how you were first created, I suspect that you can do it too. It's not perfect, but we can get Gee to correct anything that goes wrong when he next checks in on our progress. Easy."

"Easy," Abercius repeated, still looking terrified. He could feel Rani's magic wrap around him, burrowing into his skin, looking for any trace of the person he'd once been.

"There, that's more like it," Rani said, watching as Abercius' red hair faded to a dark black and massive black wings sprouted from his back. Abercius instinctively reached out and grasped the scythe that had appeared, just as real to him as any of his other piece of his body.

Abercius could see the energy of his uncle's soul hover above his body, almost ready for a reaper to grab. He was so close to death, his spirit was nearly beyond Lukas' ability to control.

"I'm going to start to withdraw some of the life within him," Lukas announced. They looked at Rani to be certain that she had control over Abercius' time manipulated form. To their relief, she nodded back at them with confidence. With that settled, Lukas turned to their strange time distorted reaper. "Abercius, the instant his heart stops and the dream ends, you need to transform him into a reaper. You must have done it before in your past life, so try your best to remember the procedure now before we lose him."

"Uh, and if I haven't?"

Lukas' face somehow became even paler at this admission.

"Never? You were the team leader! How could you not have ever created a reaper before? The candidates destined to become reapers appear in your book! I've seen it myself during the Demon Wars! You've done this, just remember!"

"Lord Izanami made several of them. I did see one or two created, but from afar. Those mortals died in the living realm and I spent my early life in the afterlife, assisting with the work of maintaining that realm. Someone else must have assisted Lord Izanami, but it wasn't me!"

Lukas sighed deeply.

"Okay, so guess based on what you saw. Because I have a history of imitating his realm, Izanami has never decided to share how a proper reaper is made. If you can get Trysten to a functional undead state, that might be enough for now, and Gee can fix it later. There have been cases of dead souls who are meant to become reapers functioning for years after their death before being properly activated. But not a zombie, just undead! I'm not dealing with zombies."

"What's the difference between someone undead and a zombie?" Rani asked. Her eyes danced with excitement, which could only mean that she was getting ideas from this conversation that Lukas didn't have time to deal with. The residents of Ticktop had always been interested in pushing the boundaries of life, as well as time, whether it was their practice of assuming different faces or their goal of creating golems to be as lifelike as possible.

"Don't answer that!" Lukas ordered, eyeing the Timelady warily. "Stay focused on what we're doing here. The last thing I need is to come back in a year to find golems patched together with pieces from corpses. I will tell Izanami all about you spilling undead secrets if I come back to an army of undead golems running around here. You remember how Ticktop used to be, and I don't need that chaos once we finally get this place fixed. Some things should stay in the realm of Death."

Abercius nodded in agreement, though he had to marvel at the hypocrisy of the god of Life trying to make a reaper. Apparently, the rules only applied to mortals. Still, there were more important things to do than satisfying Rani's curiosities about the realm of Death, especially if his friend would use that information for mysterious purposes.

"No pressure," he muttered, holding up his hand and hoping for the best.

It was an important distinction to make though. A zombie was an improperly resurrected soul, while an undead person was usually flagged by the realm of Death for some purpose that hadn't been fulfilled yet. Someone who died and became a zombie would decompose and shamble their way through their second chance at life, while an undead person would be frozen at the exact moment of their death until a reaper could reap them and complete their transformation into their new state. Making Trysten undead until a proper reaper could finish the process would freeze him at the moment of his death; accidentally making him into a zombie would ruin whatever hope they had of restoring reapers in this realm.

"Okay, so I need to flag him as a potential reaper candidate first. I think I can sort of remember how that works. The Ocean used to whisper secrets in the old days. Maybe if I...."

The previously bright glow of his uncle's spirit began to dim, signaling that Abercius was running out of time.

"Rani, can you reverse time any further? I don't think this body has the power to do what I need as it is."

"I can try, but it might be dangerous. How much time do you need? I can try to move a little closer to the end of Absydee's existence, but if I go too far, your current life could be in danger."

"Let me handle that. Keeping mortals alive is literally my job. Once I'm done with Trysten, I can focus on Abercius. Work fast, Timelady." Lukas gave Rani an impatient look, and the magic in her hand grew brighter.

"Okay, but it's not my fault if this goes badly."

"Yes, that's more like it," Abercius exclaimed, wielding his scythe with an authority that came with centuries of practice. "I can remember the whispers now. The secrets of the dead...and the undead are mine."

"Is he okay?" Rani hissed, glaring at the deity. "You'd better not get my friend killed when I just got them back!"

"I can see it," Abercius exclaimed. "The plague, the dream, all of it. I can touch it."

Rani looked distressed at these words.

"Abby, what are you doing? Don't go anywhere near the plague! The dream will end when he dies, and we'll all be safe, remember? What are you doing?"

To the horror of everyone else in the room, Abercius' non glowing eye began to develop the same film over it that had engulfed his uncle's.

"Abby? Are you in danger?"

"Can't you see them?" Abercius asked. "They're talking, lost in the dream together. Alphaeus Pryor is physically across the street, but they're talking to each other here. The dreams are all connected, like Xexys' own private afterlife. Dead souls all sharing a single dream. I don't think that we can end the plague until we end the dream and the only way to end Trysten Vienot's dream is through death."

Both the Timelady and the deity stared at Abercius with dread.

"Abby, you have the plague," Rani whispered. "Your eye is-"

"There's a reason Xexys went after the reapers first," Abercius continued, ignoring his friend's concerns. "They can see the illness, see the dream. They can reap the souls and steal them away from this perpetual state of undeath. Without these trapped souls, Xexys has no hostages to continue the plague. If the dream dies with the dreamer, it can't spread. The dream needs to die."

"Abby, listen to me, this is too dangerous. You have the illness, and I've already turned time back way too far. You need to just create a reaper and end this."

Rani watched with a mix of horror and amazement as Lukas did as instructed and Abercius went to work.

"I can end this," Abercius replied dismissively. "I can end a lot of this. Trysten Jacob Vienot, I command you to wake up! Lukas, remove the rest of the life from him! Wake up!"

In an instant, Trysten's once plague covered eyes snapped open, and he bolted up in the bed, looking wildly around him.

"Alphaeus? Alphaeus where did you go?"

"He's still sick, Uncle Trysten," Abercius replied. The film over his eye had vanished, but his frustration with his uncle still remained. "We'll get to him in time. You need to get used to your new state. Rani, you can stop the time magic now. My work is done."

Rani eagerly snapped her fingers and the ball of time magic disappeared, along with the changes made to Abercius. His hair was once again a brilliant red and the full, black wings and scythe had vanished.

"Thank god," Rani said, looking her friend over carefully. "Is everything still okay? I didn't hurt you by going back too far in the past?"

"I said that I had it handled," Lukas replied irritably. "Abercius is perfectly mortal and perfectly alive. His link to his past form isn't stable, but it exists. He's more like me than we thought."

"I can see again!" Trysten exclaimed, excitedly examining his body for changes. "You cured the plague! You actually did it! This changes everything!"

"Not quite," Abercius said. "You're dead now, Uncle Trysten. You died, and I've made you a reaper. You now have the power to help this realm and free souls from the same suffering you experienced. It's not a cure for the illness, as we can't just kill every afflicted soul and make them reapers, but it will decimate Xexys' plans. Each soul freed will mean one less dreamer. We can slow the spread and make his communal nightmare weaker."

"The eye is a choice," Lukas remarked, ignoring the confusion of the newest reaper. "Are you sure you did it right? I've never seen that marking transfer to someone else before or have it be any colour but ocean blue."

"I'm not entirely sure," Abercius said. "I did the best that I could with the body I had. Maybe some of my own power transferred over or maybe it was just because we cheated to access Death’s realm with magic. Lord Izanami would likely know."

Lukas chuckled to themselves at the thought of Izanami knowing the answer to any of this. Their stepmother, Destiny, would likely have a stronger hypothesis about the glowing eye than Izanami ever would. Their husband was naturally uncurious about his realm, so long as it was functioning correctly.

"Thank you, Abercius. I don't fully understand any of this, but I know that you've saved me somehow, and I'm incredibly grateful. I can see my son. I never thought that would be possible. Thank you."

He hugged Abercius gratefully, which the teenager didn't know how to handle. All of the anger, hurt, and betrayal still raged inside of him, but maybe those were feelings for later. Right now, he had successfully accessed some of his old power, and made the first reaper in Jubilant Accosts in centuries. Well, something reaperlike at least. Progress was progress, so Abercius pushed away the negative feelings for another time, and took this moment to celebrate.

"Now that's one Timelady, one off brand reaper, and my husband's biggest fan," Lukas boasted. They looked extraordinarily pleased with themselves for these accomplishments. "If Trysten or Abercius can make more reapers, then we've got a fighting chance at defeating Xexys. If we can get a proper team, and a new Dream Guardian, then Jubilant Accosts' defenses will be back to what they're supposed to be."

"How did you free yourself from the plague?" Rani asked her friend. "One minute you had the telltale film over your eye, and the next it was gone. If we can replicate what you did, we would have a cure. I could try to mass produce one for the two realms."

"I don't fully know," Abercius answered. "The answer has to lie in the realm of Death somewhere. Dying ended the plague for my uncle, and when I could briefly touch Death’s realm, the illness vanished from me. I could feel the demonic energy it's made of clear as day. I remember how demons were formed from the first Life deity and I've seen the magic that Theo can do. This illness can be harmed by the realm of Death. Not necessarily cured for every mortal still wanting to live, but it's a start."

"It's not only Death that can impact it though," Lukas added quickly. "Theo and Adam are immune because of demonic magic and some strange version of Life magic I can't explain. The solution will involve the magic of both Life and Death, unless you want to make reapers of every victim of the plague and just hope that no one new catches it."

"It's a start," Abercius acknowledged. "It's more than we had an hour ago. This will change things for us, I know it."

A being in the shape of a man silently watched the celebration from afar. For once, Life was not only doing their job, but also a passable attempt at their husband's job as well. It was remarkable to witness after watching Life and Death bicker over the centuries and neglect the only purpose tied to their existence.