Chimera Awakened

Chapter Twenty-Six

The warm Spring sun shone on my face as I sat on a fallen log next to the stream in the castle's forest. Alastor was munching his way through the light green grass and snorting occasionally as his tail flicked flies away. This was what I wanted right here. My horse, content and healthy, my warrior waiting for me and my family happily bickering at home.

My fingers brushed at the sapphire in my pocket and my brows furrowed at its unusual warmth. We'd found it lying on the ground where the mystery woman stood before I disintegrated her and everyone else fighting for Calma. I smiled at the memory of Hale's reaction to us telling him what happened. His eyes had widened so comically that I actually laughed.

I grimaced when his words about me disintegrating Noah echoed in my mind. He was no longer the man I once loved. That man died before you ever laid eyes on him. Or maybe he never existed in the first place. He'd said it with such sadness.

When I asked for his forgiveness he waved a hand in dismissal and said there was nothing to forgive. He was on Team Chimera and nothing would change that.

I was grateful for that though I hoped Team Chimera wouldn't have to do anything like that ever again. The quiet easiness of life in the last week was something I cherished and hoped would continue until I walked the astral plane. Of course, we were still working on how to deal with the now ravaged and crumbling Calma but I trusted Broderick to handle it fairly. Calma citizens had suffered under General Malachi's rule and I couldn't imagine any of them feeling grief for their fallen leader.

Removing the deep blue gem from my pocket,
I watched it shimmer in the sunlight. It was about the size of my palm, so dark as to appear almost black, smooth and shaped like an egg. It wasn't the Conduit Stone, I knew, because I didn't sense it. Somehow I just knew I would recognize it if I ever got close to it.

This stone felt like it contained power but I wasn't sure what kind. Hale's theory was that it was like the stone Malachi used to drain Calma citizens of their magic and draw from it as he pleased. I supposed it was possible. He'd never learned how the magic was extracted from the stone but he was busy researching that now. I smiled at the image of Hale, hunched over books and carefully taking notes.

Warm, hard arms came around my shoulders and the comforting scent of pine and snow filled my lungs. I smiled and turned my head to meet Broderick's waiting lips.

"You're still not paying attention to your surroundings," he murmured against my lips before sitting on the log next to me.

His hand immediately rested on my knee and I leaned into him as I twined my arm through his and tucked the sapphire back into my pocket.

"And you still don't believe I might have heard you coming," I teased and leaned my head on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of my head and we looked out over the stream and into the forest beyond in comfortable silence. Alastor's huffs of breath, water rushing over rocks and birdsong was a melody I could listen to for the rest of my life.

"So," Broderick said quietly, "I have something for you."

"Oh?" I moved to look over at him. "Is it jewelry?" I asked and smiled when he chuckled.

Cobalt eyes turned to me, so full of love and happiness that I felt my heart might burst from the joy overflowing within me.

"Greedy woman," he teased and flashed a grin that showed the crooked canine that I loved so much.

"What's the point of being with a general if I don't get jewelry out of it?" I replied airily.

When he gripped my chin between his fingers, my stomach clenched with need.

"I always thought it was my other... assets you wanted." He smirked as his eyes traveled to my lips.

"Maybe I want it all," I said huskily.

"Then you'll have it all, a ghra." He touched his lips to mine and I sank into him fully.

This was all I had ever wanted. Him with me, the shining white light between us as we existed together, and peace.

When he pulled away he made a low animalistic sound in his throat that sent shivers down my spine and he said in a husky voice, "You're distracting me from the news I have for you."

I pulled away and tucked my hands in my lap.
"My apologies, General Broderick," I said sweetly.

He hummed his approval and said, "I like the sound of that."

I threw my head back and laughed. "Of course you would."

"Say it next time you're naked and moaning underneath me." His voice was low and desire flooded through me.

"I will," I replied and slid a hand over his thigh suggestively.

Springing off the log, he backed away, holding his palms out, ocean eyes dancing with humor. "Damn it, you keep distracting me."

"Right," I said, furrowing my brows in exaggerated seriousness. "You have news."

Chuckling, he reached a hand to his back pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of paper before handing it to me. Lips pursed in confusion, I unfolded it and read. My lips parted and a quiet breath escaped. It was a letter officially pardoning me of my conviction of treason and espionage.

"How?" I asked when I looked up at him.

"After the battle, Hale..." he paused and his lips quirked up in a smirk, "found letters from General Malachi talking about how he'd framed you. I took them to the judges and they finalized the pardon today."

"Broderick," I breathed out as emotion flooded me.

"You're free now, Evelyn. You can go back to your stables if you want." His voice took on a note of sharp sadness.

Without thinking, I reached out to his mind and closed my eyes as his emotions washed over me. First and foremost was that pure white light of his love for me. Happiness swirled throughout and tendrils of sad resignation streaked through it all. He thought I would leave. Even after everything, he didn't think I would stay here with him. Knowing that now, what he did to get me pardoned was like a fist around my heart.

I set the pardon on the log beside me and rose to walk to him. His breath halted as I lifted my hands to cup his neck and I felt his hands grip my waist.

"Why would I want to leave?" I asked, searching his face.

"You love your stables," he said and a line formed between his brows.

"I do," I admitted. "But Charlie is handling things better than I ever did."

I pulled him down and pressed my lips against his. He would let me go if it's what I wanted. He would let me go even if it killed him.

"I love you, Broderick," I said when our lips were only a whisper apart. "I love you and I love being here with you."

"Evelyn," he whispered and his breath shuddered out.

I pulled back and ran a hand through his glistening black hair. "Take me home, Broderick."

Kissing me once more, he pulled me hard against him before taking my hand in one of his warm callused hands and grasping Alastor's reins in the other. We walked toward the castle, toward our home, and a sense of peace like I'd never known washed over me. Our dark and broken souls melded together and I felt them shine as the pieces weaved together into something new and unbreakable.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first story I ever wrote and finished. While writing it, I didn't expect to do anything with it but here we are.

I have started a sequel but it's in the very rough stages. If I pursue it, there would still be parts from Evelyn's perspective but also third-person.

Comments, advice, constructive criticism, etc, are all welcome and appreciated!