Epilogue

Stevie Rae

Stevie Rae put her hands on her hips and stared down at her shoes. She'd been worrying all day about the inevitable. A long time ago, she'd promised herself she would live in the moment, but she just couldn't do it anymore.

She could not bear to lose Rephaim.

She knew it was irrational. Neither of them was immortal. The most she could hope for was a long, happy, human life with him. However, she knew that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to die with her—not die five hundred years before she did.

A choked gasp escaped her at the thought of him dying at all.

She was standing just outside the tunnels. It was about four in the morning. They'd just come back from the combined funeral pyre of all those they'd lost in the battle, including Thanatos and Erin. Stevie Rae had cried. She might not have known Thanatos very well, but it sure felt like she did. And Erin had once been a sister to her, no matter how tainted she had become. They even lit a pyre for Dallas, who, evil as he was, was still a vampyre. Stevie Rae felt nothing other than relief when she thought about his death.

She stared up at the stars, wondering what death was like. She'd never been to the Otherworld- when she had died, all there had been was darkness and silence before she woke up. The question that had bothered her for over a year now plagued her once more: was Stevie Rae even mortal? Did she have a soul? She'd drank Rephaim's bird blood, so she was obviously not a normal red vampyre, but when she died, would she join her fallen friends? She thought about Jack's always-happy face and Damien's big words and Erin's criticisms and Professor Nolan's twang and Heath's annoying smile. She knew they were all happy—they were where they were supposed to be.

Now, where was she supposed to be?

She closed her eyes real tight and prayed to Nyx: "Goddess, I know I'm your daughter and that you have some plan for me, but could you show me what it is? Where am I supposed to end up?"

"With me," a voice said.

Stevie Rae jumped. Her heart clanged against her chest, but it was more out of excitement than fear. She spun around and stared into Rephaim's dark eyes. He had to be the most handsome boy she'd ever seen. His strong, muscular arms were bent behind his back, as though he were hiding something. His full lips lifted into a smile. "You look so much like your mother," he told her.

"I could say the same about you and your daddy." Her voice was cautious, almost wary.

He sensed the abnormally sharp tone. "What's wrong?"

"I've just been thinkin'," she admitted. "Rephaim... What am I going to do when you die? You're human and I'm a vampyre. How can we work?"

His smile faded. "You love me, and I love you. That's all there is to it. We can make it work."

"But, Rephaim. You're missing the point. I don't know what I'll do without you," she admitted. "You're my entire world."

"And you are mine." He pursed his lips. "But we can't live forever."

"You can't live as long as I can," Stevie Rae pointed out.

"Well, that's just something we'll have to deal with." Rephaim drew his hands out from behind his back. In one hand was a large chocolate cupcake, with vanilla icing, just the way she liked it. There was a candle in the middle, unlit. Her eyes widened as she remembered what today was.

"In all the confusion with the funeral, you forgot," Rephaim said. "But I remembered. I could never forget my Red One's birthday." He grinned at her. "How does it feel to be eighteen?"

She smiled back. "Amazing, as long as I'm with you."

He handed her the cupcake, and fished into his pocket, retrieving a lighter. He lit the candle. "Make a wish," he commanded.

She giggled, but closed her eyes. Silently, she prayed to Nyx: I've been through everything possible to go through, Goddess. I died and came back. I lost a boyfriend. I almost lost my best friend. Heck, I almost lost myself. I've suffered so much. Don't I deserve a bit of happiness? I wish Rephaim could live as long as me, and we could be together—and die together.

Opening her eyes, she blew out the candle as hard as she could. She hoped against hope that the Goddess would answer her wish.

Rephaim clapped and took the burnt candle out of the cake. He tossed it into the grass. "Let us eat cake," he proclaimed.

"Us?" she demanded playfully. "Oh, you are so not touching my cupcake."

He reached into the cake and, returning with a finger of icing, decorated her nose so she looked like Rudolph with a white nose. "Whoever has icing on their face eats last," he crooned.

"Ohmygoodness! I am gonna get you for that," she growled, and took icing and smeared it into his lips.

He laughed. "I can't get it off. Can you kiss it for me?"

So when he pulled her into the circle of his arms, Stevie Rae didn't protest. She kissed his lips— icing and all—and felt her soul quicken with joy. She may not have much time to be happy, but at least she was.

And suddenly, Erik emerged from the grate and was standing behind Rephaim, an intense look in his eyes.

"Rephaim," he bellowed.

Rephaim broke the kiss and turned to face Erik, but before he could comment, Erik was speaking, his voice sounding so different from its usual playful tone. "Rephaim, son of the moon. Night has chosen thee; thy death shall be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" He pointed at Rephaim, and with a shocked gasp, her boyfriend fell to his knees.

But Stevie Rae wasn't worried. Her body shook, but it was with shock—and happiness. When Rephaim lifted his head, there was a red crescent moon on his forehead. Rephaim was now a red fledgling. Stevie Rae guessed it was because he wasn't completely mortal. Whatever the reason, she didn't care. Tears were streaming down her face—tears of utter joy.

Nyx had answered her wish.

Rephaim rose shakily to his feet. Instantly, his eyes found hers. Wordlessly they kissed. Her fingers knotted in his hair and he pulled her close, breathlessly moving as one.

"I'll give you two some alone time." Erik backed into the grate.

Stevie Rae was the one to end the kiss this time. She smiled at him. "We have a chance now," she breathed. "To be together."

"If I don't reject the Change," he said softly.

That hadn't occurred to her, but she didn't believe it would happen. Nyx wouldn't grant life only to take it away. Plus, what had Stevie Rae done to deserve something as painful as that?

"I doubt it," she said.

"I believe you, Red One."

Stevie Rae winked at him. "You're a Red One too, now."

He laughed. "I guess I am."

They stayed like that under the hazy moon for a long time, the Goddess watching over them, the couple of the night embracing in the early morning. And finally, Stevie Rae was completely, totally, and unequivocally happy.

Zoey

"Zoey Redbird, do you solemnly swear to watch over your people, to do only what Nyx wills?" Cleopatra said.

"I do," I said solemnly.

"Do you promise to use Nyx's magick and Light to strengthen your people?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to stand by the fledglings you protect even if it is your own damnation?"

"I do," I said firmly.

"And do you swear your loyalty to the Goddess and her Night divine?"

"I do."

"In the name of the elements, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit, as well as the name of our Goddess Nyx, I declare you Queen. You may rise, Queen Zoey. You will never kneel again."

I rose to my feet, smiling and pumping my fist in the air as my friends cheered. Power flowed through me as the Mark's energy sang against my face, kissed by the moon and blessed by the night.

...

The faint echo of her past made Zoey smile. It had been one hundred and thirteen years exactly since that day. She had chosen to wait, to be High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night for a time, but after about twenty years, Stevie Rae had stepped up and taken her place, and she had become the first ever vampyre Queen, though she had consented only to do it if they allowed her to stay in Tulsa with her friends.

Zoey smiled, thinking back to the first years of her rule. She, Stark Darius and Aphrodite (who had taken an internship on the Council as Prophetess of Nyx, and was currently living in Venice with Darius, aging at the same rate as a vampyre) had spent their summers in Venice, and Zoey had grown accustomed to watching over vampyrekind. Soon, however, Aphrodite and Darius had made an astonishing discovery- Aphrodite could bear children. She'd had her first baby like any normal child, and the baby—Emily LaFont—had grown up to be Marked like any other child. But, as they'd discovered later, Emily had the ability to bear children too. She had also retained her daughter's gift of prophesy, as well as an affinity for spirit.

Zoey had taught Emily how to use her spirit affinity, and along with Aphrodite's help, Emily had Changed into an adult vampyre and become the next Prophetess of Nyx. Emily and her human mate, Hector, had had a child, Christian. Christian had grown to have an affinity for fire and an affinity to speak to the dead as well as see inside a soul, a combination of True Sight and Aphrodite's gift. As of yet, he had not had a child- his mate was a vampyre. Emily was now almost sixty years old in human years, though she still appeared about sixteen.

Speaking of True Sight... Shaylin and Erik had undergone the mating ritual that made them man and wife about forty years ago. They were still together, and Shaylin was working with the High Council to try criminals- she could look at their colors and tell their intentions. Zoey and Shaylin had gotten much closer over the years, but Shaylin always looked up to Stevie Rae—the bond between a High Priestess and her progeny could not be lessened with age.

Stevie Rae was still her best friend. The two talked every day, and when they weren't together, they Skyped each other. Though Stevie Rae no longer deferred to her about High Priestess business, the two often talked about her relationship with Rephaim. For about two months after Lenobia's wedding, Stevie Rae had feared she and Rephaim would grow apart—he would grow old, and she would stay a young, beautiful High Priestess. But that problem had quickly been corrected when he'd been Marked and made it successfully through the Change. Rephaim was currently a red vampyre and the Sword Master of the Tulsa House of Night.

Lenobia and Travis had somehow managed to make Travis growing old work, as he was far too old to be Marked. They'd stayed together seventy-nine years, and he had died at about ninety-one, simply of old age. Lenobia had wept for him, but with Zoey's support had grown strong and moved on. She had moved to Chicago and was now the Horse Mistress there. Zoey often Skyped her to see how she was doing, and she was being herself- staying strong and confident.

Erebus and Nicole were still together. Though Erebus could procreate, Nicole could not, so they hadn't had any children. However, they were both still alive and mated. Nicole had taken Lenobia's place as the Horse Mistress of the Tulsa House, and she was doing an excellent job balancing her horse and water affinities. Erebus was simply the fencing professor in Dragon's place, nothing more. Nyx had gifted him with an affinity for fire, and he also helped Professor Missal teach the spells and rituals class there.

Kramisha and Jordan had eventually been outed for having Imprinted, but Zoey had allowed them free pass, as Jordan was close to Changing when the Council found out anyway. They were still Imprinted and together. Kramisha was the High Council's Poet Laureate; though she lived in Tulsa, she would often call and Skype the High Council to report her prophetic poetry to them, which was mostly positive. Jordan became the first ever red vampyre Tracker when Erik finished, also balancing his Voice affinity and learning to tell what the Voice meant. Kramisha and Jordan were both adult vampyres, happy, and together. And she had to say, Jordan had gotten very handsome in adulthood.

Terri had rejected the Change about a year after the wedding. Stark and she had stopped being friends, but Stark still felt some type of way when she died. Another dynamic had changed in his relationship with Zoey—now, if she tried hard enough, she could feel what he felt.

Shaunee had become the new vampyre sociology professor. She had retained her fire affinity, and she was strong and proud. However, a vampyre conspiracy that had involved many of the Warriors and Sons of Erebus fighting had felled Nisroc just a year ago, and he was dead. Shaunee had mourned for him with the help of Zoey, who had had to mourn for herself...

She blinked back tears as she thought about her story. She and Stark had stayed together. Stark had become the Queen's Guardian, and was given the job of protecting not only Zoey, but the High Council as well. They had been happy for almost one hundred years, though Zoey had often wondered about Aurox—wondered if he was alive or if he was happy.

Alas, Stark had been killed in the battle, like Nisroc. He was dead. With Shaunee, she had learned to move on, but it still hurt—like simply putting a bandage over a wound that would never heal. It had been thirteen years since she'd had any type of happiness—and she was beginning to think she would never have it again.

She remembered his body being brought back to her. He'd still been breathing, little rivulets of sweat lining his face, his eyes closed and his teeth gritted in pain. Stark always looked the handsomest when he was in pain, for some reason that was beyond her. His usually strong, powerful body looked weak. It took everything in her not to look away. She didn't want to see her beloved like this. As she stared down at him, she remembered everything that had happened to bring them to where they were. The blood sharing in the Otherworld. The Otherworld journey itself. The sex they'd had afterward. The feeling of his hands against her skin, so soft, so gentle… The way it had felt, as he loved her in a way no one else could… She was meant for him. She could see that now. She'd made the right decision.

"Stark," she'd whispered in agony.

He'd looked up at her. "Mo bann ri," he had whispered brokenly. "It is… it is my time to depart this world. Forever I will… protect you… mo bann ri. You know… I will. And I'll see you in the Otherworld." With what looked like great struggle, he smiled. "Aye, wumman… We can pick up... where we... we left off in bed."

Her lips turned up. "Okay, Seoras Jr.," she said quietly. "I love you."

"As I love you." He was fading quickly, and she could see it. "Don't... Don't forget about me. I'm... I'm the one who saved you... From the Otherworld, when you shattered. Don't... Forget... That."

"I couldn't," she promised. "Not in a million years." That he assumed she could ever forget was almost offensive to her.

He smiled too, and laced his hand in hers. The two had stared at each other for so long that Zoey didn't realize he was dead at first. Then, at the behest of Aphrodite, she had finally let his hand go—which felt cold and utterly lifeless. She'd stared down at him and realized the difference, the change in him. His eyes were blank, utterly without life. His body did not breathe, and was covered in thick blood that came off on her hands when she went to stroke his chest once more before they'd carried him away. She'd stood, and realized she was crying. It felt like someone had snatched away her heart—he'd taken it with her.

His funeral pyre had not been easy, but she had led it with the strength of Nyx—who rarely spoke to her anymore, though she had dreams of Kalona often and the two kept up a relationship.

Now, she was standing on the roof of South Intermediate High School, listening to the kids talk and laugh inside. She smiled sadly as she remembered her time as a human, a time she could never have back. Though she was nearly a century and a half old, she had never forgotten her human life. Her mother Linda. John Heffer. Grandma Redbird, who had passed on the natural way about seventy years ago. Her sister, Susan—who was now a professor at the Detroit House of Night. Her brother, Kevin, who had remained human and died about forty years ago. Her father Paul, who had appeared to her asking her for money and had later perished in a car accident. Every moment of it was to be cherished, even the bad ones. One thing Zoey had taken from Grandma Redbird—she blinked back tears to remember her death—was that mourning was something that could be overcome, as long as you had faith.

The wind whipped through her hair, flowing it around, and she closed her eyes and threw back her arms and head, taking in the heavens and the sky.

Without warning, a voice behind her whispered: "I have finally found you."

She tensed. She had to be hallucinating, because there was no way this was possible.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, turned, and gasped. It was Aurox.

He looked no different, no older, than he had the last time she'd seem him. His eyes, a moonstone shine, had intensified. His golden blond hair, now almost as long as Kalona's, was tied back in a ponytail, like some god come to earth. His body may have been slightly taller. His mighty muscles were hard against his shirt, and she leaned towards him, smelling the familiarity of him- seeing Heath inside him. Her fallen Consort's soul still glowed there. She could see it even without her Seer Stone—which still rested against her neck.

And then she realized what was different about him. There was a Mark on his forehead. It was filled in and added to, in the shape of sloping swords on either side of his face.

"You're a vampyre," she whispered incredulously. "How long have you been..."

"I was Marked the day you chose Stark. Nyx told me to leave, to let you get your ending with him so that I could return to you. She said yours was a story that had to go both ways. I did not want you to rethink your decision. I have waited for nearly a century and a half for you, Zo. I came as soon as I heard he was dead. I knew you would be hurting, and I knew I was the only one who could heal you." Her skin shivered when he called her Zo. "The question truly is: can you accept me? Have you lost your Stark too soon? I won't give you a burden you can't bear."

She stared into his eyes. There was such goodness there—so much of Heath—that she felt tears burning in her eyes. "How did you know to come here?"

"The Goddess sent me to you, to where you were," he said. "She wanted us to find each other again. I now have Heath's memories."

She gasped. "Really?"

"Really, Zo. I remember everything. I feel his love inside me. It's consumed me. I cannot fight it anymore. I long for you." His voice sounded pained.

She took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, hell. Come and get me." She may be older, but at heart she was the same Zoey Redbird.

His breath caught in his throat, but he said nothing.

"I love you, Aurox. I always have. I tried to forget you, but I just couldn't. It didn't work. You stayed in my mind forever. I always wondered where you had gone, if you were kissing another pair of lips, if you were making another girl happy. But my heart always hurt for you, and I always wondered how it would have been if I had chosen you." She shut her eyes. "I can tell that our Imprint hasn't faded, but I couldn't feel you anywhere. I wondered if you had Imprinted with someone else."

"Never," he said roughly. "I would never hurt you that way, no matter how I felt towards you. It would be like I was dishonoring your memory."

For the first time in months, she felt her heart opening to someone else. She could almost see his ghost smiling at her, standing at a precipice in the Otherworld, encouraging her. She knew what he would say: Be happy, mo bann ri.

And she wanted to be happy. She wanted it badly. She wanted her heart back.

"If you do not want me, I'll leave you, but... I don't know if my heart can bear it. I would probably—"

"Aurox," she whispered, cutting him off. "Just shut up and kiss me."

He swept her hair out of her eyes first. Then he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulled her close with his free arm, and kissed her. Her arms wrapped around him as she knotted her fingers in his hair and sighed his name. The both of them had been unhappy for so long that they were crumbling at finally loving again, finally moving on. Zoey was strong enough to go on, with Aurox at her side.

As they kissed under the Goddess's shimmering moon, she wondered if Nyx was watching her now. If so, what was she doing? Smiling? Looking away? Zoey could only imagine.

And as Zoey and Aurox kissed, nothing could possibly come between them, as the air and the fire and the water and the earth and the spirit watched over them with the Goddess's strong hand, keeping their silence, guarding the pair in the night as the silver disc shined above them.

Zoey did not think her journey as Nyx's Daughter was over by far. There was still evil in the world, and still Darkness to combat. Though Neferet was gone, they hadn't defeated Darkness—and she had heard the white bull's anguished cry as Neferet died. But as long as she had Aurox, she would be alright. And if Darkness had anything to say about that, it did not speak up, for through death and Darkness and destruction could only last love.

Always love.

Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again; blessed be

- Zoey Redbird, Queen of the Vampyre High Council

*tears* *raises head* Oh my God! It's over! It's finally over, guys! It feels both good and bad to finish a series. Good because I did it! I made it! But bad because I have to say bye to these amazing characters and leave the world I've created, even though P.C. has two more books coming out.

Yes, guys; unfortunately, this really IS the end of my HoN universe. However, that doesn't mean there aren't more books about HoN coming from me! I have another series coming soon about Aphrodite's grandson Christian. It'll probably be a trilogy. More info on that soon here.

Now that I've finished BATTLED, I can get back to work on my other projects. If It Were You chapters four and five are coming really soon. Screw Bella is overdue an update too. Oh, and I really need to finish fixing HIDDEN. Like now. This isn't the last you'll see of me.

Love you guys so much! Thank you—especially to Nyx'sReincarnation and SmilesSaveLives, who have been with me since HIDDEN was a rough draft! See you soon!

XOXO,
Casey