Astra did not live to see what happened next. The look on Jaxon's face had been unnerving, Ember watched his face change from messy tears, to cool confidence.

'Behind you!' Ember had screamed, Beckett joined in a second later. Nova only laughed, an echoing haunting sound that Ember knew she'd hear in her dreams. Astra looked so strong, killing SkinWalkers almost effortlessly, flames exploding from her body, from her blades. A small smile even played at the corner of her mouth as purple blood splattered on her face, mixing with her freckles.

'Behind you!' Ember screamed so loud she was sure her eardrums would burst, and she pulled so tightly against the shackles that she felt the pooling blood there. Astra's brow furrowed as she turned, kindjals falling from her hands as Ember's blade went through her chest.

'She can't heal herself!' Ember had screamed, more as a reminder to herself. She repeated it over and over, as though chanting it would change the fact.

'You bastard! You goddamn bastard, she trusted you!' Beckett was hollering, threatening to end his life on sight. Jaxon slunk away through a portal, running from Beckett's threats.

'Astra!' Ember screamed, screamed, screamed. She was sure the people fighting below would hear her terror. Someone had taken Astra from her, Jaxon had killed the most beautiful soul to exist.

Ember watched Astra gasp for air, blood dripped from her nose and lips, her hands shook as they touched her bloodied chest. Astra looked at her hands, as though not being able to believe it was her blood. Then her eyes met Ember's, and Ember felt her whole being shatter.

Her sword, it was her weapon that killed her best friend. Ember would never be able to live with herself knowing that.

Still hollering, Beckett shoved himself to his feet, smashing his skull against Nova's face. The woman crumbled, and he didn't linger. Ember watched as Beckett sobbed, screamed till the ceiling shuddered, and pulled Astra onto his lap. Ember felt empty, lost, an Astra sized hole in her heart.

Astra's body was limp, from where she struggled Ember could hear Beckett tell her she'd be ok, and watched him tuck her reddish hair behind her ear. No, she wasn't ok. She'd been taken from them, they would kill Jaxon.

Screaming so loud Ember knew her throat was bleeding, she finally ripped her hands free. Skin dangled from bone, but she didn't bother. She scrambled across the ground, reached a hand, and heard Astra take her last breath.

Kneeling there, Ember watched her brother scream, clutching Astra's body to his chest. Astra didn't know, but the siblings did, that she had her father's green eyes. The power faded from her, red and golden energy seeped from her body and down her arms–her golden eyes dulled and shifted. Green eyes. Her kindjals flashed brightly one last time, before dulling to their silver.

Ember felt helpless, kneeling alone, watching her brother crumble to pieces. It was clarifying then, feeling herself being ripped away, to know how much she truly loved Astra. As the breath in her lungs began to ache, as the tears burned like fire, Ember knew that she loved Astra with everything her heart could offer. Only a love that deep could hurt like this.

Beckett, sobbing, gently set her down and closed her eyes. Her hair, which she'd grown out for him, was like a halo around her head. With death, her already pale skin had dulled so much that her freckles appeared bold, she looked almost like she was sleeping.

Ember cried, a sharp sob that echoed around them, and she knelt before her best friend and grabbed her hand. Ember's blood got onto Astra's skin, but she paid no mind. Beckett looked at Ember, his gaze melting into a burning rage, his teeth gritting.

"I'm going to kill her." Beckett growled, pushing onto his feet and crossing to where Nova was waking up. He sent out his power, the one he'd kept hidden from everyone. Green fire set ablaze and made Nova scream, he wrapped it around her and lifted her, feeling absolutely no mercy.

"Stop! Stop!" Nova begged, but from the ground Ember watched Beckett growl a new list of swears in response. Astra didn't know this either, but Ember didn't stray from her side, she stroked her hair, held her hand, and watched as Beckett seeked revenge.

"Why should I?" Beckett sneered, fist clenching so the fire scorched her skin even tighter.

"Because! Because! I am the night!" Beckett looked back at his sister, at his dead love, and turned his deadly gaze back to the woman who did this all.

"Stop talking." He demanded, but Nova only flailed some more, kicking her legs in hopes of saving her life.

"Listen please! I am the night! The moon! I have the power of Necromancy!" Beckett lifted a blade to her throat, not afraid to make that kill. But he stopped, hovered, his shoulders rising and falling as he pondered.

Then, his voice, so tired and broken– "you can bring her back." Ember sobbed again, because the desperation in her brother's voice was enough alone to break her. Nova nodded, pleading in her eyes. He dropped her, but let his fire wrap around her wrists and prevent her from attacking.

"Then do it!" Ember begged, a sob burning her throat. Astra's hands were already so cold in hers, like she'd already been gone for hours.

"At a price," Nova wheezed, her throat blistering from Beckett's flames.

"The price is not dying!" Beckett barked, pushing a blade to her throat from where she kneeled.

"I'll bring her back to life, if you agree to my conditions." Nova smiled gleefully, realizing she had Beckett in the palm of her hands.

"No deal," Ember moaned. She wanted Astra back, but she also knew that Astra would not want Beckett to pay for that. Astra would rather die than have Beckett and Ember suffer.

"You don't even know my terms," Nova whined, wanting nothing more than attention.

"Then what are they?" Beckett demanded, pushing the blade once more.

"Beckett, don't listen to her! Just kill her!" Ember had grown up with Nova, loved her like a sister, but right now she didn't care. But her brother didn't listen, and Ember knelt there feeling helpless.

"My terms," Nova pushed on, "are that you let me use my magick and let me be a ruler. You let me have what I wanted. Grant me this, and I will give you Astra back." Ember shook her head adamantly, she knew Astra wouldn't go for this.

But it was Beckett who said, "deal." Ember yelled to her brother, begging him to stop. It was stupid, reckless–but he could only see that he lost Astra. He'd do anything to get her back.

"Selfish!" Ember screamed at the two of them, that's what this was. Nova would use Beckett's pain for her own gain, and he would let his own pain blind him and doom the world. Beckett didn't listen, with tears streaming down his cheeks he dropped his fire, and dropped to his knees before her.

"Please, just bring her back." His broken voice made Ember sob once more, but Nova only smiled as she pushed to her feet. Nova walked to the open edge of the mountain, and released her magick. From where Ember knelt she watched it pour, and pour, and pour. She wasn't sure what it was doing, why killing Astra had allowed Nova to become stronger, she only knew that Beckett had doomed them all. The purple energy came back into the room, it encircled Beckett, Ember, and Astra. Ember clung to her friend, as though she could protect her from what was happening.

Beckett groaned in pain, clutching his head and his chest, Nova continued to laugh as her magick spilled and spilled. Ember felt that magick knock on her mind, but the piece of being Alatar had given her protected her.

As the magick ceased, to Ember's horror, Nova smiled sweetly and made her way to Beckett. And Beckett...he smiled at her.

"Beck?" Nova asked quietly, batting her large cat eyes at him. Ember's brother smiled, reaching a hand and cupping Nova's face.

"My love," he cooed to her. Ember's mouth dropped in shock, her brow furrowing as she scrambled to make sense of this, of anything.

"Let's go rule our kingdom," Nova said sulturly to Beckett. Ember screamed again for her brother, but he didn't even seem to hear her. Beckett made a portal, not even looking at Ember or Astra. He didn't even check if Astra was alive–

"What did you do!" Ember screamed, wanting to strangle Nova with her bare hands, but not having the heart to leave her dead friend alone on the ground.

"What I said I would. Now? I have everything I always wanted." Nova said sweetly, and pointed at Astra. "She's nothing now." Then, with a venomous grin at Ember, Nova interlaced her finger's with Beckett's, and pulled him through the portal.

Ember sobbed then, for herself, for Astra, for Beckett, for the world.

She was still crying when Astra took her first breath.