A/N: I promised a chapter this weekend, so here it is :) It's likely to be tweaked over the next few weeks, but I wanted to make sure that I posted what I had even though it hasn't been edited. I was into writing (and re-writing because it's so difficult to capture the words to show it exactly as I imagine it) how Nora learns what truly happened to Vavila, which we will see before chapter 10. Welcome to the start of the final book in Nora's journey!

My stomach somersaulted into my chest, leaving a trail of fireflies dancing inside my body.

This is surreal.

I'd read about the Kingdom in my grandfather's journal, but the little he said did nothing to manage my expectations. I couldn't figure out why going through a portal in the gazebo I grew up reading within didn't make me unsettled—or even anxious. How had I never figured it out? There must have been some sort of failsafe to keep me from accidentally travelling through realms. A few years ago, landing in an alternate world that felt like it was summer would have triggered nightmares—I'd craved winter. Now, everything within me was content. It was like I had plugged into an outlet and became a part of the power supply that fueled the Kingdom.

The heat was cooled by the breeze, everything was painted in vibrant hues I'd never be able to duplicate, and Onyx had endless space to run with Opal.

Better than that, the sun shone too brightly for shadows to dwell.

"It's beautiful," I said, looking around in awe. "I never expected this. Does it snow here? Winter like... disappeared."

Zachariah, the mentor that guided generations of my family and apparently came back from the dead, chuckled at my side. "The weather is mostly good here. What did you expect?"

"Some impersonal setting where you sat me down and finally explained the secrets my mother kept from me."

"I'm sure we could find something like that here, if it makes you more comfortable."

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Zach, then looked at the rolling grounds where the dogs played. "No, thank you, though I do expect answers. We can start with this place. What is it?"

"This is the Kingdom," Zach said, and I turned to face him. "At least that's what your grandmother called it because she said it's where your family fulfills its decrees. Your family holds a preeminent position here, and it's where magic is most dominant."

"I'm confused. Pre-what?"

"Preeminent. Having paramount importance. Something that is supreme." Zach smiled and gestured to the benches in the gazebo. "Here. On this bench opposite the switch is another to close the shelves."

I watched as my mother's books vanished. "It... The gazebo looks the same."

"It is." Zach nodded and took a seat opposite me, just as he would in one of the dreams he visited me in. "The gazebo serves as a portal here, so it remains unaltered in either realm. I suggest you read through your mother's books from here."

"How about you explain where here is and how it exists?"

"Well, it's called many names. Kingdom, Magical Realm, High Domain."

"What do you call it?"

"Home." Zachariah nodded and looked up to meet my gaze. "I call it home, though I think it's most accurate to think of it as a bridge or... an in between."

"Between what?"

"Humans and gods."

"There are gods here?" I looked around outside the gazebo. "That can't be good, right? I mean, I've read the myths."

"Twisted stories," Zach said, waving his hand through the air, and I looked back at him. "Sure, gods mixing with humans isn't great if they're bored, but that hasn't happened in a long, long time. With your lineage, it isn't even a concern."

"And what, exactly, is that?"

Zach whistled. "That's a very long answer, Noreena."

"That's not really my name, is it?"

Zach hesitated, then shook his head. "No."

"It's Zaira."

"Yes." He nodded.

"Why didn't my mom tell me?"

"There is power in a name," he said. "Your mother wanted to let you be normal. Knowing your true name would mean she would have to teach you to conceal it from others. That, of course, would have taken away the freedom for you to be normal."

"Well, that's over, so will you?" I asked.

"I will." Zach nodded.

"Okay." I sat down and leaned back, folding my arms.

"There are layers to learning everything, Nora." Zach laughed. "I can't teach you what you want in an afternoon. Before you can embrace the responsibilities, we must go through the tests."

"Tests?" I snorted. "Like school? Yeah, no." I shook my head. "I'm not taking any tests, Zach. Especially when I don't know what's going on."

Zach watched me, his mouth turning up with a smirk.

"What? You brought me to some weird place, tell me it's a Kingdom and, aside from the fact that you and Opal seem to come back from the dead, I'm supposed to believe my family rules it? Are we gods?"

Zach began chuckling.

"It's not funny."

"No." He sputtered. "It's not funny. I agree."

"But you're trying to joke, which is poor humor, if you ask me," I rolled my eyes, recalling easily why I used to find Zach so annoying.

"No. It's not funny because I'm not joking." Zach shrugged and stuffed his hands in his front pants pockets. "Every member of your family has tests they must pass to—"

I raised my hand. "My mom took these tests?"

Zach paused, then nodded. "She took the tests, yes."

"But?"

"She never came back here after her parents died, so her rights as a ruler weren't realized."

"Rights?"

"You have to complete the tests and come here to rule. It's... an initiation of sorts."

"I am not going through a series of tests. How can you expect I would do something my mother obviously wouldn't?" I asked.

Zach stared at me, unblinking. I shifted my weight, feeling a wave of electricity roll across my skin, forcing the hairs to stand up.

"What?" I demanded when he didn't answer.

Zach sighed and shook his head, his gaze never wavering. "It's not that simple, Nora."

"What do you mean? You say we have to go through the tests first, but mom did a lot. You're saying that wasn't being a leader?"

"She was a leader." Zach nodded. "She earned respect and, even if your family didn't rule, they would still be the strongest."

"Why isn't that enough?"

"As I said, it's not that simple." He sighed. "First of all, the community needs more than a leader. You know even the High Council isn't immune to corruption."

"And second?"

"You've been completing the tests all your life. You passed the final one when you were swift but merciful dealing with Duvessa and her family."

"I—what?" I shook my head. "No."

Zach nodded. "Yes, Nora. When I said we have to go through them, I simply mean revisit what they were so you understand their importance, but you have already passed. By coming to the Kingdom, you've cemented your position. Even if it could be reversed, there is no one to take your place until you have children. Without you, magic will cease."

I sucked in a breath. "What's third? There is always three."

"Coming to you wasn't yet my plan," he said. "I wanted to wait until you had discovered more for yourself, but you played with fire to strip your abilities. That showed me that you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for—maybe even more so than you mother thought you'd be—but I told you before not to let your fear control you."

"That's illogical. By stripping my abilities, I removed my fear."

"You did it on a whim, Nora. If you were aware of the cause and effect of your actions, I don't think you would have made the same choice."

"I thought of the pros and cons, Zach." I sighed. "I embraced my magic like you and mom always wanted. In fact, the biggest con is knowing how much I'd miss using them. But I managed to get rid of my fears—nobody would want me if they couldn't steal my abilities, I'd know what was between me and Calin was real and not a byproduct of some blood exchange, and I wouldn't be responsible to fix anything."

"If you knew it would affect others, would you do it again?"

"Not if anyone was harmed."

Zach nodded. "You proved when dealing with the Larkin family that you can act selflessly and without bias or out of revenge."

"So?"

"So, I'm here to fix what you did without all the facts," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I told you the Kingdom is magical—kind of like the book you read to restore your memories but much more powerful. When you tied your magic to the living flame, magic didn't just cease for you, Nora. It cut the entire community off from accessing their abilities."

"No." I shook my head. "That's... It's not possible, Zach. People are born with magic, some more powerful than others because they are connected or whatever. I do not have anything to do with it."

"Yes." He nodded. "You—your entire family—has everything to do with the magic the community is able to use. It wasn't fair to cut everyone off."

"Why not? Then people can't use it with ill intent."

"They also can't use it for good, which is what the majority do with it."

"So, you want me to smother the flame or something?"

"No." Zach shook his head. "There is no need to do that now. I came back early and brought you here."

"Okay?"

Zach sighed. "When you entered the Kingdom, your abilities were restored."

"I'm sorry?"

"The Kingdom is magical and restorative. You came here with a piece of you missing. Now, you are whole and magic was restored to the people within the magical community."

My stomach sank.

Not only was I tested without my knowledge, my decisions were overridden by an alternate world. I had magic back, and I didn't know how I felt about that, but I did know Zach was wrong. Just because I'd made a good decision dealing with Duvessa didn't make me just—it was circumstance. If I'd known removing my abilities would strip the magical community of power—robbing Devland and whoever was taking abilities from others of their magic—I may have done it sooner. I'd even give up learning my mother's secrets to be able to have such a quick fix.