The moment the plane lands, my head rolls to the side as I look out the window to see the familiar green fields of the countryside. A car waits for us as the private jet comes to a stop and the pilot informs we we can go ahead and unload. Already, I miss the peaceful realm of the elves, for Keva's kind made a haven for those who need it, and I was unable to stay longer.

I knew I needed to take things step by step, and this is me now doing these things with Zion at my side. He has talked with me a few times since we left the elf realm, our conversations brief as they were forced interacts. I told him we had to return back here for him to fulfill the promise he made Fiona. Something tells me he already knows we must have a child, for he knew the only reason Keva would help was for that fact.

The fiery red head waits for us at the car, her hands covered by leather gloves, and her attire formed of black material fitting for such a witch as herself. She knows why we have returned so early and by the faint smile tugging at her lips, I know she is not here to threaten me anymore. "The moon will be out soon," Fiona comments, helping me with my bags as she speaks to Zion.

"I know the time restrictions," Zion informs Fiona with a stern voice, his eyes glancing at me, those golden eyes reminding me of the day we met, for they were beautiful then and still are. "I have brought items needed from the elves as well."

"Then you are indeed prepared."

We all get into the sedan, our luggage loaded up, and our trip over as Fiona begins the drive back to her coven's home. "My sisters will be there to witness the spell breaker." I remain a simple observer in their conversation, the two of them discussion details of where it will be preformed and how long it could take. I revert to fiddling my thumbs for entertainment, looking out the window as I tune out the two of them. Soon enough, the stone house comes to view with the shrubbery and vines growing along the house, other cars parked outside the house as I know these must be the fellow sisters of her coven.

The car comes to a stop and we all hop out and I grab my own luggage, making my way to the front door as a dozen or so women cloaked in dark colors stare back at me, their eyes all different bright colors as they have a distinct look to each one of them. I walk down the hallway, their eyes still focused on me as their voices are mere whispers as I pass out of view and soon enough out of ear. Entering into the familiar room, I place my luggage on the bed and proceed to open it.

A foreign item I did not pack lies on the folded stack of my clothes, a note from Keva attached as I observe the item, wondering why she thought to give it to me. What seems to be a simple golden ring band with a dark sapphire placed between golden leaves carved with detail into the ring, something tells me this gift from Keva is far from just a piece of jewelry. I take the note Keva wrote me and read her cursive handwriting.

To protect you against unwanted enchantments

Picking up the ring, I place it upon my right middle finger for where it fits, admiring the detail and beautiful of such a simple yet powerful gift from the elf.

A soft knock at my door causes me to hide the note in my jacket's pocket and turn to face the male standing in the doorway. Zion stares back at me, his face shadowed in the entrance of the room as those eyes seem to glow in the darkness. "We should probably discuss where we go after tonight." Nodding, I take a seat on the lumpy bed, wondering what Zion has planned for the two of us now. "I was hoping the elves would take us in but they do not favor dark magic."

"Why can we not return to the kingdom? To one of your family estates or seek shelter in the palace? Just because you renounced the title does not mean you lose connections," I point out, wondering what could be so bad about seeking help back home.

"Tensions are rising in the West," Zion informs, walking into the room as he leans against the dresser. Taking in a deep breath, I prepare myself to hear bad news. "Nixon's wife has been working to wage war against the kingdom since her husband's death. For someone to be brought back from the dead is very non-traditional and many would rather not argue that they find resurrecting someone an illegal act."

"So you bringing me back to life was illegal or could cause serious issues?"

Zion nods, running a hand through his hair as he tries to form his words. "There are those who hunt creatures brought back to life, for legend has it that their blood can create many powerful potions or perhaps even offer immortality. These are all silly myths, but there are supernaturals who believe that the blood of the undead is very powerful."

"And what of Nixon's wife? Lily?" I ask, turning back the conversation to a more real threat.

"She seeks revenge for her husband's death. If word reaches her of your rebirth, she will place a bounty on your head and let whoever kills you keep your body or blood if they believe in those myths."

"And the war she wishes to wage on the kingdom?"

"I am afraid she has made alliances with rogues and other packs. For a human, she can lead quite a werewolf army. But she also seeks revenge on me." For two years or so Lily has been putting together an army to take down the kingdom Zion's ancestors worked so hard to build. Could this human actually tear apart the foundations of a kingdom? "I swear to you she will not take us. Those driven by wrath are often willing to die in the end."

"But those willing to die in the end are not afraid to do what they must to get what they want before they die," I point out. "Just because she is human, do not underestimate her will. I was once underestimated for being a rogue and I ended up labeled the Queen of Rogues and your queen as well."

A smile seems to tug at Zion's lips, as if pleased by my recollection of the title the rogues gave me in the end. "She had a child, a daughter," Zion comments. "It is unfair at how life treats those who desire the shadows. She knew the life Nixon lived and she accepted him, married him, and had his child as she is willing to destroy the Maxwell name even more than it has been just to get revenge. While she had their child...I lost you and we lost our child as well."

"Did she accept him for the man you saw him to be?" I question, knowing there can often be two sides to the same story. "Perhaps she saw another side to the man you saw in only black and white and, to her, he was vibrant colors."

Zion's face turns sour and he shakes his head. "Nixon has always been a man damned for eternal flames. She knew who she was marrying."

"And did I know who I was marrying?" I point out, watching as Zion raises his eyebrow and adjusts his posture as he is intrigued. "I ran from you, afraid of you or our marriage as I was unsure. Many saw you in black and white and I saw you as vibrant colors."

"I am not like Nixon," Zion growls, his eyes darkening as I raise my chin.

"I am not saying you are even close to him, but I am saying Lily could have been like me before her heart turned bitter, that she saw the best in him and saw a side many never saw. She changed him, you cannot deny that. She was a great Luna before my...murder. I remember the whispers around the palace of the human who mated the dark and strong Alpha, for she showed him a softer side of life. People talked of how she was changing him into a man who would begin to show mercy and-"

"You have no idea who you are speaking of," Zion snaps, barring his canines at me as I almost jump back. "I saw the horrors of Nixon Maxwell. I saw the crimes he committed, I saw the crime scene of Lillian's body laid across her prized piano, naked, and her body shredded by his very claws, and I knew he would never change."

I bite my tongue, seeing that Zion needs to calm down as my mind races with a million questions. If Zion saw the horrors and crimes Nixon committed, why was Nixon never put on trial for his misdeeds? As Alpha King, Zion would have been able to place Nixon on trial in front of the entire kingdom, yet Nixon got away. The way Zion speaks of his dead foe and insists that there were no good sides to such an alpha, it makes me think Zion knows more to Nixon's story. Did Zion perhaps even have a hand in this misdeeds?

"You should get some rest, we will be on our way right after the curse is lifted."

"Where are we going?" I ask, going back to my original question as Zion heads for the door.

"Home."

<><>

The moon is bright in the sky, a bonfire lit in the middle of the garden as the sisters of the coven stand around the fire, chanting ancient lyrics as one by one, they toss in a piece of jewelry which they wear. "We once tried to craft rings, necklaces, and bracelets to help lessen the strength of the curse," Fiona informs as she walks up towards me, carrying a tray of a sparkly, dark purple dust. "The diamonds and rubies were infused with stardust and ancient spells, yet these items were barely able to help us. They are throwing their enchanted pieces into the fire because we no longer need them after this night."

"Be careful who you trust in life, Sybil, for curses are a nasty thing to lift," Fiona comments as she passes me by and heads for the fire. I watch as she places the tray on a small table and takes from one of her sisters a sharp blade which seems to glow under the moonlight.

Zion stands beside Fiona, helping her prep the tools as I watch the two of them inspect the stardust which Keva gave Zion before we left. The two of them seem to bicker as they move about, moving fast to meet the time window of midnight as the chanting of the coven begins to die down. Zion motions for me to come near them, his hand grasping the dagger Fiona held just moments ago. Walking towards the fire, the heat radiating instantly gives me concern for what the lifted curse contains.

The chants are a mere whisper as the sisters continue and watch with interest at what happens. Zion begins to speak in their ancient language, putting the blade into the fire as he takes it out within a few seconds, only to place it directly into a small pile of stardust. I watch as the stardust binds to the sword, the dark purple dust resembling diamonds upon the blade as they change to a clear and sparkly color. Zion once more places the blade into the fire, taking it out quickly as he places the hot blade into the palm of his hand.

I watch with disgust as he digs the hot blade into his hand and his blood runs down the sides of the blade bonded with stardust, the blood causing the blade to sizzle as the chanting of the sisters grows only louder. Pulling out a clean blade from his pocket, Zion looks to me with concern, worried to how I will react as he wants me to take the blade. "Repeat my steps. You were part of the deal so your blood also plays a role," he informs, watching as I take the blade in my hand and feel my throat become dry.

Taking in a deep breath, I know what must be done as I place the blade into the fire and take it out within three seconds. Running stardust over the blade, I watch the stardust change appearance before I cast the blade back into the fire and take it out once more. I press the hot blade into my palm, squeezing my eyes shut as I allow the blade to go deeper into my palm and feel my blood begin to run down my forearm.

Looking to the dagger, I see my blood running along the side of the dagger as I hand it back to Zion. Taking the two blades, Zion continues the chants as Fiona and her sisters each close their eyes and turn their heads to the moon. Coming up beside me, Zion paces a hand at the small of my back, leading me closer to the fire as the flames warn me not to get any closer. Holding the swords out into the fire, I watch as the stardust covered in our blood separates from the blade and runs off into the flames and evaporates, the flames turning white and bright blue as I try and back away from the fire, only for Zion to keep me in place. He takes his first step into the fire, leading me with him as I know I need to trust him, and as we walk through the fire, my clothes and skin are left unharmed as we stand in the center of the flames. The chants continue from Zion's lips as he pressed his forehead against my own. Those golden eyes stare into my own as the flames envelope us, dancing around us as I try and calm myself down.

Suddenly, my breath is taken out as a golden dust falls from the sky, the flames vanish around us, and the night goes silent. Looking up to Zion, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest, keeping me close as the witches around us open their eyes and begin to shout praise to the sky. I spot Fiona among them, her eyes focused on the two of us enveloped, and her gaze fixed upon me only makes me wonder if Keva gave me this ring to protect me against enchantments and spells in general, or against a specific person.

"I have ended the curse, you are free to go and use magic without fear," Zion speaks up, releasing me from his embrace as the witches nod. They do not thank him, for they know he held off on his part of the deal for long enough. Too many of their sisters faced their terrifying eternal torture and a simple curse cannot make them forget all of those who had to suffer for so long.

Zion leads me back to the house where we have placed our bags once more by the front door and a car waits to take us back to the private airstrip. Zion collects out bags and I open the trunk as he loads the car.

"You said we were going home," I comment, "but you said going home to an estate or the palace was too risky." We both enter the car as Zion starts the engine. "Where exactly is home?"

As Zion drives off from the house and I hope it is the last time I see the house or a single witch from that coven ever again, Zion spares me a glance. "I bought a modest house in the countryside of the East Coast of the kingdom. It is far from pack territories, from rogues, and from anyone who would find out about you." So we are returning to the kingdom territory after all. "I bought the house a few years back under a different name and separated it from royal financial records. I wanted it to be a private place we could raise our family." Looking back to me, Zion moves a hand from the wheel and places it against my cheek softly as he rubs his thumb across my lower lip. "That is where we are going."