“We’re sorry to have put you through that, but we let it slip to Zerra that you were to be her replacement, knowing she would come for you.”

I blink, unable to comprehend what I’m hearing. I’d wondered if they’d told her, but I couldn’t begin to imagine why they would do this to me.

“You mean, you used me?”

“It was necessary,” the Empyrium says.

“Why couldn’t you kill her? I almost died. Nadir almost died!”

“That was beyond our powers,” they say.

“But you’re gods!”

“We can only create, not destroy. It was why we were forced to banish Herric.”

“Banish? But you said he caused that.”

“He did in his own way. We couldn’t allow him to continue on his path of destruction and thus had to contain him. But we could only bind him to the Underworld, not kill him.”

“But he almost got out!”

They nod. “Yes, we did not realize that Zerra’s weakening meant he would be able to interact with those on the surface to that extent.”

“To that extent? So you knew he was capable of this?”

“We did not imagine he would be able to get his hands on you. But you prevailed, nonetheless. Another thing for which we offer thanks. Zerra is gone and a new god will take her place, ensuring he is trapped once again.”

My mouth opens in disbelief. “Where were you?” I scream. “You could have helped us.”

“Once you were in his domain, you were beyond our reach. All we could do was wait.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me any of this?” I ask, getting angrier. They used me to do their dirty work? I clutch Nadir’s arm as his hold tightens.

“Knowing would have changed nothing. It would have made no difference,” they say.

“Bullshit. It would have made a difference to me!”

The Empyrium turns and walks away as though they are done with this conversation. I’m about to follow and demand . . . something when a ripple in the air catches my attention.

I watch as it stretches and morphs into a dark blot, and then . . . Amya, Mael, and Willow stand across the room, blinking at us. They’re no longer dressed in the clothes they wore at the bonding ceremony, and it’s the first time I’ve really had a chance to think about how long we’ve been gone.

“Amya?” Nadir asks, and she gives us a bewildered look.

“Willow?” I ask, taking a step towards her before another ripple turns into Cedar and Elswyth, and then Tristan.

“Tris!” I yell.

“Lor!”

We all converge and embrace in the center of the room. I truly thought I’d never see any of them again.

“What happened to you?” Amya asks. “We were so worried.”

“You disappeared,” Tristan says, looking us over.

“Lor, we thought you were dead,” Willow says as we continue chattering.