The Veil was in ruins. Malum wolves shifted back and forth, lighting fires through the forest and decimating the trees and wildlife.

Esmerelda stood firm at the Caeruleum entrance portal, pushing back the main force of wolves, manipulating the blood in their veins and pinning them to the earth. But, no matter how many wolves she stopped, more kept coming. She knew she would soon be overwhelmed.

The only part of the Fae realm the princess had any ties to was almost unrecognisable. The Veil and Angpriake were created as a gift for Esmerelda's first birthday, and she had remained a faithful steward until her daughter was born. If she had any time to mourn for the realm, she would have, but the strain on her Anima pushed the grief aside.

A blur of pale flesh appeared at her side, and she nearly lost her hold on the wolves.

"Mihnea Rău, do not startle me like that," she shouted at the Vampire. 

Dark blood dripped from his mouth and across his front. His eyes were completely black. "Apologies, old friend."

"And do not call me old, boy." 

"Esme!" Calypso screamed while using her magic to decapitate two wolves that had rounded on the Fae. "You need to go and help Visena. We will take care of the Veil."

To prove her point, Eve, Thyra and their packs arrived, tearing the back of the Malum forces apart. Whatever curse Zeir had placed on them made them mindless bodies with one specific purpose. Destruction. The damage was so profound the protective memory wipe of the Veil did nothing to halt their animal forms.

The necrosis from their wounds acted as a pungent repulsive wall. Esmerelda took shallow breaths so as not to inhale the foul odour. Blood magic always had a cost, and these poor wolves paid the price—a pawn in Zeir's power-grabbing game.

The last time someone had tried to rule over the five species was right before the Council was formed. It was also the cause of its formation. 

Asteria, Hecate's mother, coveted the power of her daughter. She slaughtered many humans who questioned her methods of acquiring her strength: children's blood. They were fragile little creatures, and the other species pitied them. Esmerelda, Mihnea, Hecate and Callisto, the daughter of the first werewolf, all rebelled against her. Their unification led to Asteria's downfall. She fled to an aether realm and never returned. At least to Esmerelda's knowledge. Time would only tell.

With a groan, she held the main body of Malum wolves at bay to give time for the cavalry to protect the portal. As the seconds ticked by, Esmerelda could feel herself weakening. Her nose and eyes began to seep blood.

"Mother, stop!" Calypso stepped in front of Esmerelda with a fearful expression, but the Fae only smiled. Her first child. Not by blood but by choice. She loved that little girl for four hundred years. It wasn't lost on Esmerelda that Calypso hadn't called her 'mother' in at least three hundred of them.

"Protect Caeruleum," she asked the Witch before turning to the Vampire. "And you protect my girls. Not that they need it." She winked before releasing her hold on the wolves. In a rush of claws and death, they sprinted for the portal. Eve and Thana had arrived, tearing through decaying flesh and bone. The Praelia wolves formed two rows of vicious teeth between Malum and Caeruleum while the Invictus pack tore the flanking animals to shreds.

"We've got this!" Calypso shouted to her adoptive mother before grabbing a wolf by its forelegs and pulling them from its torso. It was a gruesome sight, but Esmerelda understood.

"Goodbye, my darling," she whispered before blinking out of the Veil.

Calypso swallowed a burn in her throat. She couldn't help but feel the permanence of Esme's goodbye.

Mihnea's hand on her shoulder brought her back to the fight. She nodded at him. Now wasn't the time for grieving.

...

When Esmerelda returned to the earth realm, the scent of death almost choked her. She had hardly had a chance to regain her bearings when a hollow, mournful howl tugged at her heart. Esmerelda turned to see Jed unconscious in a pool of dark liquid before Liam pulled him into the tree line. She glamoured herself and ran over, careful to avoid detection. 

Liam stroked Jed's hair and sobbed silently as Gideon's wolf screamed for retribution. She didn't have much time. Deep within her soul, she felt a growing distance from her daughter as the blood magic forcing Visena's mate bond slowly killed her. If Zeir didn't die, she would be lost forever. 

Esmerelda also knew Visena would never forgive her if she didn't save her mate's brother if she could have. Even in death, the little wolf would find a way to haunt her mother. She almost smiled at the thought. Esmerelda removed her glamour and shushed the surprised Beta before whispering healing words, running her hand over the younger boy's spine. It was severely damaged. He would be permanently paralysed if she did not transfer some of her Anima. 

The act of transference would come at a hefty cost, however. Esmerelda was considerably weaker, and she knew healing him wouldn't be complete, nor would she be able to reach her daughter afterwards.

"Help him, please," Liam begged, tear tracks forming a path down his dirty cheeks.

With a sigh of resignation, she released her Anima. The part of her that held her magic swirled confused from her fingertips. "Heal him," she told it with a whisper. "It won't fix everything, " she said then to Liam. He only nodded and continued his gentle stroking of Jed's cheek.

Esmerelda stood with a groan. Mortality was awful. She could see her daughter, blank-faced and shivering from the tree line while her mate was about to be beheaded in the dirt.

"...It's time to meet your maker."

Stupid unoriginal imbelcile. With the last bit of magic in her reserves, Esmerelda crafted a dagger of cold-iron.

"Visena." Her voice projected across the clearing and startled everyone. Zeir lost his train of thought and stared into the darkness before turning to look at his forced mate. "Who said that?"

"Visena, I love you," Esmerelda spoke again, stepping into the moonlight. Its eerie glow illuminated her sickly skin hue. 

Zeir sputtered and screamed, "Kill her!" While the Earth Fae only watched in curiosity. Oren and Elowen shared a glance and stalked closer.

"Remember who you are." Without a second thought, Esmerelda plunged the iron dagger hilt-deep into her chest and fell to her knees.

Visena's resounding shriek revealed the bindings were coming undone.

Forgive me, her mother thought, meeting her baby girls' silver eyes as wide as saucers. "Until we meet again." 

Oren and Elowen stared in morbid curiosity as the famed Esmerelda, Princess of Caeruleum and mother of the first Fae mate, fell to the blackened earth.

Dead. 

~~~

A/N

What have I done...

Do I feel guilty? ... A little. 

Was it necessary? ... Kinda... yeah.

If it's any consolation, your girl Vi is gonna get her memories back... so that's good.... Right?

Also 11k - Amazeballs! Love you all and don't forget to vote <3

Laters, ;)

K