| sacrifice (n): the act of slaughtering an animal or person as an offering to a divine, supernatural creature |
MERCY AND HOPE stood at the edge of werewolf territory, facing the walkway where what looked like a hundred torches lit the way. The flames flickered, casting shadows and doubts that pecked at Mercy's newly-reclaimed confidence. The moon above shined its reassuring presence over her, so she tried to focus on that instead of what the night would bring. She fiddled with Nahele's ring on her finger, feeling the weight of Keokuk's cloak and Tayen's crown as if it were a reminder of what she had to live up to.
Her heart was pounding, but she ignored it and turned toward her sister. "You ready?"
Hope took a deep breath, looking beautiful in her white outfit with flowers in her hair. Mercy almost envied her—she wished her first turn had been as comforting as this. But, she remembered what they were there for, and her envy quickly turned into pity, which quickly turned into terror.
But, Hope didn't reflect any of these emotions on her face. "I'm ready."
And together, the Mikaelson twins began walking toward their destinies.
Mercy could feel the Earth, and briefly wondered if her sister did too. She could feel the buzzing, the readying of the rest of the wolves only a few hundred feet away. She could feel the anxiety, the overwhelming apprehension. She could feel the world's heartbeat, pulsing under the arches of her feet and echoing through her body, as if she were nothing more than one of her guitar chords plugged into an amp. She could feel the moon too, haunting and alluring and begging for them to give in to their most basic instincts. She could feel the call to wildness that she'd always loved as a child. She could feel the First Powers rustling...
It's time.
All three of their voices echoed in Mercy's head, and she took a steadying breath. Their presences had become stronger, and it felt like Mercy could finally differentiate where they ended and she began. Even more so, she could almost pick out each one within her chest, personified with their unique characteristics.
Keokuk was the most excited. He ached and craved to sink his teeth into the Hollow, to put an end to Inadu once and for all. Nahele was calmer, more calculated. He was thinking about all of the ways the Hollow might surprise them. Tayen was silent, and Mercy wondered why.
But, she didn't think much more about it once she saw the main clearing open up in front of them, full of wolves dressed in white and shining like stars under the sky. It was as if the Earth had become a lake, and reflected the space above. Mercy found it beautiful, and tried not to get emotional at how much they all trusted her. And even if Mercy couldn't see them, she could feel the real wolves—including Lyra—hiding within the shadows, waiting for their human counterparts to join them.
Packs that she hadn't even spoken to were looking at her with respect, bowing their heads and kneeling. Mercy was a little overstimulated with so many people there—probably ten times as much as the last full moon—so she tried to look for familiar faces. Mavis had left ahead of the twins, and Mercy could see the girl further ahead, toward the front of the half-circle the wolves had formed. It was also where Faeryn awaited, with a pillar next to her; on the pillar was a stone bowl, and intricate carvings were engraved on the side. Mercy remembered translating those same symbols from the werewolf books per Faeryn's request. Mercy felt herself shiver, knowing that the oh-so familiar knife was resting within the bowl, currently being blessed by the moon and water.
Reminding herself that she was stronger than before—more rational, more calm, more confident—Mercy raised her chin a little higher, completing the last few steps with courage. Soon enough, the Mikaelson daughters were both in front of Faeryn, and Hope squeezed Mercy's hand tightly.
Mercy returned the gesture, looking at Hope from the corner of her eye. She also noticed their family not too far from the front, somewhat separated from the rest of the wolves. Her heart grew a little at the sight, extremely happy that they had decided to trust her with this. She knew it was hard for them, especially her father.
Faeryn moved in front of the two sisters, gaining Mercy's attention again. "Welcome, Queen of Alphas," she greeted solemnly, bowing her head as the rest of the wolves had done. "The full moon is nearing its apex."
She nodded. "I will introduce my sister to the packs," she replied, and Faeryn smiled a little, backing away and giving the two girls space. This was the easy part; this was what Mercy had done for years.
Hope looked at her curiously when Mercy faced her, grabbing her twin's shoulders to maneuver her so that they stood across from one another. Mercy offered her a small smile, and it seemed to calm Hope a tiny bit. That was enough for Mercy.
The wolves settled into silence, all couple hundred of eyes turning their attention to the Mikaelson sisters. Mercy pursed her lips, holding her arms out to them. "Good evening, everyone," she greeted. "As I'm sure you all know, tonight we shall return to our purest form. I, Mercy Mikaelson, will guide you all through the turn, and take away the pain you have all felt." The wolves stared at her in adoration, and some of the few distant packs that hadn't seen Mercy's full moon ritual in action before began whispering excitedly. Mercy swallowed thickly, trying not to get distracted. "Our turning should be a moment of reprieve, not of agony."
She stepped next to Hope. "But tonight, we also welcome a new wolf into our great and mighty pack," she declared, and the wolves went silent once more. "My twin sister, Hope Mikaelson."
Someone appeared on Mercy's other side, and she turned to see Tokala. He looked quite ethereal under the moonlight, as if all of the problems they'd had recently were washed away. He gazed at her with those blue eyes, and with their proximity, she could feel every emotion in his body. Somehow, for the first time, she understood him completely.
She nodded to his unspoken question, and he held out a wooden bowl. She received it gracefully, looking down to see that the blood was inside. Mercy used a fake substitute in the past, but this time, it was the real deal. She wanted everything to be perfect.
Stepping in front of Hope again, Mercy smiled a little. Hope was nervous, and Mercy could feel the Hollow clawing under the surface, practically screaming to be let loose. Mercy extended her bond that she shared with every wolf, trying her best to offer Hope some comfort before everything went down. It was a struggle, but she managed to do it, because Hope's shoulders slowly fell away from her ears.
"Hope Mikaelson," Mercy began with a strong voice, knowing that everyone—the wolves, the Mikaelsons, Tokala, Faeryn, Marcel, Keelin, and Jordyn—were watching. "Do you trust in me to lead you through this? To be your Queen? You have every right to say no and leave our ways. This is our tradition, but it is purely your choice."
Hope didn't stall. "Yes."
Mercy felt it when the Hollow screamed inside of Hope's head, even before her sister winced tightly. Mercy's werewolf bond had latched onto Hope with her affirmation of joining Mercy's pack. Since Mercy's magic was toxic to the Hollow, it was trying to claw itself out of Hope and as far away from Mercy as possible.
Despite the small break in focus, Mercy dipped her thumb into the blood. "Hope Mikaelson, I declare you a member of this pack." She reached out and drew a small arch against Hope's forehead right between the eyebrows. Hope looked at her deeply, and Mercy smiled, wishing that they might've had a bit more time. Lowering her voice so that only her twin could hear, Mercy whispered, "Always and forever."
Hope's eyes became glassy, and Mercy allowed Tokala to take away the bowl as she heard howling and cheering from all around, celebrating the new arrival. But, Mercy felt her heart lurch, sensing that the moon had just fixed itself right above them.
She looked out toward the others, taking a small breath. "As the moon rises, so do we."
Immediately, there was the sound of bones breaking, and Hope fell to her knees as did most of the wolves. Mercy felt as though she should've been panicking—this was the moment she'd been dreading for years, after all—and yet, she felt strangely calm. She extended her werewolf magic just as she always had in the past, wrapping itself around each and every wolf in the clearing so that their transitions would be quick and much less painful. She could feel the buzzing along her skin that came with the werewolf magic, and that wholeness in her body only told her how far she'd come from the scared little girl afraid of her own power.
She looked toward Tokala, and he nodded. "Faeryn and I will take care of the barrier," he said, and Mercy turned toward the witch to see her nod too.
Mercy sent them both a grateful look, but her eyes shifted to her family. She was avoiding looking at most of them because she'd never done her full moon ritual in front of any of them besides her father and Jordyn. She was afraid of what they might think—especially since it wasn't a secret that most of them disliked werewolves.
But, she was relieved and very surprised to see that they looked proud. Her aunt Rebekah was sniffling with tears of joy, leaning into Marcel—who was grinning at Mercy encouragingly. Kol wasn't too far from them, and had his arms draped over Davina's shoulders. He looked tense, and Davina's hand was tracing reassuring circles into his skin as she nodded toward Mercy, silently confirming her support. Freya and Keelin were both blatantly anxious, with their hands clasped tightly to each other's. Jordyn sent her two thumbs up and blew a kiss to Mercy out of her strained smile—as if trying to be supportive even as her own worry flickered through her eyes. Mercy didn't blame her.
And then...there were her parents. Hayley was crying, but Mercy couldn't pinpoint exactly what her mother was feeling. It looked like she was proud, but she was also terrified, and the way she clutched onto Klaus's arm—like he was the only one who could understand—was proof of that fear. She was looking to Mercy like she was a dying star, succumbing to the supernova that had been predestined since before she was born. She looked to Mercy like she was the most precious thing she'd ever known. Mercy had to glance away before she could allow herself to get emotional.
And then her father. He was a complex man, and Mercy never had the right capacity to read him. She was always wondering what he was thinking, what he was feeling. Despite their similarities, he was as much of a puzzle to her as she was to him.
Although, her father wasn't putting on a mask. For once, he was clearly open, and he could tell a million stories with his eyes. Those eyes pierced through her, as if trying to memorize each little detail. She could hear his silent message, and knew that he was a mixture of fear, pride, guilt, regret, and love. It was the love that allowed a single tear to fall on Mercy's face. She nodded, telling him that she loved him just as much.
Looking away from her family, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and centering herself. She could feel the Earth underneath once more, could see the memories of the previous full moons she'd experienced. She could remember her training with the First Powers. It was like she had always known what they taught her, and what came next came as naturally as breathing.
Her eyelashes fluttered open, and she stared with completely golden eyes. Across her eyes and over the bridge of her nose, came the next mark: the twirling green vines that had been a symbol in her childhood.
But, there was something new, something that came from a deep, guttural, open wound in her mind. She remembered what Tayen told her: that no matter what happened tonight, Mercy was forgiven.
The wind picked up speed, whistling through the bayou, shaking branches and the flames of the torches. The moon was bright, and it centered its light onto Mercy, creating a blinding flash that everyone else had to look away from. It was only for a second before they descended into darkness again. But when the dust settled, everyone could see Mercy clearly.
In the center of her forehead sat a crescent moon, engraved into her skin just as the other marks were. The moon was white in color, and pulsed with each breath that Mercy took, as if it were her one true life source. Despite the confusion of how the mark came to be, everyone knew it was a sign of incredible power, something to worship like a god.
And then Mercy began to move, to glide across the grass around Hope like she was nothing but a leaf on the wind. She didn't speak; instead, she started humming. It was ancient sounding, and resounded from Mercy's throat; it sounded like something between a growl and a song.
She could sense Nahele, guiding her movements. The ring on her finger was warm, and she could picture him leading her through the dance just as he had done during her training. It felt relaxing, reassuring, and peaceful. Mercy almost forgot that she was doing a spell until she had managed to glide completely around Hope, standing in front of her sister again. Without blinking and with those three werewolf marks still glowing upon her face, she raised her hands.
Faeryn nearly jumped when the water within the bowl began levitating, moving through the air and toward Mercy with the sacrificial knife settled safely inside. Mercy's fingers twitched, and the ball floated down toward her, the knife slipping into her grasp just as the bubble popped. Water splashed onto her bare feet, and the coldness refreshed her. It was a reminder of what came next.
She wrapped one of her hands around the blade, using the other one to sharply pull it upward, drawing blood to the surface. The blood coated the metal, and Mercy watched with slight fascination as it seeped even further into the knife, melding against it as if it were always meant to be there. The blade had been silver before, but now it was a browning scarlet.
She stepped toward Hope, still sounding out the ancient language that Akela had helped her practice the pronunciation of. Hope was writhing on the ground, clutching dirt between her white knuckles. With each step Mercy took toward her sister, she could pick out the Hollow's presence more and more. It was suffocating, and Mercy almost lost concentration when she grabbed one of her sister's wrists. Hope's skin was burning, like fire attempting to ignite an explosion from the inside. Mercy flinched, but forced herself to remain in control.
But, she hesitated, staring at Hope worriedly. She didn't really know how this would end—she didn't know much about the spell at all. How could she make sure that Hope would be okay? How could she know if things would work out?
Mercy must've paused for too long, because Hope looked at her, the irises of her eyes glowing a bright gold and fangs peeking out beneath her lips. "Do it."
That was apparently all Mercy needed, because she slashed the knife across the skin of Hope's palm. Her sister cried out, and Mercy stumbled back when a huge wave of power exploded from her sister. Mercy glanced back worriedly toward the others in the pack, breathing a small sigh when she saw that the barrier was working. The Hollow's magic was destroyed once meeting the edge, even if each outburst managed to stretch it a little further than before. Faeryn and Tokala stood nearby, planning to step in and help if the barrier became too weak. Freya and Davina had moved from the rest of the Mikaelsons to join them. They were also ready to let Tokala or Faeryn channel them if need be.
Mercy understood the final step, and could hear the world around her screaming. The Earth was shaking, the skies held lightning, the moon threatened to tilt out of its orbit. Everything hinged on what she would do next. Mercy took a deep breath, raising the knife again. Only this time, the blade was pointed toward her.
She thought about death quite often. It was a pesky haunting that followed her all through life. She knew she had been born of death—the death of her mother. She knew she had been living with death—the death of Noah, his uncle, and parents, while even some of her own family too. She had dreamt of death, of the fateful night that would swoop down and envelop her into peaceful nothingness, where there was no heartache, and no pain, and no memory. She had longed for death, to forget the world that hated her so much. She had longed for death, to escape the responsibility that was thrusted on her at too young of an age. She had longed for death, to give up, to give in, and let everyone around her win.
She'd gotten what she'd asked for just when she was starting to feel alive again.
There was a bittersweet ache in her chest, and Mercy tightened her grip on the handle of the knife, feeling it bite into her skin. Yet, when she remembered what all this was for, she relaxed again.
Hope. It was for Hope.
Mercy uttered the only word in the entire spell. "Renmen."
She knew she had flinched—could feel the recoil in her own bones—but she hadn't realized that the knife broke skin until her hands met her chest, and the pain bloomed to the surface.
Gasping, Mercy fell forward, the three marks on her face flickering as she landed on her knees roughly. She knew she was bleeding when she felt a sticky warmth on her hands—but despite her small experience in torture and pain, she didn't feel as though she'd been stabbed. She felt like she'd just taken some kind of drug—or maybe it was just her mind blocking out the real pain. She couldn't really tell.
Her chest was where most of Mercy's power manifested, and it shot outward at the same time that her sister screamed, the Hollow ripping itself out just as Hope was finishing transforming. She recognized the sound and knew what it meant, but Mercy was silent with a strange, content smile on her lips.
Mercy's head was thrown back, arching her back uncomfortably. She was still on her knees and felt the twigs and leaves press against her shins. All she could see was the moon, and she gasped, choking. She couldn't tell what was happening, but it was getting harder and harder to breath. There still wasn't panic. Instead, Mercy felt the First Powers engulf her. It was like they were wrapping their arms all around, laying her down to rest in a peaceful slumber. She could almost call it euphoric, like she was in some kind of haze of bliss. She didn't even remember what she'd been doing before, all she could remember—all she could fathom—was the moon.
And the moon was the last thing she saw.
A golden mist was exhaled on her very last breath. The second it left her lips, Mercy collapsed, hitting the floor lifelessly.
Long Live the Queen.
<<>>
This is a nightmare.
That was all Klaus could think as he watched the spell play out, just as Mercy described it to them. That was all he could think as he watched Hope struggle to transform with the Hollow still inside. That was all he could think as he watched Mercy stab herself with the knife that had being hanging over her for so long, balancing on a thin wire with the knowledge of it falling sooner or later. That was all he could think as he watched a blue mass of darkness tear out of Hope, while a golden mist was gently removed from Mercy. All he knew was that this was a terrible idea, but he had no idea what to do about it.
He turned to Keelin sharply. "Get Mercy," he said, once the spell had completed. Keelin jumped at his tone, but quickly went to do as was asked. Hayley walked toward Hope, guiding the white wolf out of the barrier with tears in her eyes, happy for her oldest daughter and yet terrified for her youngest. Klaus could relate.
"I guess we're in for a show," Kol muttered quietly to Rebekah, who rolled her eyes and shoved her brother's shoulder.
"Can you be serious for once in your immortal life?" Rebekah snapped. "Mercy is about to fight a power even stronger than ourselves, and you want to talk snarky?"
Kol glared. "I am serious, alright," he bit back. "But it's not like we can do anything to help. Mercy explicitly told us not to."
Klaus wanted to say that he would do everything possible to save Mercy if it came down to it. He wanted to say that he didn't give a damn about whatever consequences would follow. He wanted to say that he would protect his daughter no matter what.
But he couldn't, because for once, he wasn't able to. Mercy had been clear about intervening with the spell, and although Klaus was terrified of what the Hollow would do to her, he was even more terrified of Mercy never coming back and the Hollow being released back into the world, where she would inevitably find her way back to Hope. He wanted to be strong, to be reckless and to care solely about his daughters' safety, but he knew that he couldn't sabotage this like he'd done with other familial affairs. He knew he couldn't do this to Mercy.
So, he stayed quiet, listening to his siblings' continued bickering as Keelin pulled Mercy's body away from the fray. Hayley was next to Hope still, so Klaus took it upon himself to go to Mercy's side, looking her over.
The knife was embedded as perfectly as if she'd been daggered. It was an unnerving sight to see for Klaus, but it was even more eerie when he noticed that her blood was golden and not the normal red. It shined and glimmered in the moonlight, and Klaus forced himself to blink, trying to see if it was a trick on his eyes. But, it wasn't. She was bleeding gold, and Klaus had no clue what it meant. By the look on Keelin's face, she didn't either.
"What is this?" She whispered, lightly touching the blood with her fingers. "Is this...?"
Klaus nodded, and turned to her seriously. "Please, watch over her and let me know the second there's any changes."
Keelin nodded with wide eyes before bending over Mercy's limp body. Klaus had to look away, because the sight of his daughter's eyes being open and unblinking and dead were too much.
He turned his attention back to the center of the barrier, and his veins grew cold when he saw the two indistinguishable forms—one blue from Hope, and one golden from Mercy—slowly start to take shape. It seemed that his siblings and Marcel had caught onto the movement too, because they stopped arguing.
"Is that Mercy?" Marcel asked, pointing to the blob of golden particles that was blinding compared to the dark blue of Inadu. Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but before he did, there was a quick flash of light that had him covering his eyes.
When the flash of light had vanished in the next second, the Mikaelsons looked at the barrier again, seeing Faeryn and Tokala on either side of it, already mumbling under their breaths to keep it in tact. Freya and Davina were close by, just in case.
And, as if she hadn't just stabbed herself, Mercy appeared from the golden mist and stood on the ground. She still wore the same clothing, as well as the gifts of the First Powers—and yet, she had changed too. Her hair wasn't short like it was on her physical form. It was just as long as it'd been before she chopped it off. It was also interwoven with beads and braids that made her look like she came from the Mikaelsons' era of Vikings than the 21st century. The three marks that glowed on her face during the spell were there, but they were translucent, with no color visible other than the golden aura that surrounded her spirit. She had her hands clasped in front of her patiently, as if she'd been waiting there this whole time. There was a small smile playing on her lips, and Klaus wasn't prepared for when she turned and looked straight at him.
Her eyes were intensely green, like a shade that Klaus had never seen, never painted, never knew existed. They were dark and bright at the same time, with flecks of gold within that symbolized her werewolf magic just under the surface, ready whenever she was. In that moment, Mercy Mikaelson was nothing more than stardust, but the entire world lived within her eyes, and Klaus felt it when the air left his lungs, holding his breath.
But, just as Mercy's eyes were becoming a tad overwhelming within the mortal world, she whipped her head around and maneuvered her body expertly, flipping over the magic that was suddenly shot at her with full speed. Rebekah gasped when the magic hit the barrier hard, and Klaus tensed, looking toward where it had come from.
The Hollow's face was a sight for sore eyes, and one that he wished he would never see again. Inadu looked just as young and innocent as she did when he first met her physical form, but that evil in her eyes gave her away. She was vengeful, and hungry for more power. And her gaze was settled completely on Mercy.
"Well, well," Inadu drawled, her voice grating. "If it isn't the First Powers' little pet."
"Inadu," Mercy greeted, standing straight on her bare feet once she'd gotten her bearings. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Inadu snarled wildly, her face corrupt and haunting. "You're a fool for thinking you could stop me," she hissed. "You know nothing of my power, or how to defeat it. Like so many before, you will lose, and I will take everything you love just as I should've done all those years ago."
Mercy's lips twitched, and Klaus could've sworn he saw a bit of amusement in her vivid green eyes. "I'm not a scared little girl anymore, Inadu," she spoke calmly, almost sweetly. It was as if she were having a simple conversation about where to go for dinner instead of a life-or-death battle against a vicious monster. "I think you'll find that I've learned much more than you will ever comprehend since the last time we fought."
Inadu cackled, and the dark blue cloud around her sizzled and sparked, like a chemical reaction waiting to destroy everything around it. Right now, it was aimed toward Mercy, but Inadu didn't attack just yet. Instead, she shook her head, that crooked smile on her face still. "You couldn't lay a hand on me even if you tried with all your might!"
"Really?" Mercy asked, and Klaus was breathless when she suddenly disappeared. Inadu certainly hadn't expected it either, because she huffed, straightening her spine and looking around to try and find the girl. Mercy suddenly showed up right behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. Inadu reacted viciously, striking outward and trying to hit Mercy—who easily dodged it as if she were brushing away an annoying fly. She moved too fast for even Klaus's eyes to keep up. "Seems I just did. Or did you want my left hand?"
Inadu snarled. Mercy reacted quickly, throwing the cloak around her shoulders in front of her so that it could block the attack. From underneath the cloak, Mercy's hand twitched forward, and a blast of pure gold snapped across the space between the two fighters. The Hollow was hit, and she screeched as the gold sizzled awfully against her skin. It looked like poison, and Klaus was somewhat impressed—even if his fear wouldn't allow him to notice it.
"You cocky, little—"
"You know, anger doesn't suit you," Mercy cut her off, letting the cloak fall back into its original position. "I know it didn't suit me. And to be honest... We're not all that different."
Inadu stared at Mercy as if the Mikaelson girl was insane. But, she did control her temper before she indulged in Mercy's topic of conversation. "And how, exactly, are we similar?" She asked slowly, narrowing her eyes. "We have nothing in common."
"That's not true," Mercy said, shrugging her shoulders innocently. "For starters, we're practically the same age now." She grinned a little. "Physically at least." She stepped to her right, and Inadu followed the movement with her eyes. "Not just that, but we both know what it's like to be born with immense power—power that others fear—power that alienates us from everyone we love and care about." Her face was vulnerable, but her voice remained firm when she looked to Inadu again. "We were both vengeful, taking it out on the world without any care of what it did to ourselves. We both sought to hurt those closest to us, for fear that they might betray us too." Mercy looked to her father then, and Klaus wished he could rush to her and apologize for everything. "We're simply two sides of the same coin, Inadu."
"You lie," Inadu spat. "You are nowhere near my level of power—"
"You're right," Mercy replied. She raised her chin and quirked an eyebrow. "I surpassed your power ages ago."
Inadu screamed violently, sending shockwaves through the ground as her power raced toward Mercy. But, the girl was ready, and she danced away from it as if she knew just what Inadu was going to do whenever she did it. No tainted magic made contact with her golden form, and Inadu was clearly getting frustrated by the young girl's progress since the last time they met. Klaus was secretly hoping that the fight would take two seconds for Mercy to win, and they could all go back to being as normal as the Mikaelson family could be. But, he knew it would last longer when Mercy smirked wickedly. Klaus understood; she was playing a game with the Hollow.
"Well then, I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way," Mercy quipped, flexing her fingers and getting into a strategic fighting stance that was different from any combat Klaus had ever seen her use. Mercy raised her eyebrows at Inadu. "Though, I'm assuming you expected nothing else."
Inadu shrieked like a kettle left on the stove for too long, racing toward Mercy as her power pulsed against the barrier. Freya and Davina stepped in to help Tokala and Faeryn hold it down in place. Klaus watched with baited breath, seeing Hayley next to him wrapping her arms around herself as if she might shatter at any moment if she didn't. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. All they could do was watch as Mercy took a wider stance, smirking devilishly.
"Let's dance."
<<>>
ahhh! omg the final battle is upon us!!
this chapter is really a part 1 to the fight between Mercy and Inadu, and it'll probably finish with the next chapter. i'm so excited (and a little scared) for you guys to see the outcome!
it's been such a wild ride for Mercy, and i think i'm doing her justice with these last few updates. after the battle is completed, there will probably be only two or three more chapters wrapping everything up, and then Mercy's story will be finished! i'm so pumped, especially since i feel like this story has really come full circle from the first book. i hope you all feel the same.
please review!! i would love any comments about your opinions or thoughts or reactions! it helps so much with updating, so i would really appreciate it. also, this chapter was edited in between me doing a bunch of homework lol so if there's grammatical errors you find please point them out and i'll get 'em fixed!
but, i guess i'll see you guys next time for the part 2 of this battle. yay! thank you so much for reading, especially my OG readers that have been here from the start! You know who you are! ; )
anyway, until next time!
—kay <3