Epilogue: New beginnings on horizon

**Nerissa POV**
 
“Nerissa!”

The sounds came from the distance, slowly pulling me up from the darkness that surrounded me.

“Nerissa! Open your eyes, my love!”

Tingles shoot through my body, jolting me to fly faster towards the light. I could see it, yet I can’t reach it.
Why can’t I reach it? 
What is happening? 
Where am I?
The feeling trapped was trying to cling onto me, but I fought it with all my might.

“Kitten, come on, open your eyes.”

Their voices grew stronger, and I knew I was getting closer. 
I pushed harder against the clutches of the clutches that wrapped around my ankles and wrists, twisting and turning as I didn’t allow it to get a better hold of me.
Suddenly, I was free.
I could see a shining wide beautiful golden white wings, carrying me up closer to the light. The tiny opening that was calling for me, waiting for me to reach it.
The fire blasted from the wings as they were sweeping faster, making the dark brings of the shadow, screech out, producing ear-blasting noises.
Finally, the light welcomed me.
I snapped open my eyes, breathing fast in panic, looking around me, searching for those brings of shadow but I didn’t see any or the fire wings. 
“It’s ok, love, just breathe.” I heard Alex speak slowly as he held me against his chest.
I could hear his strong heart beating fast right under my ear as I was pressed above it.
“Here, drink this.”
I moved away from Alex; I saw Allister giving me a glass of water.
Taking the glass from his hand, I gulped the water, thanking him after he took the empty glass away from me.
“Nerissa…” Alex called my name, making me look at him as he continued, “What happened? Are you hurt?”
“I-I don’t know.” I honestly replied.
“Let’s take her to the couch so she is more comfortable,” Allister suggested, and in a second I found myself carried over by Alex to the couch.
He gently placed me down, took a seat on my right while Allister sat down to my left side, both of them holding each one of my hands.
I hated to make them so worried as it was so obvious from their looks, but I honestly didn’t know what happened.
“How are you feeling now?” Allister asked.
I thought about my answer as I knew there was no worth of lying to them, so I said, “Just a little tired.”
“Does anything hurt you?” Alex asked, worry clear in his voice.
I freed my hand from Alex's hold, rubbing slowly over my chest, inspecting while they watched me like two hawks, silently waiting for my answer.
“It doesn’t hurt like it did when I lost my consciousness.” Slowly I said.
“Let me take a look,” Alex said while I moved my hand away as he unzipped my dress.
Slowly my dress opened, and he said, “Lay down so I can take a look, love.”
I did as he said, while I placed my head in Allister’s lap.
I felt Allister’s fingers gently stroking my hair while Alex pulled a little more of my top, asking me, “Can you point to me with your hand where it hurt you?”
Nodding my head, I showed him with my hand, right above my heart.
“Ok, I’ll just move a little more of your top so I can have a better look at it.” Alex said.
Slowly, he pulled down a little more of my dress and I heard him inhale sharply.
I looked at him, but his eyes were on Allister.
Both of them were silent, watching at each other, making me wiggle out to stand up.
“You need to sit down, little one,” Allister said while I looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“What is wrong?” I demanded to know the reason for their acting weird.
“Everything will be fine, love, just please sit down like Allister said,” Alex said.
I looked down at my chest, and a gasp fell out from my lips.
“W-what is this?!” Shocked, I asked while Allister and Alex took my hands and led me back onto the couch.
“Do you think it could be because of that ritual?” Alex asked Allister, who was now pacing in front of the little coffee table.
“Or that or something else, but it’s dark for sure. I can feel it.” Allister said.
“WHAT ARE YOU TWO NOT TELLING ME?” Wanting to know the truth, I shouted out at them, making them both look at me surprised.
Allister stopped pacing while Alex helped me zip up my dress, I heard then Allister say, “The dark marks you just saw on your chest are a sign of a dark magic, or it’s possible they are we cannot know for sure yet and I think the best way to get answers of what is happening is if we go back home.”
“Home? To see a doctor, you mean?” I asked.
“I don’t think a doctor could help but it is worth trying.” Allister said then he looked at Alex and before I could ask anything else he said to him, “You should take her to your packhouse while I will return to the Underworld to bring someone who might know the way how to fix this.”
“Sounds good to me,” Alex said.
“You two are talking like I’m not even here or like I’m some kind of object!” I said, feeling angry, making them both look at me.
Allister opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, “Why are you going to the Underworld?”
Allister looked at me and said, “I told you already, I’m going to get someone who knows more of things like this and might help us out.”
“Yes, I heard you say that but I meant to ask who?” Blowing out a breath, feeling tired I asked.
“Shaman.” Allister simply replied.
“Ok, we should better get going. Love, do you think you can hold on to me until we reach Draconis land?” Alex asked, looking at me while I looked at him confused making him chuckle, “It will be much faster if I shift.”
“Oh… yes I can,” I said smiling.
“Ok, let’s get ready to leave then. I’ll meet you at your parklands soon as I can.” Allister said and soon as we agreed on all the details we went and got ready to leave.
Allister opened up a portal and went to the Underworld while Alex shifted into his giant dragon, flying us towards the Draconis land.
The ride was fast and liberating, bringing my mind to the memory when I tried to shift, but I couldn’t. I haven’t really thought much later about it, but now I couldn’t wonder why I couldn’t.
Soon as Alex landed, Ryder and Emily rushed to us, together with doctor Reed making me guess that he must have used mindlink to let them know.
I was hurried into the doctor Reed’s examination room, and in the next moment, I was poked and probed with various needles so she could do tests.
Apparently, I was ok if we ignored the small dark veins.
The room shook, making us all look around when a foot stepped inside the room, revealing a portal opening, and a person walked out from it followed by Allister.
“Sorry it took a little longer than I planned it to be,” Allister said as he walked towards me, leaning down, pressing his lips onto mine.
I smiled up from my place on the doctor’s bed and looked behind him at an older lady with grey hair tucked up into a bun.
Allister stepped aside, introducing me to the lady he brought with him, “Nerissa, this is my family’s Shaman Annaya.”
The older lady Shaman stepped forward, giving me a gentle smile as she extended her hand to me, “It is wonderful to meet you, my dear.”
Smiling at the sweet lady, I placed my hand into her’s, replying, “Thank you and it’s nice to meet you as well.”
Annaya gasped as her eyes gleamed with yellow light, still holding onto my hand, making me look at her in shock.
Annaya’s eyes turned back to her normal brown as she turned around the room and said, “Could everyone please leave us alone for a moment.”
I looked feeling startled at Alex and Allister, they could clearly see a silent plea coming from my eyes, not to leave me alone.
“Don’t worry, love, we are not going anywhere,” Alex said.
I heard Alex order doctor Reed and her nurse to leave the room, leaving only Alex, Allister, Annaya, and me there.
Annaya looked at Alex and asked, “Your doctor couldn’t find anything wrong, I am guessing?”
I looked at Alex who shook his head as he replied, “No, everything showed that Nerissa is in good health.”
“Annaya, do you think you could figure out the problem and help my mate?” Allister asked.
The old lady Shaman looked at me and said, “I’ll try…. give me your hand, my dear.”
I looked at Alex and Allister; I knew I was safe with them there, but still, for some reason, I had a bad feeling and the feeling inside my chest was intensifying, but I gathered courage, pushing the pain aside as I gave my hand to Annaya.
“That is new,” Alex said surprised.
I looked down at what both of my mates were looking at and saw the same small black veins showing now on the inside of my left wrist.
“Hmm…” I heard Annaya as she moved her fingers above the dark markings.
Her eyes fell on my covered chest for a second before she looked me in the eyes. “I won’t hurt you, just trust me.”
Silently, I nodded my head, and I saw her palm approaching as she pressed it above my heart. Her eyes started to glow as they bore into my own, drawing out blur images that I couldn’t figure out as she was mumbling some chant.
It lasted for a few moments before her eyes turned back to her natural brown ones. She cupped my cheeks, blowing out a tired breath, whispering, “O my.”
“What? What is it?” Both Alex and Allister asked in the same voice while she silently looked at me.
“You have mere minutes before it starts.” She said to me, ignoring two large males in the room.
“W-what do you mean?” Feeling confused, I asked her.
“The prophecy, you have heard of it, did you?” Annaya asked while Alex and Allister stood behind in silence.
“Yes, something about choosing between my mates,” I said, feeling the pain intensifying inside my chest.
“This prophecy asks of you an impossible task, my dear, but if you do not choose between them, the worst will happen,” Annaya said, voice filled with urgency as she never left her eyes from my own.
My eyes widened as I heard her, “I-I can’t choose one… I-I love them both… why…”
She cut me off, saying, “To save them and yourself, you need to choose otherwise the curse will fall upon you leading you to your end.”
My eyes teared up as I looked above her at Alex and Allister.
I felt so torn as I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t do what she was saying.
A tear followed by another, fell down my cheek, as I looked at her, saying, “I can’t choose. I can’t live my life half dead knowing I hurt one of them, not now…”
Annaya looked at me seriously, asking, “Are you certain of your decision?”
More tears fell down my cheeks as I nodded my head, answering, “More than anything in my entire life. I love them both, equally.”
As I said the words, I looked at my mates, while Annaya said, “If this is your decision, then the course of your life is already set…. t….”
I looked at her, and I saw her mouth moving but my vision started to blurry, making me blink my eyes and shake away the buzzing sound in my ears that wasn’t allowing me to hear her.
I saw Alex and Allister jump towards me, probably shouting, but I couldn’t hear them when once again the darkness wrapped around me, taking me down into its depths.
I felt a little warm spark inside me but I was too tired to focus as my eyes closed letting myself go to this blissful unknown.
For some reason, I was not afraid anymore, because it didn’t feel like the end but yet a start of a new beginning.


***TO BE CONTINUED….***

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*Author's note:

Hello everyone.
Thank you so much for your support and kind words, it means the world to me.
I must say I’m sad that this story has reached its end but at the same time am excited for continuing it in the new story called Cursed or Blessed by the fire.
I hope you enjoyed the first book and will be following the second one, showing me your wonderful support as you always do.
The Cursed or Blessed by the fire will be announced on my Facebook author page as well on my free Discord channel, but rest assured that you will not be needing to wait too long for it.
Please share your experience and thoughts on the Fire Tamer and I am looking forward to seeing you in the second book!
Love, Amanda ❤*