Somebody Stop Them. Chapter 53: Skyfall Taken

Zheng and his bodyguards retreated rapidly, not wishing to get zapped by the extra-hostile Thunderbird.

The Kitsune waitress brought us our meals and we ate in relative silence. 

Vespera’s cheerfulness gradually returned. Cinder, though she hadn't joined in the verbal sparring, chewed her steak with a tense expression, her blue eyes darting around the room every few seconds as if expecting Uxtish to show up.

Katherine remained impassive, chewing on her dragonsteak. Io nommed his food quietly, and Magdaline, ever vigilant, kept sniffing the air, her red eyes narrowed in concentration, occasionally glancing towards hall entrance.

I inhaled too and smelled incoming… something.

Suddenly, the clatter of cutlery and the low hum of conversations were drowned out by a new sound– rhythmic, heavy thudding that echoed through the vast Refectory. The ground vibrated subtly beneath our feet. Heads turned towards the main entrance, where the heavy magisteel doors shuddered and then burst inwards with a resounding crash, splintering into jagged shards that scattered across the polished floor.

A phalanx of fully armored figures marched into the cafeteria.

They were all female Omnids. 

Each was clad in full, hexamesh and black, immovable metal armor, their forms bulky and imposing. Their helmets were featureless, obsidian visors obscuring their faces, and they moved with a synchronized, almost robotic precision, their boots hitting the floor in a unified, thunderous rhythm. Each Omnid carried a weapon–sleek, black railgun rifles. 

Sword-cross sigils, emblazoned in silver, shone on their pauldrons and breastplates. 

Behind them officers in gray uniforms followed with insignia of the Omnid cross within an upside down triangle.

“Scrutimancer Stabalists,” Vespera breathed out. “Yessss! Oh it is so on!”

Chaos erupted in the Refectory. Students yelped and retreated, chairs scraped against the floor, wings and tails flapping in panicked disarray. 

Saxtant Knights, who had been guarding the hall, moved to intercept the armored intruders, their rune-etched swords and mage-staves drawn.

With cold efficiency, the Stabalists raised their rifles. The Knights attempted to strike the invaders back with spells, but their attack simply fizzled out as the Omnithornian forces were armed with Null-shard.

Railguns fired and students screamed, ducking under tables. One by one, the Saxtant protectors crumpled to the floor, incapacitated, their magic abruptly silenced by null-bullets. A swift, clinical neutralization.

The Stabalists advanced, their phalanx splitting to encircle the Refectory, cutting off all exits. The heavy thudding of their boots echoed in the sudden, terrified silence that descended upon the hall. 

Vespera began to clap merrily as if she expected all of this.

“Clear!” One of the Stabalists yelled.

A new group of Omnids entered into view through the obliterated door–more crisp, grey military uniforms with silver sword-cross logos on their shoulders.

At the center of this new group was Justice Nova. His face set in a stern, uncompromising expression. He moved with an air of absolute authority, his gaze sweeping across the stunned faces of the Mystagogues, his presence silencing the last whispers of student panic.

“Justice Nova? What is the meaning of this?!” the lanky slenderman rose from the head table.

The Omnid pacification weapons swivelled his way.

Justice Nova raised a hand, and the heavy thudding of the Stabalist boots ceased abruptly, plunging the Refectory into an unnerving stillness. His voice, amplified by a speaker in his armor, boomed through the hall, cutting through the silence like a thunderclap.

“Students and faculty of Skyfall Academy!” Justice Nova’s voice resonated, deep and authoritative. “By order of the Premier Lecross of the Republic of Omnithornia, enforced by the Stabalist Order of Scrutimancers, I hereby declare Skyfall as property of the Omnithornian Superstate! Saxtland’s jurisdiction is hereby revoked!”

A collective gasp rippled through the hall. 

Justice Nova continued. “The worldwide Celestorm event and the subsequent dimensional shift have irrevocably altered the geopolitical landscape. Skyfall Academy, once safely within the borders of Omnithornia’s Cradlefall, now finds itself… misplaced. Saxtland, a nation ill-equipped to safeguard this vital institution, has proven itself incapable of ensuring the Academy’s security and stability.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Mystagogues. “The awakening of the Wormwood Leviathan necessitated decisive action. Omnithornia, with its superior resources and unwavering commitment to global stability, will ensure the Academy’s continued operation and the safety of its pupils. This is not an act of aggression, but an act of necessary intervention, a return to rightful ownership. Skyfall Academy belongs to Omnithornia, and Omnithornia has come to reclaim what is rightfully hers!”

A stunned silence hung in the air. 

“The current board of Skyfall directors is hereby dissolved. All students are to undergo mental assessment and dimensional restoration courtesy of our mind-Healers!” Justice Nova declared. “Anyone trying to flee our assessment will be considered aligned with Saxtland and pacified.”

Justice Nova walked across the student tables, looking left and right. I inhaled deep and suddenly everything clicked into place. I stood up and waved him over.

He spotted me and marched straight over over to us.

“Daddy,” Cinder rushed over to Nathaniel and buried him in a winged hug, radiating warm colors.

“How are things, my daughter?” Justice Nova asked. “I do hope that the past twelve hours haven’t been too stressful for you. We moved as swiftly as we could. How’s your fiance?”

“I… urm,” Cinder let out. “Uxtish is okay, I guess? Why?”

“Uxtish?” Nathaniel pulled back slightly, his gaze sweeping over our table, then his eyes landed on the crystal-encased feather pendant prominently displayed on my chest. He pointed a gauntlet finger at it. “Your fiancee. Alexander Glock. The one you are soul-bonded to. I don’t know who this Uxtish is…”

“What?” Cinder blinked.

“Scion Uxtish of House Legon,” I stood up and pulled off my fox ears and latex makeup. “Here’s here. In House Gorefield. Table 16. A pale skinwalker. I’d appreciate it if you arrested him, Justice.”

Justice Nova barked an order that was too swift for me to even perceive. 

The Stabalist phalanx moved with lightning speed, their armored figures pivoting and fanning out across the Gorefield section, their rifles raised, their obsidian visors scanning the tables with chilling efficiency. A palpable tension filled the air as the hunt for Uxtish began.

Within moments, a cry of alarm echoed from the far corner of the Gorefield section. “Fugitive located! Attempting to flee!”

All eyes turned towards the source of the commotion. Uxtish, his handsome human facade dissolving rapidly, reverting back to his lupine form, was attempting to bolt, weaving through the panicked Gorefield students, heading for a side exit.

But the Stabalists were faster than the fleeing wolf-man and had blocked the exit.

Railgun fire ripped through the air. Uxtish yelped, stumbling as a null-shard projectile struck his leg and chest, severing the magical flow. He roared in pain and rage, attempting to lash out with claws, but the armored Stabalists swarmed him, their movements swift.

Within seconds, Uxtish was subdued, wrestled to the ground by the Stabalist phalanx. Heavy restraints, nullifying collars and magisteel handcuffs, were swiftly applied, silencing his roars and effectively neutralizing his magic.

They dragged Uxtish to Justice Nathaniel Nova.

“Scion Uxtish of House Legon,” I grinned at the teen. “Also known as Valor Thornheart. An Astral Phantom. A murderer. Prima of the Clan of Legon, the Skinwalker responsible for the murder of over fourty Omnid singers and the attempted murder of Justice Nova’s daughter at Lake Eerie!”

A ripple of shocked murmurs spread through the Refectory.

“You!” Valor growled at me.

“Me,” I grinned. “Guess what? It’s over.”

“Over?” Uxtish’s amber eyes, narrowed with fury, fixed on me, a flicker of dawning recognition, and something akin to shock, finally surfacing in their depths.

I smiled, a cold, almost pitying smile. “As an Astral Phantom existing between Lake Eerie and Cassiopea’s soul you were untouchable, ethereal, were beyond our reach. But you made a mistake, Valor. You sought physical form. You craved connection in a world that wasn’t yours to claim. You used the Celestorm shift to become reborn and not just reborn. You wanted everything. You wanted wealth and power. You wanted to be connected to the one victim you failed to kill. You wanted Cassie and so you came here to Skyfall. And in doing so, you became vulnerable. You became… catchable.”

“I will…” Valor growled.

“Do nothing. Because within the radiance of the Null-shards, you are bound to your current shell of flesh. And as such, I reckon you will be… mentally obliterated and confined in a magisteel coffin forevermore. It doesn’t matter what level you are as an Astral Phantom, as Uxtish you are… finite, limited.”

I gestured to the Stabalists surrounding him, the railguns, the restraints. “This was always the plan, Valor. To lure you into the physical, to ground you in reality, where rules apply. Where even an invincible Astral Phantom can be… pacified.”

Uxtish stared at me, his amber eyes flaring with incandescent hatred. But the fight was gone from his stance, the predatory confidence replaced by the cold, stark realization of panic. 

He was caught. And this time, there would be no escape. The dimensional shift had not erased his past sins, it had merely brought him closer to his reckoning.

“You… you are just a pathetic human!” Uxtish growled, “You are a liar, a cheat! I know all of your secrets through Cassie’s dreams! I’ll expose you! They’ll…”

“Do nothing. I’m Lord Protector, the real fiancee of Vespera Simmi and Cassiopeia Nova,” I smiled. “An Arx Mage Lord, recognized as such by Justice Nova. While you tried to gain power by murder, I actually gained it through love. You’re no match for me, Mr. Legon. You never were. This was a rather nice play, a game of cat and mouse between you and me, but I’m afraid that it’s at its inevitable end.”

Uxtish choked, frothing at the mouth.

“Did you think that this was the start of your magical adventure, a new chance at life? It’s the end of it. All of your Clan buddies will be arrested and tried for their crimes,” I said. “The Omnithornian Stabalists will seal the dimensional tear you’ve made on lake Eerie. All of your attempts to become a god were for naught, Uxtish.”

Uxtish was dragged away, his struggles weakening, his hisses and frothing curses echoing in the sudden silence of the Refectory. The Stabalist Phalanx, impassive and efficient, marched him out through the shattered doors, a stark and brutal display of Omnithornian authority. 

The remaining Mystagogues in the hall watched in stunned silence.

Cinder stood frozen, her blue eyes wide. She looked from the departing Stabalists to me. 

“What… what just happened?” she stammered.

“You’re free,” I told her. “Free forever from Valor. Now you can heal and move forward.”

“Forward?” Cinder let out. 

“Yes,” I said. 

“Dad,” Cinder turned to her father. “How did you know?”

“I wasn’t affected by the dimensional shift,” Justice Nova said. “All Omnithornian authorities of high enough position were aware of the potential danger of a worldwide Celestorm. Your mother and I were able to make it into a several layer deep dimensional shelter and wait it out. I tried calling you to warn you to dive into the nearest dimensional bag, but your bracelet wasn’t responding.”

“My… phone was fried… I think?” Cinder sighed.

“The Stabalist Healers will help you remember everything daughter,” Justice Nova said. “They’ll handle your group first.”

A few Stabalists detached themselves from the group of officers and approached our table. They weren’t rifle-wielding soldiers and had the green Vitalix Kitlix logos on their insignia. 

Healers! 

Infix Kitlix and Vitalix Kitlix sat on their shoulders. Cinder was the daughter of Justice Nova, as such was the first to be processed.

“Relax, Mr. Nova, we won’t bite,” the Stabalist Healer gently placed the Vitalix Kitlix onto Cinder’s head. At the same time an Infix Kitlix ran around Cinder’s figure.

In about five minutes of this, the Healers declared the job finished. Cinder blinked, her eyes refocusing. Then she rushed to my side and hugged me, entire body igniting pink-violet. 

The process continued, the Healers moving from Vespera, to Katherine, then Io, then Magdaline, then Lilith.

Then, it was my turn. A wave of tranquility and sharp clarity washed over me as the Infix identified issues and Vitalix healed them, rearranging my mental pattern to match my Astral imprint from yesterday as explained by the Healer.

“Dimensional restoration of this table is complete!” the Stabalist announced, stepping back. “You are cleared for release.”

Justice Nova nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at Cinder. “Return to your dormitories and get some sleep. Further instructions will be disseminated tomorrow morning.”

“Can Katherine come with us to our dorm room?” I asked. “She’s my Clan’s Knight.”

“Sure,” the Justice nodded. “The House System didn’t exist before the dimensional shift in Skyfall. We are considering dismantling it. Likely it manifested from the student obsessions with the… Larry Plotter franchise.”

“I don’t mind our House Cantigeist,” I voiced. 

“Ye,” Vespera nodded. “She’s a cutie. Please don’t dismantle our sweet fox!”

“Noted,” Justice Nova said.

We rose from the table, the din of the Refectory slowly beginning to return as other groups of students were approached by the Stabalist Healers. The chaos had been replaced by a strange, subdued order. The Saxtant Knights were gone, their bodies rapidly bagged up and taken away by Omnithornian forces. 

We walked in silence towards the Refectory doors, or rather, the gaping hole where the doors used to be. As we passed through the shattered entrance, I noticed more Omnids in gray uniforms stationed at intervals along the corridors.

Reaching the Silver Tower, we ascended the stairs in a subdued group. When we reached the Foxglen Den common room, the sextant Keeper was absent too. Instead, an Omnid female officer in a crisp gray uniform sat behind the desk, tapping on a tablet. She glanced up as we approached.

“House Silverfox residents?” She asked.

I nodded. “Returning to our dorm.”

The Omnid Officer waved us on without a glance at Kat’s black and red outfit. “Proceed.”

We entered our dorm room. Cinder sank onto her bed, still looking dazed. Vespera and I climbed to the bunk above. 

“Well,” I said, breaking the silence, trying to inject some levity. “That was… eventful.”

Vespera snorted. “Eventful is an understatement!”

She grabbed onto the bed and it began to warp, expanding outward and growing wider.

“What are you doing?” Cinder growled from below.

“Making a bigger bed,” Vespera replied. “Duh. Gotta fit our entire ‘ship. We can turn that bed where you are sitting now into a cute study space with an Ignix Kitlix fireplace and a desk.”

“So…” Cinder stepped away from her bed looking up at us. “Dad knew about Valor?”

“Yes,” I revealed. “I told him everything about Valor and the lake murders when he interrogated me in his office. Omnithornian authorities were in the process of figuring out how to deal with the 40k Astral Phantom. Vespera kicked the process waaay ahead though… by releasing the Archangel of her house and causing the wordwide Celestorm.”

Cinder leapt up to our expanding bed with a flap of colorful wings. 

“Vee,” she growled. “How much of this bullshit did you plan?”

“All of it,” Vespera answered, letting go of the hexamesh bed frame. 

“Start from the fucking beginning then,” Cinder demanded. “And don’t skip on the details…”

“Right,” Vespera said. “I’ve been trying to get out of my engagement to Zheng for ages. On January 7th I found my opportunity. At eight forty two AM, I ran into a rather cute pure human in Skyfall who was trying to pretend to be an Omnid Thunderbird. It was an adorable attempt at a conspiracy. I decided to use him as my test subject for an experiment I had planned for years. Using my Electrofractal power, I installed a Resonance skill into his soul.”

“Uh-huh,” Cinder nodded.

“He had a nice plan,” Vespera said. “A plan to change… everything. I liked it. I helped him along, pushed him ahead wherever I could. I helped him make a Mage Tower on Arx, helped him take over Undertown. I helped him steal Possy, and built a death ray. I guesstimated many of his plans in advance because I was privy to his thoughts via our Resonance connection.”

“I see,” Cinder said with a sour look.

“Remember our picnic on the pebble beach when you sang to us about Xandria and Empress Nox?” Vespera asked Cinder. “The Summer Rain song about me and you and… Lexy?”

The Quetzi-girl nodded.

“That’s when I knew that I loved you both, Ci. That’s when I added a new item to Lexy’s checklist. To save a doomed Quetzi from an Astral Phantom.”

Vespera pulled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up the task list app and showed it to Cinder. Then she slowly and dramatically tapped a checkmark on it.

[Destroy the world, save the Quetzi-girl ✅] 

“That beach date was the day I decided to set all of this into motion,” Vespera spread her hands. “To free my family’s Archangel for you, Ci. To ignite the world so that Valor would come out into the open.”

“Sounds like an imbecilic plan with far too many things that could have gone horribly wrong!” Cinder growled.

“Valor told us his plan himself,” I pointed out. “Boasted all about it when he stabbed me through the heart with his bone-hand. His goal was to be reborn. The Celestorm shift gave him the opportunity to do so, to dive from the Astral into the Physical. He took it, just as we expected him to.” 

“When he became physical, he also became your fiance because he was soul-bound to you,” Vespera nodded. “He had an ungodly amount of threads in your soul, you were basically his Phylactery. He couldn’t resist coming to Skyfall, to claim you as his fiancee, because he was a Skyfall student himself once.”

“Abyss,” Cinder waved her hands, wings turning bright red. “Just when I think that you two have calmed down you do… THIS to me!”

Vespera nodded. “Yeah, it was risky as heck, I won’t lie. But sometimes, you gotta gamble big to win big, right? And the prize was… you, Ci. Free from that Astral leech. Worth it, in my book.”

Cinder’s jaw tightened. “You gambled with… everything, Vee! With Skyfall! With the whole planet! Just to… ‘save me’?” Her voice was rising, laced with a dangerous edge. “You didn’t even ask me! You just… decided?!”

Vespera’s black and white wings fluttered. “Hey, I didn’t think you’d appreciate a consultation beforehand, love. ‘Hey Ci, wanna help me unleash a potentially world-ending Archangel to bait your stalker into the physical realm and potentially destroy Omnithornia in the process? Sounds good?’ Somehow, I doubted you’d jump at the chance.”

“You’re right, I effing wouldn’t!” Cinder snapped. “Because that’s completely insane! Irresponsible as fuck!” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “You just… barrel in, consequences be damned! Did you even consider what could have happened? What if it didn’t work? What if Valor wasn’t stupid enough to take the bait? What if the Wormwood Star completely scraped us off the face of the planet?!”

“Details, details,” Vespera waved a dismissive hand. “It worked, didn’t it? Valor is gone. You’re safe. And… well, Skyfall is technically Omnithornian again, and everyone is going to remember everything eventually thanks to the Stabalist Order, so win-win?” She offered a small smile.

“Win-win?!” Cinder’s voice cracked, escalating into a furious shriek. “Vee, people could have died! This whole academy is in chaos! Saxtland is probably about to declare war on Omnithornia! And you call this a ‘win-win’ because you… ‘saved me’?” Her blue eyes flashed with a hurt that cut deeper than anger. 

“A war that Omnithornia is going to win because they don’t just rely on magic-only weapons. You saw those EVA railguns and immovable armor plates, right? Me and Lexy did what had to be done because nobody else would!” Vespera insisted. “And we couldn’t have told you the plan because you would have been against it and also because then Valor would know, since he was inhabiting your soul and stuff.”

Cinder growled.

“Ci…” Vespera reached out a talon, her voice softening, but Cinder recoiled away from the touch as if burned.

“No!” Cinder barked, growling and backing away from Vespera and me. She reached the stained-glass window, her hand slamming against the latch, wrenching it open with unnecessary force.

A gust of rain-laced wind rushed into the room, whipping the silver curtains wildly and carrying the distant roar of the ocean. Without a word, Cinder climbed over the windowsill, her silver wings unfurling automatically as she stepped onto the narrow stone balcony outside.

The storm clouds overhead were thicker now. Raindrops lashed down, driven sideways by the wind, plastering her colorful feathers to her scales. She stood there, motionless, a solitary, defiant figure silhouetted against the stormy sky, the wind whipping her silver robes around her.

Vespera watched the irate Quetzi. She then sighed, a soft puff of air that ruffled the dark feathers around her face. “Well, that went… about as well as expected.” She looked from the open balcony door back to me, a wry smile twisting her lips. “Das extra-spice Quetzalcoatl temper for ya.”

“Is she…” I started, uncertain how to proceed.

Vespera cut me off with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it, foxy. She just needs to… steam a bit. Quetzalcoatls are like volcanoes, you know? Gotta let them erupt every now and then or they’ll blow their tops spectacularly.” She shrugged. “Let her yell and musicate at the storm. She’ll be mellow out. Maybe return with a vengeance, but like whatever… it all worked out.”

She stretched on the expanded bed.

I shook my head. The balcony stained glass window slammed shut by the wind. Cinder’s silhouette pulled out her guitar from its extradimensional container. 

She strummed angrily for about ten minutes. The notes were sharp, discordant chords that seemed to echo the storm raging inside her and outside, vibrating through the stained glass window. 

Then, gradually, the anger bled out of the music. 

The chords softened, becoming minor and melancholic, the rhythm slowing to a gentle, soulful pace. Soft guitar notes began to weave themselves into the sound of the rain, pulsing in harmony with the raindrops drumming on the stone balcony and the distant crash of waves.

I felt a pang of guilt twist in my gut. 

Vee's plan, however well-intentioned, had detonated in a messy explosion of chaos and hurt feelings. Cinder was out there in the storm, alone and wounded, even if she wouldn’t admit it. I pushed off the expanded bed, Vespera’s gaze following me. I gave her a small nod, and she nodded back at me, a wordless reassurance. 

I moved towards the window, opened it and climbed out.

The balcony wasn’t super spacious and I tried not to look down, clinging to the stone parapet. 

“Skyfall, Oh… Skyfall,” Cinder’s song began.

Raindrops struck the parapet beams with a sharp ‘ting, ting, ting’ rhythm. The air was damp and heavy, the scent of ozone thick in the air. Below, the North Sea churned, waves crashing against the cliffs with a thunderous roar that echoed up the tower walls.

“Rising high against midnight's veil

Crystal towers where shadows sail

Where basalt meets the frozen sky

And magic whispers drift on by

The Wormwood Star begins to sing

While mystagogues their secrets bring

Yet something broken deep within

Where loneliness and doubt begin

Skyfall, oh Skyfall, under starlit skies

Where ancient memories arise

A fleeting touch, a whispered name

Dancing through this midnight game

Is it love or sweet insanity?

Or just a specter of what could be?

Your words pull me down like a weight,

At Skyfall's Arx-Earth diving gate.”

Her voice and guitar strumming was amplified by her Charmchain magic, the words carrying out over the wind and the waves, weaving themselves into the fabric of the storm, dancing across the tower. With each stanza, my heartbeat deepened, not with worry or excitement, but with a different kind of intensity, a warm, resonant thrumming in my chest that I could suddenly hear, as if it was part of her music.

“Silver robes we daily don

To hide the battles fought and won

They call us chosen, call us blessed

While darkness stirs within my chest

The Cele-Storm rages high above

Reflecting back my hidden love

A puzzle wrapped in mystery

That holds the key to my destiny

Two strangers from worlds apart

Each guarding secrets in their heart

His secrets mirror what I hide

A kindred spirit by my side

My Quetzi soul calls his name

Igniting everything aflame

Could this be what I'm searching for?

Or just another closing door?

As starlight fades to break of day

And shadows slowly slip away

One choice remains before the dawn:

Chase the light, or linger on

In Skyfall's ever-watching gaze

Where basalt cliffs meet ocean waves

Until the clouds return again

To wash my story with their rain.”

She finished and turned her head to me, sending my presence.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Better,” Cinder replied. “My memories are still kind of foggy, even with the Kitlix healing. Singing… helps. I’ve been using my Charmchain on myself, wobbling my soul with my music to realign myself fully with my Fractal Engine heart,” she said, suddenly grabbing me pulling me into her warm embrace. “I forgot you, Martin. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said. “Sorry… we did all of that crazy stuff.”

Her embrace became fierce, possessive, a dragon reclaiming a lost treasure. Rain plastered our robes to our bodies, the wind howling around us, but in her arms, a deep warmth bloomed, chasing away the chill of the storm.

“I forgot you, like a giant knob,” she repeated, kissing me fiercely. “My… Martin. My Alex. My… everything. My little, clever, dangerous fox. How could I forget you?”

“It’s okay,” I replied when she released me so that I could breathe. “It wasn’t your fault. Everyone got rearranged. Even Vee. But it’s okay, we’re all back now, right?”

“Right. Vee is a bloody menace,” She let out. “Both of you are effing menaces. My… menances. Unleashing an Archangel, triggering a planetary crisis, almost getting us all killed, all in the name of ‘saving me’?”

“Yep,” I nodded.

“Ughhh, you two,” Despite the grumbling tone, a hint of fond exasperation softened her words. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but the raw hurt seemed to have subsided, replaced by a familiar, almost affectionate, annoyance.

“Hey,” I said softly, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away stray raindrops clinging to her scales and feathers. “She did save you, Ci. From Valor. From… all of that darkness. From the Abyss. Your soul was shredded after two years of suffering and the only way to save you was to get Valor to become physical.”

Her blue eyes softened. “I know,” she whispered. “I know. It’s just… Vee’s methods are… Well, Vee’s.”

“And you wouldn’t have her any other way, would you?” I teased gently.

She nudged my shoulder with her snout, a small, grudging smile playing on her lips. “Maybe not. But if she ever pulls a stunt like this again, I swear I’m going to…” she trailed off, then sighed again. “I don’t know. Ground her? Confiscate her Fractal Engine heart? Lock her in a soundproof room with only motivational posters for company?”

I chuckled, the sound light and relieved. “Maybe just… talk to her? Tell her how you feel? Chase her and smack her around at the coliseum with a mace?”

Cinder considered this, her brow furrowed. “Talking and smacking is an option, I suppose.”

The rain seemed to soften, the wind dying down to a gentler gust, as if the storm itself was heeding her shifting emotions.

“Come on,” I said, taking her hand, pulling her gently towards the window. “Let’s go back inside. It’s freezing out here, even for a dragon.”

She didn’t resist, letting me lead her back into the warmth of our dorm room. Vespera was still sprawled across the expanded bed, her wings tucked in, her silver-gold eyes watching us with a cheeky expression.

Cinder paused at the edge of the bed, her eyes meeting Vespera’s. Then, the Quetzi sighed, the tension draining from her shoulders. She sat down heavily.

“Vee,” she said. “You’re a bloody idiot. You both are. Reckless, impulsive, world-endangering idiots.”

“Your idiots,” Vespera offered.

“My idiots,” Cinder nodded. She shoved me into Vespera and kicked the stained glass shut and then slipped to my right side, burrowing into me. “Tired now. Tomorrow… I shall have terrible vengeance…”

“Tomorrow after you smack us around, we’ll take on the world?” Vespera yawned with a grin.

“Sure,” Cinder replied. “Whatever.”

“I think I’ll join in on the smacking,” Katherine commented from below.

“Sure, sure,” Vespera replied. “Take the bed below us, kitten Knight.”

“I have to admit,” Io said. “I did expect you to set the world on fire.”

“And yet, once again, you did fuck all to stop it, Jan!” Katherine chided her half-brother.

Lilith and Magdaline snared a chortle.

“Eh,” Io shrugged. “I don’t stop disasters. I am drawn to them. Besides, things worked out in…

The end.”

Thank you for reading Somebody Stop Them!

Expect the next book in this series "Somebody Stop Us" to be posted sometime tomorrow!