FORTY.

Saturday, January 1.

A cool evening breeze blew my hair over my shoulders on New Year's Day when I reentered the Doran Otherworld with Colin.

"Everything that happened last night-or early this morning-seems almost impossible to believe now that it's over," I said as we walked through the grass toward Amory's manor.

Colin nodded. "Like the night lasted forever, but then was over before we knew it." The moment Amory had been sucked into the keystone, all of his magic of the night had been undone.

Essences that had been stolen that night returned to their Hosts and the Sentients returned to their original bodies. That left no Zombies.

"Casualties were over two thousand beings." My heart hurt when I said the words.

"Considering all of the Zombies created from the exchange we could consider ourselves lucky that it wasn't more," Colin said.

"Every life matters." I looked up at the thousands of brilliant stars overhead. "They were lives lost and I hate that. It can't be undone."

"I know, Nyx," Colin said quietly. "I feel the same way, but it was small compared to what it could have been."

The media had reported it as a terrorist activity. Theories abounded right and left from the media and the public. That was consistent with how the media and the public responded to every unexplained tragedy that we'd faced since I'd become a Night Tracker.

As far as the fight between Amory and Desmond on stage, in front of a billion people on camera, everyone thought it was a part of the night's festivities. Just an elaborate show. The authorities were not commenting, but with all the deaths being reported someone would be answering more questions.

Tough questions.

Tough answers, though. What else could be said? An evil Sorcerer and his Sentients had been coming to the Earth Otherworld to steal their bodies, their lives, and to ultimately take over the world.

Good it wasn't for me to figure out.

Colin studied me as we walked. "How's your shoulder?" I rotated my arm, flinching at the memory of the Zombie impaling me with the metal pole and pinning me to the stage. It was only a memory, not real pain. When I'd shifted into human form I'd partially healed. Tonight when I returned to Drow, it had completely healed.

"It's fine." I let my shoulders relax as we went up another rise. "After the last shift, good as new."

Lights from the manor grew closer as we walked. "Did Desmond say how long it will take to match up essences?" Colin asked.

"Desmond believes he recovered what he's calling 'the source stone,'" I said.

Colin raised his eyebrows in interest.

"I don't know anything more," I said, "except that Desmond thinks it will help him do the exchanges en masse."

"Where did Desmond get this 'source stone'?" Colin asked.

"He found the stone on Amory's Zombie right after he defeated him. Desmond wanted to study it further before doing a mass transfer." Colin and I were almost to the manor now. "If that hadn't been found Desmond wasn't sure he'd be successful in saving most of those who'd been taken." Colin shook his head. "The whole thing is hard to grasp."

"Yeah, it sure is," I said. "If Desmond fails we'll have hundreds working around the clock to do all that can be done. He's pretty confident it'll work, though. I lean toward trusting Desmond." Colin reached for my hand and held it in his. "What do you think Desmond has done with the stone containing Amory's essence?"

His touch, the easy manner he'd taken my hand startled me, yet at the same time felt comfortable. I wasn't sure if it felt completely right or it was just my head fighting with my heart.

With all that had happened, it seemed like forever since Adam had broken up with me. Yet ... my heart felt like it was bleeding and I wondered when it wouldn't feel like that anymore.

I let Colin continue to hold my hand, though, part of at least an easy friendship between us.

"Desmond just said he'd make sure the Sorcerer will never be able to hurt anyone again," I said.

Colin gripped my hand tighter. "Let's hope he's right." When we reached Amory's manor, we headed through it until we reached the cavernous Room of Life. Colin released my hand when I tugged at it.

Desmond stood just inside the entrance when we walked in. He shook Colin's hand and gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek that surprised me.

I glanced over Desmond's shoulder. "All of the stones are still here. Haven't there been any transfers?"

"To take the stones and find their host body would have taken years," Desmond said. "Some would never have been found. Fate has given us a great big smile. I am completing mass transfers now." Desmond appeared worn out, his wild hair looking like he had a serious case of bed head.

"How are you doing this?" Colin asked.

"With the knowledge and power I obtained from Amory when I locked him in the stone, as well as with the source stone." Desmond rubbed his hand over his head. "I did not expect to take on Amory's mind when the transfer occurred. I would not have chosen to take the evil I took on." Desmond's words send a chill creeping over me. "You took on Amory's evil?" He shook his head. "I kept the important details I needed from him, and his power to combine with mine, then swept all of the evil away. It would have been crazy for me to keep it. It was beyond belief, the evil that had been within him," Desmond said.

Tingles of relief caused me to relax and I flexed my fingers. I hadn't realized I'd moved my hand to my weapons belt at the mere mention of Desmond retaining Amory's evil.

"From Amory's mind, I learned of something that he had found and was experimenting with," Desmond said. "A 'source stone.' He was going to experiment in exchanging essences in mass with it, but decided since the stones were in place here that he wouldn't take the risk."

"How is it used?" Colin asked.

"It takes a special magic and concentration to draw power from the source stone." Desmond looked over his shoulder at the many stones in the room and returned his gaze to Colin and me. "My power combined with Amory's power, along with the knowledge I gained from his study of the stone's magic, has provided us with what we need to reverse all the essences. I know I can do this."

"How are you going to do that?" I asked.

"I'll take the essences from stones here and perform the spell," he said, "and transfer the essences in the stones into this source stone."

Desmond pulled a stone from his jeans pocket and held it up. The stone was larger and not plain-looking like the others. This one was as black as lava rock and as big as one of Colin's big fists.

"Amazing," I said.

Desmond leaned against a bare pillar that had once held stones containing essences. "I'll return with the source stone to the Earth Otherworld and I'll complete the transfer. The essences will go out from this stone and find their bodies once I complete the spell."

"What about the Zombies?" I asked.

"They died within hours of Amory's containment," Desmond said. "Somehow Amory's power had kept them alive. Without his power to maintain them, they quickly expired and literally vaporized to nothing. No trace can be found by anyone."

I gave a slight smile. "One less question for the norms in the Earth Otherworld." Colin shifted his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. "What about the essences from Amory's world? What will become of them? Will they be trapped in the stone forever? Many of them are innocent, are they not?"

"There is a world I know of from Amory's mind that he wanted to choose," Desmond said. "It was uninhabited. Amory's lust for power and to conquer was great, though. He chose Earth over this other world because of the challenge to take over the infrastructure."

"What does that have to do with those beings who are innocent?" I asked.

"This source stone is so powerful that it can restore those essences which are alive with a replica of their original healthy body in that world." Desmond's words surprised me into widening my eyes. "I will release them to that world and be done," he continued. "It is up to them to make their way from that point."

With that Desmond raised his hand, the source stone on his palm.

Brilliant colors and sparks flew from the stone. Loud crackling noises and thin, lighted laser-type trails soared from stones throughout the room into the source stone. It was almost blinding in its beauty of dazzling bright colors.

Desmond smiled after the last spark vanished. "That's it. Now to take it to the Earth Otherworld."

I stood there dumfounded. "Desmond, we owe our world to you. Thank you."

"Don't thank me." Desmond shrugged with genuine modesty. "Just about anyone would do what I did if it came down to it. There was no choice."

"What about Amory?" Colin asked.

"No Otherworld will ever have to worry about the Sorcerer Amory again." Desmond pushed his hand through his long wavy brown hair. He looked younger then, like the weight of worlds was off his shoulders.

"What did you do with him?" Colin said. "Where is his stone?"

"Someplace he can't be saved, someplace where he can't save himself," Desmond said. "In an Otherworld that is much like what is known as the Cretaceous period in the Earth Otherworld."

"Dinosaurs?" I said with surprise. "You sent him to live with dinosaurs?"

"Not a norm or paranorm in sight." Desmond gave me and Colin a tired smile. "If he makes it out of that stone in some way, he isn't going to be able to hurt anyone ever again." I held out my hand and he took it. I smiled. "I hope you'll stay in New York City. You're pretty handy to have around."

"The city is my home now." Desmond squeezed my fingers. "I will see you." I kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Colin shook Desmond's hand and thanked him, too.

"There's someone you'll want to see." Desmond indicated with a nod of his head for me to look over his shoulder.

"Tristan?" I nearly held my breath as I saw the Drow male who looked so much like my brother.

With his dark blue skin and blue hair, he stood out among beings of other skin tones.

"Considering he was the only remaining Drow male in this world, his Host was easy to match up with his essence." Desmond released my hands. "Just remember that to him no time has passed since he was trapped in the stone. He won't know you."

I nodded, barely hearing Desmond as I stared at my brother. Desmond squeezed my hand again.

I gave him one more look, telling him with my gaze how much I appreciated everything he had done for us.

Then I left him and Colin to walk toward Tristan. I came to a complete stop when I reached him and met his gaze.

He cocked his head in a familiar way that made my heart ache. "You are a Drow female." Tristan looked me up and down with surprise in his gaze. "You are dressed much like a warrior." His black eyes met mine. "I know of no female Drow warriors. Why do I feel like I know you?" His voice was so much my brother's that I had to hold myself back from running to him and throwing my arms around his neck.

"You do know me." I walked up to him and took his hands in mine. His skin was dark blue against my pale amethyst. He was tall like our father and I tilted my head to look up at him. "It's been a very long time."

He glanced at our joined hands and back at me. "My soul knows you," he said. "But it does not make sense."

I smiled. "I was five the last time I saw you." The memory of his being taken caused me to swallow. "You made me hide in the bushes the day you disappeared."

"Nyx?" Shock filled his gaze. "It is not possible. My sister is only five."

"Your essence was put into a stone, Tristan. Like these others that you see here," I said, "time froze for you. It didn't freeze for me."

Tristan's blue hair was a shade darker than mine and it brushed his shoulders when he shook his head. "It is as I was told earlier, but I cannot believe it." He caressed my collar that I'd worn since birth.

"You wear this. Only my sister could and it bears your name as well as your station. How-how old are you now, little sister?"

"Twenty-seven." I smiled as more surprise registered on his features. "We could be twins now." My brother enveloped me in a hug, squeezing me so tightly that I gasped for air. "To know that I did not see you grow is a great sadness in my heart." He drew away and I sucked in a deep breath. "But at least I am free now to get to know the sister that I always loved."

"I missed you so much, Tristan." My eyes would have filled with tears if they could have. "I thought you were gone forever. We all did."

"How are Father and your mother?" Tristan's hand seemed to shake as he pushed hair from my face.

"Very well," I said, my voice catching a little. "They'll be shocked and ecstatic to see you." I just couldn't get over seeing him. Right there. With me. "You are back from the dead, Tristan." I shook my head, still having a hard time grasping it. "You're here, you are really here. This is the happiest day of my life."

Tristan hugged me tight. "It's so good to see you, little sister."

"Father has missed you so much that he could barely talk about losing you." I paused. "Nor could I, and for that I'm sorry. I just missed you more than I could bear." Tristan hugged me again, squeezing me tight. I didn't mind. His scent was so familiar that it brought back waves of memories from when I was just a little girl. All of the things he did for me and with me. I'd loved him so much.

When I pulled away I smiled up at him. "Let's go see Father and Mother."

FORTY-ONE.

Sunday, January 2.

"Suuuure you missed me." I set down Kali's crystal dish of Fancy Feast on the floor of my kitchen and looked at the blue Persian. "No need to pretend." Kali raised her head and stepped with a cat's grace that easily rivaled that of the Elves. She took her first delicate bite before giving me a look that said, "I don't like being watched while I eat," then looked away from me to take another small bite.

"Dahlia always takes good care of you when I'm gone." I turned and headed out of the kitchen.

"There's no reason you should be mad at me."

I reached my bedroom door and sighed when I looked at the destruction Kali had left in her wake. The pretty panties I'd just bought were in shreds on the floor, scattered from one end of the room to another like black, hot pink, red and green confetti.

I quit trying to figure that cat out a long time ago. How did Kali get into a lingerie drawer three feet up? Had to be a paranorm cat-it just didn't shift I guess until I left. Maybe that was it. Surprisingly, the panties I'd picked out with Colin weren't among the destroyed.

Probably because she liked him. Maybe I'd have Colin do all of my panty shopping.

I smiled then turned as I heard a knock on the door. My first though was Adam, but it wasn't his familiar knock.

To be on the safe side, I sent feelers of my air elemental magic out, allowing it to slide beneath and around any gaps in the door's molding.