I didn't want to let Harmony go. It felt like forever since we were even a little normal. We both cried as the weight of what happened finally lifted. Peace was not to be mine for long though. The black abyss crept up, taking over everything. I fought it as hard as I could. I was so mentally and physically exhausted though that it was not hard for it to force me into the downward spiral.

Now what?

I floated, or fell, into the pith blackness for what felt like ever until I was landing in the cavern in front of the Fates once again.

"It is time," the one in the middle said.

"To repay," the fate to the right continued.

"Your debt," the fate to the left finished.

"The battle just ended," I protested to them.

They shook their haggard heads at me. "And we have come to claim our payment."

They stirred a large, long wooden spoon in a cauldron in front of them. The contents green and bubbling and glowing. They withdrew the spoon with some of the green liquid on it.

"Drink," the commanded, shoving the spoon at me.

"No."

"We said drink," they commanded once again.

"Why?"

"We need."

"To extract."

"Your life thread."

"My life thread? What is that?"

"The thread of life," the middle fate started.

"Is what keeps," the fate to the right continued.

"Mortals on the Earthly realm," the fate to the left finished.

"So I drink this and you get my life thread?"

"Correct."

"Then what?" I questioned.

"We cut."

"Your life thread."

"And collect."

"Your soul."

Can they not say just one sentence? Does it have to go between them all?

"Okay. Then the debt is repaid? I drink, you cut, debt repaid? You won't go after anyone else?"

"Correct."

"Now drink."

"The potion."

I took a deep breath and stepped toward the spoon. "Okay. You promised. I drink. You cut. Debt repaid."

I sipped at the sour, bitter, and rotting-tasting mixture. It felt a thousand swords stabbing my throat at the same time as it slid down to my stomach.

"Oh, that is terrible!" I sputtered.

"It is."

"Working."

"Sisters."

I looked down and saw an odd golden glow climbing up my body. I felt light. My head spun as the middle fate reached out toward my breast and plunged her cold, bony fingers into my heart. She pulled her hand back, taking with her a long, golden thread that felt like it was unspooling right in my heart.

"What the hell is that?" I asked.

"Your."

"Life."

"Thread."

"That's it? A literal thread? That's what you want?"

"Yes," the middle fate said.

"You're entire life," the fate to the right continued.

"Is in this thread," the fate to the left finished.

The middle fate pulled a rusted, long, chipped pair of scissors from the folds of her robes. I watched as the fates to her left and right held my life strand in the air and pulled it tight. I chewed my bottom lip as the scissors neared my life thread and closed around it.

"What is this?" the fate in the middle said, as the scissors clamped around the thread, but it wouldn't cut.

"What magic are you doing?"

"The debt must be repaid!"

"So, cut the thread," I said.

"Your life thread."

"Will not."

"Cut!" The three fates yelled.

"Why not?" I questioned.

"The only way this can happen."

"Is if the mortal."

"Is not mortal," they all pondered, staring at the glowing, golden thread.

"You are mortal?"

"Uh, I thought so? I was born. I mean, I am the daughter of Artemis, but I was born from a human."

"Daughter of Artemis?"

"Born of a mortal?"

"Is she immortal?"

They continued pondering amongst themselves as though I was not there.

"You must go to Zeus," they finally announced.

"Wait, what? Hold on, what? What about my debt?"

"Debt is repaid. The thread was cut but not severed," they said in unison.

"I'm not going to Zeus. This is insanity."

"To Zeus!" they yelled with a wave of their hand.

I felt my body shoot into the air like a comet. I ascended high and fast until nothing but light surrounded me. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I fell hard to marble below in front of a mighty throne.

"Whhhaaa..."

"Elanor. Daughter of Artemis," a mighty voice resounded all around me.

I scrambled to my feet and looked all around me. "What is this?"

"Welcome to Mt. Olympus, Elanor, Daughter of Artemis."

"Um, you can call me Ellie?" I turned again and looked at the very large, toga-clad man in front of me.

"You are the daughter of my daughter."

"Zeus?"

He nodded his head slowly. I looked to his left and saw an angry Hera sitting on her throne.

"Nuh-uh! No way! She's why this is all happening!" I yelled.

I felt a light hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze. Artemis smiled at me as Zeus laughed.

"I don't understand why 1. I'm here. 2. He's laughing. 3. Why she's right there!"

"It's okay, Elanor."

"What? No it is not!"

"Shush, child."

"Do not shush me! You nearly ruined all of wolf kind! You are an evil Goddess."

Zeus continued laughing his booming laugh. It sounded like thunder honestly.

"You are my granddaughter," he said, shaking his head. "The temper an all."

"Indeed, father. She did not get my patience."

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on!"

"You have proven yourself worthy."

"Worthy of what?"

"Joining us."

"Joining you? Where?"

"Here on Olympus. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save your entire kingdom. Your reward is to join us."

"I don't want to," I said, looking at Zeus.

"You don't want to?" he asked.

"No. I like Earth. I love my mate. I want to be with him."

Zeus sat back scratching his chin. "You do not wish for immortality?"

"According to the fates I already have that. They couldn't cut my life thread."

"Hmm, I've never been turned down before."

"Well, I guess there's a first for everything. So where's the elevator straight back to Moon Mist? I want to go home."

"Now, now Elanor. Let's think about this."

"Nope. There is nothing to think about. I want to go home. We can circle back to this whole immortal, Mt. Olympus thing some other time."

He let out another booming laugh. "You enjoy Earth that much?"

"Kind of. I mean, it's not terrible. I have a pretty good life with some really good people in it. I wanna go back."

"Artemis, what say you?"

"I do need someone to watch over my wolves. There is no one better than my own daughter."

"Very well. If I send you back, Elanor, nobody will remember anything of your identity."

"My identity? As the daughter of Artemis. That is something that you will have to keep hidden until you rejoin us."

"Oh, okay. I guess. I can't even tell Edmond?"

"No, child, not even the prince."

"Okay. Can I ask one favor?"

"Of course, anything Elanor," Zeus said.

"Keep that psychotic bitch far away from my kingdom." I pointed to Hera, who snapped her teeth at me. "If I see her, I will make it my mission to completely eliminate her from existence."

Zeus let a thunderous laugh and nodded his head. "Very well. Hera, you shall never again interfere with the wolf kingdom."

"What? But that's not..."

"I don't want to hear it. You, nor any of our other children, or any minions of yours shall interfere with the shapeshifters."

She pursed her lips and glared at me.

"I said do you understand?"

"I heard you."

"Then acknowledge me. You may be the queen of the Gods, but I am still ruler of all things. Including you."

"Yes, Zeus. I understand I will not interfere with the shapeshifters."

"Very well." He turned back to me and extended a hand.

I was able to wrap my entire palm around his pinky. I felt like an infant compared to him.

"Granddaughter, go back to your people."

He clapped his hands and I was back in the meadow beside my father's estate with Harmony's arms wrapped around my neck. I looked around me to see things exactly as they were after the battle. Everyone was walking back toward the vehicles and homes, ready to get back to normal life.

"Ellie?" Edmond called.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

I stood and ran into his embrace. "I am now."

"You sure?" He smiled down at me.

"Yeah. Everything is absolutely perfect."

He kissed my forehead and draped his arm over my shoulders. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I am, let me say hi to my parents really quick."

I ran to my mom and dad, hugging them tightly before returning to the royal family. I waved as we shifted to run back to the SUVs to go home.

Things were finally as they should be.