CHAPTER 59: Jared's Desperation
Jared's POV
"You're lying," I said to Caleb. "You can't be Georgia's father. You've been my Beta for years!"
Caleb's face was sad. "I know. And I hated lying to you, Alpha. But I had to stay close to Georgia. To protect her."
Georgia stumbled backward. "This can't be real. This can't be happening."
"We don't have time for family reunions," Anna said sharply. "Our children have less than an hour before we have to make an impossible choice!"
"We're not choosing between them," I said firmly. "I'll die before I let any of my children become evil."
"Then you'll die," the Guardian Queen said coldly. "Because the First Evil doesn't make empty threats."
Georgia turned to Caleb—her father. "If you've really been to that world, tell us how to save all three children. Not just one. All of them."
Caleb stopped. "There is a way. But it takes a sacrifice."
"What kind of sacrifice?" I asked.
"A life for three lives," Caleb said softly. "Someone has to stay behind in the First Evil's world. Forever. To take the children's place."
My heart stopped. "Then I'll do it. I'll stay."
"No!" Georgia shouted. "You don't get to play hero now! This is your fault!"
"Exactly," I said, looking straight at her. "This is my fault. My evil father took our children. So I should be the one to pay the price."
"The children need their father," Anna argued.
"They need their mother more," I said. "Georgia, you're strong. You always have been. You can raise them without me. But they can't lose you."
Georgia's eyes filled with tears. "Jared—"
"It's decided," I interrupted. "Caleb, tell me what I need to do."
"Wait," Oracle Mira said suddenly. "There might be another way. If we can weaken the First Evil before you enter its realm, maybe you won't need to sacrifice anyone."
"How do we weaken it?" the Guardian Queen asked.
"Serefina's body," Oracle Mira said, pointing to my dead ex-girlfriend on the floor. "The devil used her as a vessel. That means there's still a link. If we can trace that link back to the First Evil, we might be able to hurt it."
"Serefina is dead," I said. "How can we use her?"
Oracle Mira's face was grim. "We bring her back. Temporarily."
Georgia gasped. "That's forbidden magic!"
"So is stealing children," Oracle Mira shot back. "Do you want to save your babies or follow rules?"
I looked at Serefina's body. The woman I'd dated for years. The woman who'd hurt my son. The woman who'd tried to destroy my family.
"Do it," I said. "Bring her back."
Oracle Mira knelt beside Serefina and began singing. Dark energy swirled around the body. Serefina's chest suddenly rose. She gasped and her eyes opened.
But these weren't monster eyes. These were her real eyes, filled with confusion and fear.
"What—where am I?" Serefina croaked.
"You're back from the dead," I said simply. "For a few minutes at least."
Serefina saw all of us looking at her. "I died? I remember... the dark force. It hit me." She looked at Georgia. "You. I saved you."
"I know," Georgia said quietly.
"Why did you save her?" I asked. "After everything you did to hurt her?"
Serefina's laugh was bitter. "Because in that moment, I realized something. Georgia was always better than me. Kinder. Stronger. She deserved to live more than I did."
"Very touching," the Guardian Queen said hurriedly. "But we need information. The demon that seized you—where did it come from? What's its relationship to the First Evil?"
Serefina's face went pale. "I... I made a deal. Months ago. I was so angry about losing Jared. I wanted payback. So I called something dark. It promised to help me destroy Georgia."
"You what?" Georgia breathed.
"I'm sorry," Serefina whispered. "I was stupid. Jealous. The thing I called has been inside me this whole time. Feeding on my anger. Growing stronger. When I died, it finally took full control."
"That means you're the gateway," Oracle Mira said. "The link between this world and the First Evil's realm."
"Can we use that?" I asked.
"Yes," Oracle Mira said. "But it will kill Serefina. Permanently this time. No bringing her back again."
Serefina laughed softly. "I'm already dead. This resurrection spell is brief. I can feel it. I have maybe ten minutes left."
"Then we use those ten minutes," I said. "Serefina, can you lead us to the First Evil's realm through your connection?"
"I think so," Serefina said. "But Jared... it will hurt. The link runs through my soul. Using it will be like going through fire."
"I don't care about pain," I said. "I only care about saving my children."
Serefina looked at Georgia. "Sister... can you forgive me? For everything?"
Georgia was quiet for a long moment. Finally, she said, "I don't know if I can forgive you. But I don't hate you anymore. Is that enough?"
"It's more than I deserve," Serefina said. Tears rolled down her face. "Take care of those beautiful children. All four of them."
"Four?" Georgia frowned. "We have three children."
Serefina's smile was mysterious. "Not for long. There's something growing inside you, Georgia. Something strong. But you won't know about it until after this is all over."
My heart skipped. "Georgia's pregnant?"
"Serefina, what are you talking about?" Georgia touched her stomach.
"No time to explain," Serefina said. Her body was already starting to fade. "The spell is ending. Oracle Mira, start the rite now!"
Oracle Mira grabbed Serefina's hand and started chanting again. A dark doorway opened in the air. It looked like a hole in reality itself.
"That's it," Serefina gasped. "That's the way in. But hurry. I can't hold it open for long."
"Georgia, Jared, you need to go now!" Caleb pushed.
I grabbed Georgia's hand. She tried to pull away, but I held tight. "Together," I said. "For our children."
She nodded reluctantly. "For our children."
We ran toward the doorway. Behind us, I heard Anna shout, "Be careful! We'll be waiting for you!"
The opening swallowed us whole. Everything went dark and cold. I couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel anything except Georgia's hand in mine.
Then suddenly, we were falling. Falling through endless darkness. Screaming.
We hit ground hard. Pain shot through my body. I groaned and sat up, looking around.
We were in the First Evil's world. Everything was twisted and wrong. The sky was blood red. The ground was made of bones. In the distance, I could hear my children crying.
"Shadow! Kelvin! Keira!" Georgia screamed, trying to run toward their sounds.
But I grabbed her. "Wait. Look."
In front of us stood three versions of our children. But they were wrong. Shadow's eyes were fully black. Kelvin was standing—but covered in dark armor. Keira had fangs and claws.
"Mama? Papa?" Shadow said. But his voice was cold. "You came. How nice. Now we can kill you together."
"No," Georgia whispered. "No, we're too late. They're already tainted."
The three dark children advanced on us, smiling cruel smiles.
"Welcome to our home," corrupted Keira said sweetly. "Father has been waiting for you. He has such great plans."
Behind them, a huge shadow rose up. The First Evil itself. And in its hand, it held something that made my blood freeze.
It was holding the real Shadow, Kelvin, and Keira—small, scared, and stuck in a cage made of dark energy.
"Did you really think I'd corrupt them so quickly?" the First Evil's voice boomed. "These dark versions are just copies. Illusions to break your heart. Your real children are here. Safe. For now."
"Let them go!" I yelled.
"Oh, I will," the First Evil laughed. "Right after you watch them suffer. You see, Jared, you were supposed to destroy the Blue Moon Pack. But you failed me. So now, I'll make you watch as I turn your children into the tools you refused to become."
The real children screamed as dark energy started flowing into their cage.
"No!" Georgia and I yelled together.
"Yes," the First Evil said. "And the best part? Caleb lied to you. There is no sacrifice that will save them. There is no way to hurt me. You walked right into my trap. And now, you're all going to die here. Together."
The dark child copies struck us from all sides.