CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Jesse ran toward Tommi and pulled her body into his arms. His wolf howled in grief as he held her still-warm body. He looked at Aideen in desperation. "Can you fix her?" He asked.

She touched Tommi's forehead before tears formed in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Jess," she whispered.

Nyxie knelt beside Tommi and tried to reverse time, but nothing happened. "It was her time," she mumbled, shaking her head.

Jesse kissed Tommi's forehead before releasing her body. He immediately changed form into a wolf and ran off.

"Should we go after him?" Belinda asked softly.

"No," Alex said sadly. "He needs to be alone. He'll come back to us when he's ready."

"What do we do now?" Jade asked as she comforted Joey, who was sobbing harder than ever.

"We help the survivors," Alex replied. "We'll get through this together."

~*~

It took Jesse three days to return home. By the time he did, the Unit had handled all of the arrangements for Tommi's funeral. He made it to the cemetery just in time.

The entire magickal community of Salem had come out to pay their respects. Thanks to a lot of hard work from the Memory Modification Division of the Unit, the mortals didn't remember most of what had happened after the graduation ended.

The mortals might not know what Thomasina West had done for them, but everyone else would never forget her sacrifice. They would honor her memory, and despite not having any living family members, Tommi would be missed by an entire city.

Jesse watched the funeral in silence. He was too numb to process everything that was happening, so he simply focused on reminding himself that this was real. Tommi was gone. She'd died to save the entire world, proving that she truly didn't know how to do anything small. He smiled sadly at that, but his heart hurt, so the smile faded almost instantly.

When it was time to place flowers on her casket, Jesse was the last one to walk up to it. He had tears in his eyes. "I love you," he said. "I will always love you."

Alex put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Welcome back, Jess," he said. "Whatever you need, I'm here."

Jesse nodded, but he didn't know what that might be. Aideen gave him a hug, followed by Melissa, who squeezed him as hard as she could and didn't let go for a minute.

"We love you, Jesse," Melissa said. "We're with you."

"I know," he replied numbly.

It was Arnie who finally took him aside. "I have something for you," he said. He handed him an envelope.

Jesse opened it in confusion and pulled out the letter inside. He paled as he recognized the handwriting. "Where did you get this?" He asked.

"She gave it to me on the morning of the solstice," Arnie replied. "She made me promise not to open it until after the battle, but to read it unless she told me not to."

Jesse began to read the letter with trembling hands.

Dear Jesse,

I know you're probably mad at me. I'm sorry I had to leave you. I'm also sorry I couldn't tell you beforehand. I was really hoping for some Hail Mary pass to save the day, but unfortunately, it looks like that didn't happen.

I want you to know how much I love you. I can't really put it into words, but you mean so much to me, and I want to thank you for loving me. I never really had love or a family until I met you. I owe you and the Silver Society so much, because you gave me more than I can ever repay you for... Oh, wait, I died to save you guys! I guess I can consider us even!

He could practically hear her laughing. It made him smile sadly before he continued to read the letter.

If I could have stayed, I would have. You've already lost a lot in your life, and I never wanted you to have to lose me, too. I don't regret it, though, because this is my destiny. I understand that now.

First of all, I know it's hard for you, but don't do anything stupid. I'm serious. I'll come back just to kick you and whack your wolf with a rolled up newspaper if you do. It's okay to be sad, but try to be happy when you think about me, too. I want you to keep living your life. Otherwise, what the hell did I die for, right? So find something that makes you happy, and go do it. And if you find someone else you love, that's okay. I want that for you. You're a good guy, and you don't deserve to be alone forever, so go fall in love one day, alright? And be good to her, or I'll haunt you!

Goodbye, Jess. Be happy.

Love Always,

Tommi

He folded the letter up and started to cry. "Thank you," he said to Arnie.

"Listen, Jesse... If anyone knows what you're going through right now, it's me," Arnie said. "You can talk to me. Or, if you prefer, you can call me up and we'll just spar and beat the hell out of each other until you feel better for a while. Then we'll do it again. Some days will be harder than others, but you're not alone, okay? You're not alone."

Jesse hugged him. "I'm going to take you up on that," he replied. "If I don't lean on you, and Alex, and everyone else, I'm going to be stupid, and then Tommi will be pissed off at me... So stick around, even when I try to push you away."

"I will," Arnie replied. "I promise."

Jesse nodded. "Let's go back to everyone else," he said. "I know they're worried." He took a deep breath and forced himself to walk back to the friends he needed now more than ever.

~*~

As usual after something traumatic happened, the Silver Society had decided to have a meal together. Cierra had invited Rikki to join them. Surprisingly, Rikki had reluctantly agreed, and she'd brought Camelot and Addison with her. She might not know exactly what to do with herself anymore, but it seemed like she was going to try to get to know her sister.

Cierra had also insisted that Chad come along. He sat with her and Rikki as Alex sat on Cierra's other side. Kurt and Corey had also joined them. Kurt was holding Solstice while Joey sat in Corey's lap and fussed over the baby.

"So, another apocalypse has been prevented," Melissa said. "Bring forth the pizza and ice cream!"

"As is tradition!" Dylan declared.

"Yep! Let's relax until the next apocalypse comes," Aideen replied with a laugh.

"That sounds like a plan," Evan agreed.

"Guys... Thanks for being here," Jesse said. "It would have meant a lot to Tommi."

"That girl was one of a kind," Alex said. "We're all going to miss her."

"Are you doing okay, Jesse?" Beth asked gently.

"I'm trying," he replied.

"We've got your back if you need us," Randy promised.

"We'll always be here for you," Cierra added.

"I'm proud of you for coming back home," Cassandra added. "I know that wasn't easy for you."

"We've still got work to do," Jesse replied with a shrug.

"Actually, technically, your duty to Salem is over," Carolyn said as she suddenly appeared with the other Powers That Be.

"What do you mean?" Randy asked.

"This last battle was the one you were always meant to fight," James explained. "There won't be any more apocalypses to stop."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Arnie said with a laugh.

"It's true," Lou Anne promised. "I mean, this is Salem. You'll still have things to do, but the great evil you were meant to stop was defeated the day Bishop High School was destroyed."

"Was it Erica, Bartholomew, or someone else?" Cierra asked.

"A mix of all of the above," Jonathan replied. "The Eight Spokes Society was the true threat. Everything you endured was part of their journey to coming back into power. Their successful return would have destroyed Salem forever. You put an end to them before that could happen."

"You have done well," Nathaniel added. "Live your lives, Silver Society, until it is time to answer the next call."

Jade considered his words. Every forty years or so, the Silver Society incarnated in a new location. That meant all of them would end up dying within that time. It didn't seem very long, especially since a couple of them were already in their twenties. She tried not to focus on that. For now, they had survived, and anything they faced in the future would be easier. They were finally free to focus on their own lives.

It's over, she thought. Which means our lives are just beginning.

THE END.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that sounds like the end of the series, but I promise you, the journey isn't over yet. The next book is not numbered because it is a side novel meant to bridge the gap between this book and the tenth (and final) book in the series. The next book takes place fifteen years after this one and focuses on a grown-up Joey and the next generation of Salem's heroes, including Solstice, Angelina, Genie, and several characters you haven't met yet with connections to people you already know. It's called Salem Shadows.

After that, the tenth Silver Society book will be written. That one takes place twenty years after this one.

I'm excited to say that I finished the first draft of this book on November 30th, 2023, making this the first time I have ever completed an entire novel in the thirty days of NaNoWriMo! The first draft stood at a whopping 91,237 words, which was over 20,000 more words than I've ever written in one month at that point. I couldn't have done it without everyone who has taken an interest in this series. Thanks for your encouragement and support. I appreciate all of you so much more than you know.

The journey continues in Salem Shadows.