Chapter 31
Ellie wakes up and reaches for Sonny, but the other side of the bed is empty. The sheets still hold warmth, which makes the absence feel louder.
She sits up, surveys the room, and finds him meditating on the floor in his usual spot, back straight, hands resting on his knees. For a moment, she just watches. After everything that has happened in the past few months, the sight of him meditating looks almost normal. Almost safe.
Sonny opens one eye looking at Ellie. "Good morning."
Ellie sinks back into her pillow, smiling. "Good morning. I feel great."
Sonny attempts a joke. "No hangover?"
Ellie laughs. "No. Not even a little." She stares at the ceiling and sighs. "I keep thinking about the food and wine. I’m pretty sure I dreamed about that dessert."
Sonny’s mouth lifts slightly. "I didn’t think food could taste that good."
Ellie turns her head toward him. Her voice softens. "Last night was the best evening of my life."
Sonny studies her face like he is making sure she means it. "I’m glad to hear it. I’d say the same for me too. Do you want breakfast?"
Ellie glances at the clock and groans. "No. I have to get to class. I can’t wait to tell Jess about Gilt."
Sonny answers. "Okay,” and goes back to meditating.
Ellie swings her legs out of bed and starts getting ready. She talks while she moves, because silence makes her think too much.
"Are you going to class today?" she asks.
"Not planning on it," Sonny says.
Ellie pauses in the middle of brushing her hair. "Of course not."
Sonny stays in meditation. Ellie finishes getting ready and grabs her bag. She heads for the door. Sonny stands. That alone makes Ellie turn back. Sonny crosses the room and wraps her in a tight hug. Ellie freezes for half a second, surprised by how sudden it is. Sonny holds her like he is trying to memorize the feeling.
"I love you," he says quietly. "Thank you for being in my life."
Ellie’s throat tightens. She kisses him once, quick and warm. "I love you too. Stop being weird. You’ll make me cry before class."
“Understood.” Sonny’s arms loosen. Ellie smiles and slips out the door.
On campus, Ellie meets Jess near the lecture hall. Jess’s grin appears immediately.
"Birthday girl," Jess says. "How was it?"
Ellie lights up. "Perfect. Everything was perfect. Not a stretch to call it a life changing experience." Jess laughs.
"Okay, details."
Ellie launches into it. The restaurant. The view. The endless food. The roof. The way Sonny acts calm the entire time like this is a normal Tuesday.
Jess listens with her jaw on the floor. "Hold on. You’re telling me he prepaid for everything?"
Ellie nods. "Apparently money is not a thing for him. He’s full of surprises in the weirdest way.”
Jess reaches into her bag and hands Ellie a small wrapped gift. "Speaking of surprises, happy birthday."
Ellie takes it, touched. "Thank you. You’re the best."
Jess squeezes her shoulder. "You deserve it for being a great friend."
In class, Ellie tries to focus, but her mind keeps drifting back to last night. She feels her cheeks warm at random moments and has to stare down at her notes until the feeling passes.
After class, she heads home with one thought, she wants to talk to Sonny.
When she enters the apartment, it is quiet. Sonny is not there. Ellie frowns and sets her bag down. "Of course he’s gone. Probably training."
She sits at her desk to study, then stops when she sees an envelope on the tabletop. Her name is written on the front.
Ellie’s stomach drops. Her heart races thinking that her fears from last night might be coming true. She opens it with shaking hands. The letter inside is simple. Sonny’s handwriting is clean, controlled, and careful.
Ellie reads.
“Ellie,
I told you a while ago that this day would come. I hoped I was wrong, but my time at the Academy of Magic is over.
I have known for nearly a year that I would have to leave, but knowing something does not make it easier when the moment arrives. I am returning to the Omega base to fight One and end the Omegas. The months I spent with you changed me in ways I did not believe were possible.
Because of you, I recovered my emotions. I learned how to talk to people. I made friends. I fell in love. You showed me the better parts of humanity, the parts I never thought I was allowed to have. I wish we could have had a lifetime together. I truly do. But that was never a future meant for me. When the end comes for me, you will be the last thing in my thoughts.
Inside this envelope is a gold necklace I made for you. The medallion carries the same symbol as my familiar mark. Please accept it.
I know I have said many times that I do not want to be remembered, that I want my existence to disappear when I am gone. That was only ever half the truth. I only want to be remembered by you.
Thank you for being the best thing that ever happened to my life. Then, and now.
Sonny”
A small gold necklace slips from the envelope and lands on the desk. Ellie’s hands start shaking. Then she breaks. She sinks to the floor, clutching the necklace, and sobs until her chest hurts.
After what feels like forever, she grabs her phone and calls Jess.
Jess answers immediately in a cheerful tone. "Hi Ellie. What’s up?"
Ellie can barely speak."He’s gone."
"Who?" Jess asks, already alarmed.
"Sonny," Ellie chokes out.
Jess doesn’t ask questions. "I’m coming over. Stay there."
Minutes later, Jess rushes into the apartment, out of breath. The room is dark. Ellie is still on the floor clutching the necklace and staring at her naked foot with the familiar mark.
Jess drops beside her and pulls her into a hug. "I’m here."
Ellie, unable to get a word out, points to the letter on the ground without looking up at Jess. Jess reads it, and her face changes line by line.
"He’s going to die," Ellie whispers.
Jess looks at her, stunned. "Ellie. What is he talking about? Where is he going?"
Ellie points to her exposed foot and shows Jess the familiar mark. "When he dies, this disappears," Ellie says. "It’s the only way I know he’s alive."
Jess stares at the mark, then back at Ellie. "Sonny has a similar mark on his chest. You made a familiar contract with him?"
Ellie nods.
Jess’s voice drops. "Why?"
Ellie wipes her face and takes a shaky breath. "I’m going to tell you everything."
She starts at the beginning. The snowy forest. The boy she meets and forgets. The Omegas. Sonny’s past. Her grandfather. How he entered AM. Rooming with her. The threats. The fights. The confession.
Jess listens, stunned and silent, like she is trying to keep her mind from splitting. When Ellie finishes, she is shaking again.
Jess holds her tighter. "Okay. Okay. Breathe. We can figure out what we need to do."
Ellie shakes her head. "He’s going to do it alone."
Jess looks at the necklace in Ellie’s hand. "He wants you to remember him."
Ellie sobs again.
Far from the Academy, Sonny sits on a train heading toward the nearest urban area to the Omega mountain range. The window shows darkness and scattered lights.
Inside his mind, Draco is awake. Sonny speaks without opening his mouth. "We need a plan for One."
Draco’s voice is calm, sharp, and amused. "I cannot wait to kill One."
They talk for a long time. Sonny asks questions. Draco answers with cold precision. Counters. Angles. Timing. Techniques.
When the plan settles into place, Draco asks one sincere question. "Is this really what you want?" Draco says.
Sonny looks out the window, eyes steady. "No. But it’s what I have to do."
A beat passes. Sonny asks quietly, "Is it true you can grant wishes?"
Draco laughs. "I cannot grant wishes. No." Sonny stays silent.
Draco adds, almost like a joke. "But I might know someone who can."
Sonny doesn’t respond. He is not in a mood for jokes nor does he have room for hope.
He gets off the train at the last stop and starts walking.
After three days of hiking, he reaches the base of the Omega mountain. He stops, looks up at the peak, and exhales.
"This is it," Sonny says. He starts climbing.
