Page 73 of End Game
“Ready to go home?” Calan asked.
Wrapping my arms around him and looking at the people around us, I said, “We are home.”
Epilogue
The sun was dipping down to the mountains when Emma finally slowed the Jeep to a stop. She never told me where we were going. Taking me by the hand, she led me to the tall pines surrounding the park’s entrance. Emma excitedly pulled me along, her smile wide and radiant. We walked for a mile before coming to a clearing with a sparkling lake at the center. Ducks glided across the surface in a pack. Dropping her bag, she pulled out a plaid blanket and set it on the ground.
“Is this—”
“A picnic? You’re damn right it is. And it’s hella overdue if you ask me.” She proceeded to pull out a loaf of bread, apples, a bottle of red wine, and several different blocks of cheese.
A wicked gleam entered her eye. “And don’t tell Snarp but…” She pulled a package of Twinkies out of her backpack, wiggling them under my nose.
Krystan and Travis were watching him again, which they claimed wasn’t so bad now that he’d bonded with Tristan. The bird watched over the baby like a tiny watch dog. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bird threw a fit the next time we tried to take him back home.
The Orders were at work, rewriting the entirety of their original texts but into one volume this time. They still worked as separate entities, but agreed upon regular gatherings with all five to make sure they were in alignment with serving the world. Astrid stepped down and let someone else she vouched for head up the Tenebrae Order. Mika decided she wanted to create more structure and organization to Terra, and directed the Order to elect a council of three people to direct their efforts toward protecting this world against the Stygian in a way that was pertinent to the Order of Earth.
“Do you think Ylang would be angry to know the Luxis is returning all the artifacts of power to their rightful Orders?” I asked Emma.
She paused, halfway through slicing off a chunk of cheese. “I think he’d agree you are the best person to run the Order of Light for a while.” She touched my arm with a pained expression. “But you know he also sacrificed himself because he loved you.”
I nodded as she stuck a piece of smoky cheddar cheese in my mouth.
When I’d told everyone my theory that I was Emma’s weakness, that distracting her would be the only chance we’d get, we’d come up with a plan. Ylang had volunteered to be part of the disturbance. He knew ahead of time that he wouldn’t make it out alive but was convinced that Emma would do anything to keep me alive with her power. I hadn’t been so sure and tried to argue that I should try to take myself out in front of her. He vehemently disagreed saying that we would split her attentions by evoking her rage and her fear, by having him be the perpetrator. He’d been right, and I couldn’t even thank him. The pain in his eyes as he plunged the knife into me would stay with me forever. Ours was a perverse relationship, but he was my father, and we did what needed to be done to save the world.
Violetta lacked the heart to lead the Luxis on her own, saying she wanted to try retirement. I wanted to help get the Order of Luxis on the path to the light again. Now that the Orders were more known entities, people were deciding how they wanted to align in the new world. There were several sleeper cells that had activated and more long-time servants to the Order surfaced.
Leonidas staunchly refused to take part in reorganizing the Luxis, saying he was best working from a place of service, not leadership. But he’d gladly carry out the will of light in whatever we saw fit.
After helping exorcise Emma, Heelion had been cryptic and brief, saying he had unfinished business to attend to. He walked off to a woman off in the distance who appeared to be waiting for him. Luxurious red hair glinted in the sunset. She reminded me of the venom-succubus Emma and I had met in the Stygian.
All the Orders had to converge on a solution on how to secure Merlin, the magic rabbit who’d trapped the ancient darkness. The toy had to be locked up in a place where nothing and no one could ever get to it. We found with all our resources we could agree on a way to secure the threat.
Sophie made a very personal sacrifice that day. She had to let go of Merlin. It broke my heart to see her cry as she let her protector go. Despite her tremendous power, at the end of the day she was a kid who needed the stuffed rabbit her parents gave her. In her eyes, it had been Merlin who saved her and Noah when their parents had been brutally torn apart by demon dogs. Without the rabbit, she no longer could use her magic. But one day, Sophie would realize the power had come from within. In the meantime, I hoped she would get to have a somewhat normal existence. Her aunt Lisa seemed to overflow with love for Sophie and Noah and they’d returned to Seattle with the promise to stay in touch.
Despite my dealings with the Luxis, Emma and I still spent most of our time running jobs with Krystan and Travis at Whack A Ghoul, hanging out with baby Tristan, and going to family dinners that rotated locations from my parents’ house to Diana and Gregory’s place in Smoky Badger. There was always good food, respectful political conversation, and game nights that got out of hand.
Thankfully, Emma could no longer absorb dark entities, but she had heightened senses that bordered on psychic allowing her to locate any dark energies and their trail almost immediately.
Emma and I agreed we no longer felt as if the other shoe would drop. When Emma handed me a plastic cup of wine, I grabbed her arm, gently pulling her closer so I could nibble the soft flesh on the inside of her wrist. Her eyes darkened, and I wondered if the food would keep so I could lay her down on the blanket and make love to her in the setting sun.
I took the cup and brought it to her lips, but she pushed it away. “I probably shouldn’t have any of that.”
“Oh?”
A smile twisted up on her face, as if she were trying to stop it. “You know don’t you?”
“Know what?” I asked innocently.
“It’s impossible to keep a secret when I’m psychically connected to my husband.”
“Not impossible,” I countered, setting down the cup.
“I can never throw you a surprise party, can I?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged, enjoying our little game.
She crossed her arms with an audible huff. “Well if you’re so psychic, you can tell me if it’s a boy or girl.” The smug note in her voice told me she thought she had me there. It was so early there was no way of knowing.
A grin split my face. I kissed her pouting face until it melted away with a moan. Drawing her closer, I leaned in, so my lips were next to her ear. “Girl.”
THE END
