“Okay…”
“I heard my name?” She jumped and turned to see her lawyer. Jasper was looking between them. “I just walked in. I was able to pull out early, but I had to practically run or I’m sure they would have found some way to keep me for another three hours.”
“Ah, is my Councilman upset with his schedule?” she asked, leaning over to him. He chuckled, kissing her like she wanted. “I was just saying to Zander earlier that I wanted you to make sure you got off early enough for dinner.”
“I’m sorry. The holidays being over, me being the junior Councilman…The WMC likes to keep me busy.”
“I hope it’s a good busy,” she said, running her fingers over the front of his perfect suit. The campaign hadn’t been a good busy. She had a young, very young boy. James had been six and didn’t understand why the other kids looked at him funny and people were always taking pictures of them. He didn’t understand that Jasper was running for the WMC to make it better, so that nothing bad could ever happen to someone. So no one had to go down the same path his mother did to have a good life.
She had always loved Jasper, but the day he publicly got on worldwide television and told the world that he loved her, and they had a family…Her heart had been so full. They had tried to use the team against him in a smear campaign. So they all sat down and told their story one more time. In the end, Jasper became one of the Councilmen representing North America on the World Magi Council.
It was the perfect job for him, and he was making all the changes she knew his parents would love if they had lived to see their son’s work.
“It’s a good busy,” he promised, kissing her again. “Is it still homework time?”
“It is. Please? I think Elijah is going to have a heart attack. He needs your help.”
Jasper nodded, walking to the dining room. She ducked out, leaving those three to get James back on track. She needed to say hello to her last two men before getting on with starting something for dinner. She wondered which she would pull in to help with the task, even though it was her day on the schedule. One of them always did help. She was guessing Quinn today.
She went out the back of the house and whistled. Sombra tore out of the woods first, coming straight for her.
“Hey girl! Thanks for staying home today.” She went down to kiss the top of the jaguar’s head. “Keeping them out of trouble for me, right?”
Sawyer didn’t get a clear answer and then found herself in a pile of animals. Shade was on her before Scout, who was the most excited but a bit slower than he used to be. They licked her face like dogs, something Quinn had taught them. When she’d asked him why, he said boys deserve dogs.
He wanted them to be a part of James’ life, to help make it more normal, but still a brand of unique that only the team could offer him.
“Get off of her!” Quinn called out. “Boys!”
The wolves retreated and she reached out blindly, Quinn grabbing her hand to help her up.
“Hey!” she greeted him brightly. He just took her cheeks and pulled her in for a slow, delicious kiss.
“Need help with dinner?” he asked softly.
“How did you know?”
“James isn’t done with homework time. I’m only allowed back in the house if you needed me. I was hoping.” He gave her a small, guilty smile.
“So you’re the reason he’s not done.” She really should have known.
“He wants to play,” Quinn tried to explain.
She just shook her head. “He needs to learn that doing his homework, doing the small tedious work is just as important as doing the big work.”
“Not like you reinforce that.”
“That why I left Elijah, Zander, and Jasper with him. Where’s Vin?”
“He’s been in the office all day,” Quinn told her. “Will you bring him out?”
She kissed his cheek as they walked back into the house. “I always do.”
She left Quinn in the kitchen to get dinner started. She had to go find her last lover and her business partner.
They had done it. Now, the home office didn’t say Vincent and Elijah on the outside of the door; it said The Castello-Matthews Private Investigation Firm. It was their shared office, where they worked to find missing children, sometimes assisting the IMPO on select, very select, cases. They helped build cases against abusive spouses and found homes for orphans, and they made no distinction between Magi and non-Magi. They did a lot of work for free, just wanting to help out.
It helped they both loved the mental work and it was rewarding.
But sometimes, Vincent would go too deep. Sometimes she did. They made a promise to always pull each other out when it happened. This wasn’t the game with Axel. There were none of those anymore, not for them. And if they both went too deep? They had a loving, large family to save them from themselves.
“Vincent?” she called softly, opening the door.
“Oh.” He jumped at her sudden appearance, his feet falling from his desk. “Sawyer. How was your day?”
“Good,” she commented lightly, taking him in. His hair was messy. Like everyone else, he was beginning to get those laugh lines, the wrinkles that showed he lived a good life. This scene took her back though, back to the beginning. “You weren’t in here…” She looked down at his crotch, smiling.
He laughed, shaking his head. “I was trying to nap my way through homework time,” he conceded, spreading his arms in defeat. “Can you blame me?”
“Most of the time? No. Sometimes? Yes.” She met him in the middle of the room after he turned on some music.
“Welcome home,” he said softly. “Dinner?”
“Quinn’s on it,” she told him.
Slowly they danced until Elijah stomped in and stole her, claiming he needed to give her a proper hello since James was now secure with Jasper and Zander helping him. Vincent let her get stolen and she didn’t fight the cowboy as he held her tight. Later, they would have a large meal with the people they loved. She would tuck James Henry into bed, then find one or more of them waiting in her room.
And tomorrow it would be the same.
And the day after.
And the day after that.
It was a good life, where the sun’s warmth was only matched by one thing.
The warmth of the love she had filled it with.
Dear Reader,
Goodbye, Sawyer.
This series was my dark love letter to strength, to overcoming the darkest parts of ourselves and the world around us. Now that’s it’s over, it’s left a hole in my life. Sawyer was always a treasure to write, through her successes and her mistakes. Through her worst times and her best. I hope, I truly hope, that you have loved the experience as much as I have. There will be no more full length books. There are no plans for follow up novellas. So again I say, goodbye Sawyer. Goodbye Vincent, Elijah, Quinn, Zander, and Jasper.
Thank you all for reading this series.
Reviews are always welcome, whether you loved or hated the book. Please consider taking a few moments to leave one and know I appreciate every second of your time and I’m thankful.
And if I still have you… Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive content and information on my upcoming works! I send it out monthly. Newsletter Signup!
Or you can come join me in being a little bit crazy in The Banet Pride, my facebook reader’s group.
About the Author
KristenBanetAuthor.com
Kristen Banet has a Diet Coke problem, smokes too much, and cusses like a sailor. She loves to read, and before finally sitting to try her hand at writing, she had your normal kind of work history. From tattoo parlors, to the U.S. Navy, and freelance illustration, she’s stumbled through her adult years and somehow, is still kicking.
She loves to read books that make people cry and tries to write them. She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real
on the page and not just in her head.
Also by Kristen Banet
Witch of the Wild West
Bounty Hunters and Black Magic
Age of the Andinna
The Gladiator’s Downfall
The Mercenary’s Bounty
Complete Series
The Redemption Saga
A Life of Shadows
A Heart of Shame
A Nature of Conflict
An Echo of Darkness
A Night of Redemption
Wild Junction
The Kingson Pride Series
Wild Pride
Wild Fire
Wild Souls
Wild Love
The Wolves of Wild Junction Duet
Prey to the Heart
Heart of the Pack
Abilities
Glossary
Note:
It’s important to remember that every Magi is unique. Two Magi could have the same ability and use them in different ways due to their personal strength levels.
Legends are the exception. (ex. All Druids are exactly the same in power and abilities.)
Example: Sawyer can walk through a thick wall with Phasing but another Magi may only be able to pass through a thin door and push an arm through a window for a short time.
Ranking Code
Common- C, Uncommon-U, Rare-R, Mythic- M
Air Manipulation-C- The ability to manipulate the element of air or wind.
Animal bonds-C- The ability to bond with one to five animals. A person with this ability can feel emotional currents of the animal and use the animal’s senses by inserting themselves in the animal.
Animation-C- The ability to make inanimate objects do tasks for time periods. I.e. Dancing brooms
Astral Projection-R- The ability to use a non-corpeal form that can be seen by others. Renders physical body unconscious.
Blinking-U- The ability to teleport short distances (10-20 feet) within eyesight.
Cloaking-U- The ability to become invisible.
Dream walking-U- The ability to walk through the dreams of others and go through the person’s subconscious to reveal secrets and memories to the person.
Earth Manipulation-C- The ability to manipulate the element of earth.
Elemental Control-M- The ability to manipulate all elements and all combinations of them.
Enchanting-C- The ability to enchant physical objects with specific properties, such as never losing a sharp edge for a blade.
Fire Manipulation-C- The ability to manipulate the element of fire.
Healing-C- The ability to heal physical wounds.
Illusions-U- The ability to alter an individual’s perception of reality.
Magnetic Manipulation-U- The ability to control or generate magnetic fields, normally a very weak ability.
Mind reading-M- The ability to read another’s mind, normally requiring touch.
Naturalism-C- The ability to control the growth of plant life and identify plants’ properties.
Petrification-R- The ability to freeze a person’s movement without harming them by touching them. Can also be used to harm, by stopping basic life function for a short time.
Phasing-C- The ability to walk through solid objects with concentration.
Portals-U- Temporary holes through time and space to travel nearly instantly. (Not time travel)
Reading-R- The ability to read the abilities of others, requires touching the individual.
Shape-shifting-U- The ability to take the form of one animal, not chosen by the Magi.
Shielding-C- The ability to create force fields that block physical interaction.
Sound Manipulation-U- The ability to manipulate sound waves.
Sublimation-R- The ability to transform into a gaseous form, normally looks like black smoke.
Telekinesis-C- The ability to move objects physically with the mind.
Telepathy-U- The ability to send thoughts to others for silent communication. Cannot invade the thoughts of others. This is a one-way ability, unless the other person also has telepathy.
Tracking-R- The ability track a single individual by having a item that belongs to said individual.
Water Manipulation-C- The ability to manipulate the element of water.
IMPO and IMAS
Both organizations have a rank structure, but the IMPO is more relaxed than the IMAS.
International Magi Police Organization
Officer - Low level law enforcement officer
Detective - Case investigator isolated to the city they are assigned to.
Admin - Paper pushers, secretaries, assistants.
Lawyers - Self-explanatory. Magi lawyers who are experts in Magi law.
Special Agent - Case investigator that travels globally and carries out long-term investigations such as crime lords, internationally known criminals, and serial killers. Report to handlers and always work as a team.
Handlers- Normally retired Special Agents that act as liaisons between the Asst. Director/Director and Special Agents.
Assistant Director - Second in charge of the IMPO.
Director - The head of the IMPO. Reports directly to the WMC.
International Magi Armed Services
Chain of Command: 1 is the lowest rank,7 is the highest. Generals report directly to the WMC.
Enlisted
E-1, Private (Pvt)
E-2, Private 1st Class (PFC)
E-3, Lance Corporal (LCpl)
E-4, Corporal (Cpl)
E-5, Sergeant (Sgt)
E-6, Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt)
E-7, Master Sergeant (MSgt)
Officer
O-1, Lieutenant (Lt)
O-2, Captain (Capt)
O-3, Major (Maj)
O-4, Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol)
O-5, Colonel (Col)
O-6, Lieutenant General (LtGen)
O-7, General (Gen)
IMAS Spec Ops
Special operations (or special forces). Teams are named for gods and goddesses of war. (Ex. Team Ares or Team Mars)
Soldiers of all ranks may apply. Only the best succeed.
A Night of Redemption (The Redemption Saga Book 5) Page 35