by J. M. Pierce
Lifting his head, he turned and faced the far wall. He focused on the fractures that had occurred during Destin’s tantrum. In his mind, he knew what he wanted his body to do, but he didn’t know if it was capable. Instead of throwing his hands forward, he held them wide with his palms facing the fractured wall. He began to push, forcing the pulses of light to stream faster and with more intensity than he ever had before. He could feel the sizzle inside, and channeled it through his core, out his arms, and through his hands. He watched as the concrete before him began to tremble and, after a matter of seconds, it began to appear molten. All around him, the debris that Destin had left began to tumble away from him and pile against the wall as they collided with it. With a single step forward, a hole formed in the wall ahead. He peered through it and gasped seeing the cavernous black beyond.
He continued to move forward and, as he approached the wall, more of the concrete melted away. As it pooled on the floor, it streamed away from his advance like rainwater on a windshield. He stepped through the opening and into the dark void, the glow from his body penetrating the darkness thirty feet in all directions. He looked forward and saw the tall columns standing like sentinels ahead. Lowering his palms to the ground, he launched into the air. With his eyes looking for the top, he saw the intricate steel work that supported the ceiling of what appeared to be a massive room. He turned away and allowed himself to return to the ground. He walked slowly forward, looking ahead until the light of his power revealed the far end of the room. He stepped to the column on his right and laid his hands upon it. The steel structure creaked and moaned as his energy ran through it.
Snapshots of his life played through his mind, each of them stoking the furnace inside to grow more fiercely with each turn of the page. After a moment, he felt the steel in his grasp slip through his fingers as though it were warm butter. The sound of the structure twisting downward was accompanied by falling concrete from above. His energy shielding him from the smaller pieces, Test turned and shot himself diagonally to the next column on the other side of the room and repeated the process. Over and over he continued the process until he found himself standing next to the room in which it all began. The sounds of fracturing concrete and twisting steel were deafening. A steady beat of impacts from pieces of the ceiling falling to the floor became a deep rumble. He stared ahead into the darkness and knew the time was at hand.
Turning sideways to the length of the room, he folded his arms across his chest and tried to contain the energy that was soaring from his body. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, pushing harder than ever before as the light from his core stretched in all directions. He felt his insides begin to dance in a way he’d never felt before. Clenching his teeth, he seethed as the roaring of his power filled his ears. His breath came in short, labored bursts and he felt the concrete beneath his feet becoming soft.
Looking through barely-parted eyelids, it was as though he were looking into a blast furnace; the radiant waves distorting everything he saw. He watched as his flesh began to fracture. Slivers of light seeped from each line as they fanned out across his skin, forking in every direction. He closed his eyes and struggled against the fear. Lifting his head, he looked upwards and pictured Alyssa one last time. With a furious roar, he ripped his arms from his chest, throwing an explosion of power in all directions.
****
Alyssa and the others watched from the tree line on the south side of the foundation. They watched helplessly as the ground above the facility lifted several feet before falling. A plume of dust and debris exploded upwards, and the trees around them shook and swayed from the rush of wind that passed. They watched as a helicopter was caught in the sudden upward rush of air and stood benevolently as it fell, disappearing into the now massive crater below.
No one spoke. No one moved. It was as though time had stopped. Each of them waited for Test to appear, regardless of form. After several minutes of waiting, another helicopter flew towards them.
“It’s time to go,” said Lauren mournfully. “He’ll find us.”
“No,” replied Alyssa. “I’m going to wait.”
Lauren took Alyssa’s elbow into her hand. “I know it’s hard, but do you really want Aiden to see all of this?” She pointed to the carnage of flame and death before them.
Alyssa turned with tear filled eyes. “Then take him with you.”
Lauren’s voice fractured with emotion as she rested her hand on her stomach. “He needs you,” she replied. “He needs his mother.” Pulling Alyssa into her, Lauren hugged her tightly. “Everything’s going to be fine,” she sobbed into her ear. “No matter what, you’ll still be together.”
The blades of the helicopter thumped overhead as the two of them held each other. Stepping to their side, Prim shouted over the sound. “We have to go!”
Lauren released Alyssa and rested her hands on her shoulders. With a weak smile, she phased to the other side. Within seconds, the others followed, leaving the tree line barren.
Six Months Later
The sound of children’s laughter filled the air as the sun began to set over Salem, Oregon. Test sat in a lawn chair and watched Aiden and Destin as they tried to round up the chickens to get them back into the coop for the night. He looked to his right as Lauren came out the back door of the house. She cradled the baby as though she’d done it for three lifetimes. They’d named the boy Jenz Davis. He was strong from the moment he was born and shared traits of both his parents. Test watched Lauren as she handed the baby off to Prim and marveled at the inherent happiness that motherhood provided her. It made the glow of a Shadow’s power pale in comparison.
With Alyssa sitting next to him, he soaked in the peace of the world he now lived in. The sacrifice wasn’t made for his sake; it was made for his family’s. He didn’t feel as though he’d been broken; only bent.
“You okay?” asked Cliff as he stepped towards them.
Test looked up, squinting through the last bit of light as it poured over the horizon. With a deep breath, he replied. “Never better.”
“Hey, your kids are scaring the chickens,” said Lauren as she stepped up behind them. “They’re not going to lay any eggs for weeks.”
Test leaned back and saw the softened smile on her face. “Sorry. Kids will be kids, right?” he replied.
She patted him on the head and gave him a wink. “Just because you don’t have to eat anymore, doesn’t mean Prim and I can’t have eggs every morning.”
With a chuckle, Test turned and shouted for the boys. “Aiden, Destin—leave the chickens alone and come here!” He watched as they continued to run. “Auntie Lauren’s gonna get you if you don’t!”
The two boys stopped in their tracks and looked to Lauren who held a fake scowl on her face. “That’s right. You don’t want me to sick Uncle Prim on you, do you?”
“Shoot,” said Prim as he set up a lawn chair behind where Cliff was standing. “I’m pretty sure they’re way more worried about you than they are about me.”
The group laughed as Aiden and Destin joined them. Aiden crawled onto Alyssa’s lap and Destin sat cross legged on the ground in front of Test. The world was as it should be, and he knew it. As the last bit of the sun fell beneath the horizon, the stars in the sky began to appear overhead.
“Dad—why does the sun set?” asked Aiden.
As he looked around to each and every member of his family, he thought about how each of them had touched his life. Turning back to Aiden, he took Alyssa’s hand into his. “The sun sets so that we can see with our hearts instead of our eyes.” He looked to Cliff who stood with a proud fatherly smile. “I’m sorry to say it took me a long time to figure that out.” He felt Lauren’s hands rest on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry little brother,” said Lauren. “We’ve always known you were a little slow on the up-take. We still love ya though.”
Her words soared through him, filling him with a pride and happiness that he knew could never be surpassed. He knew that, no
matter what, they’d always be with him—in one form or another. Though he was no longer a Shadow, he retained its most precious aspect—the ability to be with those he loved for all time.
THE END
Continue on for a word from the author.
And there it is.
Yes, this is the end of the Shadow Series. To be honest, it’s a tad bitter sweet for me. I’ve loved writing this series over the course of the last four years and it’s a little hard to say goodbye. I’ve grown very close to these characters. After writing The Reverence of One, I knew the story of Test Davis wasn’t over, but I wasn’t sure if I was going write it or not. I don’t know why I hesitated really, but the emails, reviews, and messages on the Facebook page told me that you all wanted more. It didn’t take long before I decided that it was the right thing to do.
Axiom Theory was a hard book to get out of my head and onto the keyboard. I think my subconscious was fighting with me about the finality of it. Though I don’t have them much anymore, once in a while I will still have the wondrous dreams that inspired me to write Test’s story in the first place. So much of my mind was on this series that maybe, deep down, I was afraid of not having those dreams anymore. The truth is that I’ll think about Test and his family of friends every day. Who knows, maybe at some point Prim, Lauren, and little Jenz will have a story that needs to be told?
I’m not done writing. Not a chance. This is who I am and what fuels me. I have so many ideas for books that I sometimes wish that my brain came with an off switch. I plan to write the first book in a new series next (a promise to my daughter) tentatively titled The Chronicles of Wyk. After that first book is written, I intend to write the final book in the Chosen series. We’ll see where my muse takes me! Regardless, there will be more books coming!
I offer a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for giving my work a chance. I never take anything for granted and I know that the entirety of The Shadow Series would never have had a chance without you!
If you’ve enjoyed my books, please consider leaving a review for each of them. I would love for others to hear your thoughts! I’ve posted a link to my author’s page on Amazon below to make it easy.
Again, I thank you. I’m proud to have been able to provide you with the escape that so many of us need!
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