“Conal is stronger than anyone gives him credit for; I know. I've been in his mind before,” Lucas said urgently. “But you must do it soon, before his spirit is gone from his body and cannot return.”
Inhaling sharply, I held out my palm, forcing all my concentration onto creating a tiny orb at the end of my fingers, trying to bring Lucas' consciousness down my arm to join with the orb. The little sphere struggled and wavered against my fingertips. I wasn't certain I had the energy to complete this, but I had to try.
“This is unwise, child.” Nememiah's voice boomed in my ear, and the orb dissipated. “The notion of bringing the two together is disastrous, and will send them into a madness they will not recover from.”
“Help me!” I demanded again, even as I focused my exhausted mind on creating a second orb.
“I will provide you with a spark to bring your wolf back.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. I'd been caught out more than once with Nememiah's rules. “What's the catch?”
“I know not what a 'catch' might be. But judging on past discussions, you ask what the penalty for this offering will be. You will give up your connection to the vampire. He will be banished. You must choose. The wolf… or the vampire.”
“Charlotte, I'm dead anyway!” Lucas shouted as a cacophony of voices erupted in my mind, everyone giving me an opinion. “Take the offer! Get Conal back!”
“Do it!” Lyell demanded.
“No, I can't,” I whispered quietly.
“You must decide soon, Child of Nememiah.”
“Time is running out; his spark is ebbing swiftly,” Mom warned.
With a shout of desperation, I made my decision. Whether it would be right or wrong remained to be seen, but as with everything I'd experienced since this strange journey began, I decided to trust my gut.
Epilogue:
Butterflies and other flying insects wafted across the meadow, flitting about in the late spring sun. The scent of a multitude of flowers drifted across the patio, bringing thoughts of the approaching summer. The balmy temperatures promised a long summer to come and I watched Patrick as he ran back and forth across the meadow, playing with his 'imaginary' friends. At two years old, he was still too young to understand the presence of the spirits as I did, but he enjoyed their company and was currently being chased across the grass by Lyell and Phelan. Lyell caught up with Patrick and threw him in the air, Patrick's giggles drifting across the lawn to where we sat on the patio.
“I'll miss Puckhaber when we leave,” Amoux announced, sipping from her glass of wine. “Although it will be nice to return to Zaen.”
Clint leaned over to top up Amoux's glass, and a heated look passed between them. Out on the grass, Lyell glanced up for a moment, and a tiny, nostalgic smile played over his lips. He caught my look and dipped his head in acknowledgement, turning back to continue playing with Patrick and Kazuki. Matt and Misaki's daughter, Aiko toddled across the lawn behind them, trying desperately to catch up with the other children, her chubby little legs moving as fast as she could manage. Matt and Misaki stood out on the lawn, keeping a watchful eye on the children, Matt's arm wrapped around his wife.
“I agree, I love coming back here for a time, but Zaen is truly my home now,” I admitted with a wistful smile.
“Of course it is, you're an angel after all. Striker can't wait to get back either,” Marianne added, playing with a strand of her vivid purple hair. “He loves the freedom to be exactly who he is.”
“Can you blame me?” Striker questioned with a grin. “Nobody gets freaked out because I'm vampire in Zaen.”
I glanced around the patio at my friends and family, deeply grateful for their love and companionship. This was the second year we'd returned to Puckhaber after the Battle of Pelathrad which ended the war, and while we only stayed for a few weeks each time, I relished the opportunity of returning to where it had all began. The house had been restored to its former splendor, the damage done by the Drâghici repaired and Epi had the house and its surrounds warded to keep locals away. It was a necessity because the vampires, shifters and wolves who visited would be hard to explain to the citizens of Puckhaber and quite often, the woods surrounding the house were filled with a variety of animals and creatures not usually seen in Montana.
“That is because you are such an obvious vampire,” Ripley announced with a disdainful sniff. He was leaning against the wall of the house, his arms wrapped around Acenith. They'd been married for a little more than three months, and were totally besotted with each other, having only just returned from a honeymoon in Europe. I was glad they were back – I'd missed their company.
Nick appeared from the side of the house, with Gabby following behind. Rafe, who'd been sitting on a chair with Nissa snuggled in his arms, reached into the cooler beside his chair and took out a beer, throwing it to his Alpha. “About time you showed up.” Nissa pressed a kiss to Rafe's cheek, and I marveled again at how my Elven friend had acclimated to the human world. She and Rafe were engaged, with plans for two ceremonies – one to be held in Zaen, and then a second, more elaborate Elven ceremony in the Realm. Goren and Arasinya had announced their intentions to host the celebration, and preparations were well underway in Pelathrad.
“I was giving Gabby the grand tour of Puckhaber,” Nick said innocently.
“Well that took about five minutes,” Rafe grinned. “What did the two of you get up to for the other two hours you've been gone?”
“Shut up, Rafe,” Nick grumbled good-naturedly, and I watched Gabby's cheeks heat with a blush.
The sliding door opened and Ben stepped out, holding the door open for Rowena to step through, carrying a tray filled with cutlery and plates. Behind her came my beloved Conal, carrying a massive tray filled with steaks and burgers ready to cook on the grill. He handed off the tray to Ben, and approached me with a radiant smile, leaning over to rub his hand over my distended belly. “How's my little slugger doing in there?” he questioned.
“I'm not sure he's a baseball fan,” I responded, tilting my head to kiss my life mate. “I suspect he's going to be more of a soccer player.”
Conal laughed, straightening up to watch the children running across the grass below the patio. “It's taken a bit of getting used to, but I'm glad the bloodsucker can share Patrick growing up with us.”
On that day, two years ago, when I'd had to make a split-second decision regarding saving Conal's life, I'd gone with my instincts and used Lucas' life force. It had been a long, difficult road since then, but Conal – my heart, my soul, and quite simply one of the bravest, strongest men I'd ever known – had learned to adjust to having Lucas sharing his consciousness, despite everyone's doubts. The two men had learned to operate together, and while I no longer had access to Lucas in my mind, I could keep in touch with him through Conal. Over many months, Conal had learned to cooperate with Lucas in a way which suited them both and Lucas treasured the ability to see his son growing up, something he would have missed if I'd accepted Nememiah's offer. Lucas could hold, see and touch his son, benefits he appreciated greatly, and over the months, Conal had learned to switch Lucas' presence on and off, giving him greater control over the symbiotic relationship they'd needed to forge.
“I'm glad too, but I'm more grateful for the fact that you're still by my side.”
Conal leaned over and kissed me again, lingering for a moment or two. “Always, Sugar, always. For the rest of our lives.”
And that would be longer than I'd originally expected, something I was also glad for. It seemed that with the Angel blood, came longevity – something the Fae had known from the beginning. It had just taken me a little longer to catch up with the news – another thing Epi failed to mention.
The wizard in question spoke up. “I'm starving,” Epi muttered grumpily, “when are we going to eat?” He was sitting beside Nonny, the two of them holding hands like besotted teenagers. I clamped down on a grin, because as usual, Epi had taken matters into his own hands – whil
e everyone else was seated on the simple outdoor furniture, Epi had magicked up comfortable armchairs for himself and Nonny and they sat in the center of the patio, regaling everyone with stories of their long lives.
“Never satisfied, is he?” Conal muttered when he straightened up. He offered me a wink and I watched as he sauntered over to the barbecue to give Ben a hand with cooking, and Gwynn and William came out of the house, carrying trays of salads and condiments.
I surveyed the grounds, watching my friends and family, deeply satisfied with my life. It was hard to recall the depressed young woman I'd once been. So much had happened since then, and my world was a vastly different place to when I'd suspected I had little to live for, and nobody to love me. Mom caught my eye and smiled, her green eyes sparkling with delight as she lifted Patrick in her arms and he squealed in excitement.
Sitting here, I recalled the people we'd lost along the way, those who had sacrificed themselves to allow everyone else to survive. I mourned especially for Keenan and Holden, who'd made the ultimate sacrifice and been cast into oblivion. I thought of them every day.
I lifted my glass of orange juice and tapped a spoon against it to get everyone's attention. “I'd like to make a toast. On the second anniversary of the Battle of Pelathrad, let's give thanks. To our absent friends.”
“To our absent friends!”
I smiled, even as I watched the sea of spiritual faces who surrounded my family and friends. Absent friends had a different meaning, when for the most part, you never lost anyone you truly loved. And I realized, in that moment, how truly blessed I was.
The End
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About the Author
Wife and mother to four demanding young adults, D.S. Williams started writing at the age of five, when life was simpler and her stories really didn't need to make sense. When you're five, 'happily ever after' always ends the story and how you got there? Well, that didn't matter so much.
An extreme introvert, D.S. Williams has created her own worlds to exist in, found friends among her characters and traveled the Earth from the safety of her laptop keyboard.
D.S. Williams enjoys writing (obviously), reading (voraciously) and making lists (obsessively). She's enjoyed a lifelong addiction to foods starting with 'ch' - cheesecake, chocolate and chips - and when it comes to books, she loves a multitude of genres and authors.
She shares her life with her beloved husband of twenty-nine years, the Gang of Four and the current furry residents, Tuppence the Groodle and Angus the Bull Mastiff.
Dear reader,
Thank you for taking time to read Knowledge Protects. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
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