It had been a long year full of hard labour and little sleep. Elixir was back to normal, or as normal as it could be. The land was cleared of any proof that a war ever existed, and the Spirit World was stronger than it ever was before.
Laura had been non-stop training and taking classes with Stella and Leo in the Corin Manor so she could undergo her ceremony by the end of the year. After all of her work and dedication, Laura had succeeded, and would, to her excitement, be attending her ceremony the next day.
The Ceremonies were more of a formality after everything that had happened, but it still was the moment in which a student became an adult, receiving their full power.
Laura had continued practicing with her gift as well, training with it as Megan had taught her and using it for good in the hospitals, healing those who desperately needed it.
She’d also been busy with the Casters, having taken up her position as Chief just as Megan had asked her to. The Emperor Marries had gifted her with a God’s cane so she could portal there whenever she needed. She tried to check in weekly, but there were times when two weeks would go by before she had a chance to see them.
The Casters understood. They were happy to have Laura as their Chief, and they were so busy also working for the Enchanted in the hospitals when they could that often few were at the Islands when she visited anyway. With lines open between the Casters and the Enchanted, they’d become honorary healers, called in for the serious situations.
It was a huge leap for the Casters, and they loved their new role among the Enchanted. The Creatures were happy too, living as they always had, alone and in peace on the islands.
Laura had met with Obverse one afternoon, a few months ago, and spoken with him of Megan. She’d never had the opportunity to know her as he had, and so she’d asked him question after question, learning more about the phenomenal woman she’d come to admire. Obverse had been happy to share their many stories together, and Laura soon found herself with another friend. Together, they’d spoken of how much they missed Megan, and not long after, the Casters and the Creatures had decided to come together and throw a celebration for the Chief Caster, in honour of the amazing things she’d done and the wonderful woman she was.
It was clear many still mourned Megan, for there were constant tears throughout the night as everyone shared their memories, but Laura knew that as much as they all missed Megan, they were grateful to her for her sacrifice. They knew that had Megan not made the choice to lead them into battle, their lives would have not been altered for the good, as they had come to be.
Laura sighed and rose to her feet, turning to pack up her gear and head back down the mountain. It was a longer walk than she remembered it, but she enjoyed the peacefulness.
She’d once doubted she’d ever set foot on her old property again, or even climb the mountain. Much had changed. She no longer felt the sadness of her parent’s deaths. She loved them and missed them, but she’d long before stopped feeling so hollow. She’d laid them to rest, and she’d said her goodbyes.
Laura rode the Corin Manor’s motorbike back home – her new home. The Manor had become her home, though she would be leaving it soon, she knew. It saddened her a little, but she also knew she’d always have a place there.
As Laura pulled her motorbike into the shed and switched it off, she noticed someone waiting by the door. She climbed from the seat and kicked down the stand, leaning the bike against it. Dumping her bag on the table, she hastened across the room to the Witch.
‘Did you find something?’ Laura gasped, stopping in front of the private detective she’d hired six months ago.
Laura had never forgotten that discussion she’d had with Gemma about her mother’s family. With the war and the chaos that came after, she hadn’t been able to inquire about it. And of course, everyone was all over the place, making it hard to simply ask if anyone knew if she still had living family out there.
So she’d hired someone to look into it. So far, she’d received a few messages of leads and possible knowledge on where they were, but they’d all ended up being dead ends.
It was the first time the Witch had actually come back to see her face to face, which had to mean something, right? Laura’s heart pounded in her ears, her chest, taking her breath away as she waited.
The Witch reached into her pocked and pulled out a photo.
‘This is your mother’s parents,’ she said, her eyes kind. ‘And that’s their daughter, Cara’s sister, with her husband and kids.’
Laura caught her breath and reached out with a shaking hand, taking the photo from the detective. She turned it around, peering down at it, and laughed a little through her tears of joy.
Her mum’s sister looked almost identical to her. Her grandmother had the same dark hair her mother had, though it was peppered with white, and her grandfather had the same nose and eyes. They smiled at the camera, two little children and an older man standing beside her Aunty.
‘They would love to meet you,’ the Witch told her.
Laura raised her eyes and grinned at the woman. ‘Do you think they would like to come to my ceremony tomorrow?’
~
‘Scarlett, elbow a little higher. Rafael, chin up. Jack, no giggling!’ Stella called from the front of the room.
Leo watched on from the top of the stair case, holding back laughter as his wife attended to three of the seven new students they’d acquired at the Corin Manor after the war. She was teaching them how to stand for dagger throwing. Well, trying to teach them. They were a lively bunch.
They were all under fourteen, the youngest being eight, and as adorable as they all were, they could be terrors when they wanted to. Leo and Stella were up for the challenge, though. Their previous students had been the same, and the students before that even.
Plus, they’d all lost their families in the war. They were still dealing with their own losses. It takes time and patience, and Leo and Stella were able to grant them that much. As well as provide them with a safe home.
‘Excellent, much better!’ Stella said happily, clapping her hands. ‘All right. That’s it for today. Pack up your things and head down to wash up before dinner.’
Leo wandered over to his wife, his papers in hand, and the two of them watched for a moment as the students packed away their daggers and reached for their towels and water bottles.
‘How are they coming along?’ Leo asked.
Stella gave Leo a knowing smile. ‘Getting there. How’s the planning going?’
Leo lifted his papers, passing them to Stella. ‘Just bringing you the final details of the Ceremony. You need to sign off on them and we’re good to go!’
‘Fantastic, I’ll read them over now,’ Stella said, then her blue eyes drifted to Lina, one of the new girls of the group.
‘Are the others talking to her?’ Leo asked, watching as she hurried down the steps after the children.
Stella nodded. ‘Starting too. I think they just needed time to accept her.’
Leo nodded. That was the way it was still, but he hoped one day it wouldn’t be. Lina was a Wicked child. One of the first to be inducted into an orphan Manor such as theirs. She’d only arrived a week prior, and the other students had been weary at first. But from the looks of things, she was settling in well.
All the Wicked were settling in to society well, as a matter of fact. There were still some on both sides that had mixed feelings or kept to themselves, but for the most part, Wicked had been given jobs alongside the Enchanted, had been invited to meetings and given the chance to have their say or input their ideas. Some Wicked had even recently moved into Alast, which was an enormous step. They weren’t really called Wicked anymore, though it was hard to forget that was what they were once referred to as.
They’d changed their name to the Diviners after popular demand. There was no real reason behind the name, Erine had not made any headway in figuring out what made them different despite his vigorous testing. It was difficult, because there had n
ever been much research on the Enchanted to begin with. As Laura had learned long ago from Caspian, they’d always been too afraid of the truth. Of what they would find. Which meant Erine had next to no data to compare his Wicked/Diviners findings to. But the Wicked were happy with the name, and thus the Grand Courts appointed it to them.
So, they became the Diviners, another form of Enchanted, and that was how they would remain. Wicked was forever more attached to those who were still in hiding, loyal to Erebus. There were some Enchanted who were also in hiding, having pledged their allegiance to Erebus during the war, and they in turn had fallen under the category of Wicked too. Anyone who followed Erebus still would be referred to as Wicked. Otherwise, the name remained in the past and the past only.
Leo glanced sidelong at his wife, a smile on both their lips. Much had changed, and much still had to continue changing, but the Enchanted were on the right path. And Leo was happy to know so.
He was much happier. Though he, himself had been forced to deal with a great number of personal struggles after the war, he had since found himself at last able to accept what had happened to him and his wife. Stella still had the occasional nightmare of her time held hostage with Erebus, and Leo would be there, alongside her in an instant, comforting her, promising her it was all okay.
He himself sometimes had flashbacks to the time he’d spent searching for her. The revelation of his mother’s death and the sacrifice of his father. But, as he did for Stella, she’d be there for him whenever he found himself falling into a dark place.
It would be a long time before he would be able to move on, despite having accepted it, but he knew that no matter what, he and Stella had one another, and that would never change. In the meantime, there were others who needed them, and that was enough to drive Leo onwards to be the best father figure he could be.
He extended an elbow to his wife, and together they started down the stairs. They still had a ceremony to finalise.
~
Gemma stared nervously at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how her ceremony would go. She’d opted not to wear make-up for the event, liking the way the scar down her face made her appear fierce and strong. She’d once been ashamed of it, fearing it would only display to the world her weakness – which she scarcely deserved to wear the Spark name. But Mitch had been the one to convince her that scars had their own stories, that they were a map to a person’s experiences, and hers showed everyone that she had faced death and survived.
She’d faced death many times since that night in the tower when James had tortured her and Laura had saved her. She had the scars for those stories as well. They were like a beautiful pattern to her body that spoke on their own of the things she’d endured and fought through. She’d grown to appreciate them, to appreciate the person she’d become. Because she was worthy of the Spark name. She was fierce and brave and nothing would stand in her way; not ever again.
There was a knock at her bedroom door and it opened. Laura stepped in, shutting it quickly behind her.
‘The young ones are insane this morning! Mind if I hide in here?’ She asked with a laugh.
Gemma grinned at Laura and nodded. ‘Of course. As much as I love them, I look forward to moving into my own place.’
‘You mean, your and Mitch’s place?’ Laura replied teasingly, winking at her.
Gemma threw back her head and laughed. ‘What about you and Drew!’
Laura giggled into her hand.
There was a bang on Gemma’s door and the two of them zipped their lips, staring frightened at the knob. When it didn’t move, they glanced at one another in relief. Like Gemma had said, she loved the new students in the manor, but they were a handful. Living with them was like living in a pre-school. They were there. All the time.
‘So, I have some exciting news,’ said Laura, plopping down onto Gemma’s bed.
‘Ooh, I like the sound of that. What is it?’ Gemma asked, perching beside her.
‘I found my family. My mum’s parents were still alive, and they have another daughter! She’s married with kids, which means I have cousins!’
Gemma’s mouth fell open and she launched towards her friend, wrapping her arms around her.
‘Laura, that’s wonderful news!’
Laura hugged her back, tight. ‘I’ve invited them to my ceremony. They’re meant to be arriving any minute. I… well I actually wondered if you would come with me to meet them?’
Gemma pulled back, peering into her friends face. ‘Of course I will.’
Laura sighed with relief. ‘Thank you. It’s just, I’m so nervous, and Stella and Leo are so busy with the ceremony and I didn’t want to disturb them, and, well, you were the one who convinced me to hire a detective. It only seems fitting that you be there.’
Gemma hugged her friend again, utterly overjoyed for her, and honoured to have been asked to come with her.
The doorbell rang out in the distance, and Laura stiffened. Gemma stood, grasping her hand and leading her towards the door.
‘Come on. You can do this,’ she said encouragingly.
The two of them made their way to the entrance. Stella already stood with the door open, talking to the detective Laura had hired. The moment Stella saw them, she smiled, pushing her blond hair back from her face.
‘You don’t mind taking care of this? I’ve got to get those kids dressed,’ Stella asked.
Laura hadn’t told anyone of her decision to search for her family, besides Drew and Gemma that was. She hadn’t wanted to raise anyone else’s hopes, or her own, and Gemma understood that.
‘Yeah, of course. We’re on it,’ Gemma said, waving Stella off.
They turned to face the Witch, who was smiling at them.
‘They’re just outside in the car. I wanted to make sure you were ready.’
Laura peered back at Gemma and Gemma gave her an encouraging smile. She squeezed her hand, then let it go.
‘I’ll be right here at the door,’ she told her, and Laura nodded.
Gemma stepped outside and watched as Laura followed the Detective over to the car, wringing her hands nervously. The car door opened, and an elderly man stepped out, reaching inside to help his wife emerge. Then, two little girls followed. From the front, a man and woman exited the car too, enormous smiles on their faces.
Gemma watched, tears in her eyes, as Laura was introduced by the detective to her grandparents, her aunt and uncle, and her cousins. Laura said something, to which her grandparents replied, then she was hugging them. Gemma swallowed hard, forcing the tears back as she watched her friend then hug her aunt, her uncle, and bend down to talk to her younger cousins.
Gemma smiled to herself, overjoyed for Laura. She’d been through so much, and after it all, she’d found hope again. She’d found not only hope, though. She’d found love and family.
Gemma had too, for that matter. There were times when she thought back over the war with crippling agony in her heart. She’d lost many friends, and she spent much time grieving them. Oscar had become such a bright light in her life, and losing him had hurt her in more ways than she could explain. But she knew she’d always have her memories of him, and he would live on in her heart. She would always miss her parents, too. They would forever be on her mind, and she doubted she’d reach a day when she would not feel a pang of pain at their loss. But she knew she had Stella and Leo to lean on if she ever needed. She had all her friends, for that matter.
Moreover, she had Mitch, and through him, a wonderful extended family she was able to call her own. After many years of sadness, of distancing herself, she’d at last discovered her own sense of peace, and with that, a family. It was all she had ever wanted, and much more than she could have ever asked for. A family, and a home.
~
Grace spun the wheel, turning left into the car pack. Pulling up, she cut the engine and leaned back in her seat. Before her, through the windscreen, she could see the set up for the ceremony. Chairs were laid out on the green lawn
of the manor, and a platform had been built at the front. Beautiful floral decorations covered the arches of the platform and the chairs, and there were all sorts of little flowers planted about in the trees, adding to the effect.
‘It looks pretty good,’ Logan remarked beside her.
They were both dressed in casual gear, but usually they wore their battle gear. After the war, and after things had settled down, both Grace and Logan had taken up positions with the Lastrala Guardians Guild.
The Guardians, once known for hunting Wicked, only hunted evil since the war. Yes, they searched for those still loyal to Erebus, and they found them sometimes too, but more often than not they were tasked with hunting and destroying the Goblins that continued to roam the land, the Wicked Creatures, and the Demons that tried to possess and destroy the Humans.
For the most part, Elixir was at peace, but there would always be an evil out there to fight, and both Grace and Logan were proud to be able to do their part in helping keep the world safe.
‘It sure does,’ Grace replied, smiling across at her fiancé.
The ring was warm against her skin at the reminder that just a month ago, Logan had asked her to marry him. She’d said yes, of course. Screamed, kissed him, said yes, kissed him some more, then jumped on the phone to call everyone she ever knew and tell them.
Logan had laughed, but she could see how happy her acceptance had made him, and he would never understand how happy he made her. It had been a long road to the happiness she felt. She’d struggled with the loss of her parents for years, just as Logan had.
Even during their time at the Manor, they’d fought to come to terms with their past and allow themselves to move on. Grace wasn’t sure if the war forced them to realise life was far too short to dwell on the past, or if it was simply that they finally had opened up to one another, but since the moment Logan had told her the truth about how he had felt, and she had told him in return, she’d been happier for it.
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