by Kristen Pham
Epilogue
Chrome couldn’t get used to the lack of space in Ming’s crowded neighborhood, but that one complaint was a speck of dirt on a meaty bone. Guarding the human pup called to him like a full moon on a cloudless night.
Even now, when he was sitting by her feet while she ate dinner with her family, the restlessness in his heart was quiet. He hadn’t thought it ever would be again. He listened to Ming chattering with her family about the new powers that everyone was trying to come to grips with.
“It’s like I can sense the minds of everyone around me,” Ming’s mother said.
Ming was pouting, her bottom lip sticking out a little. “Everyone’s got magic but me.”
She was wrong. Chrome sent her an image of a flame bursting into a fire. It was hard to tell what was happening to his little charge, but the scent of the magic within her was unmistakable, and vaguely familiar.
After dinner, Chrome slipped outside for a run while Ming got ready for bed with her mother. When he returned, she was sleeping. He rested his front paws on her windowsill and watched her breathe until the sun came back over the horizon and Ming’s eyes cracked open.
She grinned when she saw Chrome watching her. “Hi, puppy.”
He sent her a vision of himself tackling her on the grass outside as playful punishment for her teasing, and was rewarded with her giggle.
She tumbled outside, and as promised, he tackled her. Shrieking with joy, she ran across the small lawn, and he let her get away, only to chase her again when her back was turned.
He surprised her, and Ming released a burst of magic, opening a portal to her bedroom. Chrome was so stunned that he stumbled, and they both went through.
The smell of her magic was unmistakable, like burning leaves in the forest. The last time he’d smelled that magic trail was when he’d followed Reaper. Ming had inherited the powers of his greatest enemy.
Ming was on her knees, eyes wide. “What happened?”
He’d heard of such a thing, of course. It wasn’t uncommon when powerful Conjurors died that their powers were released into the universe and ignited in someone else.
“Chrome?” Ming’s uncertainty came off her in waves as she gently patted his back. “Did I do something wrong?”
Chrome sent her a vision of a wolf pack surrounding a fire, hoping she understood that he was telling her that she was safe. Her face smoothed. No one had understood him as well as Ming since Jet.
He sent her an image of Azra, and the girl’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes! Can we see Azra and Clarabelle? Now that Mom has met her, she says I’m allowed to see her any time I want to.”
Clarabelle’s scent was the only one that was easy for Chrome to detect through the cloud of magic hanging in the air, burning his nose like gunpowder since the battle two months ago. Clarabelle was in the woods of Arden. Chrome was thinking of the spot as Ming continued to stroke him, and another little burst of power came from her.
A portal opened, and through it he could make out the hazy image of two unicorns.
“I did that,” she whispered, and Chrome nudged her with his nose so she could walk through.
You must be the guests Clarabelle said were coming today.
It was strange to see Azra now that she had no scent, having given her magic to her daughter. Chrome had to rely on his other senses to communicate with her, and it put him a little off-kilter.
Clarabelle was nuzzling Ming already, and the unicorn was pinging messages into the minds of everyone in the little grove. Ming could create portals, manipulate matter at a cellular level, defy laws of physics, like gravity, and even the laws of magic.
“I don’t understand, what is she saying?” Ming asked.
Chrome’s and Azra’s eyes connected. Ming’s magic had been awakened, and it was fully as powerful as Reaper’s had ever been.
The magic that lives within you is awake. You are a powerful Conjuror now, little Ming.
“Me?” Ming’s voice squeaked with glee. “Will I be able to help heal people, like Dr. Freeman? Or protect people, like Valerie?”
You can do both, and more. We look forward to seeing what you will do with this magic of yours.
Ming began dancing around the grove, and Clarabelle frolicked with her.
Azra’s next message was to his mind alone. The power is the same as Reaper’s, but it is hers to wield, and I think it is in good hands.
Chrome did, too. In his own mind, a vision unfurled of running through the open grasses he had been raised in as a pup, and he knew that his adventure, which he thought was winding to a close, had only begun now, at Ming’s side.
THE END
Acknowledgements
It wasn’t only me who spent many hours bringing this series to life. I am lucky to have incredible support from my friends and family, and this series would be a sorry sight indeed without their love and expertise.
My books are so much stronger thanks to my editor, Shelley Holloway, who helped me take my prose to the next level. Glendon Haddix of Streetlight Graphics designed my covers, and managed to capture the spirit of each book with more artistry than I could ever dream up.
A big thank you to my beta readers, who are skilled editors with a keen eye for detail. Ladonna Watkins, Theppong Sae-Low, and Kathy Schmidt, all of your input has been invaluable.
To my brothers, Keith and Davey, thank you for your advice and cheerleading. I never would have begun my self-publishing journey if Keith hadn’t urged me to.
Dad, your big picture advice has changed the way I think about writing. You keep my cup half full.
Mom, your unconditional love has made me who I am, and I know that any other kid who says they have the best mom in the world hasn’t met mine. I love you.
My husband, Tom, has tolerated many nights of rambling about plot points, and made me laugh even through my first 3-star review. Knowing someone as smart in you believes in my series me helps me believe in it myself.
Last, my sister Cheryl has been my biggest fan. I am so grateful for your moral support, brilliant mind, and the many hours you put into reading, editing, and providing feedback on everything from cover art to website copy to blurbs. You inspire me.
There are many more friends and fans who have read my stories and provided their encouragement and insight, and each of you has touched my life and writing.
Thank you to all of you! I am blessed to have you in my life, and so grateful for your years of help, encouragement and love.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Edge of Pathos. I appreciate feedback and welcome your reviews on the site where you purchased this book. If you’d like to learn more about The Conjurors Series, please check out www.kristenpham.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter and be the first to hear about giveaways, contests, and new releases.
About the Author
Kristen Pham lives for really great fudge, rollercoasters, and exploring new worlds via fiction. She lives in San Jose, CA with her family, where she eagerly waits for her kids to turn eleven and receive their invitations to Hogwarts. Her childhood memories of adventures with her imaginary friends inspired The Conjurors Series.
You can reach her on Twitter (www.twitter.com/theconjurors), Facebook, and her website (www.kristenpham.com).