by N M Thorn
“Thank you,” replied Gunz, bowing to the Great Salamander and Master Mrak Delar. “See you soon in Kendral.”
Kal waved his hand, unfolding his fiery portal and both the Ancient Master and the Fire Elemental disappeared behind the swirling flames.
Epilogue
~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~
Modern days, South Florida
Three-Thirteen.
Gunz was standing in the long hallway of a South Florida high-rise condominium building, staring at the number on the door. Three hundred thirteen. Angelique’s apartment.
A few lightbulbs burnt out a while ago and the condominium association wasn’t in a rush to replace them. The hallway was dark and empty. He was standing in front of the door, asking himself what brought him here. Out of thirty-six hours that Kal gave him, he spent thirty-four hours elsewhere, but now he was here, feeling lost, unsure if he should knock on this door.
He spent most of the day yesterday finalizing all the work he was doing for the FBI. Agent Andrews wasn’t happy with Gunz’s decision to leave this world for six months. He needed him here more than ever. Even though Eve was gone from this world, weird cases kept popping up all over South Florida. Some of them probably weren’t supernatural, but nowadays anything that sounded even slightly off was sent to Jim and his team to investigate. Jim’s department was overloaded and losing his main asset for such a long time was troubling him.
Gunz decided to take Aidan up on his promise and called him, asking him to meet with Agent Andrews in person. To Gunz’s surprise, Aidan agreed right away and a few minutes later, he called from the lobby of the FBI building, asking for a visitor’s pass.
The conversation between Jim and Aidan wasn’t easy as both parties didn’t feel comfortable with each other. Aidan was right when he said that Jim was on his case for years. Jim had a lot of questions and since it was never easy for Aidan to be open with anyone, he had a hard time answering some of the questions that Jim had. However, when Jim asked him what kind of magical entity he was, Aidan smirked and told him straight that he was a god.
Gunz expected that Jim wouldn’t believe him and would get upset. But Jim just cocked his head and arched his eyebrow at Aidan, accepting what he said without any further questions. Aidan explained to Jim what kind of work he and his team were doing and offered his help. He said that for the six months when Gunz would be in Kendral, he could take over his responsibilities, working closely with Jim’s team.
Aidan didn’t expose the identity of his supernatural crew members but told Jim that he and his team would be at his service any time he needed them. Agent Andrews didn’t try to get into any details about Aidan’s team and Gunz was wondering if Jim had enough shock for one day after Aidan dropped the “god-bomb” on his head. One thing was to know that the supernatural existed, another thing was to realize that the ancient gods still existed, and they lived and functioned, well-blended into the midst of modern society.
It was late evening when Aidan and Jim finally dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s. Gunz and Aidan left the FBI building together. As they were standing outside the building, Gunz had a feeling that Aidan wanted to say something but for whatever reason, he didn’t feel comfortable. To alleviate this general atmosphere of discomfort between them, Gunz offered him to get a bite to eat. Since Aidan teleported here, they used Gunz’s car to drive to Missi’s Kitchen.
The restaurant hadn’t changed a bit, even though the cross-functional queen of Missi’s Kitchen was gone. It had the same laid-back atmosphere that Gunz loved so much and a quiet, semi-dark room. He walked toward the bar and sat down, offering the stool next to him to Aidan.
A young woman, in her early twenties, walked out of the kitchen and stopped in front of them. She was nothing like Missi. Short and slender, she had a pleasant round face and her marble-white skin was covered with bright freckles. Her sky-blue eyes were sparkling from under her copper eyelashes and an uncontrollable mop of red hair was pulled into two ponytails, one on each side of her head. She looked warm and cheerful like a summer day.
However, one thing about this young lady was unmistakable—she was a witch. Gunz wondered if she was one of the Guardians or just some witch Missi asked to take care of her precious restaurant while she was gone. After a moment of consideration, he decided that the girl wasn’t a Guardian. The Guardians were famous for concealing their magical energy, making it invisible to other creatures of magic. Her magical energy was loud and clear.
The young woman smiled at Gunz and Aidan, and he felt a touch of her magic as she carefully scanned them with her magical sight. She placed the menu in front of Aidan and then asked Gunz, “Your usual, Mr. Burns?”
Gunz raised his eyes at her taken aback by her question but nodded. She quickly wiped the bar counter in front of them and placed three empty shot glasses. In one fluid motion, she filled all three with vodka and turned to Aidan.
“What can I get you, Mr. McGrath?”
If Aidan was surprised, he didn’t show it. He smiled back at the girl and waved his hand at Gunz. “I’ll take the same. On everything.”
She placed three more shot glasses on the counter and filled them with vodka. After that, she wrote the order in her little notepad and disappeared behind the kitchen door. Aidan picked up one shot glass, raising it.
“To the future,” he said quietly, clinking his glass with Gunz’s.
They drank in complete silence. It had been a while since Gunz had a drink or a peaceful moment for that matter. The harsh liquid rushed down his throat and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling.
“Akhh,” exhaled Aidan, grimacing, “it truly tastes like gasoline.”
Gunz chuckled. “I know,” he agreed. “No one ever said that drinking was a pleasure. It’s a bad habit of mine. I drink…”
“With the kind of lifestyle you have, I can’t imagine why,” replied Aidan, all serious.
“Yeah, and after over two thousand years, you are still drinking for the future?”
Aidan bowed his head, averting his eyes, his fingers mindlessly playing with the empty shot glass. After a moment, he put the glass on the table and raised his eyes, a sad smile playing on his lips.
“Maybe after over two thousand years, for the first time I feel like I have a future?”
Gunz raised the second shot glass and clinked it with Aidan’s. “For our friends.”
“For Tessa,” added Aidan, downing the contents of the second shot glass in one gulp.
“She’ll come around,” said Gunz putting the empty shot glass next to the first one. “You need to give her some space and a little time.”
“I know,” replied Aidan calmly. “Missi was right. She needs to learn about her true origins. As she’ll rub shoulders with the world of magic, she’ll understand why I had to conceal my true identity.” He fell silent and then added after a short pause. “At least, I hope she will… I can wait.”
“What surprised me the most about Tessa’s situation was that Angel never felt that she was part Reaper,” said Gunz. “You would think that being Death, he would sense one of his own.”
“Oh yeah, he sensed it alright,” muttered Aidan. “But because of the Guardians shadowing her power, he couldn’t sense it clearly. So, he never voiced his suspicions until yesterday. I wish he said something to me earlier.”
Gunz picked up the third shot glass, wrapping his fingers tightly around it and Aidan repeated his gesture.
“The silent one. For the fallen,” said Aidan, rising.
Gunz got up and carefully bumped Aidan’s fist with his. They drank the last shot of vodka and put their empty shot glasses on the counter. They both sat down and Gunz glanced at Aidan with curiosity.
“I’m surprised that you know this tradition,” he said, running his finger over the rims of the empty shot glasses. “Not too many people in Russia know about it.”
“Old Russian military tradition,” said Aidan. “I knew a Russian man who fought in Afghanistan in
the late eighties. He taught me that a long time ago. And I thought that since you were from the same region and you were in the military, you would probably want to observe it.”
“Thank you,” said Gunz, thinking that the last time he drank the silent one with his friends was more than two years ago.
Missi’s replacement showed up, sporting a tray with their orders. She took away the empty shot glasses and placed the plates with burgers and steaming fries on the counter. They ate quickly without talking. When they finished their meals, Gunz gestured at the hostess, asking for the check. She smiled brightly at him and shook her head no, making her thick orange ponytails swipe across her face.
“No, Mr. Burns,” she objected. “When Missi was leaving, she said that you probably would be coming here a few nights a week, and she made it very clear that no matter what you order, everything is on the house. Always.”
“Thank you—,” he started to say, just now realizing that he never asked the new girl’s name.
“Peyton,” she introduced herself. “Nice to meet you both. After everything that Missi told me about you two, I couldn’t wait to meet you in person.”
“I’m leaving for six months, Peyton,” said Gunz and waved in Aidan’s direction, “but he might be coming once in a while.”
“You are both welcome at any time,” replied Peyton nodding to them and walked back into the kitchen.
After they left the restaurant, Aidan bid his farewell and vanished. Gunz drove home, thinking about his meeting with the Scarlet Queen that was scheduled for the late afternoon the next day.
The next day passed quickly. Gunz was busy taking care of the house and the bills to make sure that everything was in order for his prolonged absence. At five o’clock in the afternoon, he opened his portal into the lobby of EverSafe Security office. The secretary, the same vampire girl whom he met before, greeted him with a tense duty smile and announced that the queen was expecting him.
The queen was a little surprised that he requested a meeting on such a short notice. Gunz had to explain that tonight he was leaving this world for six months and since they had an agreement about the swordsmanship lessons, he felt that it was necessary to make her aware of his plans. The queen nodded, appreciating his courtesy and promised him that she was ready to start with his training as soon as he was back home.
She already heard about the battle at the Quiet Waters Park and knew that Eve was vanquished from this world. She asked him to give her all the details of the fight and listened to him with undivided attention, her cold unblinking eyes fixed on his face.
After he was done, she smiled with her usual tiny smile where the corners of her lips moved up ever so slightly, but the eyes remained untouched by it.
“Well, Eve is gone,” she said softly, “but your troubles are far from over, young Salamander.”
Gunz stiffened at her words, expecting bad news. “What do you mean, Akira?”
She shrugged her shoulders, pinning him with her icy gaze. “A great evil like this, even after it’s vanquished, doesn’t disappear without leaving a scar on the world,” she explained, twisting the diamond ring on her middle finger with her thumb. “I understand why you need to go back to Kendral. You have a lot to learn and your master, the Great Fire Elemental, is the only one who can teach you everything you need to know. But the timing may not be the best…” Her voice trailed away, and she looked back at the wall where her katanas were mounted.
“I’m leaving this world in good hands,” replied Gunz. “And I’ll be back in six months. I’m not staying in Kendral forever.”
Akira got up and walked him toward the door. As she put her hand on the door handle, she glanced up at him and smiled, this time a real smile showing her sharp white teeth.
“I’m looking forward to having you back, Zane,” she said a humorous twinkle playing in her angled eyes, “and to kick your lizard’s tail in training.”
Gunz wasn’t sure why he did it, but after the audience with the Scarlet Queen, he opened his portal to the back of Angelique’s condominium building. He did it without thinking about what he was going to tell her. He didn’t doubt that Jim told her about his decision to leave. And now he was standing in front of her door, his eyes reading the numbers three-one-three over and over again.
I shouldn’t be here, he thought, biting his lip. Angelique deserved a man who could commit to her fully. Someone who is always going to be there for her. Not a man who doesn’t know when he is going to be summoned at any moment. I’m not free to have any kind of real relationship. He rubbed his forehead tiredly. With my job, she will always be in danger. I can’t do it to her.
“What was I thinking,” he mumbled, stepping away from the door.
The door opened, and a bright electric light cut through his eyes that already got accustomed to the darkness of the hallway. He raised his arm, shielding his eyes. In the shining yellow rectangle of the doorway, he saw Angelique’s silhouette.
“I thought you were a lizard, but you’re really just a chicken,” she huffed, shaking her head.
Before he could say anything, she seized his shirt and yanked him inside her apartment. He stood silently, gazing down at her as she locked the door and put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.
“Zane Burns, I could feel your magical energy as soon as you stopped in front of my door,” said Angelique with reproach. “You stood there doing nothing for twenty minutes. Did you know that?”
“Angie—”
“Don’t Angie me, Zane,” said Angelique, angry tears gathering in her eyes. “Were you going to leave for six months without saying goodbye to me?”
“Of course not, Angie. I was going—”
“You were going to what? Text me that you are going to be gone for half a year, you asshole?” Hot tears were running down her face, leaving glistening traces on her flushed cheeks. “You showed up, you said your goodbyes. Woohoo! Now get the hell out!”
Her words deeply cut through him, but he silently turned around and put his hand on the door handle, ready to leave. Before he opened the door, Angelique grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around. He stood with his arms down, staring at her, hurt and confused, not sure what to do next.
“You’re such an idiot,” whispered Angelique, tears still shimmering in her eyes. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him, stretching up to her tiptoes.
Carefully, like he was afraid that she would reject him, he encircled her waist, pulling her closer. The salty taste of her tears on his lips and the delicate scent of her skin made his head spin. He groaned softly as the warmth spread through him, reigniting the fire within. With effort, he pulled away from her, taking her hands into his and noticed that his hands were trembling slightly.
“Angie…” He swallowed, his throat dry.
“I know what you are going to say,” muttered Angelique, “and I don’t care to hear it. You’re afraid to hurt me. Your fire. Blah blah blah.”
Gunz chuckled. He let go of her hands and wiped the tears off her face with his fingers. “Fire Salamanders don’t say, blah blah blah, Angie,” he said, imitating the voice of Dracula from the cartoon Hotel Transylvania. Then he sighed, switching back to his serious mode. “I can do it. I just don’t think we should.”
“Okay, let me hear your next lame excuse, Zane,” muttered Angelique, throwing her hands in the air.
“I don’t have excuses,” replied Gunz. “My lifestyle is complicated and dangerous, and I don’t want to drag you into the mess I’m living in. You deserve someone who will give everything to you—his love, his attention, full commitment. With my job, I can’t.”
Angelique stared at him for a moment and then sighed, looking heavenward. “Did I mention that you’re an idiot?”
He nodded, smiling at her. More than anything he wanted to reach into his pocket and put on the bracelet that Mrak Delar gave him, but something was stopping him. He looked at his watch—less than an hour left before Kal would summon him.
&
nbsp; “Angie, we have about thirty minutes before Kal will open the portal to Kendral for me,” said Gunz.
“I don’t care. Then these thirty minutes are mine. For these thirty minutes, you belong to me,” she whispered, gently pressing him against the wall. She put her hand on the back of his head, pushing his face down and kissed him, a short and passionate kiss. “No more excuses…”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. As he returned her kiss, he found the bracelet in his pocket and locked it around his wrist. For a few seconds, the world around him spun in one continuous blur. Gunz held his breath, feeling her demanding lips crushing his, and he wasn’t sure if it was the magic of the bracelet that was making him dizzy or the desire that was permeating between them. Effortlessly, he lifted her, gently holding her to his chest and carried her to the couch.
Gunz felt the persistent pull of Kal’s summoning spell in his head, but he didn’t want to move. It wasn’t as bad as the summoning spell that Aidan used, but it still wasn’t pleasant. He gazed down at Angelique. She laid her head on his shoulder and her long dark hair spilled all over his chest. He wished he could stay like this forever. He sighed and tenderly kissed the top of her head. Her lips quirked up in a blissful smile.
“Is it time?” she whispered, sitting up, caressing his unclothed chest with her eyes.
Gunz nodded and got up. He got dressed quickly and kneeled in front of the couch where Angelique was sitting. Holding her hands in his, he turned her hands palms up and kissed them one at the time.
“I have to go, Angie,” he said, rising. “Kal is summoning me. It’s not a good idea to make him wait.”
“You come back to me.” It wasn’t a question. Her statement sounded like an order.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, lifting his hand in a military style salute. “Six months from now and you’ll be the first person to know. And when I come to see you, I promise, I’m not going to stay twenty minutes in front of your door.”