Epilogue two
EPILOGUE TWO
R hi
Eight years later
“So, remember, class, I want three pages on the fundamentals of broom flying on my desk by next lesson.”
As predicted, the class groans.
“Can’t we just move on to dragons? We’ve been stuck doing stupid broom stuff for ever,” Stu – the academy’s newest dueling hotshot – mutters from the back of my classroom.
“Show me you can master broom flying, and then we’ll move on to the dragons.” I cross my hands over my front, which is becoming increasingly difficult to do given the giant size of my belly. The baby – who I swear is going to be a dueling star themselves – automatically kicks against my arm. “My dragons are precious and I don’t want inexperienced riders hurting them.”
I fail to mention I jumped on to the back of a dragon myself with absolutely no training or guidance at all. There are some things the students don’t need to know.
“But broom flying is just so,” Stu pulls a face, “wussy.”
“Coach Spencer says being able to fly a broomstick saved his life,” Mae says, glaring at Stu. She’s one of the students from the West – more and more coming to the academy each year. When she arrived she was pretty shy, but she’s growing in confidence with a little bit of encouragement.
I smile to myself. Spencer on that broom all those years ago could hardly be described as flying. My mate hasn’t been back on one since. He likes to call them death-sticks.
“Mae is right,” I say, smiling at my student. “Don’t be quick to dismiss certain forms of magic. All of it may prove useful at some point in your life.”
Stu glares back at Mae and I’m pretty certain they have the hots for each other. Even if they’d never admit it. Love and hate. In my experience, there’s a very thin line between the two.
Above me the bell rings out and the students begin to pack up their belongings.
“Be warned, I will know if you’ve used an auto-writing spell!” I call out as they head for the door. “Trust me, I know all the tricks.”
“Do you now, Professor Blackwaters?” a masculine voice rumbles from the doorway as the last student squeezes out of my classroom. It’s the end of the day, the end of the week, they’re keen to get away – especially as this weekend is the annual Founders’ Night celebration .
I peer up from the books I’m collecting and smile over at Stone.
“Well, obviously not as many as an old-crusty professor like you but …”
He curls his lip down and gives me the puppy dog eyes, stalking over towards me with his hand on his heart.
“I’m hurt. Am I getting too old for you? The age difference isn’t that big.”
When he reaches me, he rests his palms on my belly, causing the baby to wriggle again and I reach up to stroke my fingers through his beard. There’s more white in it than there used to be, more white in the hair around his ears too, plus crinkles around his eyes. It makes him, somehow, more handsome than he ever was.
My tummy flutters and this time it isn’t the baby.
“Not too old,” I tell him. “Just right.”
I fling my magic against the open door, slamming it shut and kiss him. An act that’s also becoming more difficult with this enormous baby. Not surprising given the size of its dads.
“Come on,” he says, picking up my bag and offering me the crook of his elbow. “I’ll walk you home.”
It’s become our little routine. Ever since I started working at the academy five years ago, he’s come to collect me from the classroom at the end of lessons. There hasn’t been a day he has missed.
The paths are bustling with students this evening, all buzzing with excitement, and we catch snatches of conversations about costumes and decorations. The themes and creations seem to get wilder by the year.
I lean into Stone. “Let’s cast that protective bubble again this year. I want to spend the weekend sitting peacefully on the couch with my feet up. ”
“No plans to join the festivities then, Professor Blackwaters?”
“Have you seen the size of my ankles?”
“Renzo could probably brew you a potion for that.”
“Maybe one to get this baby moving outwards as well.” I’m already five days past my due date and am very over being pregnant.
Stone shakes his head. “We’ve been over that. There’s no potion for inducing birth.”
“Of course not,” I say grumpily.
“You know what else there isn’t a spell for?”
“No.”
“Finding out who is cheating on their homework.”
“I know,” I say, shaking my head. “But Winnie likes us to pretend there is. She says it keeps the students honest.”
“You know, I’m surprised Principal Wence hasn’t found a way to detect cheating. If anyone could, it would be her.”
“Nope, you’re still our best way of uncovering cheats, Professor Stone.”
He groans. His dislike for wandering into adolescent minds and the gruesome things he finds there has only increased the older he’s become.
We reach the gymnasium, and I rest on a tree stump. I’m pretty sure it’s the tree stump that I tied Summer Clutton-Brock up against. Which makes it one of my favorites. I haven’t seen her in years but eventually our paths will cross. I hear she married some older dude and had a bunch of kids. At some point, they’ll make it to the academy but I have a few more years of peace before that happens at least.
Stone tells me about his day and after a few minutes, Spencer emerges from the gymnasium, dressed in his usual tracksuit, his whistle hanging around his neck. Hank gave it to him when he retired and Spencer took the job. It’s rarely left his neck since.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says, leaning down to kiss me, and then the bump. The bump responds with another strong kick. Spencer chuckles. “This baby has to be Renzo’s. It’s so damn violent.”
“Not violent,” I say, rubbing my belly. “Active. Which means it could just as well be yours.”
“Doesn’t matter whose it is,” Stone says. “Baby Blackwaters belongs to us all.”
Spencer nods in agreement and then together my two mates haul me back up onto my feet.
“I’m so tired,” I moan when I’m vertical again.
“Because you should be home resting, not teaching,” Spencer says.
“But I love teaching.”
Stone smiles at me, kissing the crown of my head. “I know you do, sweetheart.”
We continue our walk – although I’m definitely waddling, not walking – towards the meadow, the number of students thinning now until there are none at all. On the edge of the meadow we stop and I catch my breath. Not because I’m that incapable of movement or because the baby is definitely restricting the capacity of my lungs, but because the sight of our home still manages to whip my breath right away.
Is it some magnificent palace like the Black Prince’s? No. Is it some grand mansion like Christopher Kennedy’s? No. Is it some snazzy pad the like of which Summer Clutton-Brock is probably living in? No.
But it’s ours. All ours.
Winnie – the youngest principal to be given the position once Mrs. Hollyhill passed – gave us permission to knock down Stone’s old cabin and build something big enough for all of us and our growing family.
And it’s perfect. Just perfect.
Feeling my presence through the bond, Renzo steps out onto the porch, lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the setting sun and gazing out at us. He’s followed quickly by our daughter Mabel who comes toddling out in the company of Coco the cat, Ryan the rooster and Penny the pig.
We may live on academy grounds and not a farm, but Renzo’s been slowly cultivating the meadow, nonetheless, even teaching the odd student or two about growing vegetables and rearing chickens and pigs.
“Mama!” Mabel cries out, lifting her hands in my direction, brightly colored magic zig zagging over the grass.
I pick up my pace and meet her attempting to descend the porch steps which is tough when your legs are so short.
I pick her up into my arms and plant a sloppy kiss on each of her cheeks and then, stroking her dark curly hair from her forehead, plant a kiss there too.
“Yuck, Mama,” she complains, furrowing her brow over her dark eyes in an expression stolen entirely from her dad.
“Did you miss me?” I ask.
“No,” she says as I place her back on the porch. “Papa and me been playing chase the chick chicks.”
I stare at Renzo. He shrugs. “She wanted to.”
“And you couldn’t say no? Those poor chickens.”
The side of his mouth lifts in a half smile. “You know I can’t say no to my girls.”
He helps me climb the steps, kissing me slow and deep as the others smother Mabel in kisses of their own and then we go inside, shutting out all the animal invaders and the noise from the campus .
“Are Tristan and Azlan back from the council yet?” I ask, as I sink into a couch and kick off my shoes.
“Nope,” Renzo calls back.
I peek down at my feet and wince.
“Here, Mama,” Mabel says, dragging a foot stool across the room and then struggling to lift each of my legs and place them on the cushion.
“Thank you, sweetie,” I say, patting the space next to me and inviting her up for a cuddle.
“Baby not come yet?” she asks, poking the dome of my stomach. The baby kicks back.
“Nope, not yet.”
“It’s okay. Baby stay there,” she tells me. I laugh, running my fingers through her curls. I take it she likes being an only child.
“Don’t worry. Being a big sister is going to be awesome.”
She looks at my belly, definitely not convinced, and then pops her thumb in her mouth, curling up against my side.
Soon, we’re dozing off, and I only stir when someone gently nudges my shoulder.
Azlan.
“Dinner’s ready,” he tells me before kissing me.
“Did Renzo cook or …”
“No, I did.” He lifts Mabel up into his arms and she stirs too.
“Dinner time. Daddy cooked,” he tells her as she yawns.
“S’getti?”
“You bet.”
“Up!” she commands, and he tosses her high up into the air and catches her as we walk through to the dining table.
She shrieks with delight, making him do it five more times before she consents to the high chair, still giggling wildly. I’ve been trying to teach her to use a fork, but she’s much happier to use her magic to wiggle the pasta through the air and into her mouth. I’m amazed how much she can do already. I think she’ll end up a fearsome magical.
I peer down at my belly. I think this one will be, too. If they ever decide to emerge.
“How was the council today?” Spencer asks Tristan and Azlan, as Stone and Renzo amuse our daughter by turning their own dinners into wriggling plates full of worms.
“Trade negotiations,” Tristan says. He rolls his eyes, like he doesn’t live for that stuff. No more battling out on the dueling pitch. These days all his battling is done around negotiation and deal tables. “They weren’t budging on the custom levels, but we got there in the end.”
A lock of his fair hair falls into his face. He doesn’t wear it so messy these days, attempts to slick it back. It’s a losing battle.
It makes those butterflies in my stomach flutter again.
“Azlan?” I ask.
He twirls his fork around, eyes flicking towards Mabel. Satisfied she’s distracted, he says, “We have a lead on the criminals who imported dodo feathers into the republic. We’re going to be making arrests.”
“Good job, Captain,” I say, smiling at him and raising my glass of juice.
Tristan rests his hand on my thigh.
“How about you, Piglet?” After all this time, he still insists on calling me that. Obviously, I pretend I hate it. I don’t. “How was your day?”
“Well …” I say, opening my mouth to tell him.
But then a sharp pain sears through my stomach. I peer down at my belly.
“How about I tell you another time?” I say, because this baby is finally on its way .
The End
The Arrow Hart Journey
The first Arrow Hart book, Fractured Fates , released a year to the day of this final one, Destined Dawn . But the story, as with all stories, started long before. In fact, probably more than a year before. A year day dreaming and mulling over this story, trying to nail that first book and creating the characters I’ve come to treasure and adore.
I’ve never written a series this long before and I’ve had to be patient. All those mysteries and secrets that couldn’t come out until the end when I’ve been dying to spill them right from the start. Patience is hard, folks – especially for me – but hopefully it paid off. Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading Rhi’s story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Below, I’ve shared some little bits of information and writing inside secrets I thought you might be interested to read.
Once again, a massive thank you for following Rhi, her mates and her friends on this journey and for trusting me to deliver this story to you. Without your wonderful support and feedback, lovely readers, who knows if I’d ever finish a story at all ??
· My dad is a massive Fleetwood Mac fan. Growing up, I loved the song Rhiannon about the witch taken by the wind. I knew if I ever wrote a story about a witch that would have to be her name!
· Of course, I needed a name for Rhi’s friend – a second witch. I wanted something a little comical to suit her character. Winnie is totally named after Winnie the witch from the childr en’s book. Look it up if you have kids – they’re really funny.
· It was planned long ago that one of Rhi’s mates would call her piglet once he fell for her but I had to wait for exactly the right moment for that to happen! I ummed and ahhed about when exactly – hopefully I hit it right.
· I had no idea Spencer was a werebeast – he revealed this to me as I wrote the first book. Lots of the characters reveal things about themselves as I write and get to know them better. Back story and the events in people’s pasts that influence their behavior today really fascinates me.
· Renzo is probably the most fun and also the hardest character I’ve ever written. His way of thinking is so out-of-the-box and different from mine that I have to concentrate extra hard when I’m writing his chapters to stay in his head and in his voice. He is exhausting – good luck to Rhi!!
· I did a poll in my facebook group to see what people wanted to happen to Summer. Overwhelmingly, people wanted her to get her just desserts. I think she did but, I don’t know, I still hold out hope for her to be redeemed. I’m a sucker for a redemption.
· My all-time favorite book ever is Pride & Prejudice. I’ve probably read it at least fifty times and have watched all the adaptations. There are often little P&P easter eggs in my stories. If you spotted them in Rhi’s story, well done to you!
So what’s next, Hannah?
I’ll be releasing deluxe special Arrow Hart Academy editions in 2025 with new covers and beautiful artwork! The Kickstarter campaign will launch in January - you can follow it here !
And, if you enjoyed Rhi’s story and want more like it, be sure t o check out my new series, The Firestone Academy , coming early 2025. It’s going to have everything you love:
· A kick-ass heroine and ruthless love interests
· Magical beings and creatures
· Enemies-to-lovers and a drop of fated mates
· Secrets and mysteries to be solved – not everything is as it appears!
You can read on for a sneaky peek of the first two chapters of book one, Storm of Shadows .
And you can pre-order here now!
Oh, and if you’d like a steamy bonus scene between Rhi and the beast, check out my website – it’s where you can find all my bonus content!