Epilogue

10 Months later

As I stand in the living room of my new home, I am flooded with a surge of contentment, surrounded by my wife and baby girl.

In the last thirteen years, I would never have pictured my life ending up here. Happy, married, and with a mini version of myself in the world, but the universe had other plans this last year.

“She’s beautiful, Drake.” Shado says as he looks down at the tiny human being in his arms, deemed his new god-daughter.

I can feel the tears pricking at my eyes when he looks up at me.

“She gets that from her mother.” I smile as I run my thumb gently across Ariana’s tiny cheek.

I lovingly glance over at CiCi, who is curled up on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. She is taking a much-deserved nap after having a rough night with the baby while Shado and I went about our nightly excursions.

It has become routine. I gather the intel at Raven’s under the guise of the corrupt CEO and Shado goes out, taking down the criminals of Edinburgh.

Across the television, a familiar face flashes across the screen.

Calista Silvestri, Enzo’s daughter. She has become better known in the city as The Huntress, who has been openly carrying out her father’s orders the last few months since the attacks at the docks.

“Hey, turn that up.” Shado nods toward the TV screen as the reporter speaks.

“Breaking news: Calista Silvestri, daughter of notorious mafia don Enzo Silvestri, has died. Reports say that Silvestri, died after being trapped in a burning building in one of her family owned factory buildings. However, authorities did not recover her body. This story is developing.”

“Well, well, the Kingdom has taken a hit. That will take Enzo off the board for a while. Now, we only need to focus on Demassi for the time being,” I say, turning my attention back to Shado.

Looking down at Ariana, he looks distracted, as though he didn’t hear me.

“Shado?” I raise my voice a little louder to gain his attention.

His head pops up.

For a moment, anger flashes in his eyes, but then his face turns white, as though he just saw a ghost. “Y-Yeah, What?”

“Demassi? We need to focus on taking him down next.”

Shaking his head, he regains his composure. “Yeah. But let me do the dirty work at Raven’s from now on.” He pauses. “You have too much responsibility here to go out in the city anymore. Let me keep you and your family safe.”

After hesitating for a beat, I nod. “Are you ready for the next part of the plan?”

Looking at me with a fire in his eyes, he says, “I was born ready.”

“Good, because you’re not going to replace me and become The Dragon. It’s time for you to become a ghost.”

Looking down at my god-daughter, I try to hide my surprised expression from Drake at the news report on the television screen. I try to focus on the next phase of our plan, taking down my father and Enzo Silvestri, but my mind is flooded with visions of her.

Drake can never know what I did that night—no one can—but like the Phoenix, she rose from the ashes.

To be continued…

Interested in hearing more about Shado the Phoenix? Read on in Rising from the Ashes releasing June 28th, 2024.