Epilogue

TWO WEEKS LATER

CAMERON

T he aftermath of any battle comes with highs and lows. Death lingers, weaving its way among the survivors to remind them of their mortality. After the rift closed, there was a numbness followed by a haze of activity as the council and the human government sought to restructure because, although the world would always need guardians, there was no longer a need for such rigorous training methods. The threat that had hovered over us for over a century was gone. Gargoyles were free to choose what to do with their lives. To serve and protect humanity or…not.

My mother had died to give me a second chance at life. By borrowing my power, she'd tricked the ring into using her as a conduit. The life I would lead now was all due to her sacrifice, and I wasn't going to squander it. I had wings now, a graynite form of my own, and there was a big wide world out there, waiting to be explored. I was going to see it all with my mate at my side…Once we separated him from Ubron, that was.

Ubron watched me now from his spot on the infirmary bed in Ivor's base. I fixed a reassuring smile on my face. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's get this done," he said.

Fear flashed in his eyes, and I took his hand and squeezed. "It will work. Willowman is confident."

"I have no doubt." He seemed suddenly small in that moment, even though he took up the whole of the infirmary bed.

"Then what is it?"

His gaze tripped over my face. "You."

My heart did that strange squeeze that it seemed to do around him now. It was the fake bond we shared. One that was accidentally forged when I consummated with Serath. Neither of us had chosen it. Neither of us understood or had a choice, and we'd spent the past few weeks looking for a way to undo it with the help of Willowman and Mirrowind.

During that time, we'd become friends. Closer in a way we probably should have avoided because it fed the bond, and yes, the thought of this working scared me too. Part of me wanted to keep him, even though I knew it would be unfair to all three of us.

It was the fake bond.

Once the extraction was complete, that bond would be broken, and we'd both be free of this feeling. We weren't fated mates like Serath and me. Not drawn together and chosen to be one by the cosmos. This…what we felt wasn't real.

Ivor entered the room. "The others are on their way. Everything all right here?" He put his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, accepting the hug. We'd leaned on each other the past couple of weeks, sharing stories about Melanie and bonding.

She'd given me life and protected me even from beyond the grave, and I'd never forget her sacrifice. She was a part of me forever, and all I could do was hope that some part of her had made it to a place where there was peace.

As for Ivor and the graynites, they were free now, no longer considered villains, able to do whatever they wanted. They were in talks with the government to figure out where they could help the most.

Willowman and Mirrowind entered the infirmary, and Mirrowind pulled the blinds open to let in the moonlight. It kissed my skin and sent a shiver through me. My body was reaching the point when I'd need feeding, but both Serath and I had agreed it was unfair to Ubron for us to be sexually intimate until we'd freed him. He felt too much of what Serath did now.

Abstaining was hard, and I was hungry for Serath's touch and, if I was honest, for Ubron's too.

"You need to step back," Mirrowind said.

Two guardians carried a body bag into the room and placed it on the bed next to Ubron's.

My stomach turned as they unzipped it to reveal the fake Yarrow's dead body, still ice-cold from storage. For some reason, he'd retained his stolen face. Maybe because the real Yarrow from the cell was dead. A heart attack, they said.

Willowman drew a symbol on Yarrow's forehead and another on Ubron's.

Panic formed a fist in my chest. "Are you sure this won't pull out Serath?"

"Positive," Willowman said. "This is Serath's natural body. The spell only attaches itself to the essence that does not belong."

"It's a bastardized version of what some religious sects would use to draw out spirits from bodies," Mirrowind said. She smiled warmly at Willowman. "We added a few embellishments."

Panic squeezed my heart. "Ubron, are you sure you want to do this? Take that body?"

His eyes darkened. "There is no other option if you wish me gone."

Wish him gone… "I don't wish you gone."

He lightly touched my cheek and my heart hurt. "This is not real, Cameron. This feeling. We do not deserve to be captivated by an illusion."

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

"Please do it now," Ubron said to Willowman.

I stepped away so that Willowman and Mirrowind could work. Willowman took Ubron's hand and linked hands with Mirrowind, who then placed her free hand on Yarrow's forehead directly on the symbol.

They chanted in unison, twin voices of different timbres, rising and falling in a soothing rhythm that sounded almost like a coaxing lullaby.

The hair on my nape stood to attention and my chest warmed as the connection that I'd come to recognize as my bond to Ubron tingled and tugged, once, twice, and a third time, so hard it forced a soft cry from my lips.

Then it was gone.

Simply gone.

I exhaled sharply and focused on Yarrow's body. Had it worked? The bond was gone so…

Willowman and Mirrowind stopped chanting.

"Did it work?" I hurried over. "Is he okay? Did you do it?"

"I believe so," Willowman said.

"Give it a moment," Mirrowind added.

But the fist of panic inside me tightened. "Ubron? Are you there? Can you hear me?" Nothing. "Where is he? What did you do to?—"

Yarrow sucked in a breath and opened his eyes.

No. Not Yarrow any longer.

Ubron.

ONE WEEK LATER

The empty, moon-washed academy grounds were something I'd never forget. The memory of this place would be imprinted on my mind forever, especially the view from the observatory.

"Hey…" Curi slipped into the room. "Where's Serath?"

"Asleep. Hosting Ubron meant that even when he slept, he didn't sleep well. He's catching up now, I guess."

"I'm glad I've got you alone actually…Can we…talk?"

My stomach dipped as I turned to face him. "Of course."

He joined me at the window. "Everything is changing, but I started changing a while back…when I met you actually."

"You were an ass."

"I was, wasn't I?"

"My blue-haired bully."

"I'm sorry."

"It's forgotten. That was never who you were…not really."

"And you helped me accept that," he said. "Thank you for being my friend and for opening my heart. For loving me and allowing me to love you."

My throat pinched. "I'll always love you, Curi. You know that, right?"

"Yeah…I do, and I also know what I want in a woman, in a mate, because of you. Thank you for not allowing us to cross the line because this…you leaving would have hurt so much more otherwise."

I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. "I'll always be there for you. You can call me whenever."

He smiled wryly. "About that…I might not be in a place that takes calls."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm leaving too, Cam. Levi and I."

"Where are you going?"

"Some isle off the coast. They need enforcers. I'll explain more at supper. But I…I wanted to tell you first."

He and Levi were leaving? Truly leaving and I wouldn't see them again? "Curi…" My voice cracked. "I'm going to miss you so fucking much."

His smile was a fractured, broken thing. "Yeah, me too. But I got dibs on you in the next life."

Hot tears blurred my vision. "Can I get a hug?"

He held out his arms, and I stepped into them for what would probably be the last time in a long time.

Levi answered his bedroom door, book in hand, hair mussed. "Hey. Everything okay?"

"Curi told me that you're leaving."

His shoulders tensed a little. "Ah, yes. We were going to tell you all at dinner tomorrow."

And yet Curi had come to find me, to give me a heads-up. Levi hadn't, but I wasn't about to make an issue out of it. This was what he needed, and I was going to let him have it. "I just…I wanted to say good luck and that…that I'll miss you."

His wary gaze softened. "Thank you. I'll miss you too." His throat bobbed and my heart ached for him. For the pain I'd unwittingly caused him.

"I'm sorry, Levi. For everything."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said. "We don't control fate."

"I know but…I want you to be happy."

"I will," he said with confidence. "I promise."

I believed him.

It had been too long since I'd had Serath inside me, pinning me to the bed with his huge frame as he drove into me hard and fast, hitting the sweet spot that had me hurtling toward release. He made a guttural sound as I came around him, my body spasming and clutching at him. But he kept going, smooth, hard strokes that fed my release until I was sobbing and begging for him to stop. Only then did he seat himself fully, his cock swelling and stretching me in a way that had me biting down on his shoulder to stifle my scream of pleasure.

Our bond flared, ribbons of power curling around us and cradling us, locking us in place as he rolled his hips against me and filled me with his hot seed.

Now that Ubron was gone, our bond was stronger than ever. This…this was how it should have been from the start.

Are you all right? His voice in my head gave me delicious chills .

I am. You?

Still hungry. He nibbled on my ear, and I giggled.

"We should shower and dress. It'll be dinner soon." Speaking out loud felt strange now that we could communicate silently if we wished.

He pushed up on his palms and surveyed the room, stripped bare now and ready for whoever would claim it once the academy had been restructured. "Maybe we should flip the mattress."

"I think whoever gets this room will need a new mattress altogether."

His eyes heated. "In that case, we should ruin this one as much as we can." He claimed my mouth in a savage kiss that instantly reawakened my desire.

Dinner would have to wait.

I'd come to the academy with nothing, and I was leaving with nothing but my mate. Essentials would be acquired on our journey. I stood in the doorway of the room Serath and I had shared for the past few weeks. Empty now. Bedframe sitting stark and lonely without a mattress.

Oh, that poor mattress…

Serath joined me, slipping his arms around my waist. "Dinner's almost ready."

I leaned into him. "The last one here."

"We don't have to leave if you don't want to."

"No. I want to. I'm excited, but I will miss everyone."

"We're not leaving forever. We'll come and visit." He kissed the top of my head. "Come on. Let's get some food. Everyone is waiting. Romi arrived five minutes ago too. He's in the observatory."

"And Lionel?"

"No, he's on council business."

Lionel's, my brother's, promotion had come swiftly after the faction was taken down and Ulrickson had resigned his position along with all the other goyles who'd been under faction influence. But Romi had spent the past week getting tested and prodded and probed along with the other goyles who'd been hosts to the infernals. We'd barely had time to catch up and now I was leaving.

"I'll get Romi and meet you in the dining room."

"Take your time," Serath said with a smile.

I kissed his cheek and hurried out of the room.

I found Romi by the window looking out at the sunset. He was wearing his favorite blue sweatshirt and the joggers I'd bought him for his birthday a couple of years ago. It was so good to see him again. Safe and whole and…him once more.

The last few months were a blur for him. He didn't remember anything after being taken by the faction. Serath's experience with Ubron was unique due to our bond. But the other goyles all reported that they'd been dreaming. As for Romi's girlfriend…well, she fit the description of Yolina to a T.

But he was free now. Here now with all of us.

"Hey…" He smiled and ushered me over. "Come give me a hug."

I fell into his arms, biting back a delighted squeal as he squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. "Love you." He kissed me again. "So, so much."

"I love you too."

"And just when I'm free of all the tests, you're leaving."

"I'm sorry. I?—"

"I'm joking." His expression sobered. "Cameron, honestly, I'm so happy for you. So fucking proud of you and…I'm so bloody grateful. You saved me. You didn't give up and you saved me."

I blinked against the heat gathering behind my eyes. "You would have done the same for me."

He cupped my face. "I would like to think that I'd have had the same convictions but…I don't know if I would have had the faith that you showed. You believed I was alive, then you believed I could be saved against all odds. I can never repay you for that."

I covered his hands with mine. "Yes, you can. Live your life and be happy."

He gave me one of his sloppy smiles. "Oh, I can do that but only if you promise to do it too."

"Deal."

He turned us to look at the view, tucking me against his side. "Fuck this cousin bullshit. You'll always be my little sister."

I rested my head on his chest. "Deal."

The evening meal with the group felt so normal it was difficult to imagine it would be our last one for some time. I set that thought aside and fell into the buzz of conversation, enjoying the aroma of all the delicious foods, and the company of all my friends, all except Ubron.

He'd left soon after the transfer, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss him. But he'd promised to find me when he was done finding himself. The mate bond was gone, but we'd formed a bond of friendship. Maybe we'd bump into him on our travels.

"Cake!" Ginia cried. "And lots of it. That's what I'd want if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life."

I tuned back into the conversation.

"Steak," Curi said.

"Yes!" Touron agreed. "Your steak is lush."

"What about you, Derek?" Palia asked.

"I like eggs," he said.

Sharniza laughed. "You'd live off eggs if you could."

"I'd take pasta any day," Romi said. He beamed at me from across the table.

"How's Ivor?" Willowman asked me.

"He's good. We're going to swing by and see him before we head off into the rims."

Derek's eyes dimmed. "I will miss you, my Cameron."

"You can find me whenever you want."

"Just…knock first," Serath said.

Everyone laughed and Taz chose the break in conversation to hop onto the table. He picked his way delicately between the plates to Orix then jumped up to sit across his neck and shoulders, purring loudly. Content. Just like the rest of us.

Touron cleared his throat. "I have some news. I've decided to take the serum they found at the faction facility."

The guardians had found vials of serum at Yarrow's base. The same serum mentioned in a journal that Sharniza had found in the abandoned base. One that would silence Touron's primal mating gene.

"They've tested it?" Levi asked.

"Yes," Touron said. "Well, as much as they can without administering it. I'll be the first goyle subject."

"Touron…" Palia said softly. "Are you sure about this?"

His smile was filled with conviction. "More than anything. I want this. I want to be with Selas."

"Does she know?" Shar asked.

"No. I don't want to get her hopes up if it doesn't work. The alchemists testing it have said that it will either work or make me a little sick."

The mention of alchemists made me cringe, but not all alchemists were bad guys. Not all had worked with the faction.

I caught Touron's eye. "I hope it works."

"Thank you."

Curi cleared his throat to draw our attention. "Levi and I also have some news." His gaze locked with mine as he spoke. "We're leaving too."

My stomach dropped even though I already knew. Thank goodness he'd given me a heads-up.

"Where are you going?" Palia asked.

"Farnell has an assignment for us."

"I've been wondering what he's been up to," Orix said. "He diverts the conversation every time I ask."

Levi and Curi exchanged glances, and it was Levi who replied. "There's an isle off the northern edge of the rims where there's a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Serath asked.

"A mystical infection that they believe was spawned when the first rift was opened. Now we have more information about how the implosion device was created and how Yarrow used the dark weave to kill the coven and most of their bloodlines, it seems like he subverted magic somehow. Twisting it and turning it into an infection. The infected were all placed on the isle a long time ago. It's a unique place, and they're in need of enforcers."

It sounded dangerous. "What if you get infected?"

"Only humans can be infected," Levi said.

"You're part human."

"I'm part druid," he replied. "The human element in me is weak. I was tested."

"We'll be fine," Curi said. "We've got each other's backs."

They grinned at each other, and my panic ebbed.

"And what if we need to get in touch with you?" Touron asked.

"You can't," Levi said. "This is a one-way trip, at least for now."

Silence dropped over us like a shroud because this…this was the real goodbye.

"Hey," Curi said. "I'm sure we'll get the chance to come back…someday. Now that we know more about how the infection was born, there's a chance to cure it, right?"

"Right," Levi said.

"Things are advancing all the time," Palia agreed.

But the mood had shifted. Duller now that we were losing two of the members of our family for good.

Orix cleared his throat. "What's your plan, Palia?"

"Ginia and I are headed back to Arcadia," Palia said. "I want to teach."

"I want to open a dress shop," Ginia said.

I looked over at Shar and Derek. "What about you two?"

"We're staying put," Sharniza said. "The world still needs guardians." She smiled. "And someone needs to train them. Romi and Orix are going to help. Willowman says he'll stick around for a while. He'll be back once he's done interrogating all the alchemists."

As the only witch around, Willowman had been tasked with questioning the surviving members of the faction. I was sure I'd see him again soon.

I'd see all of them soon. Even Curi and Levi. We'd find a way.

We were family, and no matter where I went, these people would always be my home.

"I propose a toast," Romi said. "To new beginnings."

Everyone raised their glasses. "New beginnings."

Everything was changing, and for once, that wasn't a bad thing.

THE END