Epilogue- Luther
“AND WE PRESENT to you, our graduating class of the spring. The best and brightest young mages of the Union are ready to begin their internships in the fall. I give you…the future agents of SPELL!” Chief Tuttle waves his hand away from the podium, proudly displaying the young adults to his right.
Applause fills the early summer air here in Scotland, and for good reason.
Family and loved ones from around the world are seated in plastic chairs on the grassy knoll to celebrate the latest batch of skilled sorcery protectors.
But no one has as much love as I do. As I hoot, holler, and applaud in the front row, I can’t take my eyes off the taller blond dude standing at the end of the line-up.
He looks uncomfortable, not just because he’s clearly a late twenty-something-year-old man lined up with a bunch of eighteen-year-olds.
Taz most likely isn’t used to all this organized fanfare and attention.
He needs to get used to it. Because his brother and our friends next to me won’t stop applauding and cheering.
And, of course, I love him. When he shines that perfect grin at me, I know he can read my mind.
He has to recognize how proud I am of him for fast-tracking through the final examinations to become an agent of SPELL.
The past few months since Vik Devries was saved from the Other Side have been blissfully uneventful.
Everyone I know and love is doing alright.
Taz and I sleep at his place most nights, and we’re already planning on me moving in when my apartment lease is up.
I’ve never fallen this hard or this fast before, but the way Taz makes me feel is unlike any other guy I’ve dated.
We’ve always been on the same wavelength, even when we were at each other’s throats as kids. We were obsessed with each other, but now we have a name for it―attraction.
He saunters over to us with that perfect smile. Before I can get my hands on him, his brother and Necia crowd his space. Everyone congratulates Taz and pats him on the back. Max, Cleo, Girish, and my parents all approach as well.
“I’m so proud of my little brother,” Vik says with a cheeky grin.
“Not that little.” Taz hovers his hand in the air, indicating the massive height difference between him and the older-but-smaller Vik. Everyone laughs as Vik rolls his eyes.
“You’ll always be my little brother, Tazmania,” he says in a challenging tone.
My smile falls, and Taz scratches the back of his neck. “Wait, what?”
His face turns red comically quickly. Before he can reply, Mom hugs him. “Congratulations, new wizard cop.”
Taz kisses her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mrs. Westbrook.”
“Hey, let’s get a move on, kids,” Mom replies. “Dinner is on us. Well, my husband.”
Everyone laughs, and Dad approaches Taz.
“Happy to treat you all back in Cosmo.” His smile falls, and he pulls Taz close.
“I know we’ve been through a lot, but…you’ve come a long way.
And you make my son happy.” Dad looks between us, and it all seems so momentous.
“I hope to keep seeing great things from you in the future, Mr. Devries.”
Taz blinks at him, then smiles. “Of course.”
Dad pats his shoulder again. “Alright. So, dinner back at Cosmo?”
“Definitely,” Vik says. “Girish, you coming?”
Girish pushes up his glasses. “Um…I wasn’t sure if…”
“You are so invited,” Taz says, poking Girish in the shoulder.
Why is Gear acting more nervous than usual? “Awesome! A reunion!” Max says, and we all laugh.
Max walks hand-in-hand with Necia as I stroll in the back with my arm linked with my boyfriend. “I’m also very proud of you,” I say quietly. With the bustle of all the family photos around us, no one can hear me.
“You have to say that. You’re the guy I’m shagging,” he says with a grin.
“No,” I reply, and we both laugh.
“Seriously, Luther. You’ve given me more than enough support.”
“Well, get used to it. You’re one of us. No take-backs.”
I laugh, but he studies me solemnly. “I’m…really glad to be here.”
The warmth on my face is almost embarrassing. Taz always finds a way to make me feel off-center. I go for a more jocular approach. “So, like…why is your nickname Tazmania?”
He cringes as we walk into the HQ building. “No,” I whisper gravely.
Taz nods. “Yup.”
“That is…quite a name,” I murmur.
“Hey, you said no take-backs.”
We both crack up as we approach the portals. “Still true…Tazmania,” I whisper.
He groans, and I can’t help but laugh.
Hours later, we’re finishing up our long celebratory meal at Brew-Ha.
It was a great time with all my friends, near and far.
Mom kept fawning over Taz, and I think she likes him more than she likes me, now.
Lisbeth was more than happy to serve us, and the rest of her coven, including Seb and Kai, showed up to meet and congratulate my boyfriend.
But now, as the night is winding down, I’m getting ready to hand him my present. I walk him to my car and ask him to sit on the hood. After procuring the gift bag, my pulse rises.
When I sit next to him, I hand him the gift, and he eagerly pulls it out. Why am I so nervous? Oh yeah, because I’m about as good at gift-giving as I am at talking about my feelings. But Taz is so worth it.
He leafs through the pages with a delicately neutral expression. “What is this?”
I shrug. “Just like…a graduation gift.”
He touches the laminated pages filled with printed pictures of the two of us. “Is that…?”
When I see what he’s touching, I snicker. “Oh yeah. Mom found one picture from junior year where we happened to be next to each other.”
The grainy image shows the teenage versions of both of us, not realizing Mom is taking our picture outside during some magical exhibition.
Mom might not have sorcery, but she magically captured an important moment in time.
Taz is smirking at me, and I’m scowling at him, so a typical day in my seventeen-year-old life.
“Wow,” Taz says. He turns the page to the selfie of him and I at Paris months ago. “You had this?”
“I asked you to send it to me, like weeks ago.”
“All for your nefarious plot.” He sniffs but doesn’t look down. “Plot to make me cry…”
“Huh?”
He looks up at me. “This is so beautiful, Luther. Thank you.”
“Aw, babe.” I wipe away his tear. If teenage me could see us now, he’d lose his little mind. “You haven’t even turned to the best part.”
“I’m a wreck but there’s more?” Taz says, wiping away his tears. We chuckle, and I turn to the final five pages. “There’s…nothing here.”
“Exactly.” I gulp and try to let my heart do the talking. “I’d…like to think we have many more memories to make. You and I.”
Taz nods. “This is the sweetest present I’ve ever received. Thank you, Lulu.” He kisses me sweetly, unspoken promises of forever being exchanged between our lips. “Don’t you hate that nickname?”
“A little.” A wicked grin grows on my face. “But if you piss me off, then I’ll just fuck you harder when we get home.”
He laughs again, and it’s a sound I want to hear for the rest of my life. “I love you, Luther Westbrook. You’ve given me so much.”
I shrug as my own eyes sting. “Fighting with you was natural, but falling in love with you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” I peck his cheek. “And of course, I love you too…Tazmania.”
We both burst into hysterics as he tickles me in faux-anger. Before we can go back to making out, both of our phones buzz. After checking our texts, we nod at each other.
“Monster spotted on the West Coast of America,” I say.
“Seriously, I’ve been an agent for like, five seconds,” he says, wiping his eyes. We promptly get into my car, and I start the engine.
“Ready to save the world, Taz?”
He leans over and kisses me again. “With you, Lulu? I can accomplish anything.”
With magic sizzling between us, we drive off, ready for the next adventure. Perhaps years from now, we’ll tell our kids the story of two boys who were foes, but grew up to be more. For now, I’m saving the world with the man I love―there’s no place I’d rather be.
The End