Epilogue
"The funny thing about endings is that they rarely feel like the end. Most of the time, they're just the moment you finally realize your story is only beginning."
One Year Later
The knife is thrown at my head, I duck, pivot and reach out and grab it. Then immediately teleport behind Asher and place the knife to his throat. His eyes widen.
"That's cheating."
I grin. "Says the man carrying three knives."
"Those are tools."
"They're literally knives."
He turns and I pivot again and launch myself at him, a year ago he would have easily caught me. Today? Not so much. I twist, using my increased speed to slip around his guard before tapping the center of his chest.
"Dead." Asher groans.
"Again?"
"Again." His arms wrap around my waist before I can escape.
I laugh as he lifts me off the ground.
"You're getting cocky, Red."
"I learned from the best."
His smile immediately softens, the same smile that still manages to make my heart skip.
Even after a year. Life looks very different now.
Asher and I live together now in the house Knightfall purchased in Raven Hills.
We sold the property next door that I grew up in.
Declan lives with us as well. Hannah does too right now.
She moved in after she got out of the hospital since she needed help moving around and then rehab.
She had to let the lease on her apartment go, and missed a lot of work.
She refused to take any compensation from us and only allowed us to let her stay there while she gets back on her feet.
I can see the way that Declan and her look at each other and I think that there is something there, not that either of them will admit it.
At least not publicly. I don’t know why, we all can see it we still don’t understand how she somehow managed to make the grumpiest man on earth completely devoted to her. Honestly? It's impressive though.
My life has become a strange balance between normal and impossible.
The healing abilities emerged first, obviously.
Within weeks I could heal minor injuries with little effort.
Cuts and bruises no problem, but broken bones required more concentration.
Bringing someone back from the dead, however, remained a one-time miracle that nobody was eager to test again.
Shortly after that came the strength and the reflexes, then there was teleportation.
Knightfall was absolutely thrilled about that one.
Being able to appear almost anywhere and transport up to two people with me turned out to be incredibly useful on missions.
According to Grant, I had become the most undetectable transportation system in the world which Roman declared a walking security violation.
According to Harper, I was a showoff. She wasn't entirely wrong, I was enjoying having some of these gifts.
Most recently, my speed had started increasing.
Every week I seemed a little faster and became a little more connected to whatever lived inside me.
The journals suggested my abilities would continue developing and none of us knew where they ended.
I will admit, that part was terrifying and maybe a little exciting.
"You drifted off again."
I blink and Asher is still holding me. His eyes studying me.
"What were you thinking about?"
"How weird my life is."
He laughs and I lean forward and kiss him.
It is quick and soft but perfect. The sound of a motorcycle engine echoes from the outside.
A second later Roman's black bike comes flying around the corner and pulls into the driveway.
Harper is sitting behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
The second she realizes we can see her, she immediately lets go and climbs off.
Roman smirks and Harper flips him off. They have this little game going back and forth for the last year.
When Harper is home, they act like they hate each other, we all secretly know that when know one is looking that the fuck each other senseless.
The sexual energy between them is unreal.
Shortly after we graduated Harper took off to explore Europe, she said she wanted to take a year off before going to college.
I agreed to take a year off as well, figure it might better to get my gifts under control before I go back to school.
Every few months I get some drunken call from her and have to transport her back here to sober up after one of her many hook ups.
This then causes an argument between her and Roman and shortly later she takes off and he is chasing her hallway around the world.
"I hate him."
Roman's grin widens. "Liar."
"I mean it."
"Liar."
Harper storms toward the house and Roman follows, still grinning.
I look at Asher. "You think they'll ever figure it out?"
"One day"
I hope so because if there is one thing Harper excels at...
It's running from her feelings. Unfortunately for her...
Roman Knight has never lost a chase. As they disappear into the house, I notice something, for the briefest second.
I turn my head to see a shadow moving between the trees.
I teleport over there but it is gone before I get there.
My smile slowly fades and I teleport back to Asher.
"What is it?" Asher asks.
I shake my head. " It was nothing, I thought I saw something but I was wrong" But deep down...
I know that's a lie. I’m not sure who or what it was, but I won’t make the same mistake again, next time I won’t react.
I will just act. We head inside the house and as we do we hear Harper's furious yelling echoing through the house while Roman laughs...
I can't help but smile, because whatever comes next... We're ready for it.