epilogue
Frey stood at the edge of a crater, bubbling with rage. He screamed and sent a dark orb ripping through a Guard member’s chest. The skinny boy of fourteen toppled over. Frey’s eyes took in the other members of the Guard, challenging them to say something.
None did.
They’re scared, and more than usual. He’d been angrier since his brother had gone missing. He tried to play it off as nothing, but Armaan, clever and careful as he was, couldn’t completely hide his distaste for the Ancients or the Guard. He knew if his brother was gone it was because he had wanted to run off and join his old friend Cole and the rest of the dissenters.
He looked back into the pit and jumped in. Kicking the flowers aside, he uncovered the black tar that was the remains of Elijah.
He took a knee, trying to compose himself, and studied the dark earth. He reached down and slowly ran the tips of his fingers across the thick tar. He turned his blackened fingertips toward him, inspecting the strange sticky matter. It was then that he noticed it. He froze in place, gazing at his hand before movement at the lip of the hole caught his eye.
“Everything okay, boss?” Chet asked nervously.
Frey smiled and picked a large vibrant peony. The rich crimson of the flower reflected off his exposed teeth, staining them an eerie red. He brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. “Oh, everything is more than okay,” Frey said triumphantly. He stood up, letting the flower fall from his palm, which bore a strange but familiar mark.
the end
