“I want to go,” he said. “I didn’t sign up for fighting. I thought Nosizwe was going to lead us to tolerance. I just want to be accepted for who and what I am. Sounds like this is the place to find that.”
“I agree,” said a young woman from Sean’s side. “I want to go too.”
“Me too,” said another voice, then another. In all, about a third of the remaining group wound up walking over to the two shifters, then following them into the circle of Stones. Carter didn’t need to see what would happen when they stepped through the portal. He’d been there. He’d lived it.
Instead, grasping Ellie’s hand he led her away from the Stones and the gathering of shifters and through the bloody, trampled grass, searching for the one body he needed to find in order to have closure. Ellie followed without questioning. She stood there silently when he found Sean and knelt next to his former boss.
To his shock, Sean’s eyes opened to slits. He wasn’t dead yet. Perhaps he’d been clinging to life, waiting for Carter to arrive. His hand flexed as if he were trying to lift it. Carter took it, grasping it tightly in his own.
“Ja—Jackson.” His boss’s lips barely moved in a whisper, but Carter caught it.
“I’ll take care of him,” he promised.
“You an-d Ellie…” Blood trickled from the side of Sean’s lips.
“We’ll take care of him. You don’t have to worry.” Ellie didn’t take Sean’s hand like Carter did, but she lowered herself to the ground beside him. She didn’t have much use for Sean, but compassion was on her face. “Do either you or Ciara have family that you want Jackson to live with?”
Sean’s head moved in a barely imperceptible nod. “Paper-s,” he whispered. Carter had to lean closer in order to hear him. “Paper-s in my office. Safe. Cia-Ciara’s fam…” He stopped, a burble of blood overtaking the words. His body twitched. His eyes closed, then jerked back open. “Car-Cater. Left busi-ness, house, all…all of that to you to manage for him till he’s of age. Miguel, my lawyer…he has c-copies of everything. Do be-better than I d-did.”
Ellie’s eyebrows shot up and she eyed him across Sean’s body. He was every bit as surprised as her, although he didn’t show it. Instead, he squeezed Sean’s hand, reassuring him. “I’ll do right by Jackson. And you. And our people.”
Again, Sean’s head moved in the tiniest of nods. His eyes rolled to the side, seeking Ellie.
“Sor-ry you g-got caught in…this mess,” he said. “Still th-think…you…good doctor.”
His breath escaped in a sigh, his head sagging to one side. Those were his last words.
Ellie’s eyes were shiny with tears. She’d had her disagreements with Sean, but she valued life. Carter imagined those words had struck a chord with her. Sean hadn’t been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew worth when he saw it and he was right about Ellie.
Carter placed his mentor’s hand on his chest, letting his linger on it for a moment with a deep sense of regret, then sighed and stood. He stepped over Sean’s body and took Ellie’s hand, lifting her to her feet. She’d lost her glasses during the mayhem, so he wordlessly helped guide her around fallen bodies of both shifters and animals until they were outside the circle of headlights and headed back towards his car.
She was silent as they trudged through the brittle grass, processing everything, giving him space to sort out his own thoughts. They bypassed the two police detectives climbing into their own vehicle. Detective Tozzi looked chagrined. Detective Ewing pinned Carter with a long, hard look. Carter half-smiled to himself.
Wait till she finds out that not only am I the new shifter leader, Sean also left me his business empire to manage for his son. She’ll really be all over my back.
She would, but she wouldn’t have to worry. He had Ellie, and Ellie would insist on rooting out the seamy and polishing up the dirty. They’d run a cleaner enterprise from now on. They’d also repair Sean’s home and keep it open for shifters needing a place of refuge. The Stones would have to be moved there, of course, so he could transport anyone back to Atlantis who wanted to go. The shifters who would rather stay here and figure out how to live a semi-normal life with their unique abilities…well, they’d help them too, exactly like Sean had helped him all those years ago.
And maybe Ellie would decide to become a doctor. Her life, her decision, of course. Whatever she decided, she’d have his support. They were married now, for real. Stuck together for good.
Speaking of Ellie, when they reached the car she stopped, leaning against it, lifting her face to the quiet moon. Carter got comfortable next to her and waited.
“Hard to believe it’s all over,” he said when the silence had stretched a bit. He wasn’t sure how to feel about all the things he’d seen and done tonight, nor the people he’d said goodbye to or the new responsibilities he’d gained. There would be time to process it later. For now, he was content to settle in, his shoulder touching his wife’s, and breathe the night air for a few minutes.
Although he was beginning to wish he had a shirt. It was a little chilly.
“I know,” Ellie agreed. She didn’t say anything else for a minute, and when she did her mind had apparently leapt through multiple topics, because she said, “I still think they’re angels.”
Carter frowned. “What?”
“They smote them with blindness,” she said, sounding like she was quoting something.
“Who did?”
“Vehuel. The Yara-ma-yha-who had me. I couldn’t get away. Then Vehuel showed up and smote him with blindness. He let me go. Vehuel saved my life tonight.”
“Smote him with blindness, huh?” Carter’s lips twitched, hiding a grin. “You know, kid, lots of shifters have unique abilities. It’s
