“You’re not going to kill them? Well that’s priceless. It’s just everything else that might!”
And for some reason that was funny. In this moment, at the end of the world, the four of them found humor in what could be the end of all they knew. For this moment, they were comfortable. For this moment, they were safe and together.
Wren supposed that was the best they were ever going to get.
When they all managed to settle down she nodded. “Yeah, I’m in.”
The other three visibly relaxed, and Jiminy stood up. He scooped her up into his strong arms. Her legs hung limp over his arms as he seated himself onto the couch with her in his lap. “See? I told you she’d be interested in helping.”
“Yeah, well your opinion when it comes to this little bit of mist isn’t exactly always right,” Lyra grumbled. But she leaned over to smack her hand against Wren’s knee. “We’re happy to have you as part of our team.”
“She’s not going on missions with us,” Burke said angrily.
“Of course I am,” Wren countered. “I’m part of the team.
“Over my dead body.”
“We’ve already confirmed that you can’t control me. I’m only going to be useful.”
“You aren’t trained.”
“Then train me.” She wrapped an arm around his neck to pull him towards her.
“I’m not going to train you. I’m going to keep you exactly where I want you.”
“Barefoot in the kitchen isn’t my style.”
“Barefoot is your style.”
“It’s the location I’m arguing with you about.” She pressed her lips firmly against his. “I’m going with you. Whether you want it or not.”
“God, you two are disgustingly cute,” Lyra complained as she flopped dramatically against the other side of the couch. She reached for Jasper as though she were drowning. “Save me!”
They started laughing all over again. This was family, Wren decided. Not just alone together but also comfortable with each other. They teased. They laughed. They found comfort in each other in the darkest of times.
“It’s about time,” E whispered inside her head. “I’ve been waiting for you to find your family.”
“Our family,” she corrected, quietly so that no one would hear her.
But Jiminy heard her. His arm tightened around her ribs as he leaned down to press his forehead against hers. “Our family,” he repeated. “You included, E.”
For the moment, all was good in their lives.
EPILOGUE
T he city streets glistened as the street lights slowly turned on above them. It had rained all day, but the skies had cleared to reveal brilliant sparks of stars. The moon was full and lit the streets with its silver lights. People were scarce on this night. No one wanted to traverse the pavement on a night like this.
Rumors whispered that this was a haunted place. A cursed place where only darkness roamed. Strange things happened to those who did not follow the rules of the Undertaker. A mysterious person who none had seen, but many had felt its gaze.
A young boy ran into the street. He was out of breath. His chest heaved as he stared wildly into the darkness behind him. But it was not the darkness he should be frightened of. Behind him, the mud twisted into a being who should never have been born.
It was a creature made out of magic.
The golem quickly took form and strode forward. It was taller than any man and glistened in the light. Its massive hand reached out towards the boy.
He was dead. He was going to die.
He turned at the last second but could not scream. His voice would not work. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. The creature before him had led the chase to this moment where he was trapped. He could not run the other way.
Its hand reached out towards his head, and he was certain that this was going to be the last time he ever opened his eyes. He hoped that the creature would be merciful and squeeze his head quickly. The boy had never been very fond of pain, as many people weren’t.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the inevitable. This was the treatment thieves should expect. The boy had known that when he had nicked the glittering stone.
He had stolen the necklace from a woman who didn’t need it. Certainly she wouldn’t even notice that the tiny chain was no longer around her throat. It would feed his family for weeks to come.
He held his breath and waited for death to claim him. But it never came. Instead, the massive hand of the goliath made of mud closed around the chain that dangled from his fist. Delicately, it pulled the necklace from the boy’s grasp.
He opened his eyes in shock to look up at sightless holes where eyes should be. The creature hummed and turned on its heels. Slowly, it lumbered away.
That was odd. The boy couldn’t help but feel curious at this new predicament that he hadn’t considered. The creature didn’t want to harm him at all. It had only been chasing him to get the necklace.
He trailed the creature through the streets as it followed the gridwork back to a particular house. Boy was it slow. Its progress was almost painful as it walked up the steps to the house and pushed the necklace through the mail slot.
It then walked back down the steps and turned his head directly towards the hedge the boy was hiding behind. It pointed at him and then he ran. He didn’t want to know what the creature wanted with him. It had been created to make certain that no crime happened on its streets, but it had spared him.
The boy had heard worse stories.
What the boy did not know, was that the creature lost its form as soon as he was gone from its sight. Back to the earth it returned. No thoughts danced inside its head. No remorse was felt for the loss of
