EPILOGUE

 

I WATCHED MY beautiful girl cross onto the stage to open Rainbow Refuge. Financed from donations and private financiers, most of who belonged to the Rain, it was the culmination of years of hard work by Ava—work that had started when she was fifteen and continued throughout all of her adventures with the Rain.

It was to be the new North Brothers Island, a place where non-violent non-humans could find refuge and food. Where the girl I’d once been could have found a place of safety. Once the Rain had begun to see past their old prejudices, they’d realized the value in the supernatural assistance some others were able to provide. The shelter offered the chance to recruit talent, and the charity side offered the opportunity for additional fundraising to support the hunting of the real monsters.

The red, gold, and copper strands of Ava’s hair—colors which were once bright in my own locks but that had faded with the passage of time—shone brilliantly as she stepped forward in the sun to take the microphone. Somehow already twenty-two, she’d blossomed into a young woman I couldn’t be anything but proud of.

I considered how different her life had been compared to mine. My father had done everything he could to keep me safe, but he was just one man fighting a corrupted system. Ava had two parents at her side—and more importantly on her side—all of her life. We’d both been there when, at four, she’d set her brother’s bike on fire because he wouldn’t share. And at six when she’d cried for hours when we’d told her she couldn’t sleep at a friend’s house.

As soon as we thought she was old enough to understand, we sat with her and told her everything we knew about her nature and heritage. On the eve of her seventh birthday, with the impending loss of her abilities, we’d sat and reminisced about all of our favorite stories of her accidents while she learned to control her heat. We’d shared her surprise when, three days later, she set her bed on fire after another, thankfully rare, fight with David. He’d teased her about losing her abilities when he’d have his gifted sight for life.

We held her, celebrated with her, and then fretted in private when she still had her heat six months later. Each day we woke, expecting her temperature to have dropped and for her to be without that ability, but each day we were surprised. By the time she’d turned eight we accepted that the small fae part within her must have manipulated the sunbird in ways we couldn’t comprehend. I could still recall her small voice telling me about a presence inside, comforting her with the reassurance that the sunbird would be there for her forever.

The same voice that had once been my companion through the lonely days. I hadn’t missed her since she’d left, no longer needing companionship from within when I had so much around me.

“This building has significant personal value for my family. Had this sort of facility existed, complete with the safety provided by the Rain, my mother’s life might have taken a very different course. It is in my mother’s name that I now dedicate the opening of this refuge, certain it will serve as a permanent testament to the strong, courageous woman she became despite the adversity and prejudice she faced.”

While she continued her speech, I turned my eyes toward David, sitting to one side of the makeshift stage and watching his sister with clear adoration. The two of them had the sort of relationship I know Clay longed to have with Louise—the one he might have had under different circumstances. One where each twin balances the other and where growing older didn’t mean growing apart.

David, despite being older but just by minutes, had taken the mantle of older brother on himself and had always watched out for Ava—even though he didn’t need to. He’d been nearby to smooth things over the night Ava had inflicted flesh wounds on a junior who’d tried to force her to second base in the backseat of a parked car.

In return, she’d dragged David into situations that were well outside his natural comfort zone.

Both of them had taken up the family battle, joining the Rain as soon as they were able. Partnered together, they were a perfectly balanced team; where Ava was all heat and passion, David was calm and heart. Of course, in typical fashion, he’d taken the lead in their first mission, much to Ava’s disgust.

“I asked Mom once what positives she took from the experiences she’d been through, and her answer was that she had the chance to fall in love with Dad not just once but over and over.”

A hand clutched mine, and I squeezed it tightly before turning toward the love of my life. Age had barely touched his face, only a few small wrinkles and laughter lines dared to encroach on his boyish looks.

Gray hairs peppered his dark locks, particularly at the temples. Sometimes, I was taken aback by how much he looked like his father, but other than their physical appearance they were nothing alike. I rested my head on his shoulder, silently telling him that I knew what he was feeling.

The love we felt for our two precious children was matched only by the love we shared. Time didn’t lessen it like some would claim; it didn’t remove the luster. If anything, our love was like a diamond and each year was another pass with a cutting tool, making it shine even more brilliantly.

“For as long as I can remember, my mother has stood as a beacon of hope for me. She was the one who taught me that greatness and love are not exclusive to humanity, and neither is being human a guarantee of righteousness. The greatest lesson she ever imparted is the certainty that it is our choices, rather than our species, that determine whether or not we are monsters. It is this wisdom I have carried with me through my travels and that has given me a faith in myself that extends beyond my heritage. I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t be who I am, without her.

“I love you, Mom.”

I smiled and nodded to acknowledge her words. My life may not have always been easy, but it led me exactly where I needed to be and gave me the family I’d never thought I would have.

 

 

THE END