Ezen pulled Limus in a fireman’s lift over his shoulder, a strained look upon his face. The time Tammer, Ezen, and Thayde had taken to track, fight, and contain Limus had been a trial for them all. I was indebted to them for taking so much responsibility upon themselves.
“Thank you both,” I said, “for everything you’ve done. I’m very fortunate to have you as my family.”
Ezen nodded and moved past us to the stairs. Tammer watched him disappear and sighed.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’ll live.” He joked and put his arm around me. “Let’s get upstairs and see what the damages are.” We ascended the tiny stairway into the house and as we shut the door, were blinded from the sunlight flooding the windows.
“I guess you’re feeling better now?” My hand wasn’t enough to block the sun’s intensity and I squinted up at Tammer. He was doing the same thing.
“Yes, everything should be a lot better now.”
I wasn’t so sure. This was the first time I’d felt so in control of my life and I knew I was a different person, but I also knew this wasn’t over. Someone else had to be a part of what had happened. Who had removed Limus’ memories of The Shadow? Why would they have done such a thing?
I followed Tammer outside and we stood together at the edge of the pool, surveying the destruction about the house. The hurricane Tammer created had destroyed the gazebo.
“Nice, Tammer,” I said in as sarcastic a voice as I could. “Who the heck’s going to clean all this up?”
He winced and picked up a branch. “I’ll have to hire some men to take care of all of this. There’s no way we can do all this.”
“We? What’s this ‘we’?” I fished a bobbing coconut out of the pool. “This place is a mess. You need a bulldozer just to get to my room!”
Tammer laughed and chucked the branch to the side. “I think we should get back to the others, don’t you?”
My hesitation was apparent and he put his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve been through much worse, believe me. A little pain for a few moments won’t be the death of me.”
“Okay,” I grasped his forearms. “This might feel weird.” Instead of gold, a red orb circled us and I felt The Leap tugging at my back. “Here we go,” I warned and we were jerked away from Vero.
When the red glow from my powers dissipated, we were back on the beach in McCall. Tammer shook from head to toe and his breath caught in his throat when I let go of his arms.
“Does it hurt?” I knew it was a dumb question, but I had to ask.
“Yeah,” he breathed, touching his forehead with his hand. When he opened his eyes, he smiled. “It’s gone now. I don’t think you’re supposed to take people with you when you Leap.”
“It’s easier than flying,” I suggested and he laughed.
“Yes, for you. It’s very painful for others.” He looked up at the house. “Wow, that’s a beautiful house. Your Mom certainly has good taste, doesn’t she?”
Before I could respond, there was a cry of joy. We turned around to see Mom emerge from the forest. Her hands covered her mouth and she raced toward Tammer.
“Elan,” he shouted and jogged toward her. They wrapped around each other in such a passionate kiss, it made me look away. I knew how they felt about each other. It was the same for Thayde and me. Thayde, where was he?
“Morgan!” Naira’s little arms wound around my waist. I turned and gave her a big hug.
“Have you been taking care of Thayde for me?” I asked and she nodded.
“He’s much happier with me in the room. He told me.”
“Did you help him and Mama?”
“Yes.”
I hugged her again. “Thank you Naira.”
As I let go of her, she took off towards our parents, who pulled her into their embrace. The three of them just held each other.
I made my way up to the cabin and when I reached the patio doors, I stepped into the living room. Aletheia and Lars held hands as they sat on the couch. Lars grinned at me.
“Get it done then? Did you kill him?”
His question left a bad taste in my mouth and I scowled.
“Where’s Thayde?” I ignored his question and Aletheia pointed to the library.
He was sitting backward on a wooden chair, his arms crossed over the back, his head resting on them. His shoulders rose and fell with his breathing. I made my way to his side and knelt beside him. His eyes were rimmed in red.
“Thayde?”
At the mention of his name, his head snapped up. For a moment, he just stared, a shocked look on his face until a huge breath of relief poured from him and he nearly fell from his chair.