29. P O W E R : Lost

AFTERWORD

There's a lot to unpack in this one, so I'll cover all the bases chapter by chapter. Hang on tight: this is gonna be a very long "Afterword".

PROLOGUE: It's the return of Mrs. Winkler! We haven't seen this kind old lady since the very, very, very first part of ZooPhobia. She's in a similar role here 30-something books later, offering therapeutic advice to her most prominent patient, Cameron Walden, who regales her with the story of her life in Safe Haven—from her arrival to the present day. This whole scene was basically a recreation/revamp of the first ever scene from ZooPhobia, reusing some themes and building upon them as well as meshing them with storylines from this continuation. It's really just a peek at how far we've come from the starting line... and how close we are to the finish.

CHAPTER I: This chapter is really split into two parts. First, the wedding, which allowed me to get some fun banter going between the members of the Protector Force (something we haven't seem much of since the Holy War). It was kind of a blast to the past for me, and it was very enjoyable to write.

At the wedding, we also get a better look at Eve and her personality. She's very calm, very confident in herself and her plans, and also quite manipulative. If, in the scene with Fitch and Hatchet, you got the sense that she and the dragon brothers have crossed paths before, then you would be correct: their previous meetings will be explained in future books (which will, interestingly enough, deal with the past). There's also a slight nod to her and Hatchet's quasi-canonical relationship when she tempts him to "pat her down". In regards to her personality, when Eve speaks with Cameron, we see that she despises being seen as a subordinate to Fisi—something Cameron is well aware of and uses to her advantage. Eve isn't usually one to show anger, but when she is condescended to, she can be rather... unpleasant.

In part 2 of this chapter, Veronika and the Saved get back into the mix as they scour the grounds of Zoo Phoenix Academy (formerly "Havenkeep") for the body of their faith's founder. By the assassin's presence, Carrie realizes that the Saved know where Moll Ferris is buried, and in distress summons the dragon brothers. Originally, they plan to defend their old stomping grounds at any cost—but by the end of the story, we see that their attention is directed elsewhere, meaning Carrie must find another way to keep Ferris's body under lock and key.

CHAPTER II: In this chapter, some current storylines from other books are referenced, including Cameron's dream (again), Fitch and Marx's fraternal rift ("Legends" and "Exorcism"), Fitch's status as a vigilante (also "Exorcism"), and Zill's growing dislike for doing things by the book ("Icarus"). We also see that Cameron and Zill have a little bit of tension when it comes to that discussion, with Zill even going so far as to display his Chimeros mark in a silent threat. At this scene, my mind couldn't help but wander into the realm of "what if"—like, what if Zill actually started throwing hands with Cameron here? Where would that have led?

But lemme stop myself before I go off on a tangent.

The end of this chapter is the climax. The culmination of all those puzzle-piece endings scattered throughout the "P O W E R" series. The Protectors lose their powers to Fisi, and Safe Haven is now in a very, very bad spot.

CHAPTER III: The escape scene at the start of this chapter might seem to have a plot hole. You might ask, "Why did Fisi turn off the A3s and stasis field? Why not leave them on and kill the A-Team?" Well, if you'll refer back to Chapter I, you might recall that Eve reminded Fisi to "leave them alive". By this, you can see that the A-Team's escape is actually part of Fisi's plan, which we'll see play out over the latter half of the "P O W E R" series.

The end of the escape scene also ties into the end of "Allies", where Damian find the A-Team powerless outside the Tower. The scenes with the Faithful ties into "Power: And Control" (Gale fighting Cthylla's control), "Dreamers" (how Cthylla started working with Fisi), and "Radical" (Addison's possession of the Necronomicon). The scene with Fisi and the other Dark Celestials is comprised of three story endings: "Half-Blood", "Allies", and "Broken Heart". The scene with the A-Team in Xirxine carries over from the ending of "Broken Heart" as well, and includes more references to the proposed "C-Team" mentioned in "Broken Heart", "Icarus", and this very book. Last but not least, the scene from the end of "Legends" and "Exorcism" is revisited once more—albeit from Cameron and Safiya's perspective this time.