Knight Casefiles Book 1: Revelations

Revelations [Epilogue]

Epilogue

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?”

“Yes.”

“You promise to call if you need anything?”

“Yes.”

“Remember, I left phone numbers and directions in case of emergency-“

“Jesus Christ, Sigrun, I’ll be fine!” I said exasperatedly.

We stood in the basement of the One Times Square, the building in the middle of the similarly named “Crossroads of the World,” the site of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. We’d gotten through security fairly unnoticed even with Sigrun’s luggage. By now, I’ve learned to just go along with everything. It’s so much simpler that way.

“Just want to make sure.” Sigrun was dressed in a brown greatcoat “for the long trip.” Her face was etched with worry as she spoke. “I could stay a while longer…keep your sister in line.”

Elaine sidled next to me, interlocking her arm with mine. “I’ll make sure to keep an eye on him, Sigrun. Do what you need to do.”

Sigrun may have been putting up a strong front but I could feel the faintness of her presence. She’d used up a lot of the power she’d received taking down Margaret and even more bringing Elaine back to life – something that I could never pay her back for. She was spent, probably more so than before, and she needed to rest.

“You’ve done a great job with me, Sigrun,” I told her. “Your task is done. You can go back home now…where you belong.” I smiled at her. “Just make sure to drop by when you’re ready.”

She returned the smile, nodding to the both of us. “As soon as I can.” Then, to my surprise, she closed the distance between us and pulled me up into a rib-breaking embrace. “I am so proud of you, my Knight.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and hugged back. We broke it after a long while and went to stand beside Elaine. Together, we watched as my Guardian, the woman who’d changed my life for the better, disappeared in a blinding flash of light, back to Asgard.

***

That night, Elaine arrived at my new living quarters bearing that day’s newspaper that I hadn’t been able to get because of the hassles of moving in. I’d picked a cheap loft in Manhattan, one that I could probably afford for a few months until I could land a decent job. It was a really good deal – it had a fireplace, a skylight, and was in a relatively uninhabited neighborhood. Why it was so cheap was beyond me. Unopened cardboard boxes, most of which contained my copy of the Moirae Accords, were strewn across the floor so Elaine had to be extra careful making her way to the sofa. Gram was in its scabbard next to the fireplace, an inconspicuous decoration.

She wrinkled her nose at the spread on the table. “Chinese food and…candles? You sure are adapting quickly.”

“I’ve been watching reruns of Friends,” I said. “How goes the media?”

She placed the paper on the table. There was an article about a family being reunited with their daughter. She looked a lot prettier without sewage waste in her hair, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. It wasn’t the headline but a front page article detailed the powerful storms that ravaged a mountain resort in the Rockies. It was particularly important because it marked the disappearances of various prominent political figures and businessmen. There was a bit of speculation surrounding the mysterious event and some even suspected foul play. There was no mention whatsoever of a Christopher Pierce.

“Thanks for not mentioning me,” I said.

Elaine grunted. “Check the by-line.”

I did. The article was written by David Feldberg. “That asshole.”

“Don’t get too mad at him. I was the one who gave him the story. I didn’t really want to write something if it wasn’t going to be true,” she said, giving me a dark look. “I’ll give you three guesses why David didn’t mention you in there.”

“You ripped off his balls?”

“Interesting thought, but no.”

I put two and two together. “Amelia.”

“Looks like she’s still looking out for you.”

“Maybe. Or maybe she just doesn’t want me to sully the Pierce name.” I settled back into the sofa, arms crossed.

Elaine laid her head on my shoulder and put a hand on mine. “There’s a good chance you’re going to have to butt heads with her someday. We also have to find out why she did what she did and how much more she knows.”

I nodded. “We’ll burn that bridge when we get there,” I said. “Now…up for some grub?”

Mid-way through our romantic candlelit, MSG laden dinner, I took one of the candles and lit the fireplace.

“It’s not that chilly,” Elaine protested.

“It will be,” I said as I worked my way up a ladder and manually opened the skylight. The night was clear.

“Oh, Chris…”

As I returned to the sofa, Elaine pulled me into a passionate kiss, the sofa reclining so that we could lie down on it like a bed. We pulled away from each other and shared a serene smile. It was just me and her. No monsters. No Old Ones. No Gram.

“Happy anniversary,” I said to her and we said three more words – I’ll let you guess which. We settled back, enjoying the warmth of the fire, and watched the stars.