Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Epilogue

Five years later...

Sitting in the back of my chair, knees bent over my chest, I gazed at Malibu's superb sunset. These reflections, which engulfed the ocean, offered breathtaking light variations. Suddenly, the clicking of stilettos on the wooden bridge disturbed the fabulous spectacle I was witnessing.

"I knew I would find you at home!" Lexy said in a disapproving tone. "You're not answering any of my calls."

I pulled my little blanket up to my neck, staring into the endless abyss of the horizon. Below the house on stilts, the repeated noise of stones hitting the pillars of the villa began to annoy me. Lexy sat next to me, taking a glass of white wine, and sighed.

"I know today is a very sad date. It's been exactly two years since William died, and, like the year before, you're shutting yourself out to avoid everyone."

I look at her with a black gaze as the only answer. She raised her hands in front of her as if to defend herself.

"And we respect this twenty-four hour long exile, but now, the situation is urgent."

Her odd tone forced me to question her with my eyes.

"The shell brought back from Eros opened this morning."

My surprise was beyond comprehension.

"The shell gave us the ruby?"

"Yes. Do you know what that means?"

"That Athanasius has returned," I whispered with a growing lump in the back of my throat.

Lexy nodded, looking just as distraught.

"They've just told him about it," she said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Zoe. Faïz is arriving from New York in the evening."

Furious, I jumped up from my seat.

"No way!" I protested, walking up to the edge of the terrace. "We did without him for five years. We can do it."

"Zoe, I may hate him even more than you after what he did to you, and I assure you that my desire to murder that man is immense. But we won't be able to defeat The Maestro without him."

I raised my head to the sky to try to find my calm, but the noise of the stones that continued to click just below didn't help me. My friend approached me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You'll have to tell him about—"

"No! I decided."

Lexy twisted her mouth to force herself to remain silent. Patience at that moment left me and I leaned over the railing, exasperated by the din below us.

"Georgia, please, stop that! The noise will drive me crazy."

"Yes, mommy. As soon as I finish fighting the sea monster."

I turned again to my friend, who grabbed her bag from the chair and said,

"One day or another, Faïz will know that he has a daughter. He's coming tonight, and it's going to be hard to hide this secret from him any longer. After all, he's her father."

"She already has a father!"

"William is dead!" Lexy replied, trying not to raise her voice. "He kept his promise by taking care of both of you and loved Georgia as his own daughter, but now is the time to confront her father. I hope that day you will find the strength to forgive him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the restaurant. My shift starts in thirty minutes and it ends late tonight."

She turned and added before leaving,

"Tomorrow, I will take Georgia to see the dinosaur exhibit at LACMA, and Lily and Charles will come and get her for an afternoon snack."

To be continued...