Tears blurred my vision. “You’re giving up everything.”
“No, I’m finally gaining everything that matters.”
Gabriel cleared his throat softly. “Are you certain, Eamon? Once I begin the transformation, there’s no changing your mind.”
“I’m certain.” Eamon didn’t take his eyes off mine. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my existence.”
Gabriel nodded, and something that looked like satisfaction crossed his features. “El will be pleased. This was always the hope. That love would prove stronger than duty, that the guardian would choose to become what he protects.”
“Will it hurt?” I asked.
“The opposite,” Gabriel said gently. “Becoming mortal is like…coming home after a very long journey.”
He raised his hand and light began to gather around his fingers—not harsh or blinding, but warm and golden like sunrise. “Are you ready?”
Eamon squeezed my hand. “More than ready.”
The light exploded outward, washing over us in a wave of warmth and brilliance that left me temporarily blind. I felt Eamon’s hands tighten on mine, heard him gasp, then everything was white and silent and perfect.
When my vision cleared, Eamon was still standing before me, but something subtle about him had changed. It was like…like an Instagram filter had been removed, showing the real him. More wrinkly and imperfect, but also infinitesimally more human, though I only recognized that now. His eyes, while still the same brilliant green, held no trace of supernatural awareness. His posture was different—not diminished, exactly, but more grounded, more present in his physical form.
He was completely, utterly human.
“How do you feel?” I asked softly.
Eamon flexed his fingers, rolled his shoulders, and took a deep experimental breath. “Different. Lighter, somehow. Like I’ve been carrying weight I didn’t realize was there.” He smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “But also…complete. For the first time in centuries, I feel complete.”
Gabriel approached, his expression softer than I’d yet seen it. “Goodbye, Eamon. It has been an honor serving with you.”
“Thank you,” Eamon said quietly. “For everything. For seeing what I needed even when I couldn’t see it myself.”
“That’s what supervisors are for.”
“And I’m sorry for being such a grumpy bastard half the time.”
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. “Half the time?”
Eamon grinned. “Okay, you pushy asshole. All the time, okay?”
Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re good, brother.”
They embraced—not the formal acknowledgment I’d expected, but a genuine hug between two beings who had clearly known each other for a very long time.
Gabriel stepped back, and I saw something suspiciously bright in his golden eyes. “I’m proud of you. Of the man you’ve chosen to become.”
“Will I…? Will I see you again?” Eamon asked.
Gabriel’s smile was enigmatic. “Who knows? The universe is full of surprises.” He turned to me, inclining his head formally. “Charles, take care of him. He’s precious cargo.”
“I will,” I promised, meaning it with every fiber of my being.
“I know you will.” Gabriel began to fade around the edges, becoming translucent. “Live well, both of you. Love deeply. And remember that some of the most profound miracles happen in the quiet, ordinary moments of mortal life.”
Then he was gone, leaving only the faint scent of ozone and the memory of starlight.
Eamon and I stood alone in the aftermath, staring at each other across the space of a few feet that somehow felt like the distance between worlds.
“So,” I said finally, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re human now.”
