“I’m fine,” I assure him before he even voices the words. “Just another ghost laid to rest.”
A couple of weeks later, we head out of the city. Leaving Arcanum behind for the first time in most of our lives. Some of us were stuck because we had no ID and couldn’t get beyond the city borders. Others were trapped by duty. But we were all equally trapped.
We head out in a caravan of three cars, enough to fit all eleven of us inside, plus a couple of trailers for all our stuff—although that’s mostly thanks to my mages and Dante. They had three entire apartment’s worth of belongings which made my family’s duffle bags look pretty measly in comparison.
... and to fit Ember, of course.
We argued back and forth over whether we should bring him with us. He had no choice in it, which was a strike against him accompanying us. Hanna’s still not forgiven him, even though I’ve caught her more than once talking to him like he might be able to hear her through his frozen state.
But I figured if we were all going, then our entire family should go together. And maybe once we’re outside of the city, there will be people with more varied magic who can bring him back.
I guess all we can do is hope.
There’s a nerve-wracking moment when we have to get past a checkpoint to leave the city boundaries. My heart pounds as we get closer and closer, even though I have Roscoe beside me, patting my hand and telling me it’s all going to be fine. I bolster the glamor magic I’ve been pumping out ever since we first setoff and focus it on all three vehicles, hoping like hell that I’m currently boosted enough from the ghosts I recently orbed for it to work successfully.
We sail through unnoticed and my shoulders drop with relief, even as I keep up the glamor in place.
“Told you it was going to be fine,” Ro says. “And if it wasn’t, we’d just get Seb to wipe us from their memories. Easy peasy.”
It’s not until we’re about an hour out of Arcanum, we pull over for a rest stop and I can’t stop grinning. Rook unfolds his massive form from the car he’s riding in and strides over to me, clearly feeling the same giddy sense of euphoria at leaving this place behind. He even graces me with the briefest of smirks.
“I guess we did it,” I tell him. “We got out.”
He wraps an arm around me in a side hug and tips his temple down to meet mine for just a moment. I can’t imagine the two scared little kids that escaped that cell would ever have thought we’d get here.
I turn to my family and watch as they bicker over which snacks to get and who gets to pick the music. Then my eyes go to the three mages and the vampire that turned my life on its head.
Kind of funny that I escaped my fate the first time by pretending to be dead. And this time, the official records will state that none of us ever existed at all.
But it was the only way for us all to move forward.
Not outcasts anymore, but a hodgepodge family. Heading into our new lives together.
Free to make our future whatever we want.
Epilogue
Dante
“Clear some space in the fridge. My masterpiece is going in!” Roscoe calls, far louder than he needs to, considering the size of our kitchen.
I step to the side as he strides past, bearing a delicious-looking cheesecake in his hands as Fabian opens the fridge and Zeph scoots out of the way.
It’s time for another family dinner. A tradition we’ve continued at least monthly over the two years since we left Arcanum behind.
