Page 164 of The Star's Sword
We walked down the street next to the cathedral and then turned down another, Mark following us protectively as we all chatted for a while. One last turn, and we reached a road that led up into a dense forest and then up into the hills.
“This is it,” Samael said. “Unless we want to fly, we’ll be traveling through the woods, staying at inns and finding shelter as we can.”
“I like it,” I said. “It’s an adventure.” I took Zadis’s hand in one hand and Sam’s in the other, swinging them forward and back. “And as long as we’re together, what could happen?”
“All right, you three stay safe,” Mark said. “If you need anything, you can always call at the keep.”
I released my friends to give Mark a hug.
“I can’t believe you saved the world and now you want to go camping,” he said, when we pulled back. “You could lay in the lap of luxury. Tell the world what you did. Be worshipped.”
“That wouldn’t suit me,” I said, shaking my head.
Instead, I thought of Cayne’s mantle, which he’d handed over to me a few days ago. A black cloak and a terrifying red mask. Wearing that, using his training to protect people, seemed like my actual dream of a life.
But I just wanted some time to roam and be free before I settled down to my next set of responsibilities.
“I’m happy with the path I’ve chosen,” I said, and Mark nodded, looking satisfied with that.
We all said our goodbyes to Mark and then headed into the forest, everything darkening around us as mulch and pine filled our noses.
As we made our way up a pine-needle covered hill, I marveled at the cover of trees overhead. How silent and sacred everything felt.
How little there was to do other than enjoy nature and my friends around me.
We climbed up in the darkness for a while and then the path led us out onto a grassy clearing at the top of the lowest hill.
My unicorn reared her head, drawn by the beautiful grassy field and the wildflowers, and with Sam’s help I climbed up onto her saddle to ride for a moment and take in the sights.
Samael and Zadis followed behind me, smiling as they took in the beautiful scene around us.
The sun was setting in the distance over the cathedral, over the world we had once known.
Now we were leaving it behind, to do nothing but be happy and together.
I couldn’t have imagined anything better.
When I was done trotting with my unicorn around the plateau, I gave my unicorn a rub on the mane and slid off to go stand with my friends.
Zadis on one side of me and Sam on the other, I walked to the edge of the vista and looked out on our world.
Finally saved.
Sam pulled me in for a kiss again, and as his lips lowered over mine, and I felt Zadis’s hand on my waist, peace fell over me in a way I had never known.
I just knew, from then on, that everything would be okay. That I’d found my happy ending. That the hardest thing from now on would just be deciding each day what to do.
“So, Morningstar,” Samael said, pulling me in for a kiss as Zadis came around my other side. “What’s next for us?”
“Whatever we want,” I said against his lips, as I felt Zadis’s chest press into my back.
Gods, being with them was heaven.
We pulled apart to prepare camp for the night, because it was so beautiful, we wanted to spend a night there.
We made love that night together, out on the plateau, under the moonlight.
After, as I lay there between my two best friends, looking up at the stars, I thought about how far I had come.
