Taken by Fire Page 28

  Two of Ender and Kira’s three daughters had Kira’s power of animal whispering. But this little one …

  First female excedo, Ender had said proudly last month when it became obvious she was following in her father’s footsteps. Now the tall man strode with his daughter balanced on his shoulders, a wide, satisfied smile on his face.

  Faith and Wyatt were hanging out in the sun with their daughter—Faith had just found out she was pregnant again. And she’d started to work at the hospital, since her gift of healing was growing stronger. Annika was certainly living proof of that, and Creed owed Faith a debt he wasn’t sure could ever be repaid.

  Nearby, Rik and Trance were whispering to each other, sitting in the same chair, cuddling. They were thinking of having kids—little Cujos, Trance called them. Creed could only imagine what the howls of the little wolf pack would sound like.

  All these kids were the next generation of ACRO. They’d have bigger and badder enemies than their parents fought, no doubt … but they’d also be stronger. Wiser.

  And there would be more kids, sooner than later, from the way things were looking. Marlena and Chance were waiting for the former SEAL to have more testing, to make sure passing along the chupacabra gene wouldn’t hurt a child. If so, Marlena told him she was open to adopting. Sela and Logan felt the same way—the couples had gotten close on their mission in the Amazon, and remained so. All four of them were playing a lazy, beer-filled, spirited game of cards.

  Mel and Stryker were walking around the lake. They’d married as soon as Mel was allowed to leave the hospital, in a no-nonsense ceremony that suited both their personalities—and then there’d been a huge party afterward, one that Mel personally catered. She’d started taking classes again, but only as a hobby. Her heart had gone into opening a gourmet café on ACRO’s grounds.

  Creed had already taken advantage of her need for someone to sample the food she was thinking of serving. Which reminded him, he needed to spend more time at the gym.

  Now he watched Devlin moving through the crowd, talking to the agents, Gabriel by his side. Gabe had moved into Devlin’s house, and yes, Oz had foretold that, but Dev and Gabe were much more than an arranged coupling.

  Oz.

  Creed missed his friend—his brother—more than ever these days. Could feel Oz’s spirit starting to slip away with each passing moment and knew there was no way to hold on to him.

  He’d been trying to ignore it, not listening when Oz tried to get his attention, even today, as the spirit tugged at him and Kat tried to get him to pay attention. Blocking it out until now had been the only way not to let Oz’s death be real.

  But he knew that he wouldn’t have that option any longer. Not when a chill ran through him, and when he looked up at the sky, he saw them all, ghosts of the past looking down on everyone. Oz, leading the most recent of ACRO’s deceased away peacefully, to the Other Side.

  Oz, smiling at him. Letting him know that everything would be all right. As all right as it could be on this side of the light anyway.

  Yes, it was most definitely the end of an era.

  And so he raised his beer in a toast and watched the men and women smiling as they passed, felt their peace as surely as he felt his own.

  But something was stopping him from total contentment. At first, he’d thought it was because Oz was still waiting to pass, but then he knew exactly what the problem was.

  “Are you staying, Kat?” he asked, realizing he was about to get his ultimate freedom from the ghost who watched him, and had alternately driven him crazy, for years.

  You don’t need me anymore. You have Ani and Renee to protect you, she told him. Renee would be stronger than Ani, but would also have his gift with ghosts, Kat had told him last week. And you’ll have more children, she’d assured him. Can I go?

  He shut his eyes to drown it all out, wondering why she was leaving this decision up to him. “Kat, I can’t keep you here—that’s not fair to you. I know my powers will go with you, but you’ve watched me for a long time … kept me safe. I can’t deny you peace.”

  No, Creed. You can still hunt the ghosts—still see them. That won’t leave when I do, she explained. It will just be different … the power will be fully yours. You’re coming into your own, just the way Oz said you would.

  Oz, who was still patiently waiting.

  “Good-bye, Oz. Good-bye, Kat,” he said softly, unwilling and unable to draw it out any longer. He felt Kat pull from him, the feeling of being totally alone both unnerving and somehow completing him.

  And then Ani was next to him as he watched Kat travel up to Oz, the two apparitions disappearing into the light, leaving behind calm blue skies and puffy clouds and the most overwhelming sense of right he’d ever felt.

  “Kat said good-bye,” Ani told him when he finally brought his gaze down to her. “Where is she going?”

  “She went—with Oz.”

  Ani grabbed for his hand. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. She deserved to cross over. She’s been here too long,” he explained. “So now I’m alone, Ani. First time in forever, I’m alone.”

  “Creed, you’re never alone,” she told him fiercely, the promise of her words comforting his soul, because he knew that was true. Especially now.

  Fuck Disneyland. Because all in all, ACRO was the happiest damned place on earth.

  About the Author

  SYDNEY CROFT is the pseudonym for New York Times bestselling authors Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler, who also write under their own names.

  www.sydneycroft.com