A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Epilogue - A New Beginning

Camden

Camden wrapped an arm around Sereya and hugged her tight as she continued to stare at where Eve had simply vanished.

"Come on, we need to go see if there are any more people we can free from this compulsion." He guided her shoulders until they were walking towards the door.

The witch that lead the coven, and had opened the door, stopped him with a hand. "We'll be needing payment, you understand."

He nodded. "I'm sure Enforcement will be willing. Call your people and get everyone you know awake."

She nodded and let them leave. Walking through the streets was odd, as they made their way back home. People were holding their heads and looking confused towards the East while humans, the only ones who had been unaffected were watching everyone cautiously.

"This is going to be a big problem," April whispered under her breath. Both Camden and Maia nodded.

"One we can deal with tomorrow. Let's call in and see if they need us to do anything."

April puled out her phone and called Captain Major Bishop. He answered on the first ring and ordered them to do a sweep of the city.

They walked every street they could, crossing paths with others who had received the same orders but not finding many people still stuck. It was near dawn when they all walked tiredly into the apartment. Camden sent Sereya to bed while he and April sat at the kitchen counter.

"How the hell could Eve do that?" April finally asked the question he'd been trying to avoid.

He let out a laugh. "What do you mean? Somehow overcome the compulsion or use magic? Because honestly both seem pretty crazy to me."

"I don't trust her."

"You've never trusted her," He shot back.

"Yeah, well, seems like I may be right."

"If she's telling the truth she might be the only one who can help Maia come to terms with being both a shifter and a mage. I mean, I'd say it's impossible but the witch said Eve did all the targeting herself which means she has some skills. We saw her, April."

She just shook her head. "I don't have the answers, Cam. I just know that if she's hiding something this big maybe there's more she's hiding. Listen, I'll head in to Enforcement and send you a video link. I don't think you should wake Maia."

"Thanks." His own head hung tiredly.

"April," He stopped her as she went to leave. "Don't tell Bishop. Not yet."

She hesitated, but nodded. "What do we say? What about the witches?"

"The witches won't say anything because they don't want it getting out shifters may be able to learn magic. It would erode their power. As for what happened, we say Eve snapped us out of it somehow and then took off. We don't know anything so that isn't a lie."

She noded slowly and left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Camden collapsed onto the couch. It was the only rest he received for the next four days.

Bishop had one man left untouched and kept in isolation and when he came out of the fugue on his own Enforcement as a whole took a deep breath and announced the epidemic over. It was corroborated by every Enforcement hub at the same time.

They spent another day searching out anyone who might have been missed in case the call hasn't ended, but they didn't find anyone. Camden helped direct the search teams in the area while Sereya and Teacher sat in the office and pretended not to worry. And no one could explain what happened, not shifter, not witch, not human.

Only Bishop and those higher up in the Chicago branch and their colleges in national and international branches realized that a woman named Eve was the one who started the cascade that set most of them free. And how she did it was just one of many questions they had to ask her. 

Ansley

Ansley sat at his desk, drumming his fingers along the glass surface. He'd ordered everyone to stay away and let him meditate, hoping that an answer would come to him. Nothing. Glaring at the pieces of vellum piled neatly on his table, he picked them up and dumped them in the trash. Dusting his hands off, he reached under his desk and opened a drawer to pull out a thin box.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key to unlocked it before running his hand over the top and disarming spells meant to kill the next person who opened it. When it was safe, he lifted the lid and gently removed the Book of the Iron Claw. Shoving the box to one side he laid careful hands on its leather surface.

"Why did I ever abandon you? Please, save me." He waited, as if the book would answer him.

When it didn't, he sighed and carefully flipped through, remembering each new set of instructions, each reward as he past them. However, when he reached the last page he paused. Under the line for removed Knight's there were still six marks, but the one tally mark remaining for those that were alive was now black, instead of the blood red he was used to.

Running a careful finger down the tally mark, he stood and carried the book to the window. Looking out over the glittering lights of New York that sat below him, a laugh burst forth. Claudus could track this Knight and once it was dead immortality would be his.

Sereya

Sereya stood in her room, aware that Camden and April wouldn't want her listening in on their 'adult' conversation. It probably had to do with Eve saying she'd one day be able to do magic. Moving to her bed, she sat and untucked the book she'd secreted away when no one was looking from beneath her shirt.

There was something in this book she needed to know, something Eve had wasted precious seconds telling her to find. Opening the book to the table of contents she read through the title of each chapter. There was nothing she hadn't seen before.

Frustrated she opened the book to the chapter April had been about to read but found she couldn't concentrate. Flipping through aimlessly, she noted that the index at the back of the book had a few different lists. The first was of Knights that served Arthur and she read through it without thought. As she started to read the second list, which was actually a timeline denoting important events in Avalon, a thought clicked in her head.

Reading the first list of thirteen again she noted that the title of the list was "Protectors and Knights of Arthur (the Vashjior)" and the person listed forth was named Gwendolyn. Flipping to the book cover she saw the author Gwendolyn Vashjior. A coincidence, merely the author slipping her name into a book?

Thinking very carefully to the day when she'd met Eve she remembered her true name. Sereya Vashjior. This book was likely written by someone she was related to. And Eve had said her name meant 'Of the Protectors".

That meant the author was also related to Eve, who had done the impossible and said she would be able to as well. A shifter who could use magic had left her a book that detailed the principles of magic while masquerading as a children's book written by another member of their family.

Was some part of this real? Why would the author include herself? Flipping frantically back to the last page she read the second column which denoted the creature each member could shift into.

Next to the name Gwendolyn Vashjior was a short definition which was impossible. Griffin - Golden eagle, lion.

Sighing, she collapsed back on the bed. She'd just have to read the book and learn what it taught because while shifters who might be able to do magic could conceivably exists, griffins most definitely did not.

As she started to think about what the choice of griffin might symbolize she drifted off, never completing the thought.

***

And with that my lovelies, the first book comes to a close. So glad you all came on this journey with me ~M