Page 73 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“I had no faith in angels and heaven, but I’ll pray nightly for you all. And Lucifer, I shall be forever grateful.”

“Indeed. A warning: You’re a small part of the puzzle. Three more will be saved. You are not to interfere. Instead, research, learn, investigate, and let them come to you. The world is filled with many creatures that people don’t believe exist. They do. True evil walks this world, just as Ajax warned you. The Jaspers will fight against it, as they are meant to. Stay strong and walk the path of righteousness. And I will stand with you,” Lucifer declared, and they began fading away.

As Lucifer nearly vanished, Lyra lunged forward and boldly grasped his hands. “Thank you. I shall keep you in my heart.”

“And that, Lyra, is thanks enough. One day you’ll need me. Call my name three times, and I shall come. Be blessed, Lyra,” Lucifer said and disappeared.

Lyra turned to me and, with a joyous laugh, tackled me and Avery. We lay on the sand-covered ground and laughed.

We had a future. That was more than I expected.

Epilogue.

Lucifer

I smiled as William and Lyra tucked Avery into bed. They still looked stunned. William kissed Avery’s forehead and leaned against the doorjamb as Lyra settled him in. They would soon find the packet of paperwork with legal documents for all of them, including those that showed Avery as William’s biological son. The Earth needed more of them.

The Rakehell Six and Nortons were leading the charge, but these would too, in their own way.

I turned away and checked over the others. I smiled as Henrietta Courtenay shoved St John into the lake for what must have been the thousandth time. On the shore, Daniel Harrington chuckled with Sabine at his side. Young children sat with them, laughing.

I waved my hand over the scrying bowl and giggled as CeeCee ran after Cole through Wollscombe with a stick. Cole laughed and threw sparks of magic over his shoulder at her. The image flickered, and I grinned at Benedict as Mariah smacked him over the head with a pillow. Benedict leapt to his feet and chased her as Lady Catherine presented herself and scared him, allowing Mariah to escape.

I flicked again, and Eléonore Castle appeared. Inside her, Tristian and Abigail danced to ghostly musicians. My flock is fine and happy.

I searched for another and found him, trudging through fields and focused on a single goal. He was the one who pained me. Before he was able to find his destiny, he had to walk many paths. Yet he never wavered, loyal as always, unwavering in his faith in me.

No matter what happened, Ajax Norton would be given a glorious life, even if it cost me my own.

Ophelia

I watched in disbelief as the coaster slid along the table.

“What on earth?” I muttered.

To my disbelieving eyes, it stood up and flapped about before corner-walking towards me.

“Yup, too much wine,” I murmured and got up. I sighed as I looked about Clamshell. She still needed renovating, and I was waiting for teams to come in. I walked over to where my camp bed was, a far cry from the luxury I grew up in. Who cared? I was free.

The coaster began doing backflips, and I wondered if someone had drugged the wine. It wouldn’t surprise me, not after what I’d recently learned. My family was messed up beyond belief. They could all go to hell.

I lay down on the camp bed and ignored the coaster. It was just another weird thing that I couldn’t muster the energy to deal with.

That was life, and it sucked. End of story.