The Call of the Beachwick

Epilogue

Darby was a flood of emotions. On the one hand, she was furious. In the completions since she had moved to the Beachwick, she had grown to hate the Syndicate, but their actions today left her blood boiling. At the present moment, she wasn't sure what incident made her madder, the destroying of her home, the attack on the younglings, or the battered state they had left Bidant in. On the other hand, her heart was at peace. The younglings were currently being escorted by the only people she trusted to take care of them and her home could be rebuilt. More importantly, she had Bidant back and she was doing her best to escort him to the south end of town.

Bidant didn't say where they were going, but he didn't need to say. She knew. She knew because she had escorted him their dozens of times. It was the same reason she knew she could never be with him, because she couldn't put him through the turmoil of him doing the same thing for her, not that he would ever accept her. As they approached the gates of the cemetery, she diligently opened the door as her heart sighed in disappointment.

However, much to her astonishment, he hooked his arms around hers guiding her in. Three steps later she found herself further into the place than she had ever been. Under different circumstances, she might have found the holy place enchanting, but her hazel eyes remained fixed to the side of Bidant's cheek trying hard not to focus on the bloodied scar running down the side.

"Surprised?"

"Yes," she responded, too afraid to add more.

"Well, then I got two more for you."

Curious, Darby waited patiently all the while her heart pounded in her chest. In a matter of moments Bidant led her to a mausoleum that rivaled any she had seen. At the end of the of a tomb she could see a prominent platform, but Bidant stopped just inside the tunnel and turned his attention to one of the niches built into the walls. As he started to undo the bolts holding up the marble, Darby read an ancient plaque with a brass name and no epitaph.

"Wilran?" she asked.

Bidant nodded in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable. Without uttering a word, he retrieved a peculiar brass contraption from within the marble structure. The device was long and cylindrical, with a conical end and intricate fins protruding from its sides. Handling it with care, he ventured back outside the mausoleum and positioned it upright on the ground. Then, with deft motion, he secured a long fuse to a short brass point protruding from the bottom of the device.

Once he had finished his task, Bidant motioned for her to follow him back into the mausoleum. There, they walked in silence until they reached the end of the hallway, where he indicated for her to take a seat beside him on the bench.

"Mr. Bidant I—"

"Please have a seat, Darby. This is important to me."

Darby nodded and sat staring at the words on the tomb. It was her first time reading them, but now that she knew them she was sure they would forever mark who she was and who she could never be. Even if Bidant allowed it, even if her heart could handle it, there would be no competing with the human who's bones now laid before her.

Here lies Gamma; wife to Bidant.

"Love covers a multitude of iniquities."

When she was done reading the epitaph, she turned back to Bidant who was busying himself with the fuse. He took a small box out of his pocket and as Darby wondered where he got it, she watched as he took a firestick, struck it against the bench, then lit the fuse.

"Gamma," he answered intertwining his hands in to hers. Her heart skipped a beat than three more for good measure. "I'd like you to meet someone very important to me. This is Darby. I'd like to make her my wife."

Darby's heart seized in her chest, her breath catching as she locked eyes with Bidant's emerald gaze. She had never known him to jest, but in that moment, she needed absolute certainty for fear her heart would never start again. The possibility of it being a cruel trick sent shivers down her spine, freezing her in place like a moth caught in a flame. As her panic threatened to overwhelm her, Bidant offered her a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand, as if to say 'I do.'

"Go, on," Bidant encouraged. "Best not to be rude."

"It's nice to finally meet you Mrs. Gamma," she spoke hoping the greeting prudent.

"And you, Mrs. Darby," came a soft feminine voice from behind him, causing her to turn. As she did, the device positioned outside the mausoleum erupted in a burst of steam and smoke. With a triumphant roar, it soared skyward, leaving a trail of swirling vapor in its wake as if embarking on a journey to uncharted realms. Yet, as it reached its apex, it detonated in a dazzling display of light and sound that reverberated across the whole earth.