Shadow Mutation (Book Seven) [UNDER MAJOR EDITING]

Epilogue

Casey doesn't recover right away, but that's expected. He finds himself visiting her grave regularly, leaving her little flowers or just telling her about his latest problems. He misses talking to her more than anything.

He stares up at the ceiling of his bedroom, thinking over everything. April lays against his chest, her head tucked beneath her chin and her eyes closed. He runs his hand along her back, playing with the soft material of her pyjamas. He inhales deeply, lifting her head with his chest.

"Hey Casey?" she whispers.

"Yeah?" he asks, his tone rather monotone.

She looks up at him, resting her hand on his chest. "Look, with what I said before we broke up...can I just say that-"

He exhales, shutting his eyes. "I'm sorry, Red, but you know that I can't think about that stuff...especially not now..."

She shakes her head. "You didn't let me finish." She scoots up a little more, gazing down at him as she traces her finger along the pale scar crossing his chest. "I just wanted to tell you that you can take however long you need. Recover, get back to normal, I'll support you no matter what."

He smiles lightly as she settles against him again, listening to his heartbeat. She holds back a tremor that crawls up her spine, knowing that his heart is only beating because of Zilla.

"I miss her a lot, April," he says softly.

"She really did love you," the redhead agrees.

He rolls onto his side, meeting her eyes as the corner of his mouth tugs upward for just a second. "Is it bad if I loved her too?"

She shakes her head in response, cuddling against him. "No. I'm glad she was there for you."

He leans over and gives her a quick kiss, brushing their noses together for a second. He smiles as she wrinkles her nose, a tiny smile on her lips.

"Hey...I'm almost twenty years old," he says with a cocky smile. "I'm getting old."

"Oh shush," she returns, nudging his shoulder with her fist.

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A door opens at the far end of a dark space, revealing a slim silhouette covered by a large cloak. She enters the room, moving with speed and grace as she pulls her hood down, shaking her short hair a little.

She walks right up to a large box, little green lights blinking on the side. She reaches into her cloak, pulling out a bottle full of glowing white liquid. She lifts the bottle to her eye level, revealing the stark yellow colour of her irises.

A devious smirk crawls across her face, her fangs glinting in the dim lighting as she lowers the vial.

"One day," she murmurs, looking to the dark shape laying inside a cryogenic freezer. "We must lull them into security and make them think that they are safe. When the time is right...we will strike. I promise you, Master, this battle has not yet been won."

End of Book Seven