Nightfall

Epilogue

When we arrived back at the house with Caleb's body, Alina and Andre fell to the ground, Alina crying silently as Andre soothed his wife, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"He told me before he died that he's okay," I told them as they scattered his ashes to the wind.

"Thank you, Ember," Alina said, hugging me.

"I feel like it's my fault that he died," I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

"It's not your fault," Andre said. "You didn't kill him; Rachel did."

I nodded, a small smile appearing on my face as I remembered Caleb's goofy smile, and his shy nature towards me.

"What happens now?" Mav asked, sitting with his parents and friends.

"You guys definitely deserve a break," Raegan said, ruffling her son's hair.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Mia said, kissing Andrew's forehead.

"You know what I'm going to do?" I said out loud.

"Leave?" Mycah said sarcastically, her son rolling his eyes.

"I'm going to change something in my life," I responded.

The next day, I went out, and came back to the house with my hair being a golden brown.

"Goddamn Ember!" Andrew said, pretending to fall over.

"You like it?" I asked.

"It's so pretty," Sage said, playing with my hair.

I smiled, thinking that Caleb would be pleased.

"You look gorgeous," said a voice around me as a soft wind blew.

"Thank you Caleb," I whispered.

That night, I heard whispers around me as I slept on the couch.

Waking up, I followed the whispers until they led me to Caleb's room. Sitting on the bed, I looked around, the memories of what happened the night I spent with Caleb flowing in my mind.

I remember his lips, kissing me, as he held my hand. His curly, black hair, and his eyes glowing a faint blue. We were like vines, intertwined together. Sniffling, I wiped away the tears as I felt someone sitting next to me.

"Why are you crying?" the voice whispered.

"I don't know," I responded.

"I miss holding you."

"I miss seeing you."

I looked out the window, staring out at the skyline, watching the clouds slowly pass me.

Shaking my head, I noticed in the distance the figure of a girl, the same girl I saw before I left my parents.

I looked at her.

She stared back at me, her big brown eyes blinking.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

Her eyes then turned a purple color, which I've never seen before.

"Blackwood," she whispered, before disappearing.

Raising my eyebrows, I watched as a young boy soon appeared as well, his eyes a dark brown color. "Nightfall," he whispered, before evaporating into the clouds.

"Ember?" a voice said. Turning around, I saw Alina standing outside her son's bedroom door. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," I responded. "Just thinking."

"Me too," the black-haired woman said, standing next to me. "I'm thinking about my son, and what's he could possibly be doing right now."

I shrugged. "He's probably looking at us right now."

Alina's eyes glowed a bright yellow. "Most likely."

After a month or so, it seemed as though everything had died down.

I was sitting outside with Sage next to me, watching the boys play football.

"How are you dealing?" Sage asked me.

"I'm good," I said. "How would you feel if your possible boyfriend died?"

Sage glanced at me. "I would not cry, I don't think, but I would be sad as hell."

Just then, the skies clouded up, and rain started to pour down, bolts of lightning disturbing what was a peaceful afternoon.

"What the hell?!" Sage cried, her eyes blazing as the earth started to tremble.

The boys stopped, looking up at the sky and back at me. "What's going on?" Andrew asked, his eyes glowing an electric blue.

"I don't know," I said.

We all watched as the skies opened up to a figure descending to the ground, her curly brown hair flowing around her as her pupils were a deep hazel color.

With a wave of her hand, the beads of rain stopped, the thunderbolts of lightning striking the area around us.

She looked at me with a cool expression on her face. "Are you Ember?" she asked.

I nodded, glancing at Sage as Mav growled, changing into a wolf.

Emerging from the ground was a young boy, looking very similar to the girl, his light brown hair dirty with mud as his eyes sparkled with delight. "We've been looking for you," he said.

"Actually, I've been looking for you," a voice called out from the shadows.

Noticing the thick Blackwood scent, the boys growled, Sage gripping her arrows.

"Who are you?" I demanded, unsheathing my claws.

The figure emerged from the shadows, a young woman, around twenty seven, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

She put her machete down, giving me a look of urgency. "My name is Katie," she said, "And I need your help."