The Legend of the Eight: The Hunted (Book 5)

21: I Love You, Goodbye

Cam took in a breath. It sounded like he was trying not to cry.

"He should be here with us."

Drew reached forward and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"He is. And no matter what, no matter how long it's been or where we end up—" He looked at Phoebe when he said that. "—He always will be."

Kate wrapped her fingers around Liam's and then smiled wistfully at the group. "This is kind of it, isn't it? This is the last time we're all going to be together like this."

"Stanford's only a five-hour drive from UCLA," Nicole reminded her of their two schools and the knot in Phoebe's stomach tightened.

While her friends were off to exciting new chapters at college, her path was much different. Instead of frat parties and 8am lectures, she'd be traveling, rounding up Shadow Thieves and making the Three Realms a safer place to be. She was excited about it—really, she was—but she couldn't help but feel like she was already missing out on the lives her friends would all get to live.

"Speaking of college," she said, clearing her throat. "I have a little going away present for all of you."

She took the bag off her shoulder and placed it on the ground. In it were several small boxes, each of which she'd addressed to them.

"When we leave the Academy, we won't be protected anymore. If Bartemius or Jeremiah try to find us, they'll be able to. And we know the Doctor is looking for Alties. My Shadow Magic is like its own cloaking spell but you guys can be found."

She passed the gifts to their respective recipients, saving Drew's for last. He thanked her quietly but never opened it.

Kate, however, opened hers immediately and she marveled at the necklace in the box—a simple amethyst stone on a gold chain.

"Fi, you're a genius!" she raved but it was clear not everyone was so quick to put it together. "You made us cloaked objects?"

Phoebe nodded. She spent the better part of three weeks working on the gifts—cloaking everything from a tiny gold earring for Wil to an amethyst bracelet for Cam. The magic was difficult but with Finn's help, she was able to cloak nine objects in total—for her friends, Chloe Lawson, Damon Donovan and Levi Heart. She would've made one for Dr. K too but he insisted he'd be fine. He was staying in the World of Magic, after all. If someone wanted to find him, they'd be up for a hell of a fight.

"This is brilliant," Nicole said as she admired the dainty ring given to her. She slipped it onto her right ring finger and then admired the sunlight sparkling off it. "So that's it? We just put them on and we're cloaked?"

Phoebe nodded again. She and Finn spelled the objects to protect each person individually and as long as they kept the object on their person, they'd remain hidden from anyone who wished to track them down.

"This is really great, Fi," Liam told her and he put the ring she'd made him—a gold one with his initials inscribed into it—on his middle finger. "Thank you."

They didn't' stay at the grave long and when it was time to say their goodbyes, Phoebe couldn't help but feel like a chapter in their lives was closing. They weren't just leaving the Academy—they were leaving each other.

On the way out of the cemetery, Phoebe noticed Drew hadn't opened the small box she'd given him and she stopped him, resting her hand on his arm.

"Hey. Can we talk?"

He took off his cap and pushed his hand through his copper hair, staring at the grass beneath them.