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Epilogue
Ophelia Protocol
Aziza
Michael freaking Cooper, my amazing husband, spun me around as he kissed me. Wasting no more time, we’d arranged for the ceremony to take place immediately after landing from Brazil. Django and Mickie made sure I looked like a princess, while Vivi dressed me in a simple, elegant gown. But the best part was saying our I dos on my favorite beach on Marakata Cay while surrounded by my Oztralian family.
Before our kiss even ended, the party started with DV8 and Lil’ BayBay playing and everyone cheering.
As Coop set me down, he said, “I hope you liked the ring.”
I admired the beautiful princess-cut diamond flanked by two dark sapphire stones on my finger. He’d had it made six months ago, when he’d been in the Mediterranean. The sapphires were for the ocean, but I loved how they matched his eyes. The cut would always remind me of Baba’s nickname for me. “I love it. It’s perfect for me, just like you are.”
“Thank God Nik grabbed up our luggage before getting in the helo, because I sure as hell wouldn’t have wanted to go on another treasure dive so soon.”
Nik, Thea, Leo, and Titan, of course, all surrounded to congratulate us first. It was hard to believe these sweet souls had only been a part of my life for a few days. To me they were already family.
I hugged Thea extra-long. She’d been quiet and reflective on the plane as she’d processed what she’d learned from the Ibogaine session. “Are you okay? We haven’t had a chance to talk much about how the therapy went.”
“I think I’m going to need your help,” she said quietly.
“You’ve got it. Anything at all. What’s going on?”
“My sister Amanda Gale, Mandy—she’s alive. I remember everything.”
“We’ll find her. Don’t worry,” I said, hugging her again. As we pulled apart, I noticed a stir of activity in the crowd, people looking and pointing to the sky. “What’s going on?”
I turned, spotting a plane in the distance with a trail of puffy white shooting out behind it.
“Looks like a skywriter,” Leo said. “Haven’t seen one of those since I was a kid.”
“Coop, did you plan this?” I asked.
He held his hands up and shook his head. “Not me. Vivi maybe?”
Vivi had done most of the work planning the impromptu wedding, while I’d scrambled to respond to all of Zaki’s correspondence. Which had included calming Marguerite’s fear that Zaki had died because he hadn’t eaten any meals in a week. I’d felt a twinge of guilt convincing her that he’d gone on a cleansing fast and I’d simply forgotten to let the kitchen know. I really was getting tired of deceiving people I cared about. Coop assured me we’d figure out a way to kill OZ off while still retaining my rights and our organization’s integrity. He was determined to help me get out from under all the lies and secrecy.
“Wasn’t me, love,” Vivi said as she congratulated me with a hug and kiss to both cheeks. “Security mobilized when it came into our airspace. But it appears to just be a skywriting plane. Maybe someone from one of the nearby islands practicing?”
“Zaki doesn’t believe in coincidences,” I said out of habit.
We watched each letter form, S U R R E trying to guess what it would say.
“Surrender? How ominous,” Coop said as he casually sipped from a beer bottle the guys had brought out to him. Despite his relaxed attitude, he’d made quick eye contact with Nik, Wolfe, and Colt. They all had their heads up and on a swivel to ensure there were no other surprises.
“There’s more,” I murmured as the small plane looped. T H E… From the corner of my eye I saw Thea’s face pale and Nik’s jaw flex. “Vivi?”
“On it, love,” she said, and I knew she was contacting Gray to find out who exactly had contracted the skywriter. Soon the plane disappeared, leaving only its threatening message to hang in the air above the emerald island.
‘Surrender Theadora.’
I turned to Thea, but she just stared at the message.
I gently put my hand on her arm. “Do you know what it means?”
“No, but I know who it’s from.” She turned to look me in the eye. “Seraphina Westin.”
* * * *
