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"There's only one way to know for sure. We need to zip ourselves to various places and see if the reaction has ended."
"I agree."
And we do just that, though I grab the alchemical manuscripts Sefton had collected before we leave. We discover the books in the library, laid out on the chaise by the windows. Sefton must have put them there after we searched the house and didn't feel the need to protect them, arrogantly certain of his impending victory. They might come in handy. We check London first, then Fort Worth and several other cities around the globe. After satisfying ourselves that the reaction has ceased, we return to the Lost Coast. The four of us might be the only people living here now, but things will change. We will make certain of it, together.
My brother believed he had cursed me to eternal torment, but he never predicted the one variable neither of us could control—Allison Dahl, the woman who saved my soul and the world.
Epilogue
Allison
A bonfire crackles in front of us while Dax and I cuddle on the grass nearby, his arm around me and my head on his shoulder. Not that long ago, I hated and feared him. Now, I love to cuddle up with my sexy beast and gaze at the stars or the ocean or a bonfire. Today, we're celebrating the Fourth of July—a little late. With no clocks or calendars to go by, we didn't realize until this morning that Independence Day had come and gone weeks ago. Everyone in our camp agreed that we should do something to commemorate the holiday.
Why? Because everyone who lives in our new enclave on the Lost Coast has escaped from the horrors of the alchemy of worlds. We have broken free of Sefton's vision for the world and created a community out here in the wilds. The cities are still ruled by Echo creatures, and the opening to the Echo still hangs in the sky above us, though we can't see it as long as we're outside the invisible boundaries around the cities and a good chunk of the suburbs, not to mention sections of the rural areas. Whenever a solitary creature manages to reach this enclave, we take that monster down. Everyone pitches in. Even the former nun in our group has taken up arms to help defend the community.
At first, we didn't seek out new members. They would find us, though no one could explain how they discovered our enclave. I think it's the Echo power in them. It just hasn't surfaced yet in a way that anyone can recognize. How many people harbor that power inside them? Nobody knows. These days, when we venture out into the world, we invite the lost souls we meet to join our community. Some do, some don't. We rely on our instincts to decide who to trust.
Grant has become a good friend to both me and Dax—and our adopted daughter, Willow. He still grieves for his wife and son, but I hope one day he will find someone new. Grant is such a good man that he deserves to know love again.
Seven weeks have gone by since the day Dax killed his brother and the alchemical reaction ground to a halt. We returned to Fallenmouth a few days after that and found the estate in ruins, ravaged by the apocalypse. But over the weeks since then, we've checked on other areas around the globe. The alchemy of worlds has clearly ended for good, though the consequences of what Sefton did haven't been erased. One day, we will undo the damage. I believe that with all my heart and soul.
Grant ducks into his tent and emerges holding a plastic bag. He waves it in the air. "Look what I found today. Who wants toasted marshmallows?"
Willow jumps up and down. "Me! Yes!"
That's right. We hunt for more than essential supplies when we head out into the post-apocalyptic world. Allowing ourselves to enjoy the occasional treat makes living out here seem less like escaping from danger and more like coming home.
As much as I love toasted marshmallows, I have something to tell Dax—alone. So I lift my head to whisper into his ear, "Grab the lantern and let's go for a walk."
"Now?"
"Yes. Please."
He retrieves our oil lantern from our tent and takes my hand as we amble away from the group, into the woods. We stop just inside the canopy of trees.
"What is it?" he asks.
Yeah, he knows me well enough to realize I need to say something. "Well, it's, um…"
"Relax, Ally. You can tell me anything."
"When we were in LA today, in that pharmacy, I grabbed something. While you and Grant were hunting for medicine and food."
"What did you take?"
"A home pregnancy test."
He goes perfectly still, his eyes glimmering in the lantern light.
I take a breath and just say it. "I'm pregnant, Dax."
The lantern drops to the ground, and his mouth falls open.
"Are you okay with this development?" I ask. "It's a lot to process, I know. We're living in a post-apocalyptic world, which isn't the ideal place to raise a child."
He wraps his arms around me, tugging me close. "We can do this, Ally, I know we can. All that matters is our family—you, me, Willow, and our baby."
"I'm so glad you feel that way, because I want our baby so much."
