With the supernaturals, we all believed in something different. We had those who believed in being buried to be sent back to earth. Other believed in a funeral pyre to send the spirit off to the heavens, or being sent off into the ocean. With seven deaths, we couldn’t just do a burial. They didn’t hold the same beliefs, and it would have been disrespectful to not follow them.
With deaths, their bodies were returned to their families. I wasn’t there, but I heard about Henzie’s father coming to retrieve his body. The anger he felt, the blame he placed, and the amount of energy he gave off that overwhelmed some of those around him. Some of the guards had fainted from the intensity.
I was glad I wasn’t there, and at the same time felt like a coward. I liked Henzie and he was a fellow labbie.
Now we were down one and today, I needed to honor what he’d done for us.
Biomystic Security decided to hold a memorial service for the seven lives lost. We all gathered at the company, and I had to do my best to keep the memories at bay. Funny how I suffered with them scrambled and now that they were together, I still suffered. Ami’s face was pale and her expression blank.
She was in mourning. She admitted to not understanding what she was missing until he was already gone. That was a shock for her and a regret I couldn’t take away. I wished I could, but that was beyond my ability.
We all gathered in the garden, portraits of each employee on an easel with an exorbitant amount of flowers all over. Even the garden pixies were helping, making sure the flowers surrounding each lost soul stayed alive and healthy, the colors of the petals glowing.
The service was nice. People who knew the deceased took turns telling a story meant to celebrate their lost fellow’s life. And there were a lot of people, ranging from pixies, leprechauns, humans, to shifters, vampires, giants, and even a cyclops. The enforcers were there too, along with a council member I hadn’t met yet. I avoided both of them, sensing some hostility aimed at me from both groups.
When my turn came up, I told the large group about the time I borrowed a toy plane from Henzie so I could test one of my prototypes. I had used the plane to fly a ball high up into the sky and then let the ball drop. When the ball hit the ground, it had created a small crater despite the ball itself being soft. Henzie was furious, claiming I stole his plane. I’d returned it to him and since I did, I technically borrowed it. My story got a few laughs.
Ami told them about the time she was stuck in the infirmary because of a stomach wound, and Henzie had brought her a meal, and then they spent time playing silly card games.
There were so many stories to go around about all seven people, and I got to see how loved they were and how much the other employees cared about each other. Even Abram had a story to tell about one of the guards, and he was the least liked employee in the company. That didn’t matter. We still laughed.
Once it was over, I was drained, exhausted, and ready to curl up in a bed and hide from the world.
“You’re with me tonight,” Elliot said, coming to my side.
I nodded, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he led me toward the parking lot.
“Laila!”
We stopped and turned to watch Dwight and Shanton walk over.
“Shanton, you’re still around?”
He nodded. “Of course. I’d never leave in a time of need like this. Besides, I still have some business to resolve here.” He glanced at Dwight before giving me a small smile. “I’m looking into moving my home base here.”
I stared at him for a moment before I finally understood what he’d said.
“You’re going to move to Springer?”
He nodded. “There are more opportunities here for me.” His eyes darkened and only a nudge from Dwight broke the spell that had built between us from his look. “I’m also helping in the hunt for Padraig since he’s one of the ones I’ve been trying to hunt down for years now.” He scowled at the name, his lip curling in anger. He shook his head and blew out a breath. “Laila, I just wanted you to know we’ll find him. He won’t get away with this. For hurting you.”
Warmth filled my chest, and I gave him a shaky smile. “Thank you, Shanton.”
“Please, at this point, call me Cyril.”
“Cyril.”
He grinned wide. “I’ll see you around.” He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Take care of yourself. Your health is important to a lot of people.” His eyes met Elliot’s briefly before he turned around and strolled back to the memorial service.
“I’ll check in on you later,” Dwight said, giving me a brief kiss on the lips.
“Bye,” I said and watched as he headed back too.
“Come on,” Elliot said. “To my home.”
I gave him a shaky smile.
“Sounds good to me.”
Author’s Note
I can’t believe I’m this far along in Laila’s journey. Magical Seclusion was definitely one of my favorite books to write. This whole experience has been amazing and that’s mainly because of you, the reader. Thank you for all your support and positivity. There’s more to come for Laila and her men, so much more.
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Next in Series
Magical Redemption
Biomystic Security Book Four
Spring 2019
Dr. Laila Porter never knew what grief meant until Biomystic Security was attacked. Now that it’s over, the company is on its way to healing, but as truths come out, it proves harder to do. Something sinister is going on in Springer City, and when the team finds out, it becomes a race against the clock before thousands of lives are lost. Will Laila find her place in all the unrest or will she fall victim to the darkness creeping in on her?
From the Author
Biomystic Security
Magical Intentions
Magical Temptations
Magical Attraction
Magical Seclusion
Magical Redemption (Coming Soon)
Magical Collision (Coming Soon)
Gifted Anomalies
Fate Foretold
Stalker Links
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Magical Seclusion Page 27
