When the others came back for me an hour later, that was how they found me - my eyes raw from weeping, staring at the spot on the ground where she had collapsed. The sword itself, having fulfilled its purpose, simply fell apart, and a small part of me wished I could do the same.
Eventually they brought me home, and being close to Lorelei eased my ache to some degree...but I still felt like I had lost a mother twice now.
When Lori and I were back in our room, she helped me undress and get into bed, and as she laid down next to me she spoke at last.
“I changed my mind,” she said quietly. “Don’t tell me what she did to you. After seeing her, what she was like...I think ignorance really is bliss on this occasion.”
“I only wish I could be ignorant again,” was all I could say in reply, before I broke down once more.
This time, however, it was with relief, and feeling Lorelei’s arms around me reminded me what it was all for.
And yet, when Celeste died, there was definitely something in me that went with her.
EPILOGUE
You were warned. I told you this would get weird, and still you read it.
Readers with a brilliant memory or a knack for details will remember that, in my last account, I made mention of the fact that I used to have a sensitive side. Well, after the events of this account, there was little left of who I was. It took time to rebuild my personality, but the memories...they could never fade. No amount of drink diminished them, no amount of better times with Lori eased the agony completely. Don’t forget, I had memories of things no mortal should ever have witnessed.
By the time I had killed Celeste, it was the start of April. At the end of April, Aubrey Gerald Deans, Master of Records, passed away. He was buried in the fortress grounds with full honours, in respect of the years of service he gave to The Order.
George finally agreed to become a fully-fledged member, but not before I punched him in the mouth for all that I suffered at his insistence. He agreed that he deserved it.
Work began on the cure for Revenance, although even now it’s slow going. However, Kara remains hopeful - or at least, as close to a positive emotion as she ever gets.
Most surprising of all - at least for me - was Markus. The first day I returned to work, he marched into the office, drew his massive blade...and held it point first against the floor, kneeling behind it in a gesture of fealty.
He told me that he had to see if I was worth following, that too many years of service to Sharriana had left him cynical about any head of our organisation. He added that it was my willingness to almost destroy myself for the sake of the others that convinced him I deserved his loyalty.
I didn’t tell him that there was no ‘almost’.
Lorelei and I remained strong, although I could tell that my altered personality took a toll on her. It took me a very long time to get back to normal, and to this day I am still not the same person I was.
This will be the last of my accounts, at least for now - the events that occurred after that left me with little memory of what happened, and from what Lori says it’s probably better that way, for my own sanity.
So, for now, until such times as something else of interest occurs in my peculiar existence, I’m signing off. Remember that we are not against you, if you leave us alone. And we are always happy for new recruits, if you feel you believe in our cause. We have a presence in all major cities and towns if you want to join us.
May whatever gods you follow look after you and yours.
Deimos Black,
Head of The Order
Scion of the Firstborn
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Once again, the first person to thank is my amazing better half, Revah. She's been incredibly supportive of my writing, and has on more than one occasion kicked my backside into just sitting down and writing, as well as being a great sounding board for ideas.
Also returning is H L Dickson, my unofficial mentor and wonderful cover artist. She's offered advice on an assortment of subjects, and her covers are utterly amazing. I owe her much.
New to the acknowledgements this time, however, is another lovely Canadian author, Elizabeth Munro. She's been instrumental this time in helping to build interest, by reviewing my book early and announcing it in West Coast Book Reviews. Again, she's offered a lot of advice, and I have the utmost respect for her.
My dad, Ian, once again provided a lot of technical, military and random information, and helped out with constructive criticism and constant support, as well as funding the publication of the first book, and my good friend Dan also helped out in that regard as well.
Also, and this really needs to be said – thank you to everyone who bought the first book. Just that little bit of support was incredibly humbling, and I look forward to taking you all on this journey with me. I hope I can continue to entertain you with interesting stories.
If you're interested, I now have a dedicated writer's email address, at which you can send me questions, comments, feedback or anything else: [email protected]. Nice and easy, so no hassle there.
And finally, once again, thank you for reading this book. I hope you'll be around for many more.
With respect,
Martyn Currill
Of Angel's Blood (Chronicles of The Order Book 2) Page 21
