"Come on! You can do it! Run! Run you lanky son of a–"

"Nick!"

"What?" I said innocently, twitching an eyebrow in Sheira's general direction. "What have I done now?"

She rolled her eyes magnificently. She shook her head and reverted her full attention back to the track. No small feat considering she was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet like a jack in the box. She suddenly jabbed me hard in the ribs.

"Look! Look!"

A beautiful blue blur was streaking at full tilt towards the finish line and the crowd was going nuts. Leela, the designated MC, was screaming into her microphone, all lack of bias thrown off a cliff as she cheered on her cabin mate.

"Come on Chip!" Oh, I wasn't going to be effectively mute tomorrow morning but I couldn't care less. "Yes! Yes! YES!"

The crowd exploded with noise that would have rivalled the Olympic stadium. Sheira whooped loudly, jumping up onto my shoulders and cheering in my ear. Bright red explosions raced up into the sky above the Fire seats. Blue, green and yellow sparks filled the sky until the air above the tournament stadium was alive with colour.

"Shouldn't you be rooting for your own guy?" I yelled over the racket, as Sheira jumped into a hug.

She stepped back, laughing. Her smile lit up her face like a ray of sunshine. "Oh its all a bit of fun. Besides," she shrugged, "I think we deserve it."

Understatement of the century. I propped myself up against the barrier that separated the bottom of the stands from the track. Chip circled the track in a victory lap, waving and mock bowing to the crowds, oblivious to the beating August sunshine under the enormous canopy that stretched out like a massive red sail.

It was weird to think that only a few weeks ago we'd been in the middle of the fight for our lives, battling monsters and slicing through hordes of who would very much like to see our heads mounted on a spike. But here we were, cheering on our friends in the summer tournament. Like nothing had ever happened.

But it had happened, and all of us were certainly feeling the effects of the fallout.

Ms Harper damn near killed us. When she'd caught up to us by the smouldering ruins of Dunloch Castle I will unashamedly admit that I made peace with my maker and prepared to step into the great beyond. All I can say is thank god for my mother pulling the friendship card or else my remains would have been carted out of Scotland in a bucket.

The old Harpy and I were still on uneasy footing. When she and Mum were hugging it out I was this close to bringing up the teeny, weeny, insignificant fact that the old bat had left my Mum and two little siblings to rot in a dungeon. I'd apparently been stewing over it for a few days after the fact as Shadow had to point out that I was in a mood.

Mum had repeatedly told me just to let it go, that the Harpy was just looking out for the welfare of those under her care. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was still pissed off at her for that but I will admit, mainly because Sheira talked me round to it, that the old biddy did have her moments.

After we got back to good old London town we realised that our old flat was under police investigation, because, you know, we were officially labelled as missing for the better portion of two weeks. That was a fun twenty-four hours when we had to come up with an explanation for the cops, but I think (With only a tiny bit of memory alteration) that they sort of believed us now.

But with that came another problem, and this time it was a biggie. With the flat under investigation and the fact that our human scum of a landlord has all the charm and empathy of a maggot, we were, once again, homeless. But that, ladies and gentlemen, is when Ms Harper came through.

Two rooms in the library for as long as Mum and the kids need them, as well as food, medicine and clothes, all free of charge. Maxie's pneumonia was cleared up in a matter of days and even though all three of them were still a little on the skinny side, they were healthy and safe. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

Oh don't get me wrong, we still got our asses handed to us. Ms Harper's rant lasted a grand total of twelve minutes and forty-three seconds before she collapsed into her chair, her hair and face considerably whiter than it had been before, and waved us away, muttering incoherently about punishments.

It could have been worse. Much worse.

Guard duty three nights a week as well as maintenance and labour duty for the rest of the summer. In a nutshell that essentially means we were glorified cleaners. We also weren't allowed to partake in the tournament and we were basically on house arrest until further notice. Ah well, there are worse places to spend a glorious summer.

A light tap on my elbow distracted me from the sight of the running track phasing out of existence. Sheira jerked her head towards a tall, dark figure standing off one of the stands just as four archery targets were rolled ono the green. The enormous rhino stood beside him certainly singled him out in the crowd

"Hey man, how's it going?" I asked as we strolled up to meet our friend, our own two big cats padding beside us.

Shadow smirked, probably thinking about how the English language had devolved to where 'Hey man' was now an appropriate substitute for 'Hello'. "I'm good. Just finished talking to your boss."

"And?" Sheira leaned forward hopefully. "Did she say yes?"

He nodded, smiling just a little bit wider when Sheira cheered happily. "Until further notice, I am a permanent resident with complete access to the facilities. Thanks for that by the way."

"No problem, a deal is a deal after all."

The apparent mental breakdown Ms Harper suffered at the sight of us troublemakers still alive and breathing was not helped when we introduced our new friend to the entire council. And when we told them we'd promised this total stranger complete access to the library, well...

It had actually been part of the emergency meeting we'd had a few days after we came back, right at the end we'd voted for or against. Six against four in favour of letting him stay.

If it hadn't been for Sophie deciding to make me her co-councillor the night before it would've ended in a stalemate. Yep, yours truly is now Fire Cabins councillor. I'm not sure if that should be a relief or a nightmare, but only time will reveal that possible mistake.

Still, councillor or not, that meeting wasn't exactly fun. Sheira and I gave a play by play account of what we'd done from my weird visions of the future to Scarlett and her death train, the zombies of Truespear Hollow and the serum producing factories that stretched the length of the country.

That wasn't the worst part though. All of those graphic details paled in comparison to looking my friends in the eye and telling them about what had become of the kidnapped kids, describing their addled minds and cold empty eyes, completely of who they were before they received that lethal dose of magic medicine.

I remembered myself swallowing as I tried to clear the dryness from my mouth. Fire Cabin had been begging to know if I heard anything about Annie and Darryl but I hadn't said anything. Not until that meeting anyway. A stunned silence filled the room as I told them about Darryl dying in the dungeons and what his little sister had done to get him back.

A lot of people cried that day, including myself, and the effect of that meeting was still rippling through the grounds like an aftershock. It had taken a few days before Sophie really talked to me again. A memorial was held a week ago for the two of them. Even Shadow turned up. I think he sensed that we needed him to be there.

No one else, besides maybe Mum, could understand what we'd been through. The three of us had slipped back into "normal life" whatever that was, but you couldn't just unsee what we'd seen. I mean, in the last week I've woken up screaming and coated in my own sweat from nightmares. Luckily on all three occasions, I had someone staying over to help get my breath back.

On one of those nights, after a long evening of watching movies in the break room, I asked Shadow, who had fallen asleep on one of the sofa's if the nightmares ever went away. I could see the look of utter regret in his eyes as he said no. I could see his heart breaking as he said that short, cruel word.

"Nick? You okay there?"

How long had I been spacing out for? I shrugged. "Good as I can be," I replied to Sheira. She understood what I meant by that.

"Well, now that you're back on planet Earth," Shadow said with only a hint of sass. "I've actually been needing to talk to you."

This is either very very good or very very bad.

Shadow took a deep breath and continued. "So, I was talking to your mother the other day, about your Dad–"

"Woah there!" I took a step back. "Mate if that's where you're going with this, we're flattered but it's still a bit recent– OW!"

Being clapped over the back of the head is never a fun experience and when it's being delivered by a man who stopped a meteorite with his bare hands it's even less pleasant. I swear to god I saw stars.

"That's not what I meant!" He yelled angrily. Sheira was bent double from laughing so hard. "I was talking to her about what happened after he died. You basically got swindled by your uncle, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I replied, rubbing the sore spot on the back of my head. "Dad's will went missing and my uncle Jason produced one. Claimed it was the real deal and made off with everything." A deaf person could hear the animosity in my words.

"Well," Shadow continued, "I have a lawyer friend. Well not really a friend, more like the son of a friend and he owes me a favour. A big favour. So I hit him up, asked him to do a little bit of digging and he's produced some quite interesting information."

Sheira had stopped laughing and I'd stopped worrying about the pain in my head. That wasn't important anymore. I was completely focused on Shadow.

"So? What happened?" Sheira pressed.

"The will that your uncle produced was genuine, that why he was able to put it through the legal system with no issues," he explained, "but, and this is a big but, the will he produced was written in 1998."

"He would have been eighteen," I worked out the math quickly. "A year before he met Mum." Then came the confusion. "But I know he had another one. I saw him writing it after the twins were born."

"And you're not wrong. I told Anthony about it, and that certainly got his interest piqued. He got a whole team of PI's under his belt and he got one to do some his job and sure enough, tucked away in a dusty backroom, under a mountain of in old paperwork was a document written by Jonathan Hayden dating from 2014." Pause for dramatic effect. "It's the real thing. A genuine and legal document. And since it's the most up to date version, the one your uncle produced from the nineties is invalid and unusable."

Never mind butterflies I had the whole damn zoo fluttering around my stomach. This couldn't be real. This was too good to be true. Somebody pinch me!

"But he has used it and if the genuine thing was at his office then..." Sheira trailed off.

Shadow grinned. "He's broken the law. Big time. He took your father's will and hid it, used the old with no mention of a wife and kids and presented that one to the judge instead. Kid, do you what it's called when you forge a will? Do you know what every court of law in the land will charge you with?"

I was lightheaded and giddy. "I dunno."

He grinned wider. "Fraud. Plain and simple. As far as the justice system is aware your uncles have stolen every penny. It's all rightfully yours. Anthony just called me and told me everything. He is fraud lawyer by trade and he jumped at the chance to defend you guys. He wants to help."

"So we have a case? A winning case?" I could hear the excitement in my voice.

"A case?" Shadow laughed. "You've got enough evidence in your favour for a law student to win. Anthony is one of, if not the, best fraud lawyers in the country. He's never lost a case in his career! He's already sent his detective army off to uncover every piece of dirt they can find. Your uncle might not know yet but he will very soon."

I whooped. I actually made the sound as I scooped up the nearest person, which happened to be Sheira and span her round and round, jumping up and down like a little kid on Christmas morning. This was hope! Proper hope!

"We'll have to get the money together," I breathlessly whispered after I put Sheira down. "We just have to get the deposit but we'll manage it, even if it's a lot we'll pay it."

"You don't need to."

"Shadow I can't take your money," I said.

A funny look came across his face. Was it smugness? Or was it the look someone when they know that character you like dies in the next episode.

"I'm not asking you too," he said simply. "I've already paid for it. All of it."

What. What? WHAT! He's done– He's pay– pa– p- he's done what!? When we'd last gone to court against the smarmy bastard we'd had to put the case together ourselves. We'd taken one look at the cost of a lawyer and wept. Some of those blood-sucking vampires charge a grand an hour and that's not including additional fees!

"Shadow that's too much..."

He shrugged. The git shrugged like it wasn't the biggest deal in the world. "Kid," he put his hands on my shoulders, maybe in an effort to keep me standing upright, "you have been in my vault, right. I have more money than I know what to do with, I don't use any of it, so just let me help. Your family deserves it."

I stood there stunned for a solid minute. I was acutely aware of Sheira's arm around my shoulders and her voice in my ear. What did this mean? What would we get back? All our money? The house? The cars?

"Okay...what will happen then?"

"It might take a little while to go through, but Anthony works fast and he's very efficient. That being said, he would be a lot less efficient if your father wasn't, and I'm quoting here, 'A sneaky bastard'."

"What do you mean?"

"We've all come to the conclusion that your old man knew he was going to bite the big one, right?"

"Yeah..." Where was he going with this?

"Well, in both of the will's your father included a line that basically says that while your uncles can own his property they can't sell it without his written consent. That consent doesn't exist, and your uncles couldn't forge anything because, you know, he was dead, so all of your dad's assets, his property and all of his possessions are still where he left them. His bank account is another matter entirely, it's probably a little thinner than it was before, but that can be filled under theft so you'll probably get every penny back. Plus interest. And there's something else, something I don't even think even you know about."

Okay, what was he on about now?

"Your father had a private account at an elemental bank, an account that his brothers couldn't access. For three of those accounts, he put fifty pounds a month into, money that is still going in to this very day. Three gifts for his three kids, cash that can be claimed when they reach eighteen years old."

Fifty pounds a month? That's six hundred pounds a year. For eighteen years!

"That's over ten grand," Sheira's voice wavered.

I was speechless.

Shadow kept going.

"There was another one, a fourth. This one was labelled 'In Case of Emergency' and frankly I want to know how on Earth your old man got his hands on so much money. He must have put something aside for every day of his life because that is the only explanation I can come up with. Come on, guess how much is in there."

"Fifty grand?" I guessed.

"A hundred?" Sheira added.

He pointed to Sheira. "You're closer." Drum roll please ladies and gentlemen. He took a deep breath, paired it with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on the man and said, "two hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Two hundred and fifty grand all untouched and waiting for you to claim it."

I couldn't believe. I couldn't let myself believe it. It was too much, but it was real. It was real! I knew I was making incomprehensible noises as I doubled over like Dr Grant in Jurassic Park but I didn't care. My two friends were leant over me to make sure I wasn't about to have a mental breakdown. In all fairness, I wasn't far off.

TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS!

How in gods most honourable name did Dad manage that? How did he hide that from us? I always knew he was very sensible with his money and he had a very well-paying job to boot, but two hundred and fifty thousand pounds! (I was sounding like John Mulaney). Dad must have been doing something else on the side to make sure we'd be safe after he died.

Tears were pricking the backs of my eyes. Maybe he knew more than just his death day, maybe he'd seen further ahead. It makes sense if you think about it.

If he hadn't died Jason and Jeremy would never have taken everything away from us we'd still be living at our old home, we never would have moved to Demoney Tower. Right?

I never would have had to take that shortcut through the woods to get home, I would've just taken the underground or the bus and would've got home on time.

Still, following me? Good because if I hadn't of taken that fateful shortcut I never would have met Sheira in the way I did. And if I hadn't met her, I would've been at home when Molly turned up.

What would have happened then?

Over the last couple of days, I'd been putting a lot of thought into that. I suppose you do wonder "what if?" once you know you're safe. I'd lost a bit of sleep over it actually. Would have I have just become a soulless husk? Would she have just killed me outright? I certainly never would have trekked the length and breadth of the country. I wouldn't be who I am now.

Rising unsteadily to my feet, I still had to prop myself up against the barrier, I looked Shadow dead in the eyes, wondering what to say to him. But all the words failed. Shadow beamed even brighter. He seemed genuinely happy.

"You guys can get everything back," he smiled. "Photo albums, heirlooms, insurance, 21 Brandfort Gardens and a certain 1967 burgundy red Chevrolet Impala. Everything that you deserve." He grins faded. "Hey, you alright there kid?"

You know those tears that I said were trying to worm their way out? Welp, now they were streaming down my cheeks like a waterfall of salty joy. I was happy, the happiest I'd been in years, so why was I crying?

Sheira hugged me even tighter, whispering how I deserved this more than anyone. I didn't but I wasn't about to argue. I was a little too busy sobbing into her shoulder to do so. I glanced up at Shadow, grinned and pulled him into the hug as well. He protested of course, but when he put an arm around my shoulder I knew he didn't mean it.

When the two stood back to give me some air I was still sobbing into the palms of my hands. The tears dried up and I looked up, through undoubtedly red eyes, at these two people stood before me. Both had been to hell and back with me and that really changes how you see someone. I could trust these people with my life and I knew where they'd be standing if it ever hit the fan again.

A little way down the arena, Mum was standing watching the show. Maxie was propped up on her hip, pointing at the archers while Lilah was bouncing up and down, a sticky toffee apple clutched in her tiny fist. My heart ached at the sight of them and exploded with joy when I knew what I was about to tell them.

I rubbed my dry eyes and threw my arms around my friend's shoulders, no easy feat considering one was over six feet tall. The world would always be dark but it did have light. This was one of those moments when everything was perfect. Maybe Molly was still out there, but right now that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered.

"C'mon," I grinned, "let's go tell them the good news."

 - The End - 

And that's it. A two year project is finally over. When I first started writing in early 2018 I honestly never believed that I would finish this book, I just thought it would be something left on the side, never to be finished. But here it is. Done. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed telling the story of Nick and Sheira and Shadow but believe me, I'm not done with them yet. I have big plans for these three so keep an eye out for the sequel and maybe an eventual series, with new friends and enemies lying in wait. Once again, thank you so much for chugging through this massive book and for being so kind in your feedback, I really appreciate it. But until the day I decided to start with that next endeavour, a well deserved break.

Thank you, so, so much.

Abigail.