The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 12: Epilogue

The sea breeze was brisk, but the sun reflected brightly off the water as Sabrina and Cynthia climbed carefully to a relatively flat spot on the rocks. To their right was Thunder Hole, one of the more crowded attractions of Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine, but this spot was deserted.

"Right here," Cynthia announced, dropping her bag and adjusting her baseball cap.

"Perfect," Sabrina agreed. "It's just as beautiful as I remembered. Maybe even more so. Why did we wait so long to come back?"

"You were away for a long time," Cynthia replied, unpacking the picnic supplies from her bag and passing Sabrina her sandwich. "Root beer?"

"Thanks." Sabrina tried in vain to twist the top off the brown bottle. "Uh—do you have a bottle opener?"

"Doesn't it twist off?" Cynthia took the bottle and tried to open it. "Hm." She looked at the bottle again and laughed. "Oh, God. I'm sorry. This is beer beer. I must have grabbed the wrong bottle out of the fridge. Here, drink the Coke."

"I'll be the designated driver," Sabrina chuckled.

"Not without a license, you won't," Cynthia retorted, expertly prying the bottle top off with a key.

Sabrina sighed. With the Air Force still looking for them, resuming her identity was inadvisable. They had come back to the day after Cynthia's departure, so Sabrina had been gone long enough for her old license to expire, even had it been safe to use. Living in legal limbo had proved irritating.

"Don't," Cynthia advised. "It's not worth fretting about. Eventually they have to give up, you know. I'm sorry I called attention to myself, believe me."

"I know. But somewhere between being a nonperson on Earth and a notorious person on Praxatillus, there has to be a happy medium."

"You could wander around with Tirqwin," Cynthia said. "Or go do more diplomacy somewhere. I'll bet the Queen would put you to work."

"Yes," Sabrina said, "I bet she would."

They ate in silence, until Cynthia said, "It's been almost two months. Surely they'll let you see Ford now?"

"Time doesn't work that way. We came back quite a bit in the past to drop you off," Sabrina explained. "Scotty and I went forward nearly a century when we went back to Praxatillus. It's a long story. Depending on what Tirqwin's been doing, he could take me back years after we left, if I wanted."

"Well, I'm just as happy having you around. Though I am a bit worried the INS will bust me for having an illegal immigrant housekeeper!" Cynthia teased.

Sabrina looked out over the Atlantic. Even after several weeks, she did not take the sights and sounds and smells of her home planet for granted. "You know, I was kind of fed up with Praxatillus—and everybody on it—when I left."

"I got that impression, yes. I'm dying to know what you said to make Tirqwin look like a kicked puppy for the last half of the trip, but I'm too polite to ask," Cynthia said.

"The thing is, I know now that I can't come home again. At least, not now. Not like this."

"I'm sorry," Cynthia murmured.

Sabrina shrugged. "It's not your fault. Besides, I have things to do on Praxatillus. I have responsibilities. And, if they ever let me near Ford again, I have things to tell him."

Cynthia hesitated, then said, "It might be easier for you both to stay apart, all things considered."

"Maybe. But I think if that's true, we should at least decide that. My oath of fealty to Mara doesn't mean she gets to choose who I can be friends with," Sabrina said.

Cynthia gave a brief grunt of amusement as she drank her beer.

"What?" Sabrina said.

"Oath of fealty. That place is like a Renaissance Fair gone bad. How can you stand it, Rina?"

"I guess...I guess I just got used to it. It has its good points, as long as I can stay clear of the political crap."

"Nice sentiment for a political science grad."

"The voice of experience."

They finished their sandwiches and good-naturedly squabbled over the last of Cynthia's Girl Scout cookies. Then Cynthia said, "So you're going back?"

"Yes. I'll use the beacon when we get back to your house."

"Drop in every year or so and let me know you're still alive," Cynthia requested. "Or if you're not, make Scotty come tell me. He can buy me that drink."

Sabrina laughed. "He'd probably be shaking in his shoes if he had to come tell you that! I'll buy you a drink tonight at Geddy's."

"With what?" Cynthia chuckled.

Sabrina said, "I guess I could make Tirqwin take me back to before I left the last time. I could change my will and leave everything to you. After this long you could easily have me declared dead."

"No, don't do that," Cynthia said.

"Why not?"

"You might need it someday."

Sabrina closed her eyes and listened to the surf on the rocks below. "I hope not." The sound of the waves reminded her of Reissach's Cove back on Dansestari, and she wondered how Marie was doing. "But if you'll buy me some more cat food before I go, I'll be grateful."

"As long as you promise not to come back for more without visiting."

"Deal."

"Never thought I'd be grateful to that cat for anything."

Sabrina laughed. Then she looked over at her friend, memorizing her in this moment: the sun glinting off her hair, emphasizing the red; the baseball cap sitting slightly askew; the red and white lobster T-shirt almost too bright to look at. This was Cynthia's natural habitat, Sabrina realized, as it was no longer hers. "I'm...grateful to you for so many things. For worrying about me all those years. But mostly for taking such a leap of faith, leaving the planet to come help me." She smiled wryly. "You never even wanted to be an astronaut."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

"I'm going to leave you my beacon," Sabrina said, fingering the St. Christopher's medal hanging from her necklace. "If you need me, use it. I owe you one—well, several actually."

"I'm not the trouble magnet," Cynthia observed. "But thanks. At least if I get married I'll have a way to invite you!"

"You have to date first."

"I have to get a life first. Besides, you're a fine one to talk."

"I think I'll leave the marrying up to Scotty. I plan to be one heck of an aunt. I'll spoil all his kids rotten."

Cynthia snickered. "He deserves it!" She looked around, then said, "Well, let's get on with this hike, or we'll never make it to dinner on time. And with that cruise ship in, Bar Harbor'll be crowded."

"Right behind you," Sabrina said, helping Cynthia pack up their trash. Then they got to their feet and started off.

As they walked, Sabrina looked up at the sky. The stars were there, though washed out by the sun's stronger light. Ready or not, she thought. Here I come.

THE END

The adventures of Mara, Tirqwin, Khediva, Sabrina, Scotty, and Ford will be continued in The Forgotten Way.