Epilogue

Epilogue 3.10

---Em---

     It's strange. Ever since the world ended, I've been trying to find Olivia and Colby. I've risked my life—and the lives of everyone in my group—time and time again even on the slightest of whims. I guess, in the back of my mind, I've always been holding out hope.

     But seeing Colby now really puts things into perspective. He's not exactly the Colby I remember. The temporal discrepancies between worlds have caused us to age at varying rates; he's got three or four years on me now. But that's just symbolism. A physiological manifestation of a deeper, darker truth.

     We're not the same people anymore. I'm not the same person anymore. Bryan, the boy who used to catch snakes down by the creek, is dead now. I've become Em. And when Em looks at Colby, he doesn't get all nostalgic for the good old days. Em snatches Comma's chakram and presses the blade to Colby's throat.

     Eloise leaps off Colby's lap and scuttles backwards, hissing. I don't pay her any mind.

     "Necessary precaution," I mutter, trying to keep my breathing steady. Colby doesn't so much as flinch. He brushes away a bead of sweat that trickles beneath the shaggy black mop he calls hair. Stares back at me with his amber eyes. Not everything changes. "No hard feelings?"

     Colby chuckles. "No hard feelings." He turns his head to the side and spits. Blood dribbles down his lip—those strixes must've really done a number on him. Or maybe it was the fifteen-foot fall. "I was wondering when I'd run into you."

     "You knew we were coming?"

     "Em..." Comma places a hand on my shoulder. She's probably not too happy that my past has resurfaced. And can you blame her? When her past resurfaced, it killed Tahj and ripped out a chunk of my soul.

     I glare back at her over my shoulder, my gaze sharp and my expression taut. "I got this." Both Gail and Melody are looking at me funny. Rex continues chewing on raw meat in the background. I turn my attention back to Colby. "Well?"

     He whistles. "You finally grew a pair, huh? Apocalypse'll do that to a guy. Yeah, I knew you were kicking around. Olivia gave me a heads up."

     I swallow, a wave of heat washing over my forehead. Olivia's been in contact with him too? Of course she has, you idiot. What? Did you think the two of you had some sort of special connection?

     "Um, buddy?" Topher approaches with caution. "Not to undermine you or anything, but we didn't rescue this guy just to kill him, did we?"

     "Off his blooming rocker, that one is," Rex mumbles through a mouthful of strix flesh.

     "He's been travelling with Eloise," I say, tightening my grip on the chakram. I've got to say—I feel like a badass wielding this thing. No wonder Comma's so fond of it. "For all we know, she could've brainwashed him."

     Colby nods. "Smart thinking. Lucky for me, I can prove that's not the case." He unzips his jacket and then grabs my arm. He slices his shirt open with the chakram. I glance down. There's something on his chest—some sort of runic mark branded into his flesh. And this is the guy who went running from the tattoo parlor before the needle even touched his skin.

     All the girls—and Jun, for some reason—blush at the sight of his bare abs. Oh, for the love of...

     "You do realize you just ruined your shirt for no reason," I point out.