At the same time, we open our mouths and that’s it. Our fire comes out in a huff. With all of us circling the building, the flames hit the building from all sides and instantly, it’s on fire.
It’s burning.
It’s being destroyed.
This is it, I realize, and my heart suddenly feels both relieved and happy. For a little while, I didn’t think we were going to be able to do it.
For a little while, I didn’t think we’d be able to accomplish this.
The headquarters of Providential is carefully guarded. Lucky operates under the umbrella of its parent company and although they’ve done some very terrible things, they’ve managed to stay out of the spotlight until now.
Now, things are over.
Now, things are finished.
Now...
Pain hits me in the chest and I shift instantly and start to fall out of the air. What hit me? I don’t know what got it. I look around as I fall, trying to see anything I can, trying to shift back to my usual self, but I can’t. I can’t change back.
I reach for my chest and pull out a little dart.
Dirty fuckers.
I see Erin Allison, the president of Providential, on the roof of the building as I fall by. She waves at me and glares before flipping me the bird. I don’t even get to fight her before I’m too busy falling to my death.
And this is it, I realize.
This is how I go.
I lived a good life.
I had a lot of wonderful experiences.
I did more than a lot of people ever get to do. I made choices that might not have changed the world, but that changed the lives of the people around me, and mostly for the good.
I got to love a wonderful woman and I was able to raise a family. I got to fall in love for a second time and I made an incredible new friend. I wanted to do more, though. I wanted to see Sabrina grow old with me and Reece. I wanted to love them as our own, new family.
I wanted so many things.
And I don’t get those.
Then again, we can’t have it all, and I knew it was a risk when I took off this morning. So, I close my eyes, and I fall, and I feel the air rush around me. Any minute now, I’m going to hit the ground. Any moment, I’m going to die.
And it’ll all be over.
I wait, but nothing happens.
Am I dead already?
I didn’t hear myself hit the ground.
I didn’t feel anything.
And then it hits me.
Or, more accurately, I hit something hard.
It’s not the ground, though, it’s...shit. It’s Cameron. He catches me on his back and wraps a wing around me momentarily to help me catch my balance. Then he lowers us both to the ground. As soon as we hit the road, he shifts to his human form.