The Four Kings (39 page)

To Amanda’s surprise, Justica hugged her. “You couldn’t have married a better wizard.”

“My boss,” Amanda laughed, looking at Regi. He turned to his fellow wizards, hugging each one.

“Not for much longer,” Justica said. “Don’t think about work; just enjoy your time off.”

“We’re beginning the honeymoon next month,” Amanda said.

“I know,” Justica said. She pointed at the gift table behind her. “My wedding gift’s over there. A traditional one from Mexico.”

“What is it?” asked Amanda, curious.

“It’s a treasure chest, full of gifts inside. Just open and enjoy.”

“Thank you.”

Indie stepped up. “I have no gift for you, Amanda. It appears you already have a gift from our council.” She nodded her head at Regi, smirking.

Amanda laughed. “That’s more than anything else I could ever want.” Soon enough, other guests were muscling in onto the group, anxious to rub elbows with four of the most famous celebrities in the world.

Despite her immediate happiness, Amanda was still aware of two gnawing doubts, digging away at her consciousness.

One: Regi – her brand new husband – had only ten months left to live. Same with Indie and Justica.

Two: Where was Demus, and what was he up to?

Chapter Fifty-Five

Two years, three months post-Liberation, less one day

“Session now open,” Amanda declared, for the umpteenth time back up in the clouds. She had a nagging feeling she was going to greatly miss her heavenly platform.

The very last Liberator meeting. Nine months earlier than their initial grand plan.

“I’ll make it short,” a content Indie began. Once again, she glanced to her left, and experienced a stab of guilt at Demus’ empty chair. “The only motion before floor is to tender our resignations as Liberators.”

She stood up and energetically faced the screens. “It’s with the greatest of pleasure I tender my resignation as Liberator for the NAM council. I trust that you Mortals will carry on with our political and economic reforms, and find true peace and happiness.” Exhaling loudly, Indie sat down and looked at Justica.

On cue, Justica stood. “I’m a person of very short words. I also tender my resignation.”

Regi jumped up even before Justica touched her seat. “I’m even briefer. I quit.”

Everyone laughed.

“All in favor?” Amanda asked.

Everyone nodded.

“Motion carried.”

“Well, time to, shall we say, ride off in the sunset,” Indie said as she started to get up. The cameras still rolled. “We still have our job to do on the wizards’ council – just not as Liberators.”

A sudden thought struck Amanda. “Wait!” she exclaimed, with a hint of panic in her voice. “I forgot to tender my resignation as Supreme Liaison.”

Indie turned, with a wicked grin. “Well, Amanda. Since we have already resigned, your resignation is ineffective.”

“But –” Amanda protested.

“So,” smirked Indie, “you’ll be the Supreme Liaison forever. You’re stuck, Amanda.”

Amanda pouted.

“I like that notion,” Justica said. “Goodbye, Amanda.” She vanished.

“Me too,” said Indie, tongue in cheek. “Don’t fail us all, eh, Amanda?” She, too, disappeared.

Regi pointed at the cameras to shut them off. Now, millions of Mortals couldn’t see what the married couple would do. The thousands of giant screens were all blank.

“Our honeymoon starts,” Amanda said.

“Now,” commanded Regi.

They kissed.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Nine months post-end of Liberators Era

“I love you, Regi,” Amanda said for the twenty-third time that day.

Husband and wife were standing in the meadow outside Regi’s childhood home, the Joel Lafrèniere’s family farm.

“I love you, Amanda,” Regi matched her count in declaring his love. He sighed. “Don’t you want to let go? We’ve been hugging each other for the last two hours.”

“I can’t,” Amanda insisted. “I could lose you anytime.”

“Sorry, Amanda.” Regi vanished, and then materialized two feet away. “I need some breathing space.”

“How can you say that?” Amanda shouted. “This is your last day! Are you selfish, Regi? Can’t you think of me, please?” She trembled. “I’m going to lose you –
forever
.”

Clearly torn, Regi remained steadfast. “As I said, I was born around eight a.m. in my local time zone. We still have about two hours.”

“What if your mom’s wrong?” Tears rolled from her eyes.

Regi’s eyes misted. “Let’s just talk. Let’s talk about us. We’ll definitely hug closer to my time.”

“Okay,” Amanda fretted. She brightened perceptibly at the sight of Regi’s clothes. “Finally, you’re not wearing yellow! You look so sexy, Regi.”

He laughed. “Well, I’m now officially off the council since The Transition was over yesterday.” He gazed down at his clothes – a green T-shirt hugged his bulging biceps, as well as his sinewy shoulders, plus denim jeans. He no longer looked like an arrogant wizard.

“Why not black?” Amanda asked quizzically.

“Green is the color of renewal.”

“Um, Regi, I just wanted to tell you – again – it’s been a most wonderful honeymoon.” She laughed. “A nine month honeymoon!”

“I was afraid you’d get sick of me.”

“No, never! I was counting the days!” She recollected her thoughts, snapshots of the various locales they’d visited passing through her mind. “Two hundred and six countries. Your magic made it perfect. No need to spend hours traveling!” She thought about how her unique experience as Supreme Liaison and her extensive travels would benefit her new upcoming job, effective tomorrow. Her appointment as head of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization.

“I loved the ski slopes in Switzerland,” he said with a grin.

Amanda smiled. “We should’ve paid for the lift tickets.”

“Nah! We didn’t use it.”

“But they spent all that money grooming the trails for everyone.”

“So take me to court.”

Giggling, the two embraced briefly, and then parted.

A voice rang out from the heavens, “Indie passed on, at 7:06 a.m. Eastern Time today. She is bestowed with great honor by our lord Elsedor for her three years of exemplary service on the wizards’ council of North America. May she rest in peace.”

Sullenly, the couple mulled over their respective thoughts.

“Poor Indie,” Amanda said.

Regi shrugged. “She knew since her Awakening. We all know exactly when our time would be up.”

“Justica or you are next,” Amanda breathed. Her eyes sparkled with a sudden thought. “What about Demus?”

“As you said, he was born one year later than us, so he has another year to live.”

“Yes,” Amanda recalled. “He forged his own birth certificate before he found out he was a wizard. He admitted he did it so he could smuggle in beer and liquor from across the border, where the legal age was eighteen. He had absolutely no idea how lucky he was.” She started tracing the fingers on her hand. “Number one, he was born on April thirtieth, just like you three. He never knew anything about Elsedor’s birthday or anything at the time. Number two, he didn’t know that once he became twenty-seven, he was eligible to sit on the wizards’ council, and moreover, he was lucky that he chose to forge the right year. Number three, he had no anticipation he’d be called upon by the wizards to prove his birth date.”

Regi glowered at the memory of Demus. “You forget one thing. If Demus was honorable, he would’ve informed us all before he sat on the council.”

“I know,” Amanda said softly. She straightened her posture. “What if we’re wrong? What if Demus didn’t really forge his birth certificate, but he really is thirty today?”

“Amanda,” Regi said sadly, “if anything, it’d be torture for him. I feel sorry for him.”

“Why?”

“He has to live through the guilt of seeing his colleagues die. He has to survive for another year. Everyone thought that after they served together, they’d all die the same day. That’s part of the honor of wizards. Demus cheated fate. It will not be so kind to him.”

Amanda said nothing.

“He probably heard the news just now about Indie. He really liked her and admired her.” Regi sighed. “If anything, he’s probably devastated right now. There may be a chance of him going insane before his one extra year is out.”

“You think so?” Amanda asked breathlessly.

Regi nodded. “I don’t want to talk about him.”

The announcement came down from the sky: “I regret to inform you that Justica has ended her existence as a wizard, as of 7:15 a.m. Eastern Time today. She remained with her family and close friends in her home city of Oaxaca, Mexico, in a celebration of her life shortly before her passing. Elsedor blesses her. May she rest in peace.”

Amanda hugged Regi very tightly. “I’m scared, Regi.”

“So am I,” he admitted. “It now seems so
real
.”

“Regi, you can’t go! You can’t!”

“Amanda…”

She tugged at his arm. “Let’s go back to Emerana!”

“No, Amanda! We’ve tried already, a hundred times, to unlock the secrets of Elsedor.”

“His magic lived on past his death! We can find the key.” She leaned in close to him, her eyes pleading. “Please. Let’s not give up so easily. Just like when I played the game of Tetris with you.”

“Forget it!”

“And when I blasted these barrels away in the Donkey Kong game,” Amanda added. “Let me try again!”

Regi had an eerie look on his face. He grabbed her arms and shook her. “What?”

Amanda was confused. “What’s wrong, Regi? Let’s go!”

“
You
blew up these barrels?”

“Yes! Thanks to you!”

Regi staggered away, and covered his face. “I don’t believe it!”

“What?” Amanda quickly became pale.

“I had nothing to do with it! I thought you jumped over all the barrels!”

“Oh my God,” muttered Amanda as the revelation struck her.

Regi grabbed her hand and spun her around. “How did you do it, Amanda?”

“I… I just put my hand out like that, and they blew up.”

“That’s incredible! This is serious shit!” Regi gaped, and then stomped away. He turned back to her. “Is it possible you have some wizard powers?”

“But…” Amanda was confused, “I did the same thing in the Tetris game.”

“Completely different. I designed that game to respond to you. Indie would’ve never allowed you to borrow her magic.”

“Oh my God!” Amanda shrieked. Dread filled her. “Indie’s gone now! I’ll never find out!”

“Quick, before I go,” Regi shouted. He ran over to a tree stump in the meadow. “See, a real tree stump, not formed by magic,” he declared, pointing at it. Desperately, he looked around for something on the ground. He found it. Placing a stone, about two inches in diameter, onto the stump, he said, “Now, a real stone. No magic.” He ran back to her.

Crouching behind her, he said, “Now, what I want you to do, is use your magic to knock that stone off the stump.”

“
My
magic?”

Regi nodded.

“How?”

“Just hold your hand out there and wish for the stone to be knocked off.”

Amanda did so. Nothing happened.

Regi exhaled. “Okay, try closing your eyes and really focus. Imagine the stone in your mind. Imagine it falling off.”

His wife closed her eyes, grunted, and exclaimed. She opened her eyes. The stone sat passively on the stump with not a care in the world.

Regi’s tone took on urgency. “Okay, now inflame your passions. Think that this stone is the only thing that will keep me alive.”

“Whoa. That I can do.”

With a much more concerted effort, taking longer than a minute, Amanda groaned with passion, shrieking at times. Before she opened her eyes, she dreaded the answer as she asked, “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” said a frustrated Regi, crossing his arms as he stood behind her.

At her wits’ end, Amanda shoved Regi. “Come on, Elsedor’s place now!”

“No.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Amanda screamed. “Don’t you want to live?”

Regi’s face appeared resolute. “I do want to live. With you. Just the way it should be. In peace, just the two of us together. Not rushing around on a hare-brained scheme.”

Utterly dejected, Amanda lay her head against Regi’s chest. “What if I find out after…”

“Stop it, Amanda. You’re driving me crazy.”

“You drive me crazy every day. And I love it.”

“Oh, Amanda!” They passionately kissed, so aroused that they nearly lost their balance among the bumpy grassy terrain. Abruptly, Amanda’s eyes perceived a glow from Regi’s body. “Oh my God,” she said. “Regi! It’s starting now!”

The Luminescence.

Regi had only sixty seconds left to live.

He would, for those sixty seconds, became a phantasm… the last stage a wizard underwent before exiting the world.

Regi groaned in deep agony. Pain pervaded every cell of his body. He felt like collapsing, but he had to remain strong. Every cell of him appeared as gold-infused crystal, so that there was no longer any normal color on him. It appeared that a monochrome plastic mold had been made from his body, down to the exact detail, but the effect looked even more realistic. There was no doubt there still was a living, breathing being.

“Regi!” Amanda screamed, and grabbed him.

“Must…” Regi whimpered, “…go back…” Instantly, they materialized in Amanda’s new spacious San Francisco home. During The Luminescence, a wizard had only one magic trick left, and Regi wanted to ensure that Amanda would be safe when he died.

“Regi, I love you!” Amanda sobbed, tears spurting out.

“I love you…” Regi grunted as he experienced stabbing pain all over, “I’ll always love you to…” He moaned. “…to the end of your life.”

“I love you. I love you. I love you, my Regi.” Amanda wasn’t sure how many seconds were left. “I love you. I love you. I love…”

That second, Regi vanished.

“…you.”

Amanda broke down and sobbed her heart out.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

One year, nine months post-end of Liberators Era