The ender, p.22
The Ender, page 22
You now hold that power, Delaney. Use it for good. The lives of these characters are in your hands, and even an Ender can be redeemed. This is my final word to you. The written word can change the world, for good and for bad. You are not the judge and the jury, only the vessel to carry dreamers down the stream.”
Laney folded the letter to replace it within the book.
“Can you send me home?” The troll stood to her feet, never taking her eyes off the codex. “Me don’t want to be here any longer.”
Grasping the pendant in her palm, Laney felt the energy radiate through her core. There was no doubt in her mind that she could send them all home as she touched the troll, sending pulses of energy through her body.
“You’re glowing.” Jonas now stood beside her, looking hesitant to step too close. “Do you think you can control it?”
“I think so.” She gripped the codex tighter as it whispered to her through the energy—I choose you… this is who you are meant to be.
Two gunshots exploded from somewhere within the maze.
“Crap.” Jonas raced to the entrance without looking back. His own guns were drawn but stopped short as a man walked out, weighed down by a limp body. His light brown hair hung down over her father’s arm.
Seeing William’s lifeless body, Laney dropped the book on the desk and rushed over to her father as he laid her husband’s body on the ground. If someone ripped her heart out of her chest and smashed it to pieces, the pain would have been more tolerable. She couldn’t control the tears, thinking about how she didn’t want to do this alone. He was supposed to be there for her. He was made for her.
She dropped to her knees beside William, touching her palm to his cheek, feeling the light stubble. Laney ran her finger across his lip and then along his brow, entangling her fingers through his hair. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I love you beyond the constrictions”—she caught her breath as she forced down a sob—“of space and time.”
Her Weaver pedant glowed beneath his shirt while the codex against her own chest warmed to a healthy radiance as if reacting to the spider’s cry for help. Acting on some kind of innate instinct, she removed the codex, holding it in her palm. Lifting William’s shirt revealed the place where the Ender’s blade had cut clear through his body, leaving a gaping wound in his chest. She placed the multi-colored pendant directly on top of the Weaver stone. Everyone in the room shielded their eyes as the incandescent light engulfed the room in brilliant, heatless flames.
The power of the codex surged through Laney’s body as she pushed the power like a stream of energy from the source within her, through the supernatural stone, and then coursing through every vein in her husband’s body. She focused all her energy on life-giving forces as the electricity of her new power exhausted every last tendril within her. In a burst of light too brilliant to contain, Laney collapsed to the floor.
Chapter 25
Miracles can happen. When William Clarke stepped off the page of the book, Delaney Holden found the man of her dreams—her soul mate. And how could anyone deny this when he had a part of her contained within his own soul? When she had touched her pen to the paper and had a hand in his creation, her very essence swam through his life force. In her efforts to save him, with all her heart and all her soul and all her might, the codex knew—for Delaney to be whole, she couldn’t lose this part of her.
William’s eyelids fluttered before he stared up at the cavernous ceiling of the underground labyrinth. It was as if he’d woken from a long nap, but a distant memory brought the demon’s blade to his mind—the feeling of it running him through. Was he in heaven? He always pictured it lighter and airier somehow.
He heard a gasp come from nearby. Laney’s mother.
“He’s awake.” Shelly bent down and touched William’s shoulder. “How do you feel?”
How did he feel? A little sore, but that was expected after that demon stabbed him. He went with the most honest word he could think of. “Hungry.”
Shelly’s face beamed with the same radiance he saw in Laney’s smile. He lifted himself up, but she held a hand to his chest.
“Don’t you think you should rest? After all, you just came back from the dead.”
William shook his head. “What do you mean? It can’t be more than a small puncture wound.” He lifted his shirt to examine the spot where he remembered the blade entering. Craning his neck around to see his back was a little difficult, but he used his hand to touch the wound. It was completely healed. “I could’ve sworn the creature stabbed me here.”
“It did.” Tim sat crisscrossed on the floor with Laney, unconscious, in his arms. “You were dead.”
Not caring anymore about the status of his own health, he jumped up and was by Laney’s side. “What happened?” He touched her face, running his fingers down to the artery in her neck. A slow, steady beat. William drew in a deep breath, letting his own heart beat again.
“She used that thing to save you.” Tim pointed to the codex lying on the ground, its colors muted. “Apparently, it worked.”
“May I?” William motioned to Laney’s shoulders, hoping Tim would take the hint that he wanted to be the one holding her when she awoke.
The older man gently lifted Laney’s shoulders, and William scooted beneath her, feeling her warmth against his body. Her Weaver pendant glowed with a gentle pulse against his skin as if it knew this was where it was meant to be.
Grady walked over, setting himself down on the ground next to them. It was the first time he noticed Laney’s grandfather was in the room.
“I knew she was special.” The old man ran his fingers through the ends of Laney’s hair. “When I found out she was a Weaver, well… I wasn’t sure I wanted it for her. But now…” He opened his palm, revealing the codex, laying it on Laney’s chest. “She can bring a world of change. Maybe even bring Weavers and Enders together.” He nodded at his grandson. “Of course, she’ll have a little help.”
“I’ve always known she was special.” William couldn’t take his eyes off his wife as he willed her to open her eyes.
“I wouldn’t expect anything different from you.” Grady kept his voice out of earshot. “She is Delaney Clarke.”
Heat rushed to William’s face, but then his eyes met Grady’s, and a silent understanding passed between them. His relationship with Laney was unique, just like Grady’s relationship with Rebecca had been unique. He already proved to Laney that he’d die for her.
Laney’s body went rigid in William’s arms, with her eyes open and wide and tears sliding down her cheeks. “It worked.”
“You’re amazing.” He smiled, bending down to kiss her lips.
The journey home for Laney’s family had been instantaneous with the codex. She joined them while William and Nick remained at the castle to clean up the mess and burn the bodies.
“I want to make it up to you—to them.” Jonas pleaded with Laney. “I know you don’t think I’m ready to be normal yet, but I am. I’ve never been more ready to help my mother polish bannisters in my life.”
“I’ll miss your sarcastic comments around the castle.” She really didn’t want him to leave. They were just beginning to heal the deep wounds.
She didn’t have the heart to tell her father about her marriage yet. It might have to be a conversation for a different century.
While she gathered some essentials from her room back in Derry, someone knocked on her door. “Come in.”
Her mother appeared as if she’d been to hell and back. Laney felt a pang of guilt about leaving both her parents. Shelly had always been the free spirit in the relationship, the one who would understand.
“Well, I just got off the phone with Missy.” She walked across the room and sat down on Laney’s bed. “She’s safe back at home. That girl sure can talk.” She fluffed some of her curls with her fingers, running her fingers through it and twisting the end of one strand between two fingers. “I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” If this was one of those I think you should reconsider conversations, Laney wasn’t having any of it.
Shelly lifted Laney’s white teddy bear from her bed and stared at it. “If you go to live in this castle and become the Librarian, will you forget about us?”
Flopping down on the bed, she removed the teddy bear from her mother’s hands. “Do you think I’d do this if there wasn’t any way for me to see you? And we’ll be able to visit William’s family, too.”
“William?” Shelly raised an eyebrow. “He’s staying with you?”
Laney kept her eyes averted as she plucked lint off her throw blanket. It fluttered down to the hardwood floor as she released it between her fingers. “Um… he’s my husband.”
“What? When did this happen?” Shelly stopped Laney’s lint plucking by covering her hand with her own.
“The night before the labyrinth. We didn’t know if we’d make it. Maybe it’s kind of like people who get married before their significant other goes off to war.” She stood up and picked up a porcelain statue of a unicorn from her desk. “Don’t worry. I still want to be married the traditional way. We’ll do it again so everyone can be part of it.”
She kept her eyes on the unicorn because looking back at her mother meant seeing all the disappointment in her face. The look that meant what in the world were you thinking? She’d seen it many times before.
When she finally dared to face her, her mother was crying. Her eyes were joyful. “You’re going to be so happy.” She wiped her arm on her sleeve. “Don’t get me wrong. Your father’s going to be pissed.” She laughed. “More at William than at you.”
Now back at the castle, she missed her parents. Although she’d been away from them when she was at school, this felt different. Sitting at a circular table in the library, she poured over the Weaver book, trying to unravel the mysteries of her new job. And it didn’t stop.
Gate Keepers still came ready for their new assignments from all over the world. Some stayed a few hours, others for a few weeks until the book revealed the name. She didn’t understand that before she had the codex—that the book constantly rewrote itself, and it did it in its own time. The Librarian didn’t give her much to go on prior to his death.
“What does being the Librarian really mean? Like, are you stuck here for the rest of your life?” Nick ran a finger over one of the shelves, finding it dust-free. The new housekeeper was just as dutiful as Margaret had been. “You’ve been pouring over that book for days.”
“I’ll be pouring over this book as long as I’m the Librarian.” She sighed and closed it. “And no, I don’t have to stay here. It’s only home base from now on. Give me a minute.” Rummaging through a back closet, Laney came out with Nick’s guitar. “I should have given this to you as soon as I got back from Mom and Dad’s, but I was overwhelmed with responsibilities.”
His face lit up as he took the guitar from her hands and then strummed a few chords. “What’s my role in all this? I like hanging out with you, but I don’t want to stick around and be the fourth wheel.”
“How can a car run without a fourth wheel?” Laney sat down next to him and plucked a couple of strings. She wasn’t sure how she was going to approach the next subject with him. “Uh, I was wondering if you’d like to be my Gate Keeper now that Silas is gone. It doesn’t pay well, and there really wouldn’t be much to do. I’ve decided to stop writing the Soldier series.”
“Then… why do you think I’d want to go to Lexington?” His face reddened beneath his glasses. If she removed his beanie, she was sure his ears matched his face.
“Simpler life. Pretty girls… or maybe a certain pretty girl.” She was going to spell it out for him because he needed this. “William and I will be there all the time to see his father and Sarah. I’ll make sure you get back to check on your family. And William could help you find a job.”
He removed his beanie and shoved it into his pocket, setting his guitar down and pacing the stack of books. After five minutes, he stopped and sat back down at the table. “I think I’d like that.”
A cool evening breeze swept across the glen as William watched the sun set behind a thicket of green trees. They’d already been on extended visits to see his family and Laney’s family, but the castle was home. Where they belonged together.
Warm arms wrapped around his chest from behind, pulling him close. Laney rested her head on his back. “Other than the staff, I think we have the place to ourselves tonight. The last Gate Keeper left for Australia.”
William turned around and drew her into his chest. She wore her hair down, like she had on their first date. He twirled a strand of it around his finger.
“I never knew when I met you in the school yard…”
She smirked, but he continued.
“I never knew one day, you’d be braver than me. You were beautiful both inside and out, but in the book, I always came to your rescue.”
“I’m not—”
William placed a finger on her lip. “I’ve told you this before. You’re the bravest person I know. You not only took on your Ender, you changed his heart. There’s a reason the codex chose you to be the Librarian. You don’t give up on people.” He drew her in and touched his forehead to hers. “If I wasn’t in the book, I’d have killed Jonas the moment he threatened to throw Missy off that cliff.”
“And that’s why I love you.” She pulled him closer. He smelled of peppermint, and her lips moved against his as she spoke. “Your passion for what’s important to you.”
His lips now parted hers as he drew her even closer to block out the cooler air. Before she could protest, William swept her off her feet and carried her over the threshold of their castle.
Epilogue
July 10, 2024
When I wrote The Soldier six years ago, I didn’t know where life would take me. I was a college student divulging my deepest thoughts and feelings across a page. And it all led to him—it always led to him.
The apple tree blossoms flourished in the nearby orchard as Nick strummed Pachelbel’s Canon on his guitar. Even for my wedding, he wouldn’t wear dress pants. His jeans matched perfectly with his long-sleeved, button-down lilac shirt. He glanced up at Sarah who stood next to Missy at the altar, both looking incredible in their rose-colored bridesmaid dresses.
My dad agreed for this one time to make another book jump but only because it was important to me. When they left the castle, he made me promise all visits would be one-sided. William and I tiptoed around the fact that we already considered ourselves husband and wife, so when he asked my father for my hand in marriage, he only had to sit through a six-hour lecture.
“You look so beautiful, sweetheart.” Dad leaned down and kissed my cheek.
The dress was a replica from a picture I found in a book in the antique shop, handcrafted by a local seamstress in Lexington. The clockcase necklace lay over my bodice on display as a tangible symbol of our love, and the codex safely hidden beneath the dress. I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. Now if I could skip out on the whole ceremony, that might be even more perfect. But William insisted. And I’d do it for him… I’d do anything for him.
The flower girl, no more than three and dressed in a similar rose color as the bridesmaids, tossed petals throughout the grass leading to the altar.
Dad held out his arm and smiled. I lifted my eyes to the altar and to William. The love radiating through his eyes shot through me and gave me the courage to take the steps across the field in front of William’s family and neighbors. It seemed like the whole town came out to see their local hero marry his high school sweetheart.
Jonas stood to William’s left, looking amazing in the suit I’d picked out for him. He grinned at me, producing a thumbs-up just between the two of us. He now worked for our parents, helping them to lift the business out of its pre-bankruptcy status, which meant less book jumping. His know-how for colonial treasures gave the customers an added security when they purchased from Holden’s Antiques. The shop became known across New England as the place to buy the most intact artifacts from the colonial era. Maybe having a Librarian for a sister had its perks.
“Take care of my girl.” Dad took my hand and placed it on William’s.
“I will.”William squeezed my hand, never taking his eyes off me. His hair tied back behind his shoulders glistened in the sunlight. The dark suit brought out the brilliance of his eyes, and I caught my breath, although I’d spent the last five years gazing into them.
The minister performed the official ceremony for the secret bond we consummated four years earlier. We waited to give my parents time to get used to the idea of our relationship. It was obviously still new to them. We thought three years of dating and one year of an engagement would seem appropriate to Dad.
“Delaney Holden. You are the woman who makes my heart pound just by the utterance of my name on your lips. You know the inner workings of my soul. Our connection goes beyond the constrictions of time and space into a realm that few experience, in this lifetime, or any other. I promise to love you as long as God gives me breath in my lungs. You are my now and my always.”
My brother handed the silver ring to William, who slipped it on my finger, raising my hand to his lips.
“William Isaac Clarke. I love you more than anyone could ever imagine. The reality of our love goes beyond a movie or a book into the world we’ve created for ourselves. My love for you will never end, in this world, or any other.” My hand trembled as I removed a silver ring from my thumb and placed it on his ring finger.
