Epilogue

"You think that was really him? The Devil?" They were still standing there, watching the fire burn itself out. Natalie had asked the question, but she was only dimly curious as to the answer. It had been a long, long day.

"Don't know. Never met the guy, myself. But I'll tell you one thing." He blinked sleepily. "If it wasn't, I really, really don't want to meet the guy's boss." Natalie laughed softly and tightened her arm around her friend. It seemed like there was something else to do or worry about, but her tired mind couldn't quite grasp it. Just as she was ready to give up, it came to her. Her eyes flew open.

"Nick! Jack, we've got to—"

"And I thought I'd had an exciting couple of days." Nick's voice. Full of wry humor tinged with playfulness. And warm and alive and here.

"Nick!" Natalie spun around and ran toward him. Then she was in his arms, feeling his familiar, comforting arms around her. It was bliss. "You're alive. You're really alive."

"More or less." She looked up at him in alarm, then belatedly got the joke. She smacked him lightly in the shoulder.

"Oh, don't you even joke about that! Jack and I were so afraid that you'd been killed down there."

"Well, it got a little interesting once or twice, but nothing that serious. I was more afraid for you." He smiled, and her heart nearly stopped beating. "In fact, I thought I was coming to rescue you. The Hunter in New York told me what they were planning in Toronto."

"He just volunteered the information, huh?" She sniffed, pulling away enough to pat hopelessly at her hair.

"Well, I was pretty persuasive."

"But of course." It was Janette, padding in on cat's feet, three other vampires half-hidden in the shadows behind her. "They sought to find Toronto's elders. No doubt they hoped to use you to get to Nikolas, Doctor Lambert. And through him, find me." The vampire looked outraged at the very thought. "Though Nikolas foiled that plan when he went charging off to New York." She looked as if his leaving town were a personal affront.

"Where I found the second Hunter," Nick reminded her. "Once I found out that about the necromancer, I came right back, Nat. I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this." Underneath his warm concern was the overprotective concern of a mother bear for her frail cub. An unreasonable annoyance made her step back and straighten defiantly.

"I did just fine—we did," she added with a smile. Nat turned to Jack, only then realizing that he hadn't joined them. He was back where she'd left him, silhouetted by the dying fire. "Jack?"

Jack hesitated, then slowly walked up to join them. He nodded to Nick, then bowed his head toward Janette. He didn't say a word, creating an awkward silence.

"Thank you," Nick said quietly. "I can never repay you for what you did."

Jack grinned faintly, running one hand through his tangled hair before looking away. "Um, actually, you can. You think you could call the dogs off? I'd kind of like my life back." He looked past Janette to the three figures behind her. "Would suck to go through all of this only to get whacked by an Enforcer."

"I think we can work something out," Nick replied with a smile. "I have proof of the collusion between the Hunter in New York and the necromancer here. The Hunter was the computer genius. He located their targets, and gave the necromancer the information he needed to make revenants. The only thing we don't know is how it was actually done."

"That should be on his computer." Jack gestured toward the office. "Look, I need to bail." He looked nearly as uncomfortable in a crowd of five as he did facing the necromancer, Natalie thought with a smile.

Nick seemed to understand. "I'll take care of things here. Though I imagine you'll be getting a visit from the Enforcers fairly soon. They'll need to check our stories, if nothing else."

Jack flashed a quick grin. "After what we've been through tonight, I'm suddenly not to impressed with those guys. Tell them I said 'hi'." He looked like he was about to say more, then dropped his eyes.

"I'll give you a call later," Nick said.

"I'm always home." He looked back up, first at Nick and then at her. "Take it easy, Natalie."

She slipped free of Nick and went to Jack.

"Thank you. For everything." She kissed him gently and felt a shudder run through him. He was even more tired than she'd realized. "Now go home. Get some sleep. You've certainly earned it."

"Yeah. Who'd have thought I'd ever get to play white knight?" His grin faded and he dropped his eyes, turning away. "You take care of yourself, Nat." Without another word he left, disappearing like a ghost into the flickering shadows.

"Come on, Nat." Nick slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go home."

"You know, that's the best idea I've heard all day." She leaned against him, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly. Even the growling, gravelly voices of the Enforcers couldn't disturb her sense of peace, and after a while they went away. She sighed, and the next thing she was aware of was Sydney's welcoming meow. Her bed floated up to meet her, and the very last thing she felt was Nick's gentle kiss as sleep overtook her.

THE END