Page 45

45

MAX

A bout twenty minutes before the entrance to the tunnel, the windows turned opaque, still allowing light in but obscuring the view outside. The transition elicited a few nervous murmurs from the back of the bus, but not as much as Max had expected.

It was quite impressive how quickly the family was adjusting to the new world unfolding before them.

"The children still don't know," Max said. "Are you going to leave it to their cousins to fill them in?"

"I don't know. Perhaps their mothers should do that."

Max leaned closer to Kyra. "Children have a way of sharing secrets, especially ones as exciting as this. Their cousins might do a better job of it than the mothers. "

"I'm not sure 'exciting' is the word I'd use," Kyra said.

"From a kid's perspective? Finding out you might eventually develop superpowers? That's the definition of exciting."

Kyra's expression softened into amusement. "When you put it that way, I suppose it is. I just hope they understand the serious parts, too, and I don't even want to think about explaining the sexual part of the induction to the girls. In that regard, they lived very sheltered lives in Iran."

"They had access to the internet, right?"

She nodded.

"Then they are not as innocent as you think they are," Max said. "I mean knowledge-wise. I hope they didn't get adventurous and risk their lives for a few thrills."

She smiled. "Since they weren't caught, it doesn't matter now if they did or not. I'm kind of hoping that the older girls got some thrills."

Max pretended shock. "Who are you, and what have you done with Kyra?"

She laughed. "I'm loosening up, reminding myself to live life and enjoy it because now I can."

As they approached the final stretch of road before the hidden entrance to the village, Max felt a familiar sense of homecoming. The village held a special place in his heart. It was where he'd found purpose after centuries of aimless wandering, where he'd returned to the Guardian Force and finally felt like he belonged.

Now, it would be even better with Kyra by his side.

"We are almost there," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Excited?"

"Nervous," she admitted. "Not for myself. I know that I'm going to love it there because that's where my Jasmine lives and where you are. But I'm anxious about my sisters and their kids and whether they will fit in."

"They will, and you know that. You're just overthinking everything."

Kyra let out a breath. "You are right." She leaned back in her seat.

"I'm always right." He did the same and closed his eyes as the bus entered the tunnel, and it got dark.

Kyra punched him lightly in the arm. "Overconfident much?"

"Always. It's my trademark."

"Yeah, and I kind of like that about you. I hope it sustains you while you take part in the family circus. Don't think you can just disappear into your Guardian training."

Max grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Are we underground?" Soraya asked.

"Just for a short while," Max assured her. "As I said before, the entrance to the village is through a tunnel."

The lift that took the bus up several levels was another cause of gasps and children's frightened voices, but then they finally emerged into the underground garage, the windows cleared, and the audible gasps turned into the admiring type as the boys got a look at some of the fancy cars parked there.

"It's enormous!" one of Parisa's sons exclaimed, pressing his face against the glass.

"The village has several underground levels," Max explained. "This is just the parking area. The actual village is aboveground, on top of the mountain."

"We've arrived," Okidu announced as he parked the bus near the elevators. "Welcome to the village."

As the doors opened and the family began to gather their belongings, Max turned to Kyra. "You know," he said, "for all the chaos and danger, this mission ended well. Your family is safe, reunited, and starting a new life together. I really love happy endings."

"This is not an ending," she corrected him. "It's just the beginning."