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Aidan walked up to the building that housed Liefeld Insurance. He had a busy schedule ahead of him that day. A board meeting, meetings with two different IT teams, and lunch with Cassidy to go over the next steps for the future of the company. 

Staff members from all levels and departments were bustling in the entryway as he walked in. Some he recognized, others he didn’t. A few chatted with the security guards while others hurried to catch the elevators as the doors closed. Aidan smiled. These people had no idea what happened. Nor would they ever.

When the elevator opened to his floor, he caught Cassidy speaking to Lucien in the hallway. The older man smiled and waved before heading to his office. Cassidy grinned slightly before walking toward Aidan. 

“First day jitters?” She asked. 

Aidan shook his head. “Not at all.”

Cassidy gestured to the board room and said, “Then let’s get started.”

When Aidan entered, he didn’t expect to see anyone he knew. In fact, he didn’t expect to see anyone at all. Horatio had been dismissed. Aidan assumed he was somewhere unpleasant for failing his master and not seeing Aidan’s true self. The rest of the board members received a choice. Redemption, which meant facing their crimes and whatever that punishment might be, or remain and be a servant of both Cassidy and Aidan’s will. The only one who stayed was Lucien. The older man said he was too old to start over, even in jail, and it was better he live out his sentence in the service of greater powers than he. 

The new board, just the three of them, would keep the business moving while ensuring the guilty received fair punishments. But it was no longer an option of serving Cassidy or suffering the consequences. They were offered a chance to be free, both from guilt and life. 

And the festival was no more. The whole thing was an ego play anyway, and part of the negotiations was that Cassidy let go of her need for annual devotion. 

Aidan smiled. While he sacrificed the most, giving up his wings to keep things in check, he knew it was the right thing to do. 

Aidan sat at Cassidy’s side and waited for the new board meeting to begin.

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