Epilogue. Eloise
EPILOGUE
Eloise
I wake up to my suite door closing. The bed next to me is empty where Maggie slept last night, and I smile at the dented pillow, relieved all over again that Grayson amended our door spell.
It must be early, given how low the sun is, but I feel different this morning. My family is no longer in danger from the Chancellor, and despite only sleeping a handful of hours I’m fully awake, energized even.
I spring out of bed, pulling on my uniform and boots, my hair loose down my back. But as I step out of my room and find Gray standing there, grinning at me, I stop. His hands are in his pockets and his dark waves tumble lazily onto his forehead.
“Morning, Claws,” he says, his voice low and his smile suspiciously real.
“Hang on, is that smile actually real? Because I think you might have a shadow of a dimple on the left side,” I say, enjoying the idea.
His lips quirk. “Obviously not. I’m far too menacing for a dimple.”
I laugh.
He lifts a cloth bag from the table and hands it to me. “This was delivered for you this morning. And before you turn menacing, I just want to say that this wasn’t my idea.”
My eyebrows push together and I peer inside. But what I find steals my breath. “The cobbler sent over both pairs of shoes?” I say, my voice barely audible. “But why?”
“Maybe Akari told him what happened,” Grayson says. “Or maybe he was just charmed by your twirls.”
“But it’s such a big gift,” I say. “How will I ever repay him? He’s a Laborer. He doesn’t have—”
“I already did,” Grayson says. “I sent back payment with the delivery boy, plus a little extra. Then he sent back a note telling me I was clearly unfamiliar with the idea of a present, but that he was keeping my money because I have too much of it anyway.”
I laugh again and hug the bag to my chest.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he says under his breath, almost like it slipped out without his permission.
I’m sure I’m blushing, but I’m too happy to care.
Grayson takes a step toward me. “Which reminds me—I made you a promise, Eloise Belrose.”
“A promise?” I ask, my heart rate quickening.
“To top that kiss,” he says with a mischievous expression.
“Is that so?” I say, and he lifts an eyebrow in challenge.
He takes the bag, placing it on the floor. Then he pulls me into him until our bodies are flush and his hands are clasped at the small of my back.
My stomach flips without warning.
With no hesitation whatsoever, he kisses me.
It’s not like our previous kisses. There’s no caution or guilt.
There’s nothing holding him back. From the almost dimpled smile on his lips that I can feel against my own to the path he trails down my neck.
From the way I sense his magic—buzzing along my skin like a caress. He means this kiss.
I think I gasp. I think he growls.
As he pulls away, I’m dizzy, my breath coming quickly, and my composure undone.
“Well, I guess now I’m just going to have to top that,” I say.
His eyes light up. “You know, I think I like this game, Claws.”
I stand on my tippy toes, bringing my lips within a hair’s breadth of his just as the grumpy Gran spell dings in our room. Key Bearers or not, you are expected to attend breakfast at the same time as everyone else. Get a move on.
I smile. “I guess it’ll just have to wait,” I say, dropping back onto my heels.
Grayson groans, wiping his hand down his face. “I’m not sure that’s fair play.”
“I never said anything about fair, Gray,” I say over my shoulder as I grab our doorknob.
“Oh, now I definitely like this game. It’s on Claws,” he replies, following me out into the hall.
I give him a playful shrug as we walk toward the dining hall. But being out of our room, the magnitude of the past twenty-four hours feels all the more real.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask. “About what we did last night?”
“Sage and the others are safe. I was able to contact them,” he says, and I exhale in relief.
“But there’s no more lying low, for any of us,” he says, and I glance at him, unsure.
“What’s the reaction to it all?” I ask.
“There’s shock over the video. And confusion. But there’s also relief. Your family wasn’t the only one my uncle was threatening.”
“And the wards?” I ask.
“People don’t seem to know about the wards yet, at least the students don’t. But they will. The good news is that Akari will step in as Regent Chancellor until someone new can be chosen. And the High Mage Council will have to include us in their discussions going forward,” he says, and I startle.
“Wait, really?” I ask.
“We’re the Key Bearers. Everything that relates to the safety of this University also includes us,” he says easily like it wasn’t the biggest thing that ever happened to me.
I never imagined the Council would know my name, much less ask my opinion about our world.
“It won’t be easy,” he says. “What lies ahead.”
“I never expected it to be,” I say, and he pauses outside the dining room.
“Ready?” he asks, and I nod.
He opens the door with a wind spell and it takes point five seconds for heads to turn. Everyone stares.
Grayson gives my hand a squeeze and I take a breath.
But we don’t get more than a handful of steps before Naomi, Ivy, and Bas head straight toward us.
Great.
Ivy stares at Grayson wide-eyed. “I can’t believe your uncle tried to kill you,” she blurts out.
“I can,” Grayson says matter-of-factly.
“It was horrible to watch,” Ivy says. “You must have been so—”
But Naomi doesn’t look shocked; she looks pissed, her eyes flitting from Grayson to me. “Get the hell out of here, Labor girl. I have things to say to Grayson that don’t involve you.”
Just like that morning in the coffee shop, I get big mad. My fingertips tingle and my shoulders tense. My whole life I’ve been pushed aside and made to stay silent. But not today. I took the Chancellor down last night—there’s no way in hell I’m going to cower to Naomi.
Grayson bristles beside me and opens his mouth, but I touch his arm, telling him I’ve got this, a movement Naomi tracks with disgust.
“I might have hesitated in the past, Naomi,” I say with a self-assured calm.
“But I’m not hesitating now. You might have more magic than me, but you’re not stronger.
Because I have something you never could—the will to fight for every inch.
So, go ahead and pull out that magic of yours and see what happens. Try me.”
The people around us fall silent, watching the altercation with fascination. Only this time, I don’t care. Let them see what I’m made of.
Naomi scoffs. “Your mother—”
“My mother doesn’t work for you anymore,” I say. “I’m the Key Bearer now, and if there’s one thing in this world I’ll make sure of, it’s that. And let me be clear. What you did to my sister in that coffee shop will never happen again.”
I can feel Grayson grinning beside me. “Eloise outranks you, Naomi,” he says with too much joy. “By a lot.”
“Preach,” Bas chimes in, and Naomi gives him a death glare. But for the first time she looks unsure, and I have to say that it’s satisfying when she glances away, not wanting to face me.
Instead, Naomi gives Grayson a withering look. “Unbelievable,” she breathes.
“No, what’s unbelievable is you knowing the truth and not caring,” Grayson says easily. “Because let’s be honest, I doubt seeing that video was the first time you learned about the Lawless.”
Naomi’s cheeks go red and her hands clench. People around us start whispering.
“Naomi—” Ivy starts.
“Shut up and stay out of it, Ivy,” Naomi snaps.
Grayson shakes his head. “It’s done, Naomi. You’re no longer top dog. And it’s not just Eloise. All those Lawless you’re so loath to accept? They have more magic than you. So, you better start rehearsing your apologies and hope they accept you.”
Naomi’s eyes widen and dart to all the people staring at us.
Then Grayson turns to me and says, “I thought I might join you for breakfast? If that’s okay?” There’s a sort of peaceful calm in his eyes, like he’s been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Same,” Bas says, and I nod, for the first time walking away from Naomi and not worrying about what she might do.
We turn toward my table, leaving a red-faced Naomi and a stunned Ivy behind.
Maggie grins as we join her. “Well, if it isn’t the prince and princess of Keys causing scenes per usual.”
“Don’t you dare start calling me that,” I say, which only makes her smile grow.
“I think I like this table already,” Bas says, reaching for a scone.
“Count yourself lucky,” Grayson says, pouring me a cup of coffee. “At least Maggie hasn’t branded your clothes.”
“Yet,” Maggie says, raising a finger. “Speaking of, it’s breaking regulation to wear yer uniform inside out.”
I turn to Grayson, noticing that his shirt seams are indeed showing.
“See for yourself,” he says, pulling back his collar and leaning forward.
I peer inside his shirt, and sure enough, printed on the back is the illusioned word PRINCE in sparkly gold letters. I laugh.
Bas laughs harder. “Classic.”
“Laugh it up. Don’t worry about me or the fact that all my uniform shirts have iron-clad sparkle illusions on them,” he says.
“All of them?” I ask.
“In return for my good deed, she pranked me,” Grayson says.
“You let me into yer room of yer own free will,” Maggie replies with a shrug. “What did ye expect?”
“Fair point,” Grayson says, but I can’t stop smiling.
“If your door spell admits Maggie—” Bas starts.
Gray sighs in resignation. “The spell admits you, too.”
“You’ve gone soft, mate, and I’m here for it,” Bas says, and turns to Maggie. “If you ever need a sidekick for one of your pranks, I’m your guy.”
Maggie glances at Grayson and her lips quirk up like she’s plotting.
“Before you even think about answering that,” Grayson says. “Here.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out not one but two cell phones. He plunks the first one down in front of Maggie.
Her eyebrows shoot up and for a full ten seconds she doesn’t utter a word. “That’s a phone, that is. But I know you didn’t just give it to me.”
“Actually, that’s exactly what I did,” he says.
Maggie stares at it like she doesn’t know what to do.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say she gets a little misty.
“Ye are bribing me, prince. That’s for certain.
Because yer rightfully terrified of me. But in this moment, I’m not having a laugh.
Because this”—she gestures at the phone and sniffles—“this means something. And I want ye to know that I’m right and truly grateful. ”
I’m so moved that she’s moved and that Grayson thought to do that for her, that by the time Grayson hands me mine I’m already overwhelmed.
“I thought you needed one of your own, Claws,” Grayson says. “So you can call your family anytime you want.”
My eyes fill at the thought of speaking to my mom, and I pull the phone to my chest. I know that no matter how many Naomis there are in the world, no matter how many battles we have to fight in the coming days, that I can face them.
Because my family’s safe. Because I have Maggie and Grayson.
And like Maggie said, this cell phone is more than a thoughtful gesture—it means something.
That our world is changing. That we did something to change it.
“Nothing less,” I breathe, and Maggie echoes it.