Epilogue
“I do not smell like a million dollars right now,” Jack said, walking into the kitchen where Donovan was unloading groceries.
“Not unless that million dollars was stuffed into a sweaty ass crack, no,” Bria replied.
Daisy sat at the island with Bria, both of them with chopping boards in front of them, a knife each, and no desire to help out. The guys did always try, though.
Jack put his hands on his hips, pausing to look at Bria. Mordecai came into the kitchen as he tugged off his wet shirt. Sweat glistened against his dark skin, the workout with Jack having been incredibly taxing.
“I need a shower,” Mordecai said, passing behind Daisy and giving her a shove.
“Keep it up,” Daisy warned him. “I’ll turn off your ability to heal quickly and give you a pounding.”
“Promises, promises,” Mordecai said, laughing.
She’d given them all a demonstration of her magic once they’d made it home.
It turned out that stealing a human’s magic didn’t result in the same craziness as stealing a fae’s.
Taking all of it didn’t kill them, either—something she’d tried on a guy sent to assassinate Demigod Kieran.
She could deaden the magic just the same, though. And she could boost it.
Kieran and Lexi were keeping that information close to their chests. No one would know that Daisy was anything other than a Chester—something they’d cleared with her first. She had a shining opportunity to fit in, they’d thought, and they didn’t want to take that away from her. But they were wrong.
Tarian and the Fallen had been living in the human world for six months now, learning the customs and language.
Kieran had introduced them as half-fae, with similarities to fae but with magic suitable for the human world.
He’d gotten a lot of pushback. Because of that, Daisy knew that if she went public with a rare and unheard-of fae power that could strip magic, she would very likely be viewed with more hostility than a simple Chester.
No, keeping her Chester title and simply fucking with people was so much more palatable.
Jack turned to Donovan. “Where are we?”
“I am clean, smell good, and am getting things organized,” Donovan said, scooting away from Jack’s big frame. “You are headed to take a shower before you infect this whole place with your stench.”
Bria smirked as cars pulled up in front of the house.
Daisy’s heart beat faster as she recognized the Aston Martin Superleggera that Tarian had picked out and insisted on having.
He was as much a hound for fashionable things as Daisy, and had impeccable taste.
He’d cashed in all the riches he’d acquired and stored in Faerie, plus the treasure troves he’d collected and hidden in the human world, and had been sent the substantial wealth due to him as a prince of the Diamond Throne.
The guy was loaded, and he didn’t hold back on extravagance when it came to the finer things in life.
People were wary of him, but he’d still hit the magical San Francisco scene by fucking storm.
Paparazzi followed him everywhere, publishing write-ups on his various looks, commenting on his handsomeness or evil-fae-ness, and snapping pictures of his flying overhead.
He’d taken some heat off Lexi, for which she was grateful, especially because Tarian didn’t care in the slightest. He’d endured far worse in the Obsidian Court. This didn’t even register.
Kieran was working with Demigods and non-magical territory leaders to set up the guardianship of the portals and borderlands. It was Kieran’s goal that Tarian become the director and overseer, Tarian’s duty by birth and his desire.
The others thought that gave Kieran too much power. The negotiations raged on. There was a reason Kieran had been so good at making a deal with the gods.
“Where were they?” Bria asked, watching Donovan place a carrot on the chopping board in front of her. She didn’t reach for the knife.
“Shopping,” Daisy replied. “Tarian wanted to see if he could outfit Lexi any better than I could. Fat fucking chance.”
Bria started to laugh. She knew the trials with Lexi’s lack of fashion sense.
Donovan pointed a bundle of celery at Daisy. “Don’t fuck up that relationship. He’s cool. The Fallen are cool. They’re also damn good fighters. Gorlan keeps kicking my ass. It’s starting to give me a complex.”
“I like Kayla,” Bria said. “She’s—”
“She’s what?” Kayla entered the kitchen, wearing jeans and a hoodie and carrying a single department store bag.
Bria pivoted seamlessly. “A real pain in my ass. Hard to tolerate. Terrible jokes.”
Kayla spat out a laugh. “Hard to tell a joke that people will laugh at harder than your whole personality.” She put her bag down on the counter.
“Burn!” Donovan clapped. “No! Get that thing off there. Put it somewhere else.”
Kayla picked it up again and put it out of the way on the ground. She stopped by the island, waiting for a comeback.
Bria narrowed her eyes in thought.
“No?” Kayla asked. “Nothing?”
“It’ll come to me…” Bria bit her lip.
Donovan chuckled as Kayla relieved Bria of the cutting board. “I assume this is waiting for a home.”
“Yup.” Bria inclined her head.
Kayla enjoyed chopping, cutting, slicing—anything involving a knife. She said it gave her practice. Which…it probably did. Daisy still hated cooking.
Tarian entered the kitchen with a smile, holding a couple bags. As usual, his gaze hit Daisy before anyone else, lingering on her and sending butterflies throughout her middle.
“Hey, dewdrop,” he said softly, stopping behind her.
She leaned back into his warmth. “Hey. How’d it go?”
He snorted. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Told you! Did you get anything for her?”
“We did.” The bags crinkled. “I just need…to figure out…what…”
Bria and Daisy both erupted in guffaws.
“She has good height,” Daisy said, “a good bust, average hips—clothes off the rack should fit her. Yet…somehow…”
“She always looks like a clown,” Bria finished. “It should fit her, but stuff always ends up looking like Bobo’s painting frock and you have no idea how or why the transformation happened.”
“Oh my god, are you serious?” Lexi asked, walking in with a couple bags. “Are you talking about me? Listen, he has good taste, I’ve said that. We all know that. And yes, the stuff he picked out was nice, but it just… I wasn’t…”
“It was Bobo’s painting frock,” Bria helped. “We get it.”
“We’ll find more,” Tarian said, not leaning away from Daisy. “We’ll get it. Some tailors, maybe…”
Bria and Daisy started laughing again.
More of the Fallen filed in, Lennox with a very impressive suit, trimmed hair, and still all that shit in his beard.
“I really wish you’d shield more of your thoughts,” he groused as he passed through the kitchen. He lifted a bag-laden hand and pointed at Donovan. “I’ll be back in a minute to help out. I need to change.”
“He’s hot,” Bria said when he was out of earshot.
“You always say that.” Kayla grabbed a peeler. “Why don’t you do something about it?”
Bria shrugged, pushing off the stool and going to the fridge. “I’m just noticing, is all. I’m…seeing someone. Kinda.”
“Wait, what?” Daisy turned to her. “Who?”
Bria put up her hand, grabbed an invisible chain, and tugged. “Toot, toot.”
She’d boarded the train of bad decisions. The person she was seeing was bad news. Obviously, that wasn’t stopping her.
Zorn and Boman entered, freshly showered and in casual clothes. They’d all be staying in tonight for a big family dinner. They couldn’t all fit at the table anymore, so they did buffet style and roamed around the house, eating and talking and having a good time.
“He’s the hot one,” Kayla murmured, glancing up at Zorn.
Zorn pretended not to notice. His dating life was kept very private, and he didn’t seem open for business. He nodded to Tarian and took a seat at the table.
Daisy grabbed the cutting board and knife and got ready to hand it back to Zorn.
“Nope,” Zorn said.
Daisy smirked and put it down.
“How’d it go, Lexi?” Boman asked with a cockeyed smile. He had been training instead of shopping, and now he was poking the bear.
“I just do not understand why I can’t use a professional.
” She pushed the hair out of her face, dropped her stuff in the corner with Kayla’s, and sat at the table.
“No offense, Tarian. I know you are very knowledgeable about human fashion…despite your only living here for six months and hopping in and out before that—”
“She is talking so much shit right now, you don’t even know,” Donovan murmured gleefully under his breath as Jerry and Dylan came in with Niall and his brother, Darryn.
Both of them had gotten stylish haircuts and stylish clothes, and taken on a posh demeanor.
Despite their humble appearance, they were a hit with the ladies.
“She’s not the only one,” Niall said, his brow furrowed as he spied Daisy.
Whoops. She should’ve thought that one in the darkness.
“No, no, it’s fine.” Niall flicked a speck off his very cute jacket. “I can take it. Because yes, I am a favorite. Thank you for noticing.”
Bria rolled her eyes. They’d all been studiously practicing with the devices to keep their thoughts to themselves, and everyone but Daisy employed the training. She was just too used to thinking out loud at this point and didn’t much care if people “heard” anymore.
“I wish you would,” Darryn muttered.
“It’s just—” Lexi started.
“Show them what you got,” Tarian pushed, putting his bags down. “Just show them and see what they say.”
Lexi made a disgruntled sound and went to get her bag.
Kieran, Gorlan, and the rest of the crew came in as Lexi was pulling out the first dress.
They were also freshly showered and dressed.
These houses had turned into community property, always available for showers and food and gatherings, and no longer just a home that Daisy and Mordecai often stayed at.
For one, Daisy and Tarian had gotten their own place farther into the city.
They could walk downtown hand in hand, freaking people out or disgusting them and laughing about it.
Mordecai had gotten a place fairly close to Daisy and spent a lot of time over at Daisy’s.
So did the Fallen, who had also all gotten places close by and came and went as any family might.
If they wanted a bigger space to hang out in, they visited Lexi and Kieran near the water, or they all gathered here. Just as Daisy had thought, they all fit in. They all got along. The integration had been seamless. Her circle of trust had grown, and it was the center of her whole life.
Kieran snaked his arm around Lexi’s waist, kissing her temple and then looking over her shoulder at the dress.
“That’s really pretty, baby,” he said offhandedly.
Lexi huffed at him, making Bria laugh. “I mean, yes, it is. But…it just hangs weird.”
“Did you tell her to stop doom-hunching?” Daisy asked Tarian. “You have to tell her to straighten up or else she makes the item not fit right.”
Lexi glared at her.
Jack returned with a smile. He clapped his hands before rubbing them. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road. Who’s helping? Just kidding, that was rhetorical. Daisy, the celery won’t chop itself.”
“Here, I got it.” Tarian gently moved her out of the way. He took her seat and pulled her to his side so she leaned against him.
“Good man.” Jack handed off the celery. “Who is making the salad? Bria?”
“Make the salad, Jerry,” she said.
“Yeah, Jerry,” Niall intoned, quick to pick up all the banter and always giddy when participating. The guys loved him for it. “You can’t just sit there and play with your rocks all day.”
Several people laughed as Jerry took a seat at the corner of the table and ignored them like usual. Somehow, that always made it funnier.
People roamed, many heading out of the packed kitchen to the living room. Those who stayed helped with the food prep. Kieran opened a bottle of wine and passed around glasses.
Do you still think you made the right decision? Daisy asked Tarian as she drank in his proximity.
Yes, though next time, I’m going to have a better plan of attack.
She laughed, running her hand along the back of his neck. His hair was still long, though not straightened. He wore it a little wild, and it looked just as handsome as always. No, not taking Lexi shopping. I mean…the human world. With us. Are the Fallen still okay?
He stopped cutting and reached around, wrapping his arm around her upper legs and pulling her in tighter.
They are absolutely loving it. There is a freedom here that we don’t have in Faerie.
A looseness to the people. They are still brutal and vicious, but more secretive and refined about it. I like that. I love it here.
If only for the plumbing, am I right?
He laughed. If only for the plumbing. And for you. He pulled her around for a kiss, light at first and then quickly turning passionate.
“Ew,” Bria said with a grin.
Someone shouted. Loud thumps echoed into the kitchen. Everyone paused. Kieran’s crew all turned and looked at her. Lexi glowered.
“What was that?” Niall asked, half standing.
“Daisy!” Lexi said. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.” Daisy waved it away. “I rigged a trap for Mordecai. He really should pay better attention. The stairs are his nemesis. He’ll be fine.”
“Daisy!” Mordecai yelled.
Home sweet home.
The End.