Epilogue
EPILOGUE
One Week Later
R eady?” Ez asks, raising her eyebrows at Roma.
Roma glances through the trees to their left. Along Lakeside’s shoreline, JJ and Cass?—fully glamoured, of course?—are making a sandcastle with Desi while Obie lounges with a book in a nearby beach chair. Even though they appear as casually oblivious as all the other civilians out to enjoy the early July sunshine, Roma knows that they’re watching for any sign of enemies?—hunters and demons alike?—who could interrupt Roma and Ez’s spell.
Nodding firmly, Roma turns back to Ez. “Ready.”
Ez’s lips twitch. “One more dry run?”
“Ez,” Roma says, exasperated. “We’ve done dozens of dry runs at home. We’ve closed actual mega-rifts with this counterspell. I think I can hear the incantation in my sleep by now.”
“Well, that just means we’ll be as safe as possible,” Ez says, and she tips her chin up, eyes gleaming. “One more?”
Roma fights back a smile. “Sure. One, two, three?—from the depths…”
“… to the sky…”
The reversal is a little later than they initially planned. After she and Ez finally left Cass and JJ’s place last week, the first thing they did was hunker down in Ez’s favorite safe house, sitting with matching mugs of hot cocoa as they talked through everything that led them to this moment: Roma’s initial mission and the false flag operation, the origins of the mega-rift epidemic, Ez’s inability to replace Roma for the counterspell??—
Roma was secretly pleased that Ez didn’t deem any of their group’s other humans worthy enough to perform the spell, but she kept that little piece of information to herself. After a long discussion about the pros and cons, they decided to delay stabilizing the Deep for another week, keeping the Sanctum’s attention divided so they couldn’t immediately throw all their resources behind tracking their newest?—and oldest?—defectors.
Since everyone is still secure in their safe houses, it looks like their gamble paid off?—for now, at least.
And ever since then, Roma and Ez have been settling into their new life. It’s not quite the picture Ez painted for them after they spent the night together?—especially since Ez’s actual home was compromised, so they’re currently living in her safe house?—but it’s strikingly similar. Roma wakes up every morning next to Ez; sometimes, Ez is still snoozing next to her, but usually, she’s already awake and absorbed in a spell book. They make breakfast together, Ez doing most of the actual cooking while Roma loyally butters toast, and eat at the table while they discuss the day to come.
Sometimes, they spend it with JJ, Cass, Obie, and Desi, all of them glamoured beyond recognition but otherwise defiant in their decision not to hide?—or run away. Sometimes, they spend it with Naomi, Sawyer, Micah, and Gregorio, holed up in their newest safe house and helping them investigate the Sanctum–Chain connection.
And sometimes, they spend the day at home, reading books side by side and experimenting with different spells and enjoying each other’s company. Roma will freely admit that those are her favorite days, the days when she gets to see Ez relaxed and content and at peace, the days when they get to nerd out over the finer points of magic and dream about building their own spell book.
The days when they get to just be themselves.
“… close all that has been opened,” Roma finishes, and she meets Ez’s eyes. “All right. For real this time?”
Out of the corner of Roma’s eye, she sees JJ shift his position to keep them in eyeshot through the trees. After Roma’s near-death experience during their last attempt to stabilize the Deep, she’s not surprised that he’s feeling protective.
He’s good like that. Always has been. And even though he’s enthusiastically supportive of Roma’s relationship with Ez, he also pulled her aside a few days ago and told her, quiet and serious, that if they ever broke up and Roma needed a new place to stay, he would make sure she had one.
He also seemed to forget that demons have enhanced senses, because Ez clearly heard every word. A few hours later, Ez brought Roma to a new address?—another spare safe house?—and told her in no uncertain terms that it belonged to Roma now, should she ever desire to move out.
Honestly, Roma wouldn’t trade her newfound family for the world.
Ez sets her jaw. “For real this time,” she agrees, and she places her fingertips on the grass. “Count us off?”
Roma smiles. “One, two, three?—from the depths…”
“… to the sky…”
Power swirls through Roma’s chest as she flows through the incantation, her voice blending effortlessly with Ez’s. Magic races down her arms, ignites in her fingers, pulses into the ground beneath them??—
Shoots down to the very heart of the Deep itself.
Roma braces herself as they reach the end of the spell. “… close all that has been opened,” she says, and the last of her magic flares down into the earth.
This time, it doesn’t ricochet back out at her. Cautiously, she peeks one eye open, frowning at Ez. “Did it work?”
Ez squints down at the grass. “If it did, then it was super anticlimactic,” she says, poking the dirt like it’ll give her the answer. “I don’t feel the echo of any mega-rifts opening, but it could just be a break. I wish there was some kind of feedback mechanism.”
“I almost died the last time we had a feedback mechanism,” Roma says.
“Well, at least we knew that we did something,” Ez says, and she raises her eyebrows at Roma. “Do you remember how to check for stabilization? I can’t guarantee that Obie will agree to loan us his precious spell book again.”
Roma’s heart dances. Even though it’s been nearly a month since they cast that spell, she won’t soon forget her first dual incantation with Ez. “I remember,” she says, and she straightens her spine, positioning her fingertips back on the ground. “Count us off?”
Ez smiles back before mirroring her stance. “One, two, three?—from the depths…”
“… to the sky…”
Less than two minutes later, they’re jogging over to meet their friends. “Demons and half-demons,” Ez announces, “the mega-rift epidemic is officially over.”
Desi throws up her arms excitedly. “Yay! Auntie Ez and Auntie Roma did it!”
“We did,” Roma confirms, tentatively ruffling Desi’s hair when she crawls over to hug Roma’s leg. She’s still wary around JJ’s adopted daughter?—more because she’s a small child than because she’s a demon?—but she’s rapidly growing to understand why JJ defected so readily in the face of those puppy dog eyes. “Thanks for believing in us, kiddo.”
“She wasn’t the only one,” a new voice says, and Roma looks up in surprise to see Naomi strolling towards them, a box of cinnamon rolls balanced on one arm.
Desi gasps with delight, immediately forgetting all about Auntie Roma. “Cinnamon rolls!” she cheers, and she races over to Naomi. “Can I have one, Miss Naomi? Please can I have one?”
Looking amused, Naomi pulls out the smallest and hands it to her. “There you go, little one,” she says, and her eyes flicker up to meet Roma’s. “Hey, Roma.”
Roma’s throat feels dry. “Hey, Naomi.”
JJ pushes himself to his feet and brushes the sand off his jeans, stepping up next to Roma. The two of them aren’t completely comfortable with their former mentors yet?—Roma thinks that old sting of betrayal is going to take a long time to disappear?—but for now, they’re all trying as best they can.
It helps that both Roma and JJ now have experience leaving people they care about behind. Roma’s chest aches at the thought. None of them have had contact with Bryant or Chester since Roma defected, but that hasn’t stopped her and JJ from frequently discussing how to get them out of the Sanctum.
So far, they haven’t had any realistic ideas, but they’re still brainstorming.
“We didn’t know you were stopping by, Naomi,” JJ says evenly. “Is that Roma’s new glamour spell?”
Naomi glances down at herself. While the human-magic glamour spell that Roma and Ez cobbled together can’t fully disguise someone’s appearance like the demon-magic version, it does a surprisingly decent job of changing skin tone, hair color, and other large-scale features.
Two days ago, Naomi was sporting pale skin and the worst blonde pixie cut Roma had ever seen. Today, it looks like she tried to copy Sawyer’s dark brown skin and tight black curls with moderate success.
Either way, it’s enough to throw the Sanctum off the scent, and right now, that’s all they really need. “Yeah, I’m trying to get it perfect,” Naomi says, and her lips twitch. “After all, my little sister invented it.”
“Your little sister and your little sister’s girlfriend,” Roma corrects, but warmth curls through her chest anyway. “So where’s Sawyer?”
“Researching with Micah and Gregorio,” Naomi says. “Thanks for the updates about the Sanctum’s testing program?—and Operation Thirteen?—but we still don’t know what they’re up to down in the prison.” Her jaw tightens. “Or what Operation Thirteen even is, much less how it relates to both soul magic and the Deep.”
Roma nods, more disappointed than surprised. JJ and Cass finally telling her the full story about the prison’s purebred spellcasters ripping Cass’s soul apart?—and the soul bond they went through as a last-ditch attempt to save Cass’s life afterward?—was a shock, but it definitely filled in a few gaps in Roma’s understanding.
Like what the prison’s testing program actually is, and why the Council seemed ready to forget about JJ until they found out he was affected by the corrosion spell, and what the Sanctum has been doing with all those neophyte demons from the Chain.
It still left them all with more questions than answers, though. Why is the Sanctum experimenting with demons’ souls in the first place? Why are they preferentially targeting JJ instead of Cass?
And why is all this soul magic so important to them?
Not for the first time, Roma wishes she could ask Chester for more details about what he heard near the purebred-only wing in the prison. She wishes she could talk to him again for a lot of reasons, really. Bryant, too.
“And anyway,” Naomi continues, “I wanted to be here to see how your counterspell went. And to make sure no one died.”
“Well, it worked,” Ez says, walking over to join them and falling into place next to Roma. Her smile is hesitant?—Roma isn’t the only one with mixed emotions about the Conspiracy Fam?—but it’s still there. “And no one died. So that counts for something, right?”
“It does,” Naomi agrees, and her eyes slide back to Roma. “And I’m?—I’m proud of you, kiddo. You know that, right?”
She sounds uncertain, like she’s not sure she still has the right to say the words?—or that they’d be welcome. But even if Roma still has some complicated history to work through with Naomi, there’s still a sixteen-year-old girl in Roma’s heart who’s twirling with happiness at her big sister’s approval.
This time, Roma lets that girl win. She smiles back. “Proud enough to give me a cinnamon roll?”
Snorting, Naomi opens the box. “Of course. They’re for you. All of you,” she adds, widening her gaze to include the rest of them. “Take your pick.”
Cass and Obie immediately jog over, grabbing their proffered pastries. “Thanks, Naomi,” Cass says, tearing a huge bite out of his. “You want a rift back home?”
“Depends,” Naomi says, and she arches an eyebrow at Roma. “Have you figured that one out with human magic yet?”
“Still working on it,” Roma says. “The interdimensional quirks are a lot more complex without demon magic.”
“Then I’ll pass. It’s a nice day, anyway. Might as well take the walk back home.”
“Mind if I come with you?” Obie asks. “I have some heirloom tomato seedlings for Gregorio.”
“Oh, he’ll be thrilled.”
“I have never once seen Gregorio Ricci ‘thrilled’ in the two thousand years I’ve known him.”
“He does this thing where he tilts up the side of his mouth and slightly raises an eyebrow at the same time,” Naomi explains. “That’s his ‘thrilled’ face.”
“I should take a picture,” Obie says, and he salutes the rest of the group. “Later, guys. See you at dinner tomorrow.”
“See you!” Roma says, waving at Naomi’s and Obie’s retreating backs before turning to Ez. “Well, I guess we’re done here. JJ, Cass, are you heading home, too?”
Cass wrinkles his nose. “In a bit. We still have some work to do on this sandcastle. It’s not prepared for dragons yet.”
“Not prepared for dragons,” Ez repeats. “Well, that’s a very specific thing to prepare a sandcastle for, Cass.”
Desi’s eyes widen. “But dragons love castles! All the storybooks say so!”
“They do,” Roma assures her, and she threads her fingers through Ez’s. “Enjoy your sandcastle, guys.”
Desi waves. “Bye, Auntie Ez and Auntie Roma!”
“Stay safe out there,” Cass orders. “Both of you.”
JJ gives Roma a small smile. “Text you later?”
Roma smiles back. “Text you later,” she agrees, and she follows Ez through the rift back to their safe house.
The moment Ez snaps it shut behind them, she stretches her arms above her head, yawning. “Well, that’s a wrap on the mysterious case of the mega-rifts. Hopefully, we won’t have to think about the Deep again for the next decade or so.”
“Do you really have to tempt fate like that?” Roma complains.
Ez’s lips twitch. She reaches out to take Roma’s hands, squeezing lightly. “But if we do,” she says, “then we’ll face it together. Right?”
Roma’s heart feels full. “Right,” she whispers, and when Ez leans in to kiss her, Roma closes her eyes and knows that this is the life she’s always wanted.