Chapter 17 #2
I tucked the tidbit about the creature away to ponder later.
I knew so little about the curse. I knew that an ancient fae was the source of it, and that was only because Wraith talked in his sleep.
However, all I cared about right then was that I was going to get to keep Echo for the rest of my life. Anything else could wait.
Echo relaxed completely and became a limp ragdoll in my arms. “Good,” he said sleepily, and then he seemed to slip into a light doze.
“You got lucky finding him, Vale. You’d better spend the rest of your life kissing the ground he walks on. If I ever hear otherwise, I’ll free him from you and Wraith, become his patron, and leave the two of you to rot for eternity.”
I wasn’t sure if The Cody was willing to allow me to speak to her again, so I only nodded and kissed Echo’s forehead. I’d been planning on doing that without her order, so it made no difference to me.
“I’ll be watching you,” The Cody said as a parting shot before stepping into the trees and vanishing.
I tapped Echo’s cheek and asked, “Are you still awake?”
“Mmmm…”
“That’s not an answer, sweetheart.”
“That was… so hard.”
“I know. I’m proud of you for managing it.” I traced his eyebrows with a fingertip. “Thank you for asking your last question. It meant more to me than you know.”
I hadn’t fully processed the answer, and I didn’t think I would be able to for some time.
I’d never bothered to hope to find someone to be with, let alone to be able to find someone who would live as long as I would, so nothing inside me was able to interact with the revelation beyond sheer, blinding joy.
“We needed to know,” Echo whispered, opening his eyes. “Husbands should know that sort of thing about each other.”
“Husbands,” I laughed softly.
“Don’t think you can wiggle your way out of it, vampire boy. You heard The Cody. I love deeply, so you’re never getting away from me.”
“Thank god for that.” I scooped Echo off his feet and kissed him slowly and methodically so he knew I had no intention of ever trying.
“I’d take you back home, but the bells will toll again soon, and they’re absolutely intolerable.
You might be susceptible to them now, and I don’t want you to have to go through it if you don’t have to. ”
“Thanks for that. What should we do then?”
“We could leave town until the bells are sorted. It shouldn’t take long now.”
“Why is that?”
“I…may have told the fae that I would burn them all alive if they allowed the bells to be broken. All I have to do is tell them they can break them, and it will be over,” I admitted sheepishly.
Instead of getting angry, Echo laughed softly. “You did that for me, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “It was something you enjoyed. I wanted it to last as long as possible.”
Echo’s face split into a grin. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize. The minmaxers were all acting so weird. I should have known you had something to do with it. You’re just as crazy as I am, aren’t you?”
“Very likely more so, I’d wager.”
Echo wrapped his arms around my neck and said, “Good. I couldn’t imagine a better guy to bind my soul to. If we ever meet this Cal guy, I’m going to have you thank him for me.”
“I’ve met him. It was an incredibly mediocre experience, and I have no desire to experience it again.”
“You are such a bitch,” Echo said merrily, like it was a good thing. “I love that about you.”
“That’s good, because I’m not likely to change.”
“Please don’t. As for Cal, maybe I can send him an email.”
“I’d leave him alone entirely if I were you. He’s not in control of the magic he uses, so it’s better to avoid contact with him if at all possible.”
Echo hmmed, leaving me unsure if he would heed my advice. Then he said, “I’d rather not leave town if you don’t mind. I really want the title this year. You keep swiping it from me, and it’s been driving me nuts.”
I cocked my head, and my eyebrows drew together as an idea came to me. “Do you want to team up?”
“Really?” Echo looked tempted, but then he frowned. “If you were able to terrify all the fae into making sure no one wins, then it would obviously be easy to just make them let us win. That’s no fun at all.”
I gave Echo a sly smile. “Not if I don’t rescind the order not to let anyone win.”
“Oh my god. You’re horrible. I love it. Let’s do it.”
My mind raced as I thought about the challenges we’d find fighting against a horde of confused humans and terrorized fae fighting tooth and nail to prevent anyone from winning because I’d told them to. It would be far more challenging, especially if I didn’t allow myself to kill them as I pleased.
“Can we get the rest of your family in on it?” Echo asked, dousing my thoughts in cold water.
“Why on earth would we want to do that? Also, can you please not call them my family? It makes me feel sick.”
“It’s for family bonding! Your family needs to love me if we’re gonna stay with them,” Echo said, completely ignoring my request.
“You want us to stay with the collective?”
“Don’t you?”
For the first time, I allowed myself to ask what I really wanted from my life. If I wasn’t going to obsess over finding a cure for my curse—the curse that would now guarantee that Echo would live a long life with me—then I had to decide what I wanted out of life.
Other than drowning myself in Echo, that is. I doubted he would put up with it for long.
“I don’t… hate the idea,” I admitted.
“So, what you really mean is that you adore your villainous household and can’t bear to be parted from them?”
I coughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. They’re tolerable.”
“Oh, really? Am I tolerable too?” Echo snuggled into me and gave me puppy eyes.
“You are indispensable.”
“I love you too, Vale.” Echo yawned. “Can you do a magic thingy on me? All the blood loss and excitement have me feeling exhausted.”
“Anything for you.” I kissed Echo’s forehead and allowed the magic to flow from me to him, filling his body and repairing anything that needed mending.
My monster didn’t make a peep when I tapped into it. That bog witch might actually have known what she was talking about.
I wondered what would happen if I tried some of the magic I’d been too afraid to touch. Too bad there was nothing around to kill.
As if on cue, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Gareth. When I clicked to answer, Gareth didn’t let me speak; he just jumped right in. “Meet us at the coordinates I’m sending. We’re two hours from you, so I expect to see you in twenty minutes.”
“I’m bringing Echo,” I informed him.
“Bring the fucking Easter Bunny if you want, just be there.”
“Hey, Echo,” I poked him in the nose to bring him out of the dreamy state my magic had put him in. “Want to go do some crime?”
Echo glowed brighter and said, “Yes, please.”
I wondered if he was going to stay that way, or if the glow would fade over time. I would find out. Echo and I had all the time in the world.