Epilogue
Kyrith - Six Years Later
Anthea Carlton’s grimoire appears in the Vault at a quarter to six in the morning.
I know, because the Arcanaeum wakes me with a bolt of urgency that sends me jolting up in bed, gasping for breath. Dakari and Jasper rise with me, searching the room for the threat as they dive for their grimoires.
“Pierce.” I completely forget to give context as I ghost out from the covers. “Pierce needs to know.”
Clothes. Where are my clothes?
I manage to find a wrap dress that covers me just as Dakari catches my hand. “Kyrith, explain.”
I freeze, caught like a deer in the headlights under my husbands’ stares.
I don’t know what to do.
Do I tell them or wait for Pierce? Do I wake him? Is he even here?
I aim the last question at the Arcanaeum, and the shelves around me sag.
He’s not home.
“Anthea’s grimoire just appeared in the Vault,” I tell them, pulling the dress on more slowly now. “It…it feels oily.”
Worse than it did the last time I saw her, which means somewhere along the line, Anthea Carlton returned to practising necromancy.
She must be dead, or that book wouldn’t have been summoned back here.
Jasper curses under his breath, grabbing a pair of shorts from the floor and tugging them on. “Enforcement tracked her down then?”
“Probably.” Dakari sighs. “I’ll see if I can find Pierce.”
A door opens downstairs, the Arcanaeum’s interest perking higher as the shelves of the Rotunda lean in to get a better look.
“No need…He’s home.”
North steps through after him, but it’s the third presence I can’t place.
They don’t have a library card.
Wait.
A child?
I’m still demanding answers from the building as the other two get their clothes on. It doesn’t seem to have any for me. My confused frown is set on my face as I pull us all down to the Rotunda.
There’s a blond-haired toddler crawling across the floor.
My heart stops as a pair of curious round grey eyes meet mine.
I’ve seen enough people with that particular combination of features to know that this is a Carlton.
It doesn’t take a genius to connect his appearance to that of Anthea’s grimoire, and the stiffness in Pierce’s posture.
“Enforcement asked for our help tackling a group of necromancers.” North is hovering awkwardly behind Pierce, holding a bag of stuff. “We didn’t think anything of it…”
“This is Theodore.” Pierce puts down his own bag. “I…Apparently he’s my nephew.”
In all our years together, I’ve never seen him look quite so lost.
“Anthea…didn’t go down without a fight.” North looks away. “Enforcement got to her.”
Which means either they had to execute her, or she died in the struggle. For Pierce’s sake, I hope it was the latter.
Theodore crawls across the tile towards the cat tree, and two feline faces—one white and one ginger—watch on in concern as he starts trying to climb it.
The Arcanaeum conjures a toy train that circles around his feet, distracting the tiny terror before he can land himself in mischief.
Pierce sinks against a desk. “I didn’t know what to do. I know it’s a Library, not a nursery. I just…”
I cross to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “What did Anthea want? Was there any indication of her wishes?”
North shakes his head.
“She was dead by the time we even knew she was there,” Pierce mutters. “But I…He’s got no one. If his father was there, he’s either dead or about to be executed.”
Somewhere in the Clock Tower, things are moving. Eddy’s old room is being redecorated. The bed shrinks, and a mural of enchanted sea creatures covers the walls. A highchair appears at our table.
The changes are all made with a kind of cautious optimism, like the building is expecting me to scold it, but it can’t contain the hope that’s practically leaking from the walls.
The train is still going around and around, merrily keeping the boy occupied.
“The Arcanaeum is making arrangements,” I murmur. “If you want him to stay with us, I believe the Library is more than happy to accommodate that.”
Pierce’s eyes finally leave Theodore and lock with mine. “And what about you?”
In the eight years we’ve been together, none of us has considered trying for a child. We’ve been busy. First, they were students; now Lambert’s magiball career takes him all over the world. The others aren’t exactly swimming in free time either.
I almost don’t want to try. Not because I wouldn’t love our children, but because this body of mine is a complete enigma.
Could I even carry a baby to term? Honestly, I’m still fairly certain that the answer is no.
Despite their reassurances that it doesn’t matter, I don’t want to have it confirmed and face my men’s reactions.
So I don’t look away from Pierce as I reply, “It’s hardly a conventional place to raise a child, but he would be loved…if that’s what you wanted.”
Something in his brow relaxes, but he remains guarded as he looks across at the others. The only people who aren’t here are Lambert and Leo. The former is probably at magiball practice and would never say no. The latter is still asleep in bed.
North shrugs, then kicks the bag at his feet lightly. “I mean, I didn’t lug all of this shit—err, stuff—here for you to kick the kid out.”
Dakari nods. “We owe Anthea for what she did with Mathias. If Kyrith’s okay with it, I say yes.”
“Aye. Only a heartless prick would toss out a wee-yin.” Jasper is already lifting little Theodore up into his arms, making the child squeal excitedly. “And he’s cute, for a Carlton.”
That he is.
As the round-faced little boy is carried closer, I find myself studying his features. The newest member of our family has a snotty nose, and I summon a tissue to wipe the mess away before I can stop myself.
“I’m sure childrearing has changed in the centuries since I was young,” I mutter under my breath as Jasper offers him to me. “I haven’t prepared for this.”
The weight of him settles into my bones. In spite of my uncertain words, it feels right.
The Arcanaeum summons a stack of books onto the reading desk closest to me. I don’t have to look at the titles to know that it’s probably every book we have on the subject of parenting.
My shoulders relax slightly. There has never been a problem that the Library didn’t have an answer for. This is a new chapter, but one that we’re more than capable of facing together.
The End
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