Epilogue
Aster
Two Years Later
A s if my life couldn’t get any stranger, along comes a request to attend a mandatory meeting at Soul Chaser Headquarters, conveniently located in the underworld. At least my partner, the love of my life, can attend with me thanks to the love bond.
I’m not sure what to expect as I hold Hudson’s hand and lead us down the dark, narrow hallways, but as we step into the main area, a lit-up space with music playing wasn’t it. Is that Dean Martin crooning?
“What is this about?” Hudson asks.
“Um, I’m not sure actually.”
The cavernous room is filled with people, living people, who I suspect are Chasers and possibly their partners, given the lack of aura around them identifying them as spirits. I spot Wilder leaning against a column, wearing a dress shirt and slacks like he’s attending a wedding. He looks growly and unapproachable, but when he sees me, he nods in acknowledgment and looks even kind of happy to see me. Sort of.
I walk over to him with Hudson glued to my arm. “Hey, Wilder. Do you know why we’ve been summoned?”
“Not a clue. Not too happy about it either since I was on a date.”
“Is that why you look so nice?”
Wilder shrugs, but his lips turn up with just the hint of a smile.
The music grows quieter as Farnsworth appears, dressed in a very dapper tuxedo and looking like a 1960s Hollywood leading man. His expression is tight as he forces a smile to his face. I wait for him to speak, but another figure steps from the shadows instead.
Hudson’s breath catches and he squeezes my arm, moving as close as possible. The figure is much taller than any normal human would be, I’d say at least eight feet as it towers over the petite Farnsworth. It’s wearing a hooded cape, but as it reaches up with impossibly long arms and removes the hood, a stunning woman is revealed.
She has fiery red hair that seems to move in an unfelt breeze. It hangs down to her waist, blowing softly. Her face is perfect, almost indescribably so, with features that make my stomach flutter.
Her eyes, a strange light blue color, pulse as she gazes at us, and her lips, bright cherry red, are curved in a serene smile.
“Whoa,” Hudson whispers. “I feel weird.”
“Me too.”
“Hello, Chasers,” Farnsworth says. “Thank you for coming. Our mistress has summoned us together for this inaugural moment.”
The mistress, whose name and existence I have no clue about, nods at us, and as her gaze roams across us, I’m filled with a sense of warmth and comfort.
“My brave darlings,” she says. Her voice is sweet, kind, and vibrates through me to my core. “Look how many of you there are.”
I can’t take my eyes off her, but I do notice in my peripheral vision how Wilder leans in, clearly as awestruck as the rest of us.
“I asked Farnsworth to assemble you here purely for my pleasure. It’s been two centuries since I’ve seen you all with my own eyes. How beautiful.”
“What is she talking about, Aster?” Hudson asks.
“Don’t know.”
The mistress’s gaze shifts immediately to me and Hudson. “Lovers,” she says. “Delightful.”
Hudson’s breath shakes, but a sense of calm washes over him that I feel in my chest through our bond.
“There has been a breach among us,” the mistress continues. “Don’t worry, it’s been handled, but it opened my eyes to the disconnect in our ranks. We’ve grown, and yet so many of you have never seen each other’s faces. You don’t know of each other’s existence. That ends tonight.” She turns to Farnsworth and nods.
“We’ll have a yearly party,” Farnsworth says, nearly spitting the final word. “A time to come together to ensure our continued focus on our goal to rid the Above of Horrors.”
“This is a party?” Wilder whispers.
“Yes,” Farnsworth says, clearly hearing him. “I’ve done the best I can, but the last party I attended was sometime in the late 1800s. I’m open to suggestions for future gatherings.”
“Dude, how long has Farnsworth been dead?” Hudson whispers. “Is he dead?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper back.
“There’s food,” Farnsworth says. “Catered.”
“Catered?” I repeat. “How the hell…?”
“With some difficulty,” Farnsworth says.
“On your wrists, there is a colored band,” the mistress says. “It indicates your region so that you may find others easily when you’re back Above.”
“Please enjoy.” Farnsworth offers a stiff smile. “Mingle. Get to know one another.”
I look down at my wrist and it glows a pleasant shade of blue, like the sky on a cloudy day. Wilder’s band lights up too, as do several others in the room.
“Forced camaraderie, how fun,” Wilder deadpans. “Rather be balls deep in my date, but whatever,” he grumbles.
“Duty calls,” another Chaser says from behind, clapping Wilder on the shoulder. He extends his hand to me with a big grin on his face. “The name’s Jovan.”
“Aster. This is my soul partner, Hudson.”
“Ooh a love bond mating in the wild.” Jovan’s still grinning. “We can all hope, right, Wilder?”
Wilder only grunts.
“Oh come on, you big grump,” Jovan says, wrapping his arm around the surly Chaser. “Even you must get lonely sometimes.”
“Nope.”
Jovan is unusual looking. He’s tallish, but shorter than me, with a wild mess of dark hair and tattoos covering most of his visible skin. It’s his energy that’s most attention grabbing though. Like he doesn’t have a care in the world. But he’s a Chaser, so he must.
“Don’t let him fool ya,” Jovan says, releasing Wilder from his clutches. “Even Chasers need love, but I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”
“No.”
Jovan lifts his arm, twisting his wrist to show off his blue band. “I hang around NYC mostly, but I’m all over the East Coast if you ever need to connect.”
“Thanks.”
“How long have you been a Chaser?” Hudson asks.
“Four years,” Jovan says. “Not like my ancient friend here.”
Wilder rolls his eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips.
“It gets easier,” Jovan says. “Eventually, it’s just another job. You figure out how to live around it.”
“That’s good to know.”
Jovan salutes us. “See ya around, Chasers.”
He darts off, disappearing into the mix of people, but Wilder lingers.
“Heard you did good with your first Horror,” he says.
“Thanks to you and your help.”
He nods. “Jovan’s right. It does get easier with time, and you’re doing better than most having someone to go through it with who understands. You got lucky.”
“Was it luck?”
He makes a sound that’s almost a chuckle, but not quite. “I keep a safe distance from my targets. Less headache that way.”
“I’m not a headache for Aster,” Hudson says with an edge in his voice.
Wilder doesn’t even flinch, shifting his moody gaze to my man. “No, I don’t suppose you are. Like I said, lucky.” He glances around. “How long do you think we have to stay?”
“No idea.”
“Right.” He turns to me again. “Call if you ever need me.”
“Thanks, man.”
He nods and heads off toward Farnsworth. I grip Hudson’s hand a little tighter.
“Bet you never thought you’d see the underworld and still be alive to talk about it.”
Hudson laughs, nuzzling his nose against my cheek. “Nope, but I’m starting to see some possibilities for future books. The plot bunnies are running amok.”
I pull him closer, gazing into his eyes. The last couple of years have been wild, to say the least, but I know my foundation is solid and Hudson is always waiting for me. Sometimes it’s still hard to remember that my death led to this incredible life.
“You okay?” Hudson asks.
“Perfect, actually.” I kiss him softly. “Can I interest you in a dance, handsome?”
His face lights up. “I’d love that.”
As we move in time to the music, Hudson gazes into my eyes, and in them, I see unending love and support.
“I’m not sure even Jocelyn would believe we had a company party in the underworld.”
I chuckle. “Probably not.”
“Hey, who do you think the mistress is?”
“No idea. She’s beautiful though. In fact, that word doesn’t accurately capture her, does it?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I had the fleeting thought that she looked like a painting of Persephone I saw once upon a time.”
“Persephone? Like, Queen of the Underworld?”
“Goddess of Spring.” Hudson nods. “That one. Do you think she’s real?”
“At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked.”
“I’m going to believe it. Somewhere else, far from here, Hades is waiting for his wife to return to his side. Do you think he’s hot?”
“He’s definitely hot. How could he not be?”
“Right? It only makes sense.”
“As much as anything does.”
Hudson laughs, the sound filling my chest with happiness. “I’m with Wilder. How long do we have to stay to be polite? I have a Chaser I’m dying to get my hands on.”
“One dance, we’ll mingle a bit, then we’ll see if we can skip out.”
“Fair.”
I twirl him in a circle then dip him low. “I love you, Hudson. Now and forever.”
He cards his fingers through my hair. “Now and forever.”
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