Epilogue
Idrop the still-beating heart onto the hardwood floor and survey the room. The walls are splattered with red smears, chunks that may or may not be bits of brain mixed among them. The floor is littered with corpses—both men and women—each dead because they dared to defend the fool who crossed us.
I loosen my tie, my gaze landing on the woman hunched over a man’s body. Her hands are buried deep in his chest, searching for something. “Elly?”
Elly looks up, her blue and green eyes instantly finding my golden ones. She smiles, pulling her hands from the man’s chest and straightening her back.
“Yes?” she asks, carelessly running a bloody hand through her silver-white hair, dyeing it a striking dark red that matches my skin.
“Find what you were looking for?”
Her smile widens as she reveals a thin, rectangular piece of black metal, held up in a pale-gray, bloodless hand.
It’s the toll of a single misstep while using her necromancing magic—her left hand is permanently caught between life and death.
“Stitched to the inside of his lungs. Ingenious, really,” she tells me.
“Will it be enough?”
Cleanup after the Nephilim incident is proving to be never-ending. His web of influence runs deeper than I anticipated, but it’s nothing we can’t handle with time and persistence. This extracurricular activity is precisely what it’s all about.
“Maybe, maybe not. But we can bring this one along if you’d like.” She gestures with that same hand to the man behind her, who stirs, prompted by her necromancing magic. “I’m sure Yblis has room in his dungeons for one more.”
I snort. “At the rate you’re going, he might start charging us rent.”
Elly pockets the metal and steps closer.
Her magic shimmers in the ice-blue jewel of her necklace, a thin, forked line running through its center, noticeable only to those who know where to look.
She steps over a corpse with a bashed-in skull.
I’m pretty sure it’s her brains splattered on the wall—or maybe she’s the one dripping from the ceiling.
“Oh, come on, you have to admit it’s fun,” she says. “Besides, you know he’s grateful we’re taking care of this. He has his hands full with Azraella and her boyfriends. Our king doesn’t have time to clean up Inakr’s mess.”
“Hmm, he has a strange way of showing his appreciation,” I reply, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her against me. I gently brush a strand of hair from her face, tsking when I leave behind a streak of blood on her cheek.
She giggles, her fingers tracing the red smear. “We should probably clean up before dinner,” she sighs. “Don’t want to send William into a frenzy.”
“Or trigger the clean freak in Tomyla,” I add. “Which will only stress Cry out even more than she probably already is.”
“Yeah, she told me she’s terrified you might not approve of them living with William.”
“If I didn’t, they wouldn’t be living together, now would they?
” I place a kiss on her forehead. In truth, I still don’t understand how that happened.
William took over the company with Cry as his assistant, which was supposed to be a business relationship.
Somehow, Tomyla got involved, and the three of them ended up in an actual relationship.
I don’t mind—I’ve seen crazier things—but someone needs to give me a timeline on this at some point.
“Tell them that tonight, okay?” Elly looks up at me, genuine concern in her eyes.
She still cares deeply for William, especially after all the Nephilim did to him. As important as my blessing is for the three of them, it’s equally crucial for her.
“I will, love, don’t worry.” I pull her closer and tilt my mouth over hers. Angling her face for better access, I deepen the kiss, enjoying the way she whimpers under my touch.
Until my phone buzzes, shattering the moment.
“Alix,” I groan, glancing at the screen. “We should probably get going.”
Elly nods, a smile playing on her lips. She grabs my half-loosened tie, pulls me in, and kisses me again. “I love you, my asshole cinnamon roll,” she whispers against my lips.
I nibble her bottom lip in response, earning a soft moan from her that makes me smile. “Love you too.”