Iris Epilogue
It takes a long time for the coven to feel whole again. The High Priestess and Violet have come to terms with what happened to Aster. My grandmother and I have both been working through what happened to my mother.
I didn’t want to know all the details and I’m glad the Slayer shielded me from that.
Even if it hasn’t been easy, without the Slayer, Adam, Scarlett, and my coven, I wouldn’t have survived all this.
If you asked me a few months ago, there’s no way that my coven would be responsible for bringing another slayer into the world.
I would have thought you were crazy, but here I am on a full moon, my hand interlaced with my coven members ready to perform the spell.
Balam had found a willing human to become a vessel, and it had taken me months to agree to finally attempt to bring the slayer to the mortal lands.
The human man, Louis, didn’t have much going for him and he was hopelessly infatuated with Balam.
In agreement to being the vessel to his lover, he has also promised that his lover would share the body with him, just like Adam and the Slayer do.
I’ve hounded Louis, making sure that this is something he truly wants, and it is. So we chant, wondering if this will even work. I’ve reworked the spell to be used by witches and have used the given name that Balam gave me to summon him.
Balam and my Slayer are off to the side, waiting to see if it works, and I think we’re all shocked when it does.
Louis gasps, his eyes going dark as his posture changes and it’s clear he’s now a vessel. All of us part, giving him space as Balam comes closer and I watch as the two lovers see each other for the first time in endless cycles. They embrace and there’s a joy in knowing that I did that.
“My love,” the new Slayer says, cupping Balam’s face.
“You’re here,” Balam cries out as they kiss.
My Slayer gives the newly reunited couple one last look before coming and picking me up. I laugh as he holds me with one arm.
“What are you doing?”
“I have a surprise for you,” he says.
“Oh, and what might this surprise be?” I question, hoping that it isn’t something completely off the wall. I never know with him.
“Patience,” he says with a light squeeze of my ass as he carries me through the thick forest before teleporting us somewhere unbelievably magical.
Lightning bugs sparkle in the night as we’re surrounded by the blooming flowers around us, frogs bellow in the swampy lake to the left. The night is balmy but not blistering hot as I search around the space.
“What is this?” I ask as he places me down on my feet and I look around one more time until facing him, but it’s not the Slayer in front of me anymore, it’s Adam on one knee.
My breath hitches as I stare down at him. He licks his lips before speaking.
“Iris Fuselier, you’ve saved me time and time again, given me purpose in a world that I didn’t think I belonged in, and you bring so much joy into my life.
You’re the bravest, most selfless person I know, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you.
We both do. I know that fate connects you with the Slayer through the mate bond, but I hoped that you’d also give me the honor of being my wife. ”
My face flushes with his words. I wasn’t expecting it.
Marriage wasn’t ever something that was on my radar, but as Scarlett trots toward us with a box in her mouth, I’m realizing this is absolutely something I want.
Adam opens the ring box, showcasing an engagement ring with an oval cut orange sapphire surrounded by diamonds, and my mouth drops.
“I would love to be your wife,” I say and Adam quickly places the ring on my finger before getting onto his feet and swinging me around in a circle. I stare at the ring for a moment before Adam’s lips press against mine.
“For the record, I picked out the final ring,” Scarlett says from her place on the ground.
“It’s gorgeous,” I praise her, and she preens. “You want me to be your wife, huh?” I joke; he hasn’t let me down, so that we’re eye to eye.
“We want everything you’re willing to give, my dearest fiancé.”
My cheeks hurt from grinning as I grab his face and kiss him again. When I pull away, Adam’s happiness reflects my own.
“We deserve good things.”
“You’re already the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” he replies and I melt just a little more for him.
Over time, both he and the Slayer have referred to themselves as a unit, and it makes me happy that they can get along. They still have their spats and moments where they want nothing to do with each other, but they’ve also become each other’s most trusted confidants.
Sharing a body will do that to someone, I suppose.
“So, a wedding?” I ask and Adam shrugs.
“I really just want to call you my wife,” he says.
“Oh fine, twist a fox’s paw. I’ll do it,” Scarlett adds, and I look down at her with confusion.
“Don’t we need a witness?” I ask, and that’s when my two best friends and grandmother make themselves known.
“I guess one of the witches can do it since we want everyone to hear the ceremony,” Scarlett complains and Adam gets on one knee in-front of her.
“The Slayer and I were wondering if you’d like to be our best fox.”
Scarlett stands a little taller. “I suppose that will suffice.”
Ember comes to stand before us, tears welling in her eyes as she holds her wand up. “The marriage will be magically binding and I got ordained through some website so we can send in the legal forms. Are you ready?”
I give her a nod as Adam grabs my hands and we face one another. Ember goes through the magical binding of marriage and asks us if there’s anything we would like to say.
“I’ve never had someone in my corner before and it might have taken being possessed by a vampire slayer to make it happen, but it was all worth it to find you.
My life was worth living when you came into it.
You’re the reason my heart beats and I vow to be the man you need.
When you need a shoulder, an ear, or a hand, I’m at your call.
Thank you for choosing me, and I’ll show you every day that I choose you right back. ”
My eyes water with loving tears as Adam’s eyes change. The Slayer obviously wanting to say his piece as well.
“Eternity wouldn’t be enough time with you. In every life, you are mine and I am yours. Since we share this one with Adam, I suppose we’ll let him join our union, too.”
I can see they’re about to argue, and I squeeze the man’s hand in front of me as Adam takes over the body again.
“Adam, you let me be myself unapologetically, and I love you for that. You’re my north star and I’m so lucky to get to spend the rest of my life with you. Together we make each other better and I couldn’t have asked for a more understanding man. Slayer,” I say his name, letting him take over.
“We are mates in every universe, and I choose to be your wife in this one, too. You’re right when you say no time will ever be enough, but I promise to value every second we have in this one. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and loudly. I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever with you.”
Ember sniffs, trying to hold back her emotion.
“You may kiss your bride.”
The kiss starts off rough and dominant with Adam and slowly progresses to a more languid, tender kiss with the Slayer.
When I pull back and look at his beautiful face, I thank fate for bringing him into my life. We might have had to face a lot of hurt and pain to get here, but we can’t dwell on the why, just that we’re here now, and we’ve found each other.
It’s not conventional by any means, loving two very different men, but as I stare at the physical form of the two men I love, I know that I’m exactly where I need to be.
“What now, my wife?” Adam asks.
“Now, we get to live.”
The vision hits me, two wrinkled hands holding one another’s on a porch, a fox with graying hair between us, two glasses of sweet tea in our free hands.
There isn’t fear in seeing that future, there’s gratitude.
Because I know that we’re going to be together and in love until we’re old and weathered.
Beauty might not last forever, but this love we have sure will.
“Everything okay?” Adam asks.
“Never better,” I reply as my new husband sweeps me off my feet, holding me bridal style as he goes to teleport us. It wasn’t easy to get here and I would have never guessed that I would have fallen for the slayer’s seduction, but by the goddess, I’m so glad I did.
What we have is magic and I’m the luckiest witch to not have found one epic love, but two.