Epilogue
Today was the day.
To say that Nolan was excited was something of an understatement. This wasn’t about parties or magical rituals his boyfriend Sky took part in with the rest of his coven.
No, this was about getting the tree out of their house at last.
The odd thing had been squatting in their living room for nearly four full months. It needed to remember that it was an outdoor tree, and it had to return to its natural habitat.
The problem was that it had gotten very comfortable living indoors next to the front window. They brought it fresh pans of water each day, and it didn’t have to worry about being stuck in cold, crappy weather. Not to mention, it had its own set of twinkle lights that it plugged in each night.
The tree was a goddamn prima donna.
He couldn’t imagine how the tree had developed such a personality. (That was sarcasm. Lots and lots of sarcasm.)
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Sky inquired from where he stood next to Nolan. “It’s gotten very comfortable in the house.”
“Too comfortable. The damn thing has grown a foot since we brought it into the house.”
Sky tilted his head to the side so that it was touching Nolan’s shoulder as he looked at the tree. “I wouldn’t say it grew that much. Definitely several inches.”
“Yes, and if we don’t get it outside now, we’ll never get it through the door later. Besides, the weather has improved. It hasn’t snowed in at least two weeks. The temperature has steadily risen. It’ll be happier out there.”
“No, you’re right. But I’m not the one you have to convince.”
Nolan took a deep breath and nodded. It was time. He crossed the living room, moving toward the tree. He’d already pushed aside the coffee table and put all the chairs around the dining room table up, clearing a path from the living room to the rear door.
Reaching behind the tree, he pulled out the plug for the Christmas lights. The tree shivered, and one of its roots extended to pull the cord out of his hand, but Nolan held fast.
“Uh-uh. We’re going for a walk. There’s something we want to show you.” He started backpedaling out of the living room, his grip firmly on the lights as if he were holding the leash for a stubborn dog.
The tree refused to move until the lights unraveled from its branches. As soon as the first tiny light popped out from the greenery, the tree moved, following Nolan.
“I can’t believe that’s working,” Sky muttered.
“Shhh!” Nolan hissed.
Unfortunately, it stopped working the moment they reached the doorway.
Nolan stepped onto the porch, and the tree stopped. The damn thing extended its roots to hold on to the sides of the doorframe so Nolan couldn’t pull it through. It used a different root to grab the cord for the lights and tugged, pulling Nolan to the house.
“Hey!” Nolan dug his heels into the wood flooring and tightened his grip on the cord.
“It’s time to go outside. This was part of the deal.
You could be in the house during the winter, but it’s officially spring now.
You need to move outside.” As he snarled at the tree, he glanced to the left and right.
It was after ten in the evening, and the sky was dark.
There were no signs of the neighbors, but if they made too much noise, it wouldn’t stay that way.
He could only imagine what the neighbors thought of the weirdness they’d glimpsed through their windows.
“Having trouble?” Sky called from the kitchen, sounding as if he were barely holding in his laughter.
“You could always push from that side,” Nolan grumbled.
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Sky moved closer to the tree, his hands in front of him as if he were trying to find a place to put them so he could help Nolan.
“You really need to go back outside. We’ve got a special bed prepared for you.
Fresh, rich soil. You’re right next to the house, so you can protect us from intruders.
You’ll also get all that yummy early-morning sun. It’s the perfect spot.”
Despite all those enticements, the tree continued to fight Nolan. It definitely didn’t want to be outside.
“You’re going to have to get the surprise,” Nolan gritted out.
Sky hurried away from the tree; his footsteps pounded down the hallway.
The tree stubbornly pulled on the cord and shoved against the wall, trying to draw Nolan into the house.
Sky returned a moment later holding a small garden statue of a cat with a butterfly balanced on its nose. He held it out to the tree.
“See. This will be right next to you outside,” Sky explained.
“You’ve got its attention,” Nolan said as the tree stopped pulling on the cord.
“Ready?” Sky asked.
“Yep.”
He tossed the statue through the open doorway, and Nolan caught it. As soon as it moved from the bright house to the dark exterior, it lit up thanks to the solar panel on the back of the cat.
“You’ve got your own lights outside. But it only lights up at night out here,” Nolan stressed.
The tree rushed outside toward Nolan, two long roots reaching for the cat statue that Nolan was now holding above his head.
He hurried down the short stairs and to the flower bed they’d prepared for the tree.
They’d added several solar lights to the bed.
Around the area they’d dug up for the tree were several other solar statues.
As soon as the tree noticed them, it stopped chasing after Nolan and moved to the bed.
Its little branches and roots reached out here and there to touch the glowing figures.
“I think it likes the pretties,” Sky whispered as he edged closer to Nolan.
Nolan snorted. “Who would have thought one of your trees would want to be surrounded by shiny objects?”
Sky sniffed. “Pretty things make the world go round.”
Nolan edged closer to the tree, still holding the statue and the cord for the Christmas lights the tree wore. “It’s amazing you’re willing to date me. I can’t claim to be pretty or shiny.”
The necromancer in the shiny gold vest hurried to Nolan and wrapped his arms around his waist. “You’re a different kind of pretty and shiny.”
“Goth shiny?”
He shrugged. “It’s a thing.”
“Look! Look!” Nolan said in a low, excited voice, and Sky’s head whipped to see the tree digging its roots deep into the loose soil they’d prepared.
It wiggled and shook, getting properly settled in its new home.
It gave a final shudder, and Nolan could’ve sworn it seemed happy—a bit fuller, as if its branches relaxed to enjoy the night air.
He pulled free of Sky’s grip and placed the glowing cat beside the tree.
He tucked the cord for the Christmas lights behind the tree.
They would definitely need to change the lights before they attempted to plug them in for the holidays, but there was no outlet near the tree right now, so they didn’t need to worry about the tree plugging itself in.
Besides, it had plenty of its own solar lights glowing around it.
“So pretty,” Sky cooed at the tree. “You’re such a pretty tree now with all your lights.”
“Good grief,” Nolan muttered. “At least it’s outside.”
Sky giggled and pulled Nolan toward the house. “Until next December, at least.”
“As long as it’s the only tree that tries to come into the house, I can deal with it.”
When they got inside and closed the door behind them without being followed, they breathed a sigh of relief. Sky hugged his boyfriend’s waist and smiled up at the grumpy man.
“Do you regret it? Dating a necromancer?”
Nolan’s expression softened to one of pure love and devotion. “Not even for a second. Not even for all the sentient, bedazzled trees in the world. You’ve made my life pretty and shiny. Now I can’t live without you.”
A wicked light entered Sky’s eyes, and he unwrapped his arms from Nolan to capture one of his hands. He tugged him to the front of the house and up the stairs. “Come on, Goth Boy. Why don’t you show me what other things you can do with that talented tongue of yours besides waxing poetic?”
“You’re on.”
Nope. Not a single regret. Sky and his magic made life interesting.
Bonus Short Story