4. Chapter 4 #2
“There are multiple ghosts? Are they trapped in this castle because they died here?” I didn’t like the idea of angry ghosts hanging around. Especially if any of them decided to watch us. I was adventurous, but voyeurism wasn’t one of my interests.
“There are two ghosts, Sanlum and Grumlum. They’re alive, or at least they aren’t dead,” Vanth said.
“They come from a different realm. They’ve been living here for about a year, but they’ll probably move on soon.
Judging by how much fun they’re having, they might follow your friends back to the human realm. ”
I watched another platter float by. “That explains so much.”
That’s when everyone noticed us standing at the edge of the crowd. Nan squealed and rushed over.
“Eden, you look gorgeous! What happened to your mermaid costume, and where did this dress come from?”
I let go of Vanth’s arm and did a little twirl. “Vanth gave it to me,” I answered, ignoring her question about my earlier outfit.
Nan looked over at Vanth and raised an eyebrow. “You just happened to have this elaborate dress in Eden’s size?”
Vanth shrugged. “Who wouldn’t want to be ready to give Eden anything she might want?”
Oh, he was good! I watched the last of Nan’s wariness melt away. A tray floated close, and she grabbed two canapes and shoved one at me and one at Vanth.
“You’ve got to try these. They’re so good.”
That’s how I knew she accepted Vanth. To Nan, food is love. It actually amazed me that Justice wasn’t a thousand pounds for as much as she fed him.
The party kept going for another two hours. Vanth proved to be an amazing host. He kept everyone engaged, and we ended up playing several games I think he might’ve made up on the spot.
Almost all the people at the party were ones I’d brought, but there were a few others I didn’t recognize who mingled among my friends.
Let me rephrase, I didn’t recognize their faces or their species.
None of my friends were reacting so I could only assume they looked human.
Or maybe my friends simply thought their costumes were just that good.
By the time everything was winding down, Vanth started gently escorting people back through the front door portal that would spit them out in the hallway outside Yuri’s apartment. I marveled at how seamless it all was.
“You are the master of party tricks,” I murmured.
Vanth gave a little bow, looking pleased by my compliment. “Thank you.”
Eventually it was only Nan, Justice, and Yuri. I worried about Yuri being able to get back to his own apartment when Nan grabbed his hand in hers. “You’ll come home with us, right?”
Yuri nodded, his eyes wide with happiness. Justice stood on his other side, looking satisfied. “Excellent.”
Then Nan looked at me. “Are you ready to leave?”
I’d forgotten I was staying with Nan and Justice while I looking for a new apartment. The one I’d lived in with my mom had felt too full of painful memories once she was gone. Seeing my distress, Justice and Nan had moved me into their spare room until I found a place that felt right.
After our time in the library, this castle felt more like home than any place I'd ever lived. This had been the place I’d been looking for. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Nan and Justice would understand the idea of fated mates.
I tried hard to seem casual. “Oh, um, I thought I’d stay with Vanth a little longer.”
Justice wasn’t buying it. “Are you sure? You only met the guy tonight.”
Vanth stepped up close and wrapped his arms around me. “Eden is an adult. She can make her own choices.”
Vanth was trying to protect me, but it wasn’t necessary. I knew how to deal with an overbearing Justice.
“I thought I’d be polite and stay here so you two can fuck Yuri in the living room without worrying about me interrupting. But, if you’d rather, I can come home now and keep everyone company.”
Justice choked, Yuri blushed bright red, and Nan rolled her eyes.
“Enough!” she declared. “Justice, Eden knows what she’s doing. Vanth, if you hurt her, I’ll peel all that pretty skin off your body and make it into a purse.”
“Ohhh, kinky,” Vanth drawled, making everyone chuckle.
I walked them out the door into the hall. Vanth stood in the doorway, waiting for me to come back.
“You sure about this?” Nan whispered, turning her earlier words into a total lie. But I appreciated her concern. It came from a place of love instead of some weird misguided sense of masculine duty.
I nodded my head to where Justice was standing with a possessive arm around Yuri. “I’m as sure about Vanth as you are about Yuri.”
Nan gave me a big, delighted smile. “That makes me happy to hear, but you better not disappear on us.”
“I won’t,” I promised. “Yuri and Vanth are best friends. I think we’ll all be doing a lot of hanging out.”
After a last hug, Nan turned and joined Justice and Yuri. I went back across the threshold to Vanth. He closed the door, focused for a moment, then opened it again to show me a moonlit night that matched the image in the windows.
“Perfect,” I said, then shivered. It was cold and damp outside, despite the clear night.
Vanth was quick to shut the door, then held out a hand. “I know you’re fond of the library, but would you like to see my bedroom? There’s a roaring fire there too.”
I grabbed hold of his hand. “I can’t wait, especially if the tour ends in your bed.”
My dress flowed around me as he let me up a wide spiral staircase to the second level. I felt like a princess who found my fairytale ending, except unlike all the books I’d read, this one was real and this happily ever after belonged to me.