Epilogue
Nomi
I’d stayed visible and used my other powers without any trouble after our first romp in the sheets. It was like a piece sliding perfectly into place after we had sex.
Using my powers became second nature, and I wasn’t the only one celebrating.
Thanatos was plenty glad I wouldn’t burn his house down again.
Emily joked that if he let her into the kitchen, she’d make up for the loss by cooking and burning his Dracula castle down in my stead.
But I was just glad not to be a burden anymore.
After another few days of “training” which Ghost took total advantage of, I was ready to go see Felix. It still felt weird to inhabit a human-like form to cross over to the mortal world, but my eagerness to see Felix made everything worth it.
He’d gotten the all clear from the doctor as long as he had help at home, which Ghost made sure of. He’d hired another baker and worker to help Clara at Dolci Caldi, and the other Horsemen had been taking turns to ensure Felix wasn’t attacked again.
I’d sobbed embarrassingly hard when I found out. I’d thanked each of them, but Asha told me that family takes care of family. A few weeks ago, it was just Felix and me. Now I had all the Horsemen and their spicy versions to lean on.
I finally understood why the found family trope was so good in fiction. Nothing beat the feeling it gave me to have them. Now I had two men to thank for showing me the many faces of love.
Maude was on the couch, giving Ferguson some attention. The cat didn’t even look at me when I walked in. Traitor. But he did track Glacies and Ignis wherever they went. Felix was up in spite of strict orders to rest, but it wouldn’t be the man who raised me if he’d listened.
I rushed into the kitchen, Ghost trailing behind me, and snatched the dish right out of his hand. “Who said you’re allowed to cook?” I demanded on a growl.
Felix growled right back. “I’m not an invalid yet, Nomi. Stop treating me like one. Doc said I’m fighting fit. He’d never seen such a quick recovery.”
I couldn’t tell him that he’d had help from a few friends. Ghost refused to tell me who or how, but the injuries he’d sustained should’ve kept him in the hospital for weeks. Instead, he was out in one.
“You’re not going to win this fight, so you better sit down before I start airing out all your dirty laundry in front of Maude,” I threatened, keeping the smile from my face when a noise of sheer indignation left him.
“You wouldn’t dare…”
I glared at him, catching the hint of a smile on Ghost’s lips out of the corner of my eye. “Try me, Old Man.”
Felix grumbled but handed over the dish. His complaints followed him all the way to the couch, where he sat down and Maude put her head on his shoulder in greeting. His arm went around her and my heart damn near burst at the adorable sight the two made.
Ghost was next to me as I put the usual casserole ingredients together. It was one of Felix’s favorites, and it didn’t require a whole lot of effort. I’d caught sight of a few leftovers in the fridge Maude made, but I didn’t doubt my Old Man had kicked up a fuss that she was cooking for him.
Felix liked to take good care of his girls.
Leaning in, Ghost wrapped an arm around my waist and dropped a kiss on my head.
Felix shouted, “Oh, looks like we need to leave the lovebirds alone, Maude.”
My smile grew too large for my face. “Says the guy putting the suave moves on his lovely lady fair, but sure, we’re the lovebirds in need of privacy.”
Another sound of indignation left his mouth, and I couldn’t silence my laugh. Neither could Maude. She giggled and sounded absolutely adorable as she whispered to him that he had that one coming.
With her here, I knew I didn’t need to worry about him. Ghost promised they’d be watched over while we were on the hunt for Ares, but that it was unlikely now that Heaven had intervened that he’d be in danger.
I was Spicy Famine now. Lucifer lost his chance with me. Still, it was a huge relief that not only would he be protected but totally loved while I was gone.
After I put together dinner, we all sat around talking. Ghost became the version of himself that declared me his girlfriend, giving me major whiplash, but I didn’t mind anymore. He was my beau now. Best part was Felix absolutely adored my Horseman. It was evident in how much he smiled at Ghost.
All in all, a perfect evening. Sadly, now came the time to lie to my Old Man, but hopefully not for too long.
“So, I got some good news,” I started, drawing Felix’s eyes to mine. “Limos has a bit of business around the world to do, and he’s asked me to come with him.”
Felix’s eyes were practically aglow with excitement. “You’ll travel with him around the world?!”
Maude seemed just as awe-stricken. “That’s lovely, dear.”
“I know Limos helped you find another few to help at Dolci Caldi, but would that be okay? I don’t want to—”
On brand, Felix cut me off with an angry grumble, “Of course it would be okay. Be gone with you. We’ll be fine here. This is the experience of a lifetime, and I won’t hear you argue otherwise.”
My throat burned with emotion. “But I’ll miss you,” I told him honestly.
The arm Ghost had around me tightened in support, his eyes meeting mine. “She’ll call every day.”
“Pish-posh,” Felix mumbled, but the moisture in his eyes told me he was feeling the same way I was.
“My girl needs to be out there living her life, not strapped down to this old man. I’ll miss you too, baby girl, but please…
just go have an adventure. Get into a little trouble for Christ’s sake.
We’ll be here when you get back, promise. ”
A tear blazed down my cheek, but I wiped it away quickly. I’d been crying way too much as it was, and the last thing I wanted was to upset Felix.
“But you just got out of the hospital,” I argued.
His nonsense grumble made me laugh. “I’m fighting fit. Doc said so, remember?”
Maude chose that moment to speak up. “I’ll take care of your grumpy old man, sweetheart. Don’t you worry. We’ve decided it’s time I moved in.”
Felix became three shades of red all within seconds of each other, and I laughed so hard it chased all the sadness away.
“Oh? Is that so?” I waggled my eyebrows at him, and his garbled response left the room in stitches. Even Ghost laughed.
I spent the next hour teasing him, but he got his digs in, too. Said Ghost was marriage material and started to call him my poor husband. For a few hours, my life was back to normal. Then the time came to say goodbye.
I was fighting tears again as I gave both him and Maude long hugs after chasing down Ferguson and Mr. Pugsworth for kisses. One came willingly and one hissed and threatened to murder me. One guess which was which.
“I love you both. I’ll call every day,” I promised.
“Keep my daughter safe and happy, Limos. You’ve done a stand-up job so far, so I know I can trust you to keep it up,” Felix told Ghost.
My Horseman’s smile was tender. “She’ll want for nothing.”
“That’s what I like to hear. We men have to show our ladies love anyway we can.”
“How very misogynistic of you,” I mumbled in mock insult.
“What was that, woman?” Felix hit back, sassy smile on his face.
“I don’t know what you mean, Old Man.”
After another few hugs and I love yous, we left. A few steps out of the house, and I noticed a woman leaning against the tree Mr. Pugsworth’s nemesis called home. She was tall, absolutely gorgeous, and had androgynous vibes to her, but I got the distinct impression she wasn’t our friend.
“Michael,” Ghost said.
“I see you’ve made your choice. Very well then. Now you’ve made mine,” was all she said before she disappeared.