Epilogue #3
People still have plenty of mixed opinions about me, both online and in Koasville.
But mostly, interest in my life has calmed down—especially because news of the Garnet Wizard's death shook the entire world and took the spotlight, when Silas and the other acolytes finally decided it was time to make the announcement.
But one of the best things to come out of recent months is Nivarrah's rehabilitation.
She's in a charming, private, long-term-care psychiatric facility with some specialists who are doing everything they can for her.
I've even gone to visit her a couple of times with Kaenon, hoping he could translate if she decided to talk.
She doesn't really speak to anyone, but she liked the cookies I brought her.
It's going to take time for her to recover, but at least she's in good hands now—and I know they're good, because Asher vetted them himself.
After a while of visiting and chatting with everyone, I notice something and frown, looking around.
Where's Jessica? I haven't been haunted and distracted by her during every conversation at this little get-together, which is really unlike her.
Excusing myself, I check the kitchen, where more people are chatting, but she's not there. She's not outside where Everett's dogs are running around with Devil. Confused, I start up the big staircase in the Amatos' house, but I pause when I see Kaenon at the top of the stairs, staring out a window.
"Kaenon?"
He glances at me. For a moment, his face is clearly wistful, but then he smiles at me. "That dress has been very distracting at this party, tseramòr."
I huff a laugh, but I'm still frowning. "Hey, have you seen Jess?"
He motions toward the huge suite that I'm pretty sure is Maven's room. As he does, I notice he's no longer wearing the leather bracelet Athanis gave him.
Concern starts to set in, but I thank my mate and slip quietly into Maven's room.
During a past visit, when I was cautious about going into any part of the Amato house they might not like, my sister-in-law had snorted and told me I'm welcome anywhere. So I don't think she'll mind me being in here, but it's still a little odd to look around her bedroom.
My brother spared no expense in making their home tasteful, minimalistic, and also luxurious—but especially in his keeper's room.
It's spacious in here, with a bigger bed than any I've ever seen, a vanity against one wall, a shelf stacked with botany books, a huge attached bathroom, and a closet which is shut right now.
There's also a huge, otherworldly collection of moths, butterflies, and other strange insects I've never seen before pinned to one of Maven's walls.
If I had to guess, I'd say those must be native to the Nether—and judging from the desk underneath them filled with sketches and research, Maven must have picked up studying undiscovered Nether bugs as a hobby at some point.
As I peek around the few corners of Maven's room, I glance down at the vanity.
There's almost nothing on it—just a hairbrush, another one of her many, many daggers, and what looks to be an old, crudely-carved wooden chess piece.
I think it's a queen, maybe? Maven is so minimalistic and organized that I wonder why it's not with the rest of her chess pieces, wherever they are.
"Jessica?" I finally whisper. "Psst. Jess. Are you in here somewhere?"
"In here," her muffled voice says from Maven's closet.
I walk to it and crack the door, blinking at the sight of her ghostly body sitting on the closet floor, in the dark.
"Jess? You good?"
"Do you think Carolina Reaper has any idea how expensive the clothes Face Card buys for her are?
Seriously, how many pairs of combat boots can one woman own?
" She motions at the shoe rack across from her, which is indeed stacked with many combat boots, even if I can barely see them without the lights on.
"I'm so jealous, I want to die again and get buried under all her stuff. "
I doubt Maven knows anything about clothing brands, but I'm not surprised that Everett spoils her every way he can. My brother enjoys splurging on the people he cares about.
Deciding maybe my bestie is developing some version of ghost dementia I don't know about, I sit next to her on the floor in the dark.
"Where's Athanis?" I ask. "Because to be honest, I was half-afraid I would open this closet door and see the two of you going at it, ghost-style."
"We did earlier," she shrugs.
But she doesn't answer my question.
I frown. "Jess? What are you really doing in here?"
"Procrastinating."
"Procrastinating what?"
"Going outside to where Athanis is waiting for me. With Syntyche," she adds, looking at me. "I just…needed a second before I had to say goodbye."
Oh.
It's happening. The thing I've quietly dreaded for an entire year.
Quietly, I reach up and hit the light switch to see my friend better.
That's when I realize how much more translucent she's become.
Not that I'm seeing her super great, with the tears already starting to blur my eyes.
I know Jessica well enough to know that her silence and the way she's chewing on her lip mean she's also struggling with this more than she can say.
"Okay," she finally says, lifting her chin. "I'm really, really leaving this time. Cue the tears."
Too late.
"Does it have to be now?" My voice breaks.
She smiles a little, wiping her nose. "I've kind of been dodging Syntyche for a couple of weeks.
She's the one who grants spirits guardianship status.
She wasn't super happy when I begged for just a bit longer past a year after I died since that's what we initially agreed on, but…
anyway." She exhales shakily. "You're happy, El.
You're safe now and happy and bound to a quintet who adores you, and I'm so fucking happy for you.
But I have to go. I miss my family so much it hurts, and… "
"And you have your own happily-ever-after to get to," I finish for her, wiping a tear off my face.
"Yeah. Because someone's got to corrupt that sexy elf sooner or later," she sniffs.
I start fanning my eyes. "I know you have to go. Really, I get it, and I'm so grateful you stuck around and got me through so much. It's just…gods, Jess. Without you, what am I supposed to do?"
"Your husbands," she blurts.
And just like that, we're both laughing and crying at once before I try to hug her. My arms pass through her, but the chill is a familiar comfort before Jess pulls away, getting even more translucent by the moment.
She smiles. "Don't cry too much over me, chica. We'll see each other again."
"Bye," I whisper, my heart squeezing painfully at the thought of not being haunted by her anymore.
With a final ghostly kiss on my cheek, she passes through the wall and vanishes.
And just like that, she's gone, passing into the Beyond at last.
It takes a few minutes to stop the tears, but I take a deep breath and reach up, removing my bereavement necklace for the first time in months.
It's so weird to think it's been an entire year since I was imprisoned in the Nether.
So much has changed and happened since then, it's hard to believe.
My life has gone from self-isolation, fear of burdening others with my emotions, and dreading disappointing my future matches to complete, irreversible joy with men I can't imagine my life without.
I want Jess to have a love like that in the next life, possibly with Athanis. I'll have to ask her all about it when I get there someday.
A moment later, I hear several quiet footsteps nearby. Even without reaching out with my empathic abilities, I know who they are and can’t help but smile.
"Heidi? Are you in here?" Asher whispers.
Sniffing, I slip out of Maven's closet to join my quintet. They take one look at my face, and immediately, I'm wrapped up in a huge group hug.
"Kaenon mentioned he already said goodbye to Athanis and that you might need a second. But we're way too fucking impatient for that," Ian informs me.
"You all right, Candy?" Zak checks.
"I'm good."
Really good. As much as I'll miss her, I'm excited for Jessica to have a new start in the Beyond and see her family again. And I have my new start here, surrounded by all these gorgeous men who just so happen to complete my soul.
"I love you," I tell them. "All of you."
"We love you, too," Asher murmurs. A few moments later, when the group hug is getting a little stifling, he mutters, "Okay, what the fuck is with the bugs? That demigoddess just hunts shit and stabs things to walls. She needs a hobby."
"I'm pretty sure lepidoptery counts as a hobby," I laugh as we break up the hug, Ian leaving his arm around me and Kaenon holding my hand as we all walk out the door to rejoin the party.
The End
Once and for all, thank you for joining me
in the world of the Cursed Legacies series. When the time comes, I hope you’ll join me in a love letter to a slightly different genre (don’t worry, there will still be no choosing).