Epilogue
VALEN
A month later
The door swings open and nearly slams into the opposite wall.
“Ava,” I scold gently.
“Sorry.” Her cheeks redden and she grabs the door, shutting it gently. “I’m just excited.”
“About what?” I finish the glass of blood I was drinking before she arrived and rinse it out in the sink.
“As you know, Jade has been putting me through the wringer so I’ll be ready for what’s coming.
” She wrinkles her nose with displeasure.
She’s been avoiding saying the word war since we found out the reality of what we’re facing.
“And while this isn’t exactly battle ready, I’ve been working on being able to communicate with familiars. ”
I slide my arms across my chest and fight a grin. “Like you can talk to them, and they can talk to you?”
“Not quite.” She shrugs off her jacket and hangs it on the rack beside her door.
Next go her shoes, kicked off in a haphazard pile.
With a sigh, I pick them up and place them side by side.
“Pom Pom, come here.” She whistles and the fluffy dog comes scurrying from the bedroom.
She scoops him into her arms and sits on the couch.
She squints at him and seems to be concentrating.
“Is he speaking to you?” I tease as I sit beside her.
“Shush,” she hushes me. “Let me concentrate.”
I mime zipping my lips—a gesture I’ve seen her use before—even though she’s not looking at me.
“He’s … happy, very happy,” she says.
“What tipped you off? The wagging tail?”
She lowers Pom Pom slightly and turns to glower at me. “Valen, respectfully, I love you. But shut up.”
She closes her eyes once more, nose scrunched in concentration.
“You’re his favorite person.”
“Obviously,” I laugh. “He is my familiar.”
She opens one eye and glowers at me. “Valen.”
“Sorry.” I raise my hands innocently.
With a huff, she says, “He thinks it’s funny that you’re making me mad and he really likes when you sneak him bites of dinner.” She purses her lips at me. “I told you not to give him people food.”
Scoffing, I point at the adorable dog. “You try saying no to that face.”
She passes Pom Pom to me and the dog promptly licks my nose.
“Anyway, I’m sure it’ll get easier to read him, but since I haven’t been able to do that, I’m pretty proud.”
“I’m proud of you too.” I kiss her forehead. Ava has been working herself tirelessly. When she’s not at her actual job, she’s either been with Jade or other witches Jade has enlisted to help.
She opens her mouth to reply, but a knock on our door cuts off whatever she was going to say. “Were we expecting someone?” she asks.
“No.” I set down Pom Pom. “But if it was someone troublesome, they wouldn’t knock.”
She sighs in agreement. I get up and check the peephole, finding Levi and Luna on the other side.
Letting them in, I say, “What brought you guys here?”
“I have something for you,” Levi says, reaching into his pocket and procuring an envelope. “Considering I’m currently trapped and unable to travel to Iniquity, I hope you appreciate the fact that I now owe quite a few favors, but I thought you deserved this.”
My eyes narrow and I take the envelope from him.
“It’s not a bomb. It isn’t going to explode.” He rolls his eyes at me. “Just open it.”
“What is it?” Ava asks, wrapping her arm around my bicep and peering over as I open it and pull out a letter.
As I unfold the edges, a gasp flies out of me.
“Safira,” I gasp in awe, tracing my fingers over her familiar writing.
My dearest brother Valentine,
I’m finding it difficult to express in words what I’m feeling after learning of all you have endured in your quest to find me.
I feel terrible that I didn’t tell you a millennia ago about my beloved, but in order for us to be together, I had to follow certain protocol, and that included keeping the information from you.
Love makes us do silly, selfish things but I have never, not for one day, regretted him.
I want you to know that—that I have found the greatest love I could ever hope for.
I wish desperately to see you, dear brother, but I am unable to leave Iniquity.
It is all part of the bargain I made to be with Amadeus.
I am happy that my son has gotten to meet you and I’m sure you’ve welcomed him with open arms. Leviathan is the light of my life.
When I found out I was expecting, it was the most joyous of days.
He might act like a tough demon, but I promise you there’s a soft center beneath his hardened exterior.
Believe it or not, he reminds me of you in a lot of ways.
Perhaps one day you’ll find a way to visit me here.
Until then, I love you with all my heart, brother.
Take care of my son. He is half my heart.
Love,
Your Sister Safira
A choked sob leaves me. “She’s alive. She’s really alive.”
Levi rolls his eyes and snorts. “I fucking told you, but of course you didn’t listen. Why would you? Never trust a demon, am I right?”
Ignoring his rambling, I pull him into a hug.
“Oh, ew. Why are you hugging me?”
“Thank you, Levi.”
I let him go and he gives me a skeptical glance. “Uh … you’re welcome.”
“Who would’ve thought you could weird out the demon,” Ava laughs and grabs my arm once more.
Carefully folding the letter, I pocket it and make a mental note to keep it somewhere safe. If Levi can get this letter, maybe there’s some way in the future I can see Safira again. For now, though, this is enough.
“We’re going to head out,” Luna says, hooking her thumb in the direction of the door. “This one just wanted to make sure you got that as soon as possible.” She nudges Levi’s elbow with her own.
I narrow my eyes on the point of contact. I don’t know enough about demon customs to understand what’s actually going on between the two.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Ava says, leading them to the door. “I’ll need my coffee fix and one of those cronut things you were experimenting with.”
Luna laughs. “You liked that, huh?”
“Yes, this is my formal request for an entire batch tomorrow.”
Laughing, Luna pulls Ava into a hug. “I can make that happen.”
Levi looks back at me just as they’re about to cross the threshold, and I mouth, “Thank you.”
I’m still not sure how I feel about my demon nephew, but I’m starting to feel something other than hate, so I suppose that’s progress.
Ava locks up behind them and turns, wrapping her arms around me and resting her chin on my chest.
“How do you feel?”
I know she means about the letter. “Relieved.”
She stands on her tiptoes and presses a soft kiss to my mouth. I hold her close, inhaling her delectable scent.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks, letting me go.
“You,” I admit.
“About how perfect I am. Am I right?” she teases.
“That’s exactly it.” I lean my hip against the counter. “What else did Jade teach you?”
Twenty minutes later, she’s just finished showing me a recent spell she mastered that alters your appearance. Her features melt back into normal, and she giggles. “Cool, huh?”
“Amazing.” I reach out and grasp her pink hair, happy to see it once more.
A knock has us both turning to the door in question. “Levi and Luna must have forgotten something,” she sighs, hopping up.
She scurries over to the door and squeals. “Celine!” She all but tackles her best friend. “Look at you! I’m so happy you’re okay.”
The past month has been difficult for my mate, not knowing how her friend is doing. Sure, Zavier has given us updates here and there, but it’s not the same as hearing straight from the source.
Zav can’t take his eyes off his mate as they enter. She looks different, but the same in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s like her features are enhanced—sharper, cleaner, deadlier. Her hair is even longer than it was before, and glossier too.
“I feel good. Really good,” Celine says. “I feel mostly like me. Just a little ravenous for blood.” She takes one of Ava’s hands and the two settle on the couch together, heads tucked close.
“Do I smell like food to you?” Ava teases.
“No, you smell like my friend. Zavier says I’m doing extremely well. I haven’t experienced bloodlust the way other new vampires have, but we wanted to be sure before I saw you. Even though you’re not wholly human, you’re not a vampire either. I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”
Ava hugs her best friend. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
“Back at you.”
Celine must squeeze a little too hard, because Ava groans. “Ow.”
“Oh, sorry.” Celine quickly lets go. “I’m not used to my strength yet.”
“It was an accident.” Ava is quick to assure her.
“So, what’s been going on while I’ve been gone?” Celine asks, looking around.
I arch a brow at Zav. “You haven’t told her?” We updated him by telephone, and I assumed he’d told Celine, but clearly not.
He shakes his head. “It wasn’t the right time.”
“Time for what?” Celine asks accusingly.
With a sigh, Zav perches on the coffee table and launches into explaining everything we learned from the vampire who attacked us.
Her mouth gapes in horror and she shakes her head.
“He’s building an army?” she practically shrieks.
“That psycho. I’m going to gut him myself, I swear. Especially since he gutted me.”
Zavier sighs and runs his fingers through his vibrant hair. Normally Celine has her hands full with him, but something tells me roles are about to reverse with vampire Celine.
“What’s our plan?” Celine asks.
Ava shrugs and answers, “Get stronger, find allies, and take down that psychotic fucker before he can strike.”
Celine smiles devilishly, flashing her newfound fangs. Zavier mouths, “Fang-gasm.”
“That bitch-ass isn’t going to know what hit him when we come for him,” she says and Ava snorts.
“He has a whole army. We might be screwed.”
Celine shakes her head. “We’re not, because we have something Damien can never have. Something worth fighting for.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, curious about her thought process.
She smiles at Zav. “Love.”