Chapter 47
47
Anora
Six Months Later—Wintermoon
I stand over the spell book I’ve been guarding for six months, a small smile on my face. I’ve never tried to open it, not even once.
Leah stands beside me, arms crossed, watching as I lower it onto the podium where it’s set to stay, untouched, and protected by the spell I’m about to cast.
It’s linked to me now, as long as I’m alive. The only way I’ll lose my tie to it is if Fate decides I’m unworthy, the same way she stripped it from Aya.
Aya warned us this wasn’t the end of the humans’ hatred. She was right. It hasn’t disappeared. It lurks beneath the surface, buried deep in their bones. We’ve bought some time, but it’s going to take generations before we undo it all.
Ash Clan still works with the mayor to help dismantle the resistance when they show up, but Amir? He stays out of it. I get it, and no one pushes him on it.
“Are you sure this is a safe place for it?” Leah asks, her skepticism obvious.
I shrug, looking back over my shoulder. “Who even comes to this library? And anyway, you know what happens if someone tries to mess with it. They’ll die a slow, painful death. No one’s stupid enough to mess with the book after everything.”
With the spell cast, I see Damon wiping down one of the tables in his perfectly organized library. A grin spreads as I turn to Leah and motion for her to follow. She sighs and does, though her eye-roll says it all.
“So,” I nudge, sliding up to Damon as Leah lingers behind me. “Are you ready to spill? What’s going on with your mate?”
He stops mid-wipe and glares at me, then at Leah. “Fine. If you must know, my sweet mate is moving in tonight. She finally gave up the assassin’s ring and has decided to embrace her role as my fated mate.”
I grin and throw my arms around him. “Damon! Finally. I’m happy for you. Love at long last.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s your doing.” His glare softens into something almost warm, though he tries to hide it with a wink. “The world’s looking more balanced—more every day since you got here.”
I glance back at the book on the podium, feeling a sense of relief. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.” I glance back at Damon, teasing. “Your pristine library...the book couldn’t be safer.”
He smirks. “You joke, but it’s true. No one’s getting in here.”
Leah steps closer. “Ready to practice teleportation? ”
I hesitate, thinking back to all my failed attempts. Damon visibly cringes, stepping back like he already knows how this is going to go. I laugh at his reaction, turning to Leah. “Sure. Let’s give it a shot.”
“Alright, picture where you want to be. Focus. Then it’ll bring you there.”
I close my eyes and picture Amir, sitting at the sheriff’s station, humming that old tune he loves while keeping watch over the little town. I focus on him, and when I open my eyes, I’ve landed in the sheriff’s office—stumbling, but I’ve made it.
“Oh, angel, you did it!” Amir beams from across the room. In a blink, he’s in front of me, his arms wrapped around me tight. His smile is brighter than I’ve seen in months, and I can feel his pride rolling off of him as he looks at me.
Amir is still Wintermoon’s king, and technically, I’m its queen now, but he prefers the sheriff’s role. It’s a simpler title, one that lets him stay close to the people. It suits him, and it gives Kade and Damon the break they desperately needed. Plus, he’s good at it—solving problems, mending fences. A true king’s work, even if he doesn’t call it that.
Kade suddenly appears, clapping Amir on the shoulder with a smirk. “You’ve got this shift, right? Great. Means I can finally spend the night with my woman.” Without waiting for a reply, she teleports to Leah. Amir just shakes his head, but I see his smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Enjoy,” he says before turning back to me.
“I told Leah I’d watch the bakery,” I say quickly, but Amir is already pulling me close for another kiss. Kade and Leah vanish behind us.
He doesn’t stop, not until he’s lifted me into his arms, carrying me over to his desk. He sits down with me in his lap, holding me close like he’s afraid I might disappear. It’s always like this with him—constant affection, constant reassurance. Like he’s worried I’ll slip away if he stops for a second.
“Anora,” he says softly, brushing the hair from my face. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” I look at him, waiting.
“The last time you traveled, where did you go?” His voice is calm, but his eyes are searching.
I freeze. I knew this would come up eventually, but it doesn’t make it any easier to answer. I take a deep breath. “The future,” I admit.
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything at first. “Was it bad?” he finally asks, stroking my cheek with his thumb, grounding me.
“It’s not bad, so long as I have you,” I say slowly. “But...if I ever lose you, Amir...” I hesitate. “The cloaked woman. She was me—future me. I destroy the world if I lose you.”
I look away, but he gently cups my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Anora,” he says quietly. “Don’t you know I share the same madness?”
My throat tightens as I stare at him, unsure what to say. He doesn’t wait.
“Is that why you tried to go with me when I pulled the magic from the earth?” he asks.
I nod, and his sigh is deep. He pulls me tighter against him, pressing a kiss to my forehead before leaning down to kiss me again. I cling to him, letting all my fears melt away in his arms—just for now.
“I do have a question,” I say, pulling back to meet Amir’s eyes.
“Ask away, angel. I’ll never deny you.” He smirks, that smooth confidence that always makes me melt .
“She said she turned herself into a vampire. I don’t know why she’d do that outside of, I guess, immortality? So... do I need to become a vampire?”
Amir laughs, shaking his head. “Anora, you’re already immortal by default. You’ll live as long as the spell book exists, and trust me, that’s a very, very long time.”
“Oh.” I laugh nervously. “No offense, but I’m gonna have to pass on being a vampire unless I absolutely have to.”
I don’t tell him about the nightmares. The ones where I see the Detroit River turned into a river of blood. Thanks for that, future me—it’s burned into my brain now.
Amir chuckles. “None taken, angel.” He leans in for another kiss, but a bell jingles on the front door, cutting him off. He groans and looks up sharply, and I follow his gaze.
It’s Hazel.
I jump from his lap and run to her, pulling her into a warm hug. She wraps her arms around me just as tightly. It’s been months since I’ve seen her. After Ash Clan executed her mother, Hazel left Wintermoon. Amir checked in on her, made sure she was safe, but he never pushed her to come back.
“Hazel.” Amir’s voice is quiet, careful, as he stands from his chair. I know what he’s thinking—that she hates him for not saving her mother or for not stopping the execution when he could’ve. He hasn’t said it outright, but the guilt weighs heavy on him. Amir loves her deeply. She’s his niece, his family.
She steps away from me and walks toward him. “Uncle,” she says softly before hugging him tightly.
“I’m sorry, Uncle. I just needed some time.”
He wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her hair. “I understand, Hazel.”
She finally pulls back and looks at both of us, her face more relaxed now. “I can’t stay,” she says, shaking her head. “There’s still so much work to do. But the worst of it’s behind us. I don’t have to worry about dark magic or that key anymore. Now I just need to balance things out with the humans. But those radicals—ugh!” She groans, and I chuckle along with her.
“I can help,” I offer, but Hazel quickly waves me off.
“No. I need you to stay here in Wintermoon. The people need you.” She turns to Amir. “And you too.”
He nods, understanding.
Hazel takes my hand in both of hers and looks me in the eye. “I know you hate hearing this, but you have no idea how much you’ve helped. My uncle, Wintermoon, the whole damn world—thank you.”
I smile and kiss her cheek. “Don’t thank me. Thank Fate.”
She laughs and shrugs. “I’ll thank her too.”
“When will I see you again?” Amir asks.
Hazel shrugs. “I’ll be around, Uncle. And don’t forget, you still owe me that dance you promised.”
He nods, and I smile at the two of them. Hazel turns and opens a portal. I catch a glimpse of the Detroit River through it, and that familiar memory surfaces in my mind. Hazel notices me looking but shrugs it off.
“You’ve got more supernatural arrivals heading to Wintermoon, by the way,” she says casually, stepping halfway through the portal. “Weird shit. I’m warning you now—I found the Mother of Spiders last week.”
She shivers at the thought, and Amir just laughs like it’s no big deal. I stare at him, horrified. Mother of Spiders? What the actual hell?
I shake my head, determined to not think about it right now. Nope. Not today .
“Oh, and Mrs. Sarah is doing great in her new nursing home,” Hazel says, shifting gears like it’s nothing. “Andrew and I visit her on Sundays. She’s fine. A real supernatural lover.”
I grin, my chest warming at the thought. Hazel and Andrew taking care of her like that—it’s incredible.
“Anyway, gotta go. The mayor, Ash Clan, and Andrew are waiting. More radicals to deal with.” Hazel groans. “They just keep popping up.”
“It’ll die down eventually,” Amir says, but Hazel just shrugs.
“Something to keep me busy.” She waves before stepping fully through the portal. “Love you!” With that, the portal closes.
Amir pulls me back into his arms, grinning. “I love you, Anora.”
I smirk up at him. “I love you too, Sheriff Amir.”
At that, his ears twitch, and he pulls me into a playful kiss. But something hits me hard—a realization—and I jerk back, staring at him wide-eyed.
“Oh my God,” I mutter, panic setting in.
“What now?” Amir tilts his head, clearly amused.
“That was Hazel’s warning—the Mother of Spiders is coming here!”
Amir starts laughing, clearly unfazed. Meanwhile, I’m mentally trying to figure out where to get a lifetime supply of bug spray.