Epilogue
EPILOGUE
E moni and I waved at Cameron, the personal items that we’d accumulated over the years packed up in a large Books and Brew promotional logo bag. Cameron’s lips downturned into a deep frown made the departure feel worse.
“I’ll miss you both,” she admitted. Before we could respond, she gathered Emoni into a quick hug, who ended it abruptly when she pulled away. The hug between me and Cameron lingered. When she tightened her hold on me, I sank deeper into the warmth and comfort of it.
“I’ll miss you, too,” I told her.
“Me too,” Emoni tacked on. “But if you start to miss our absence too much, just drive the twenty-five miles to the new location and wave at us,” she added dryly, shaking her head at the maudlin display. “You two are being far too dramatic.”
Cameron scrunched her nose at Emoni, who had been the voice of reason and clinical objectivity since Books and Brew had expanded to a new location. I was given an assistant managing position and Emoni was the manager of the café. My promotion was unexpected since it had been just a few days shy of a year since I’d gone MIA and Cameron graciously had given me my job back.
When I returned to work, I set my focus on earning her trust and for her not to regret employing me again. I booked local authors for readings and signings, hosted book clubs, game nights, and events that brought more attention to the store. It was easier to handle by successfully extracting myself from the supernatural world—well, everything except Dominic.
Dominic’s response to when Forest and I were abducted ensured that we were left alone. I wasn’t invisible to members or the Conventicle or the supernaturals who knew of my existence. When our paths crossed, we ignored each other. Visits from members of the Conventicle were steady. I hadn’t determined if they were making sure no one bothered me or if it was to gawk at the woman responsible for Dominic issuing the threat that if any harm came to me, no matter how small, it would be met with terminally severe consequences. I’d accused him of being over the top and extreme, but I’d welcomed a return to a simpler world.
There was a notable uptick of people who made an effort to not be on the same side if I was walking on the sidewalk. I suspected that they were part of the supernatural community, and I was fine with their commitment to keeping their distance.
It still surprised me that the Awakeners had abandoned their plans to make their presence known and the Conventicle and the New Conventicle managed to work together without a civil war. They were a functioning unit. Dominic only had to intervene twice for a shifter and a witch sentenced to the Perils.
Emoni and I slipped out of Books and Brew after giving Cameron another quick hug.
Emoni lingered at my car, one that I now needed since for the past six months I’d been living with Dominic in the apartment he once shared with Helena. She had freely relinquished it to prevent running the risk of interacting or having to see me. Something she had no qualms expressing to me. Somehow, she’d contorted the situation so much that I was now the blame for Dominic’s response to her betrayal.
Although her time in the Vita was posed as time for her to reevaluate her life, she grumbled that she’d been imprisoned—her own version of the Perils—which I was confident was an exaggeration. Contrary to what Ileana had led me to believe, she wasn’t as accepting of Helena’s betrayal against Dominic and had addressed it.
Helena remained a beautifully dressed, self-centered, unnecessary source of violence and chaos, but she reined it in enough to abide by the agreement made with the Conventicle.
I peeled my focus from Emoni to eye the driver of the luxury sedan driving past us.
“That’s not him,” Emoni said.
It was an unreasonable practice that I couldn’t manage to stop. Every expensive car with an older man in it who looked even remotely like Areleus drew my attention. After settling in his home, he left within a month. Dominic hadn’t heard from him in over seven months and didn’t seem concerned, confident that his time was being spent looking for a way to return his magic. He’d never accept the fall from power.
“I know this is ridiculous, but I’m worried about him.”
“You’re worried about the handsome, absurdly rich man who’s having an identity crisis because he doesn’t have magic?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “I’m sure there are more people deserving of that.”
“He was the most powerful supernatural in the world and now he’s a man whose magic was ripped from him. He no longer has immortality and must live as a human.”
“A man who’s probably wreaking havoc looking for a way to get his magic and status back,” she acknowledged.
I nodded. “A waste of his time.”
“In his position, wouldn’t you?” she asked, quickly waving off her query because she knew the answer. I wouldn’t. My magic had been stolen and I had no desire to seek a way to retrieve it. Being free from magic allowed me to escape that world and move on, all while keeping Dominic. It was an absolute victory in my eyes.
Emoni eased away from me. “I have to go to rehearsal and then I have plans later. Call me tomorrow.”
Since our return we’d spent more time together. Emoni’s discovery of the supernatural world instilled a wariness that caused her to check on me more often than she had in the past. We weren’t scheduled to work for the next few days, so she’d definitely visit or call.
It was better, but she lived with the anticipation of another upheaval of our lives and worse discoveries. For a while, it was the root of her apprehension about my relationship with Dominic. She wasn’t convinced that it would be possible to have just fragments of that world. Having Dominic in my life meant having the supernatural world and all its violence, political unrest, and issues as well. I didn’t blame her—at times I worried about the same. It had been a year since Dominic strolled into Books and Brew and questioned me about the Discovery of Magic that I carried, and my life devolving into something new and unsettling.
Dominic and I had managed what seemed like the impossible. Creating our own world together.
Emoni’s level of alertness had diminished in the last four months as a result of Anand teaching her how to protect herself and becoming an exceptional source of information for any questions she had about supernaturals and their world. Emoni found comfort in knowing even the most minute details, despite her claims of wanting to be blissfully ignorant.
“Plans with Anand?” I asked.
She nodded. “I wish he’d come to watch the rehearsal, but he and Gus don’t get along.”
“What? Your boyfriend and the man who has had a crush on you for years don’t get along? Shocking!” I teased.
She disregarded my comment with a grimace and a roll of her eyes. I still couldn’t figure out why it was something she chose to ignore. Perhaps acknowledging it would somehow compromise the band.
“Have fun axe throwing,” I said, opening the door to the car.
“How do you know that’s our plans?”
“Because it’s your plans almost sixty percent of the time. You weirdos,” I shot back. “Jazz club then axe throwing. Movie and axe throwing afterward. Cooking class followed by axe throwing. Sex and then axe throwing.”
“We’ve never!”
I smirked. “What? The sex and axe throwing are wrong? Or the wrong order?”
“I’m done with this conversation,” she countered with a grin before leaving.
Dominic met me at the door with a roguish smile and a hug. His lips pressed against mine in a passionate, lingering kiss that sent small shivers through me. Despite waking up to his alluring looks, I was still captivated by them, and his touches continued to be as intensely inviting.
“How was your last day?”
“Emotional and bittersweet, until Emoni called us dramatic and pointed out how easy it would be to visit if we wanted to see each other.”
He chuckled. “Did you expect anything else from her?”
“I’m convinced she was more concerned about leaving so she could get to rehearsal so she could see Anand.”
Smirking, his brow lifted. “I’m sure you pointed that out.”
As the self-appointed hypocrisy buster, I was quick to point out her concern with me dating Dominic but not holding the same concerns when she started seeing Anand. She’d waved it away as it not being the same.
“No, it doesn’t even bother her. She’s shameless,” I complained. “And she told me I could refer to her as the Shameless Lady of Wrath and Fire.” She’d proudly adopted the title.
“Of course she did,” he said, his fingers lacing through mine.
Noticing a levity to his smile and demeanor, I pulled him closer and traced the curl of his smile. “What’s this about?”
“Madeline broke the spell today.”
“Who’s happier, the witches or Helena?”
Helena had been allowed to return home but was restricted from the Perils. Dominic took preventative measures to keep her from using Celeste as a bargaining tool against him or the witches.
“Of course the witches because their bloodline is safe. Helena doesn’t know. Celeste will remain in the Perils. I don’t trust that they can keep her properly imprisoned, and I can’t risk her escaping and performing the spell again or worse.” His deep intense eyes held mine. “Because I still don’t trust Helena,” he admitted, responding to my question before I could ask. “I’ll lift the restrictions and give her full access to the entire home and see what happens.”
I hadn’t determined if the hurt of her betrayal had decreased or if he was better at hiding the tinge of anguish in his voice when he discussed her. He never had it when discussing his father, as if his betrayal was expected. But Helena’s cut deep and left a lasting wound.
Helena no longer had the luxury of impunity for her actions that she’d taken for granted for so long. She wore that lifestyle change in the rigid weary frown that had become a fixture on her face. Or perhaps it just reasserted itself when I was around.
“My mother is looking forward to our visit to the Vita this weekend,” Dominic reminded me in an abrupt but welcomed change.
“Me too.” I’d grown accustomed to her ways and would go as far as to say that I liked her and she liked me, not just tolerated. I was liked as much as she could like “an expendable human,” which was high praise for her. She still viewed me as an enigma for declining to explore options to retrieve my magic. Even with Dominic informing her that the probability was nearly impossible, she didn’t understand me not exploring it despite the slimmest of chances.
“My mother has you this weekend, I’m sure Emoni will have you later this week, and I have you today.”
“You always have me,” I quipped, lifting to my toes and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
With a devilish glint in his eyes, he grinned. Lacing his fingers through mine, he led me to the kitchen. Placed on the table was a cake. Moving closer to get a better look, I saw it was an exact replica of the book The Discovery of Magic .
“This was our beginning,” Dominic said. And a reminder of everything we’d gone through to get to this point.
I took in the intricate details of the cake, from the font of the title, the coloring of the cover, and the cream-colored pages.
He leaned down, the warmth of his breath brushing against my lips. “You’re a witch,” he said with the same assertion he had on our first meeting, but now he was teasing me with it.
I grinned. “No. Dark Caster…former Dark Caster. I’m just as dangerous.”
His eyes glinted with dark amusement. He leaned in, capturing my lips in a deep, lingering kiss. “Of course you are, Little Luna. You’re the peculiar human who captured my heart.”