Chapter 32 - Thorne
Thorne
A Few Months Later
Willow walked into the library with a radiant smile, clutching a book to her chest. “So, you know how winning the competition kind of felt like a dream, right?” She held the book out to me. “Well guess what came in the mail today! Another dream!”
I ignored the book for a moment to admire how beautiful she was when she was this happy.
Her joy was infectious, and a smile spread across my face before I even knew what she was so happy about.
Ever since Willow dropped the walls around her, she seemed to feel life to the fullest, letting every emotion wash over her completely.
She was full of life, and I loved seeing her like this.
“Come on, read it!” She nudged the book at me, vibrating with barely contained excitement. “It’s the advanced copy of our book!”
My eyes widened. I’d seen the heroic artwork on the cover once before when the publisher asked Willow for approval, but seeing it again now, in my hands, was an entirely new experience.
I ran my fingers over the title, tracing the swoops and arcs of the letters fondly.
This was the book we’d made together. It was the story of how Willow and I fell in love, even if our love story wasn’t on the page itself.
“It’s amazing.” I cracked the book open, and the smell of new pages washed over me. “You really did it. I know it was hard and I’m so proud of you for sticking with it.”
Willow dipped her head, still smiling. “Thanks for being with me through it all. It made a big difference.”
As we browsed through the book, appreciating all the little pieces of art the publisher added to make it really shine, Nyssa and Oren walked over to take a peek too.
They ooohhed and ahhhed over it like I expected them to, but Oren was obviously distracted by a box he held in his hands.
It looked like what they stored the library checkout cards in.
“What’s with the box?” I asked.
Oren grinned mischievously. “Oh, just a little something for Willow to test out.”
“If she’s willing,” Nyssa added. “Which I think she will be.”
Willow raised an eyebrow. “Willing to do what?”
Oren opened the box with such a look of delight that I half expected to see gold or jewels inside. But no, it was filled with checkout cards like I thought.
Nyssa pulled one out and wrote the name of Willow’s new book on it before handing it over to her. “We think we’ve figured out a way to stabilize your trips into the book.”
“Misty seems to keep you there until your goal’s finished,” Oren said. “So, if you check the book out and write the return date down, that should count as a finished goal. You’d basically be saying how long you want to be inside. Kind of like a book vacation plan.”
I frowned, staring at the very basic checkout card. “Can a little slip of paper really do all that?”
“Guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Nyssa grinned. “If it works, this library might have a whole new adventure for patrons.”
Willow picked up a pen and signed her name carefully on the first line, adding a return date two days later. She slipped it into her book and glanced over at the great book tree. “Hey, Misty? Mind sending me inside my new book for two days?”
“Me too. There’s no way I’m missing out on this adventure.” I laced my fingers through hers with a smile and she squeezed my hand tight.
The branches on the book tree swayed as if there was a wind blowing through the library and golden light fell from its branches.
The advanced copy of Willow’s book glowed too, enveloping us in the comforting library magic I’d grown so accustomed to.
I blinked, readjusting my eyes to the castle’s dimmer light.
We were back in my bedroom of all places.
“Well, this feels familiar, doesn’t it?” Willow sat on the plush mattress, leaning back with a sigh.
“But it’s so much better than the first time.
You’re not as grumpy anymore either, so it really must have been the bed the whole time.
” She winked. “Think anything’s different since we came in with a new book? ”
“Only one way to find out.” I offered her my hand, pulling her up beside me again. I pressed my lips against hers in a quick kiss. “Let’s go outside and see.”
She laughed. “Look at you wanting to go exploring. I remember a time when you couldn’t even open your front door!” She laced her fingers through mine and gave my hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re more comfortable now.”
“Me too.”
My days of hiding away in this castle alone were gone for good. I didn’t need to impress anyone or put on a show. I was just me and that was enough.
“Demon Lord!” a far too familiar voice shouted. Leo ran out of the kitchen carrying a plate of pie, crumbs clear on his face. “And Willow too! Welcome back.”
“When did I say you could move in?” I grumbled. “You’re here more than I am.”
He brushed crumbs off his face with a shy smile. “Uhhhh, Thorne, oh great and mighty Demon Lord, can I move in?”
Willow covered up a laugh that sounded more like a snort. “Oh, come on, let him stay. He’ll take care of the castle while you’re out.”
“I would definitely do that for you.” Leo nodded, leaning closer to whisper. “But don’t tell Dain. He might think I’m stealing his job.”
“I heard that, scoundrel,” Dain called out from the kitchen. “Nobody can take my place. I’m the bodyguard of the Demon Lord’s consort, remember? Not this castle.”
Consort. That’s a word I hadn’t heard in a while, but it settled in my chest with such a rightness that I didn’t even try to correct him.
Willow glanced sideways at me, smiling like she thought the same thing.
Maybe we should have a talk sometime when all these people weren’t crowding us. Discuss the finer points of the bond...
“So, is that a yes?” Leo asked, his eyes big like Cerbie’s when he wanted me to throw his ball.
I sighed. “Oh fine. You can both officially move in.”
Leo high-fived Dain and they both grinned while Willow and I headed outside. Just because they were moving in didn’t mean we had to spend all of our time together. Except, the two over-eager puppies were following us out the doors and into the city.
Willow laughed softly and pulled me closer. “Let’s go on a date soon. Just you and me.”
My heart raced. We’d spent time together, but never anything official like a date. That felt like a new thing for us and one I very much wanted to experience. Where should we go? My gaze drifted to Leo who was always gobbling up sweets and I suddenly knew exactly where to go.
“Have you heard of the Destroyer’s Bakery?” I slid my arm around her waist. “It’s run by the two most loving people I’ve ever met and has the best food. It’s where I got all the sweets I brought you while you were writing.”
Her eyes lit up. “That sounds amazing.”
I smiled and started going in that direction, but something about the town seemed different. I couldn’t put my finger on what though...
“There are humans here,” Willow whispered in awe. She turned to me, gripping my arm excitedly. “Humans! In the demon village!”
She was right. Humans milled around, talking to demons as if it was no big deal.
Some looked a little awkward, but it didn’t seem like any fights were going to break out at least. I nodded at Coco and her mother welcoming a human into Bunny Brews and they waved back with bright smiles.
The mattress shop owner was beckoning people to come in and try her magical mattresses unlike anything the humans made, and she was catching more than a few curious people.
It was a subtle change but meant everything.
“Your words did this.” I curled my shadows over her shoulder, brushing softly against her cheek. “Thank you for bringing everyone together. It’s perfect.”
Her smile widened and she leaned against my side. “It is pretty nice, isn’t it? I’m glad the ending worked out. Well, mostly.” She glanced back at Leo who was oddly quiet behind us. “There’s one more thing I wish I could fix...”
Knowing her, she was hoping for a good resolution with his old party members, but I didn’t see that happening.
They’d shunned him out of fear, and it was hard to come back from that.
Making amends would have been easier if she’d written it in the book, but she hadn’t let them treat Leo like that in the first place.
Only this book world’s version of them had done that.
Dain must have noticed us staring, because he stepped closer. “If you’re worried, don’t be. I already took care of it.”
“Took care of what?” I asked.
“You’ll see.” He gripped his spear tight with a confident smile that looked far too familiar. The last time he’d looked like that was when he’d brought the hero to the castle...
I groaned, running a hand over my face. “Please tell me you didn’t kidnap anyone again.”
Willow laughed. “Oh, please tell me you did. And it better be that horrible party of Leo’s.”
Dain’s eyes twinkled as he nodded at a group of humans slinking into town.
Their armor and weapons were so flashy that it had to be Leo’s party, nobody else would be foolish enough to walk into a demon city dressed like that.
Another sigh escaped me. Dain better know what he was doing with this little plan of his, otherwise it could ruin the careful peace that looked like it was developing in town.
Willow pulled Leo away from the stall he was looking at and motioned to the newcomers. His entire body tensed up and the cookie in his hand crumbled to dust. Dawnbreaker lit up, ready for a fight. I wouldn’t let it come to that though. I wouldn’t let them crush his spirit again either.
I stormed over to the group, letting my shadows flow around me like a cloak of darkness. “You are not welcome here.”