Epilogue- Rituals & Raspberries
Ryn
A few months later
“Wait, so your friend, the human—”
“Gabby,” Trissa nods absentmindedly as she fusses with my hair.
She and her partner, Cian, interrupted their European travels and took a portal stone to be here for our official bonding ceremony.
Seth was so excited he was practically glowing, which means I liked them on principle.
Now that I’ve spent the morning with Trissa, though, I find that I actually enjoy her company, despite the fact that she can be obnoxiously bubbly.
That’s kind of the vibe you want for this sort of day anyway, and her gossip is helping stave off the worst of my nerves about doing this in front of a bunch of people.
“Right, so Gabby the human,” Trissa rolls her eyes and smiles as I continue, “is dating a chupacabra?”
“Yup.” Her tone dulls, and it wouldn’t take a genius to realize that she’s less than enthusiastic about the relationship. Although I can understand why, remembering how nervous the beautiful brunette seemed when I met her briefly—and I’m one of the more human-adjacent types of paranormal beings.
“How does that work?” I trail off, hoping she understands what I’m asking without having to say it.
She groans, “Trust me, you don’t want to know.
” Her cheeks are flushed, and she shakes her head, her bright blue hair shining prettily in the fairy lights.
Wincing, I decide that she’s probably right.
Hopefully, the human knows what she’s signing up for.
Chupas have a hell of a possessive side, with tendencies that veer toward stalker-level obsession.
“I had kind of hoped Gabbi and Ollie would get together, because she seems to be less nervous around him and they’re both so funny.
” My eyes widen slightly, and she shakes her head, “But Seth has assured me that without his glamour, Gabbi would flip her lid, and Ollie is way too sweet for that, you know?”
I nod slowly, because he is sweet, but he’s also a spicy little shit when he wants to be. I’ve grown pretty fond of him, actually. With him being one of Seth’s closest friends now, and the only one actually around, we’ve been hanging out a lot around the time he spends with—oh!
“Well, and the whole Eleanor thing.”
Trissa’s head snaps up, and she sputters, “Eleanor? Like hyena-laugh, Eleanor? Like the witch from my mom’s coven? What about her?” I blink at Trissa’s run-on question. Then, meet her eyes in the mirror.
“Well, he’s–he’s been dating her, for like, weeks now.” Trissa’s eyes pop open so wide I’m afraid they’ll roll out of her head. Then I remember the newest bit of ‘the whole Eleanor thing’ and wince, adding, “Up until a few days ago, anyway.”
It’s Trissa’s turn to blink, and she does, twice. “Wait—so they broke up?” She tsks sadly, “Oh, no. I hope he’s okay.” Her face turns a shade lighter, which is impressive for someone so pale. “Oh gods, I hope he’s not crying near Seth’s suit.”
I chuckle at that, quickly waving her off, “He’s fine.
Seems more angry than anything else, actually.
He hasn’t given us many details yet, told us he doesn’t wanna talk about it the week of our ceremony.
” A tender smile pulls up one corner of my lips, and I blink away happy tears, “He’s a good friend to Seth. To me.”
Trissa smiles sweetly, and I can’t help but notice the glossiness in her eyes as she clasps my shoulder, “Good, you deserve the best friends. Both of you.”
“How sweet.” A male voice cuts through our camaraderie, and my smile vanishes. We both stare at the intruder through the mirror until Trissa slowly leans forward and whispers in my ear.
“Were you expecting a snarky, hot elf-looking dude? Because I don’t think he’s here for me.”
Kier’s expression darkens, and I chuckle, “No, the elf has a nasty little habit of only popping in when he’s not invited.”
He’s positively glowering now, and I grin, patting Trissa’s hand and nodding to let her know it’s okay.
“However, I doubt he’ll leave until I let him bust out at least one needlessly wordy monologue so that he can prove how clever he is.
” Turning my eyes from his twitching ones in the mirror, I look up at Trissa and smile, “Can you let them know that I’m almost ready? Maybe check in on Seth?”
My phantom friend takes one long look at me, ascertaining that I’ll really be okay, and then turns incorporeal and floats right through Kier on her way out of the room—her bathroom, actually.
Seth has been keeping an eye on Trissa and Cian’s place while they travel—it’s an absolutely gorgeous Victorian, with a charming little garden and plenty of space for a party.
When Seth mentioned wanting to do a ceremony to celebrate our bond, Trissa immediately offered the house and grounds as a venue.
It’s been strange adjusting to having so many good, sincere people who care about us—friends who love me for who I am, rather than what I can do for them. Strange, but wonderful.
So, it makes sense that occasionally my past pokes its ugly head in to even the score. Turning around on my stool, I level Darro with an impatient look and wait. If he wants to crash my party, he can at least hurry up and get on with why he’s here.
“Is that any way to greet a friend?” Darro tucks loose strands of his silky dark hair behind one of his lightly pointed ears and leans back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.
“No, of course not. But it’s a perfectly reasonable greeting for you.”
He grabs his chest, humor lighting his eyes as he scoffs, “You wound me.”
I huff, “Nothing wounds you; I’m fairly certain you’re made of stone.”
His head tilts back against the frame, and his eyes slide to the ceiling. Goosebumps prickle my flesh, because it appears for all the world like he’s doing it again—dropping the mask. Unnerving doesn’t begin to cover it, but before I can ask questions, he sighs.
“Even stone can be ground down with enough pressure.” I blink, not knowing what to say.
We aren’t friends. Does he actually think we’re friends?
Did I somehow become friends with this psycho?
When the fuck did that happen? I blink again, and he’s grinning at me, weary but more composed than he was a minute ago.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m afraid I’ve left my monologue notes in my other pants.” I raise a brow, and he chuckles ruefully, “Apologies.”
I sigh, rolling my eyes and pursing my lips. “Alright, fine. I’ll bite. Why are you here?”
“You probably know by now that I've funded your little project indefinitely."
I nod, not about to admit I didn't. I knew he hadn't pulled funding yet, but had no idea that he planned to continue the support now that his interests were elsewhere. Unless they're not. I run a speculative gaze over him, trying to parse out his game.
“We haven't resumed trials yet. The Guild couldn't find any soul stones at the lab, and the risk of them floating around has been a bit of red tape we hadn't accounted for.”
He nods and stands a little straighter, “Yes, well. That's all taken care of now.”
My spine stiffens, and I can't stop myself from asking, “How can you be sure?”
“The only two members of my court who had anything to do with their production have been dealt with, as you well know.
The remaining stones are in my possession—including the one that was on Saskia's person, and the royal vault storing soul dust has been re-spelled to permit only me.
Since I have no plans to self-sabotage, I assure you, it won't be an issue.”
I watch him carefully, waiting for a tell that doesn't come. His cheek dimples, and I scowl, “And what do you want in return for these protections and funding?”
He laughs, the fucking prick, and coos, “Oh, darling, very good. You're finally catching on.”
I raise a brow, waiting, and unwilling to play his stupid word games.
He sighs dramatically and pouts, “Fine. Have it your way, brat.
First, I want a backup body for myself. It will be turned over to me for safekeeping.
Then, I have…an acquaintance. She needs a new body, quickly.
And I don't mean a clone, I mean she needs a new one.
And of course, there can be zero record or paper trail of either.
The fewer people involved, the better, in fact.
If you're capable of doing whatever it is that you do successfully, by yourself, that's even better.”
I can feel the frown tugging my lips down and my brows together before I have time to school my features.
Footsteps sound outside the door, and Trissa pops her head through the wall, her form semi-transparent. “They're ready for you, Ryn.” She looks between me and Darro with concern, and I wave her off.
“Thanks, Trissa. I'll just be a minute.”
She smiles and nods, disappearing back through the wall without a sound. Darro stares at the spot where Trissa vanished for a moment before clearing his throat and glancing at me, raising one sassy little eyebrow in question.
“If you have her consent, and it hasn't been coerced—then I’ll do it.”
Something dangerously close to relief flashes through his eyes before he can hide it, and I frown, wondering what sort of trouble this girl must be in if a body swap is all he could come up with. And then, who she is, for him to seem to actually care.
A laugh filters in from outside, and I realize with a start that they're probably all waiting around for me. At the thought of my tardiness upsetting Seth, I decide that I don't much care what Darro has gotten himself into.
Standing and running my hands down my dress, I make my way toward the door, stopping briefly next to him when he murmurs, “Very Unseelie of you, to tie yourself to someone so permanently.”
His tone makes me pause, and I tilt my head, assessing the strange look on his face. Confusion? No, not quite. Maybe—longing? But that can't be right. Can it? Interesting.
I smile softly, allowing myself to sound friendly, almost, “That's part of the appeal, Darro.”