Epilogue
The gentle rocking of the boat was almost enough to lure Solana into a deep sleep. If it wasn’t for the lazy fingers Reyes drifted across her stomach, keeping her muscles coiled tight with anticipation and hunger.
“Please remember there are others on this boat.” Suri’s voice was drowsy and distant.
Reyes’s stomach underneath Solana’s head rose with a sigh. “Look away if you don’t want to watch,” he said.
Solana smiled with her eyes closed, face tilted to the sun. The deck beneath her was warm and smoother than the rooftops in Qhilli. They were farther from Supay than anyone had ever been, permission from the other lands to travel freely lying atop the desk in Reyes’s quarters.
It had taken almost a year of communication and many visits from governing bodies to convince them the curse had been lifted. There were no more demons on Supay.
There was also no more himaya, which meant their main source of trade was gone.
Adjustments had to be made, leadership had to be appointed, and resolutions were reached.
Solana had done what she could to help, which wasn’t much more than soothing Reyes’s stress in ways that weren’t acceptable to speak on in public.
Her gift was useless now that there were no demons to command or curse to contend with.
The most she could do was rift to and from places, which came in handy for visiting friends and scaring them half to death.
Mostly, everyone agreed that she had done more than enough for the people, and Solana was more than happy to sit back and watch it all unfold without her input. But the itch to leave never went away. She was happy, yet still she yearned to run.
Whether it was the last of the god’s greed within her, or a bodily response to everything she had been through, it couldn’t be ignored. And neither could she escape her friends, apparently.
“Lunch is ready!” Cora yelled, the clank of the meal bell pealing irritatingly alongside her voice.
“My love, please,” Suri begged. “The boat is not large enough to justify the bell!”
From somewhere nearby, Oskar snorted. Solana peeked open an eye to see him coming out of the kitchen with a large tray in his hands. The sight of arepas had her shooting upright, Reyes’s fingers reluctantly falling away.
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” Reyes said. His lips pressed against her neck, his warm breath rivaling the sun’s rays. There was not a single ounce of stress left in his body, thanks to Solana.
“I wasn’t,” she said breathlessly. “But now I am.”
“Me too,” he murmured across her skin.
“Is that what I think it is?”
Solana rolled her eyes and turned to Suri. “Yes, Suri, it’s a sexual advance between consenting adults—”
“Solana, please shut up and look.”
As one, they shot to their feet and turned their gazes toward Suri’s outstretched hand, the tip of her finger landing directly on a large patch of land.
Golden hills glittered in the afternoon sun. Nothing but sun-drenched sand as far as their eyes could see.
“Achiq,” Reyes whispered reverently. His hand found hers and squeezed.
Solana’s heart fluttered. There was so much of the world to see, and she wasn’t alone to witness the wonder. It was more than she could have ever hoped for. More than she thought she would ever deserve.
Finally, she was free.