Epilogue
MANNY
Three Months Later
“You can change your mind, you know. I haven’t told her.
” I led Jackson through the house. Mamá was on the back patio with Eloise, Oz, and Arch.
Shane and Ellis had driven to Corpus Christi to pick Jackson up, and after dropping them off they’d gone home to get Pia and Rory for the party set to start in a couple of hours.
Our bonding party. I couldn’t help sending a wave of love through my bond with my guys. We’d barely made it two months before deciding to bond, and I’d never been happier. I wanted the same for Mamá and Eloise, but that couldn’t happen until Mamá had magic of her own.
Jackson smiled. They were in their almost-Misha Collins form today, and the expression made them unfairly attractive.
“I said I would. Your arguments were enough to overcome my restrictions.” Jackson wasn’t able to heal anyone unless it plausibly benefitted a child.
I wasn’t sure what that was about; they said it was because they were created by magic and not born.
Which sounded a lot like those Elf fuckers had made sentient beings for their own purposes, and didn’t that sound a lot like slavery?
Not that I could do anything about it. Only one Elf was on this side of the closed portal to their dimension, and he was friends with Jackson.
In order to give Jackson the justification they’d needed, I’d gone with a two-pronged approach.
First, I’d told them Mamá was like a grandmother figure to Pia, who was fourteen years old.
And as a human, Mamá might pass away at any time, and Pia would be devastated.
I’d failed to mention Mamá was only forty-eight years old and extremely healthy.
My other justification, which Oz had come up with, was that I was Mamá’s child, and when she passed away—which, I’d emphasized again, could be any day now—I would be more than devastated.
The two rationales together had been enough to allow Jackson to agree to “heal” Mamá. To heal her of her non-magical state?
We emerged from the house, and I secretly did a little internal squee when Oz and Arch’s faces lit up at seeing me.
We’d been bonded almost three weeks now, and I was a little sad that we didn’t have to stay glued to each other anymore.
We hadn’t spent the day apart yet, but it was coming soon.
Arch and Oz had jobs to get back to. I’d had to quit mine, even before the bonding.
It’d become clear after Niall Taggart had kidnapped us that I was too vulnerable at the hospital, so I’d turned in my notice.
I’d been spending a lot of my free time with Pia, since she was out of school for the summer and the guys were super busy with their landscaping business.
Mitch and his magical colleagues still contacted me when somebody came in who needed my help, though, so I wasn’t missing any potential patients.
I’d also—reluctantly—started taking monetary donations from patients or their families who could afford it.
I’d never withhold treatment from someone if they didn’t have the cash, but I had to eat, and I refused to touch the investment account Rory had talked me into starting a few years ago.
He’d built it up with stock tips Grandpa Blackbourne provided after eavesdropping on rich people.
That money was for my retirement. Or, rather, our retirement now.
Arch and Oz had made some hilarious sputtering noises when I’d shown them the account balance. Rory and Grandpa had mad money skills.
Eloise was hovering in the air to look over the fence at the construction next door.
After the kidnapping, Ramon had started buying up houses on my block and the one behind.
Now I was surrounded by properties he owned, with his people living there.
He was in negotiations with Shane to buy this house as well.
The goal, which he’d assured us he wanted to bankroll, was to not only create a safe haven for me, but to turn this house into a clinic with a secure entrance that could be locked down when no appointments were expected.
Arch, Oz, and I would be moving next door.
That house had three bedrooms plus an office, and Ramon had hired the wolf pack’s construction company to upgrade the floors, bathrooms, and kitchen before we moved in.
I couldn’t wait. I had trouble fully relaxing at home when people could come calling for healing help at any hour of the day.
“Hey, y’all. This is Jackson. They’re here for the party and I asked them to come a little early.”
Arch waved at Jackson. They’d met in person before, and I had both him and Oz on my video calls with Jackson. Oz came over to shake their hand. “Welcome.”
“Thank you.” Jackson smiled their almost-Misha Collins smile, and I heard Eloise give a little gasp.
Grinning, I brought Jackson over to Mamá and Eloise.
“Hey, meet Jackson.” I’d warned them that Jackson was coming to the party, and I could tell Eloise was comparing their magic to mine.
Mamá, however, didn’t even ask permission before slamming her whole body against Jackson’s in a hug.
They raised their arms, looking down at her in confusion.
“Thank you, thank you for saving my Manolo’s life.”
“Uh, I was happy to. He’s my friend.” They patted her gingerly on the shoulder. Awww.
“We’re grateful as well.” Arch put his arm around me, and Oz threaded his fingers through mine on the other side. “Without you, we’d never have met Manny.”
I leaned my head against his chest. Mamá let go of Jackson at last, stepping back with a little sniffle. Eloise put her arm around her.
“Mamá, I asked Jackson to come early because they agreed to do something for me if you’re willing.”
Eloise immediately grasped what I meant. She clutched Mamá’s arm with her free hand, her eyes wide with hope.
Mamá was confused. She looked between me, Jackson, and Eloise. “What is it, mijo? You know I’ll do anything for you. And Jackson here deserves anything they want.”
I left my men and walked over, taking the hand Eloise hadn’t claimed. “But this is for you, Mamá. For you and Eloise. You know how Jackson gave me their magic when I was injured?”
“Sí.” Her eyes went wide. “They...” She turned to Jackson. “You can do that to me also? So Eloise and I can have the bond, like Manolo and his men?”
Jackson’s expression was solemn. “I can. I will.”
Mamá nodded emphatically. “I want that. Yes. Let’s do it.” Eloise hugged her, wings flapping and pixie dust sparkling in the air, making the entire backyard feel like joy.
Jackson caught some in their hand. “Fascinating.”
I poked them in the bicep. “Eloise will create more for you later. Can we get with the magic-making, please?”
They wrinkled their nose at me but obediently addressed Mamá. “Would you like to do this now or tomorrow morning? I have to leave to go home then since that’s the only time Shane and Ellis can take me. I’m not allowed to drive on the highway yet.”
“Oh, let’s do it now, por favor.” Mamá smiled giddily at Eloise, who grinned back. Those two would be bonded as soon as Mamá’s magic would allow it. Mamá held up a finger. “Will I become a healer like Manny?”
Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s the only human I’ve given magic to so far. If I heal a Wonder or a magic carrier, it doesn’t have any effect on them, because they already have their own magic.”
“Okay. Perhaps I shall hope for that, but perhaps not.”
I squeezed her hand. “Also, when you and Eloise are bonded, your magic may get stronger. My healings are much easier now, and my recovery is faster.” I hadn’t gotten any other cool abilities, like Arch’s thermal imaging vision or Oz’s new smaller badger form, but I was happy with the improvement to my healing.
Jackson wanted to use the kitchen table for giving Mamá her magic, which was convenient, since both of them would need food afterward.
They had Mamá sit down and they sat next to her.
She suddenly looked a little apprehensive.
“How will the magic get inside me? Will I need to eat it like when Manny does his healings?”
Oh, shit. I hadn’t mentioned that part. Jackson’s expression was faintly repulsed. “You can if you want to, but I was planning to put it in your ear.”
She relaxed. “Oh, yes. That is much better, gracias.”
Eloise held Mamá’s hair back from her ear, and without ceremony Jackson stuck their fingers into their shoulder—which meant their shirt, a Ted Baker knockoff, at least was made of magic—and, with a squelching sound, scooped out a handful of glittering goo. Mamá’s mouth dropped open.
“Whoa.” I’d been unconscious, thankfully, for my own healing. This was, as Jackson had said earlier about Eloise’s pixie dust, fascinating.
Jackson’s shoulder reformed instantly, and they pressed the goo into Mamá’s ear. She shivered. “It feels... alive.”
Jackson stopped massaging the goo into her ear. “Nicky made me watch The Wrath of Khan. This is not like that.”
Behind me, Oz made a coughing sound. He cleared his throat. “I’ll get some of the food we made for the party out of the fridge.”
Mamá patted Jackson’s knee. “I know, peque. It feels wonderful. But thank you for reassuring me.”
Jackson tilted their head. “Little one? You gave me a nickname?” Huh. Hadn’t anyone ever called them by a pet name before?
“Sí.” She paused, eyeing Jackson with a smile. “But I think nine would be more appropriate, don’t you? ‘Child’, because you’re family now, through the magic. You’re related to both me and Manolo.”
“Oh. Um, I hadn’t thought of it that way.” They appeared flustered, glancing anywhere but at Mamá, but they had a little smile on their face. “Uh, that’s it then.” They scooted their chair back, but I clamped a hand on their shoulder.