Epilogue
Ringo was gone when we got back to the apartment, which meant I would definitely need to report to Mistral in the morning. Although, he hadn’t really pushed me to reveal much of Sebastian’s plan. Maybe he already knew it, and just wanted to ensure he would stay in the game.
Either way, a trip to the Bogs was in my near future. And it wasn’t just to give Mistral information. I wanted to ask his opinion on the elf king before my pending meeting with him. And, well, I was finding the Bogs a little more appealing than before.
I turned to find Sebastian had followed me into my room. I was going to get changed, then I was going to talk things over with Braxton. I looked the devil up and down. There wasn’t a scratch on him, and his suit was still perfectly pressed. “You know, you’re supposed to ask permission before entering a girl’s room, right? ”
He stepped closer and I instinctively stepped back.
One corner of his mouth curled. “Stay still, Eva.”
Against my better judgment, I stayed still as he closed the space between us. He took my jaw in his hands, then leaned down and kissed me.
I stiffened as my magic flared between us. Not his magic. My magic. Like nothing I had ever experienced, even with Mistral.
Wanting more, I deepened the kiss, and he obliged. His hands moved down to my waist, pulling me against him.
The magic built, thrumming in my skull to the point where I couldn’t think, could barely breathe, and still, I didn’t want to let it go.
I molded my body against his, feeling his dark magic creep across my skin. His hands moved lower, gripping my ass.
My body reacted in kind, heat pounding in my core. I wanted to touch his bare skin. I needed to—
Holy hells, what was I thinking?
I broke the kiss, staggering back a gasp. I lifted a hand to my mouth, glaring at him. “What the hell was that?” I panted.
Smiling—and perfectly calm, damn him—he tilted his head. “It’s as I thought. Like calls to like, Eva.”
“Stop talking in riddles and tell me what’s going on.”
“Did you sleep with Mistral? ”
I took a reflexive step back, bumping my legs against the bed. “That’s none of your business.”
His eyes darkened. “I’m not a jealous lover, Eva. Would you like me to help you understand, or not?”
My cheeks burned, but I forced myself to meet his gaze steadily. “Yes.”
“Yes you would like me to help you understand? Or yes you slept with him?”
“Both.”
He stepped close again, lifting one hand toward me.
I flinched, but not because I was afraid of him. I was afraid of whatever crazy magic was going on inside me. I knew it was mine, it felt the same as always, only… amplified.
I held perfectly still as he stroked his fingers down my cheek. Magic tingled between us.
I let out a slow breath, leaning into the sensation without thinking, my whole body going warm and molten. “It’s never been like this before.”
He lowered his hand. “Your magic is celestial. My guess is you’ve never been touched by someone with magic akin to yours.”
“I’m nothing like a devil.”
He stiffened, and I had the odd feeling that I might have actually offended him. “Perhaps not, but the magic is still similar. Just as it is akin to goblin magic.” He thought about it. “Of course, there may be another explanation, something more likely considering this has only happened to you now. ”
I waited for him to go on.
He studied me as he thought things over. “Was your mother the last being from another realm to touch you?”
I instinctively tensed at the mention of my mother, then I forced myself to relax and think about it. Werewolves and vampires were from our current realm. Even most goblins and elves had been born here. But Mistral hadn’t. He’d said so himself. “I can’t be sure,” I answered finally, “but probably.”
“That is likely the key then. Although I must warn you, now that your magic has been unlocked, it may not take myself or Mistral to amplify it further.”
I crossed my arms, huddling in on myself. “So this isn’t going to stop?”
He smiled like it didn’t really matter. “Not as long as you are around myself, or Mistral. And maybe not even then. Your magic calls to me, Eva. It did from the start, but it’s stronger now. It will call to others too.” He stepped close again. “You shifted fully tonight.”
My head whipped up. “ What ?”
“When you were frantic to reach Braxton, you shifted fully. Once, to escape your captors. Then the second time, to reach him.”
“You were watching and you didn’t help?”
“I told you. I would not have let you come to harm.”
Shaking my head in irritation, I thought about what he’d said. That strange dizziness, then suddenly being where I didn’t think I was. “I’m only half celestial,” I muttered. “I can’t shift fully. ”
“And who told you that?”
I wasn’t sure where I had first heard it. Probably from Dawn or another night runner. Dawn had introduced me to my magic, when without my mother, I had been clueless.
But—
I had heard of other night runners who could shift fully. Usually they had celestial magic from both sides of their family lineage. I didn’t, my dad was human, but my mother… I couldn’t remember much, only vague flashes, but I knew in my bones that she had been powerful.
“I believe you will be able to find your mother, Eva.”
I stared at him, my mind muddled with a mixture of magic, confusion, and lingering arousal. “Yeah, and what? Turn her in for some bounty? We don’t even know what this person wants with her.”
Fire flashed in his eyes. “Simple girl, do you not realize? If you can shift fully, you can also find the person offering the bounty on your own. You could reach them, where even I cannot. As I told you, the sword will fulfill our contract. You need not ever confront your mother, if that is your wish.”
My jaw fell open. Was he right? Was I really capable? “And you would really leave it at that? The sword, then you’ll leave me alone?”
He gave me a wicked smile. “As long as I obtain the Realm Breaker, I will consider the debt repaid. That can either occur from your mother being turned in, or from locating the person who offered the bounty in the first place.”
I let his words sink in. It was what Mistral wanted too. But when it came down to it, even if we managed the impossible, only one person could have the sword.
But maybe that was a problem for another time. Maybe first, I could actually find my mother.
“I’m willing to try,” I decided.
His smile broadened. “Then I will see you tomorrow.”
He departed in a flash of darkness, leaving me feeling confused, alone, and maybe a little bit hopeful.
I lifted a hand to my lips, still feeling the tingle from his kiss—remembering how badly I wanted more of his touch. It was ridiculous. He was an absolute jerk, and a devil. And yet, part of me wished he would appear again so we could finish what we had started.
The other part of me wondered if Mistral knew that his touch would awaken my magic. If he knew that it would make me capable of finding what he wanted, while also making me vulnerable to others.
I wasn’t sure, but I intended to find out.
A light knock on my door made me jump. I had forgotten about Braxton. I quickly stripped down, tugged on a pair of sweats and a baggy white T-shirt, then went out into the living room.
Braxton stood near the sofa, waiting for me, an open bottle of beer in each hand. He extended one my way. “I thought this might be better than evening tea. ”
I took the cold bottle. “You read my mind.” I looked him up and down. His hair was wet, and he’d washed away the blood. I didn’t see a scratch on him. “Feeling better?”
He shrugged and slumped onto the couch. “I’ve been roughed up worse, but what a weird experience. I’ve never been held hostage before.”
I sat on the couch beside him. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Did your devil take off?”
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s not my devil. But yes.”
Braxton sipped his beer, watching me expectantly. “So,” he said after a long quiet moment. “Your mom.”
I slumped against the cushions. “Yeah. I should have known she’d be behind all of this.”
“At least now you know why she’s been so difficult to find. You’re not the one she’s hiding from. Or not only you, at least.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, balancing the beer bottle against my leg. “She sent angelics to kill night runners in the city. She had to know I might become a target. And she didn’t care.” Maybe I had been hidden , but that didn’t mean I wasn’t at risk.
Braxton was silent for long enough that I finally opened my eyes to look at him. “I’m not the one who should be complaining right now. I’m sorry you got caught up in it, Braxton. I’ll do my best to keep you out of it going forward. ”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s not the issue, and you know it. What are you going to do, Eva?”
I sipped my beer and thought about it. “Well for starters, I guess I’m going to meet the elf king tomorrow.”
“Bet you never thought you’d be uttering those words.”
I smirked. “Yeah, but I also never thought I’d be working with a devil, and spending nights in the Citadel.”
His brows shot up, and I realized I had a lot to catch him up on.
“But I imagine you want to get to bed…” I gave him a sidelong glance.
He stood quietly, then walked into the adjoining kitchen. He opened the fridge, and I heard bottles clinking.
He came back with two more beers, handing me one. “I want every gory detail.”
I laughed, feeling better despite all I had learned. Maybe my mom hadn’t cared enough to think of me when she sent killers after other night runners, but it didn’t really matter. I knew who my family was, and he was sitting right next to me.
I woke to the sound of my door creaking open. My heart raced as I tried to tell who it was. I had suspected maybe Braxton, or Sebastian, but I had not expected someone whose head reached the top of the doorway.
I was preparing to slither inconspicuously from my bed when Gabriel’s features caught a hint of light from the living room. Then he flipped on the light switch, momentarily blinding me.
I winced, taking a deep gulp of air to chase away the rest of my panic. “What are you doing here?”
He approached the bed as I blinked away the stars in my vision. “Your rodent let me in.”
I felt a sudden weight on my feet as Ringo climbed onto the bed. I glared down at him. “I was wondering what happened to my spare set of keys.”
Gabriel knelt beside the bed. “You faced the vampires. Were you harmed?”
I glanced around the room, feeling slightly uncomfortable that Gabriel was seeing it in all of its not so impressive splendor. “No, I’m fine. And I was going to come to the Bogs tomorrow. Is that why you came here?”
He didn’t answer right away, giving me the usual surly look.
“Earth to Gabriel. I’m tired. Why are you here?” Maybe I was being needlessly cranky, but it had been a long night.
“I’m here because there’s something you should know. Mistral did not realize it until after you left.”
I stared at him, willing my tired brain to function properly .
“Do you feel different after your night with him?”
My jaw fell open, then I shut it with a click. “That’s none of your business.”
He took my hand, surprising me. “It’s important, Eva.”
I tensed at his touch, but didn’t pull away. There was no use keeping secrets. As soon as I saw Mistral, I would have to tell him the truth. “Yeah, different is one way of putting it.”
“Mistral was affected as well.”
My eyes flew wide and I pulled my hand away, leaving it dangling in the air. “ What ?”
He gave me a pleading look. “He did not realize it would be so. He will speak the truth of that to you himself.”
“Why isn’t he here speaking it now?”
His brow furrowed further, but he didn’t answer.
“Gabriel?”
“That is something he will have to share with you himself, if he so chooses.”
“Fine, then what is it you’re actually here to tell me?”
He glanced at the open doorway.
“It’s only Braxton here. I trust him more than anyone.”
His shoulders slumped, and he reluctantly brought his gaze back to mine. “You awakened dormant magic in Mistral, just as you awakened the same within yourself. ”
Sebastian hadn’t mentioned Mistral gaining power, but maybe he didn’t know. “That can’t be right. My magic isn’t strong enough to affect an ancient goblin prince.”
“You may believe what you wish, Eva, but it is true. I have come here to urge you to keep this information to yourself. If others should learn of this—”
My mouth went dry. “No, it’s just a fluke. Sebastian said that it was because I had never been with someone with magic similar to mine. Like calls to like.” I shook my head. “Or I guess he said it could be because Mistral is from a different realm, and I’m part celestial.”
“You told the devil?” Suddenly he was on his feet.
I gripped his hand, confused. “Calm down. Maybe Sebastian will use that information against me, but he sure as hell isn’t going to tell anyone else. He’s already having enough trouble keeping me around to fulfill our contract.”
His hand relaxed in mine, and he slowly knelt back down. “Speak of this to no one else, Eva. It could be extremely dangerous for you.”
Though my heart was pounding with sudden worry, I weakly waved off his concern. “Don’t act like you care.”
He gritted his teeth. “Mistral would be upset if anything happened to you.”
“Sure.” I started to pull my hand away from his, ready to sulk, but something else drew my eye.
Where our skin touched . . .
My eyes widened. “Tell me you have a tiny flashlight in your palm.”
He inhaled sharply at the sight of our glowing palms, then pulled his hand away from mine. The glow diminished. He rubbed his fingers across his palm, staring at it.
“You weren’t also born in another realm, were you?” I asked.
He shook his head, still staring at his palm.
I leaned forward in my bed, placing my hand fully against his chest near his collarbone where the first few buttons of his shirt hung open. A golden light pulsed between us.
“What does it mean?” I gasped.
He watched the pulsing glow, then slowly, his eyes lifted to mine. “It means things may become slightly more dangerous for you than we thought.”