Epilogue
The music possesses me and often feels as though it’s what comprises my soul.
I twirl and leap, landing in the waves that ground me to existence.
Lazzus watches me. I know that even though I haven’t opened my eyes.
Lazzus always thinks he’s sneaky when he stalks me, but I love every minute of his flame eyes on me.
He says nothing until I’m ready to stop my rhythmic march across the beach and back to him.
He waits through so many songs and says nothing, despite having the responsibilities of a king.
Zantara gave us one last gift of restoring the servants to their bodies.
It’s a level of magic I don’t quite understand other than the Leqru have always been able to spark life.
She finally stopped letting others pay for mistakes they did not make.
Everything is restored as it was before the curse, with the exception of time having changed the lands around us.
Those infected with the madness were cured as she promised me that first day by the well.
The Hermit King has left our stables and returned with his wife, CiCi, to live within the stone walls of his home.
They will get to finish the life they lost with the rest of us.
Maximo Basim is happy in the garden we gifted him in the middle of the castle, and Aldric and Morvin are fully animals again. Aldric still talks to me, and he’s not the only bird who does. Raffe still whispers in my ear with the other bluebirds when they think I’m doing something risky.
I straddle Lazzus’s lap, and he lifts my chin before kissing me until I’m dizzy with need.
He slides my tights down and shoves my skirt up as his palm moves firmly over my thigh.
He guides my hips as he slides inside me.
I grind against him, and the fullness in his thrusts has me dropping my head back and moaning.
His tendrils move over my skin, so there is no part of me not touched by him.
The way he awakens me makes is so that when I climax, my entire body surges into a bliss I lose myself within.
He takes me there for so long, so many times until I forget anything exists outside of merging with him.
Our bond deepens physically and emotionally, so it feels we don’t exist apart.
I lose count of how many times he unravels me, and I savor when he finally lets go with me.
He wraps the blanket around me as we rest on the silk one that covers the sand.
We kiss on our sides and reconnect where we draw out our bond until I relax against him and sleep.
He wakes me with a kiss and plays with the fire ring on my finger. “I brought strawberries.”
“You’re the best thing for that.”
“Only for that?”
“A few more things.” I give him a quick kiss and rest my forehead on his.
“There’s a message from your mother in the basket.”
“I very much want to read that, but I can’t decide if I want to badly enough to leave you for it.”
He reaches over and brings back a letter. “Now no choice needs made. You can have both.”
“Can you read it? You’ve worn out my eyes with your passion.”
“Then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do this morning.
” He opens the letter. “Dear Neera, Florian is thriving on the medications you’ve sent.
The healers think he won’t have to take them much longer and will live a long, happy life.
You have kept every promise you’ve ever made, my dear daughter, and I can’t express my gratitude enough.
Your sisters send their love. Yedda has gotten into the blacksmith’s guild, and Agatha can finish school thanks to the money you are sending.
We hope you visit soon, despite your duties as queen keeping you busy. With all my love, Mother.”
I yawn and turn my back to Lazzus to align my body with his. “I’ll need to visit soon.”
“Soon. For now, be lazy on this beach with me.”
“The best request you’ve ever made of me, my king.”
“I once swore I would lie next to you until we both became dust. There’s no reason we can’t do that now.”
“Not even to live the beautiful life we’ve built together?”
“This is life, Evelia. These moments of doing nothing with you are the greatest parts of my life, and I would suffer through many more lifetimes to have them.”
He kisses down my neck, and I reach up to hold his cheek. The ocean waves roll over our feet, and we watch as the blue sky turns purple then black. We watch the stars and exist. This is my euphoric haven. The place he takes me to that has made centuries of suffering worth it.