Epilogue
For the second Halloween in a row, I’m moving out of Midnight Manor.
This time is different, though. Elle and I are renting a house together in town. Starting tomorrow, I get to wake up to her face each morning. And at night, we can make as much noise as we want. No concealment sigils required.
I spent the morning moving my things out of my old room. We already tested out the new bed this afternoon, after we moved in Cocoa and Waffles, along with the last box of my books.
Now, though, the Halloween party is in full swing at the B&B. Xander and Elle are downstairs with the guests, mingling and accepting well-deserved congratulations on their first successful year of business.
Tonight is special for another reason, too, and my preparations are nearly complete.
My old room is empty except for the furniture, the summoning circle taking up the center of the room, and a lovely couple that I’ve gotten to know well this past year.
“Ready?” I ask, and the pair nods. “This may take a moment. Remember not to cross the barrier.”
Magic flows in through my crown in a heady rush, the power different tonight while the veil between this world and the spiritual one is at its thinnest. I cast in silence, bringing forth a ghost from beyond the veil. Working magic that’s only possible this one night of the year.
The glow starts at the center of the circle, a floating ball of light that lengthens into a familiar shape. When the ghost is as solid as she’s going to get, I give her a wave.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell the couple. “Mind the barrier.”
The woman grips my arm when I try to pass, her hold fierce. “Thank you.”
With a nod, I slip out of the room and close the door behind me. It takes a few minutes to find Elle, but when I do, everything warm and good inside me goes off like fireworks. She smiles when she sees me, and if she’s surprised by the fierceness of my kiss when we meet, she doesn’t say anything.
“Come with me,” I whisper, threading my fingers through hers.
She follows without resistance, though when we reach the stairs, her voice raises above the music. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I lead her to the bedroom that was first hers and then mine, and she laughs.
“Pip, we have our own place now. We don’t need to sneak away to fool around.”
I silence her with another kiss. “I love you, Eloise Thompson. You are my heart, my magic, my love. My Ellie. You deserve the world. And though I can’t give you that, I can do this.”
The door swings open on well-oiled hinges, and when Elle sees who’s inside, she clings to my arm with a grip so tight it hurts. It’s an honor to hold her up.
“Willa.” The name falls from her lips with such reverence that tears spring to my eyes. “I didn’t think this was possible.”
“Hi, Aunt Ellie!” Willa smiles wide, her transparent cheeks crinkling with dimples. Viv and Ted turn to look at Elle’s stunned face, theirs covered in happy tears.
Elle stumbles farther into the room toward her sister and brother-in-law, and I keep pace beside her. “Once a year, on Halloween, the veil is thin enough for Willa to visit. I know it’s not what you originally wanted, but I hope it helps.”
“Thank you.” Elle throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. “I—thank you, Pippa. This is more than I ever expected.”
“I know.” I press a kiss to her temple. “That’s what made the idea feel so special. Now, go. Catch up with your niece. I’ll be downstairs.”
Leaving Elle, Vivian, and Ted to their reunion with Willa, I make my way back to the party, where I finally get a chance to mingle with the other guests.
Dea brought a friend from her new nonprofit job, a trans woman who heads up the Girls in STEM initiative.
Dea is clearly crushing on her, and though workplace romances can be tricky, I’m rooting for them.
I continue through the party, accepting hugs from Xander’s parents. Shaking hands with the mayor. Saying hello to the guy from the antiques shop. I spot Flora talking with Teagan over by the refreshments, and it feels like worlds colliding.
From across the room, I give Sebastian a wave, and he nods in return. He came alone, here to make sure the B&B is in good working order for Sloane’s next retreat.
Everyone is wearing the second-generation ghost goggles, redesigned with Teagan’s help to be sleeker and more effective, so the ghosts can be part of the party, too.
A tiny voice squeals with delight from across the manor, and I follow the sound into the library.
“He’s walking?!” I ask, amazed at the one-year-old clinging to Marisol’s fingers as he takes tentative steps across the floor.
Jackie leans against the table where I prepared to eliminate a pesky poltergeist from her home last year. “And up way past his bedtime. We’re going to pay for this tomorrow.” She’s smiling, though, as she watches her wife and son make their way across the floor.
I approach the toddling boy and kneel to his level. “Hi, Rykelan. It’s good to see you again, nugget.”
He stares back at me with those big blue eyes, excited to see me though it’s been a few months since I last saw him and his moms. He’s a happy kid, loved beyond measure, and it shows.
“Need a break?” I hold out my hands. “I can take over.”
“You’re such a doll. Thank you.” Marisol transfers Rykelan’s tiny hands to grip around my fingers, and then we’re off, me stooped over him as he maneuvers across the library. My back will pay the price for this, but it’s worth it.
Marisol and Jackie regale me with stories of their work and Rykelan’s ever-evolving antics. They got a dog a few months ago, and the two are already the best of friends. I lose track of time, carried by the swell of their stories and their joy and their laughter until there’s a knock behind me.
I turn, Rykelan now snuggled in my arms, his warm head pressed against my neck. Elle leans against the archway, her eyes glassy with tears but a smile on her lips. I pass the sleepy toddler back to his parents.
“We need to get this guy home and into bed,” Jackie says, shifting her son on her hip.
Marisol squeezes my hand. “Have a lovely night, Pippa.”
Elle moves aside to let them leave, and then she steps into the room. She kisses me once, a gentle, fleeting thing. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“Is that so?”
She nods and a single tear slips past her lashes. “I’m going to marry you someday.”
I wipe the wetness from her cheeks. “Is that your proposal?”
“No, love.” She kisses me again, deeper this time. Full of promise. “When I propose for real, I’m going to sweep you off your witchy feet.”