AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you happy, Merripen?” he asks, his voice filled with genuine concern.
“More than I ever thought possible,” I confess, warmth filling me from within.
My gaze shifts to the window, where Clearhelm lies in the distance. “For all my life, I’ve been on the move. First, between my mother’s people and the demon world, then constantly relocating on the human plane, always fearing that someone would notice that we never aged.”
A wistful smile tugs at my lips. “I never truly belonged anywhere. Now, though… now I have this place I can call home, with no fear of having to leave.”
I glance back up at him, my eyes glistening with unshed tears. “My heart is full with these wonderful men, and a purpose that fulfills me. It’s just… incredible.”
Lord Marius’s golden eyes shimmer with emotion, threatening to overflow. He bends to plant a gentle kiss atop my head, his voice thick with pride and love. “I am so very happy for you, my dear.”
Turning, I wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace. “Thank you for being patient and never giving up on the hope that we could mend our bonds.”
He gently enfolds my smaller frame. “Thank you for opening your heart to me once more, my daughter.”
We separate, and I step back, wiping the tears from my eyes and pretending I don’t see when he does the same.
He clears his throat. “Now, your men are growing impatient. You don’t want to keep them waiting, do you?”
“Of course not.” I take Lord Marius’s arm, and with a reassuring squeeze, he leads me out of my new bedroom toward the sweeping staircase that overlooks the living room below.
The room had received an upgrade in the remodel, a grand fireplace installed with a stone pool designed to hold young ignis demons, along with the safety measures to ensure they stay contained. Darius can finally see his dream come true of bringing a part of the Black Mountains to our home.
The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest now rise to the second story, flooding our cabin with light. Someone had decorated the banister and hearth with wreaths of pine, filling the air with the scent of the wild.
It floods me with a sense of peace that deepens when I see our friends gathered below, our witches, our gruff mercenaries, our Bone Guard, and Lia with the kids. Even Syl’vyn had come, a marvelous feather hat hiding her pointed ears. Anny sits at her side, wearing a little cape tied in a grand bow.
And my loves, waiting just below, Marc, Darius, Sharpe, and Flint, each wearing a robe designed by Darius, styled to perfectly capture their individual essences.
Lord Marius’s hand covers mine on his arm. “Ready?”
Anticipation flutters in my chest. “Always.”
As we descend, love shines from my men’s eyes, and my cheeks hurt from my wide smile.
At the bottom of the stairs, Lord Marius releases me to go to my loves, the men who will stand with me through hard times and good, through times of battle and peace.
From now until the stars turn to dust, bound for eternity.
The End.
