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“This is how it was fated to be, my love. And now, with Raven, you have a second chance,” she says. “You have my blessing. Live your life as you deserve, Lucien. One day, I’ll see you again.”
“Iris,” he breathes out, voice cracking as a tear falls. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your apology to make, Lucien. You tried to save me and you never asked for the pain Stella caused us all. Nothing happens on chance,” she counters as gently as she can. When her ghostly eyes turn to me, I barely breathe. “Take care of him for me, Raven. He’s an amazing man.”
“I will,” I promise.
“Thank you, and thank you for ending this nightmare. I may have been able to move on but I was still tied to her in some capacity. Now I can truly move on,” she reveals. “No more being pulled back here. Just peace.”
“Rest in peace, Iris,” Jayce tells her as he takes one of my hands.
“We’ll keep them both safe,” Eli promises. She smiles at their words.
“I know you will. This was always part of the plan,” she says with a soft smile before she fades from sight. The night feels even darker in the absence of her light.
“Let’s go live our lives, finally,” I tell them. We climb in the car and drive off into the night, our nightmare finally over.
Raven
One year later
“Lucien, are you ready for your first day back to teaching?” I ask as I straighten his tie.
The corners of his eyes scrunch up when he smiles. “I think so, Jayce and Eli have trained me on this tech I’ll have to use, but it still feels right that I can help pay for things once again. Not just bum off you and the guys.”
I throw my head back and laugh, “You have a place in our little ghost business. Your knowledge of history is very helpful with all the ghost lore. But if you need out of the house, I get that, too. The three of us can be a little much.”
“No, no….” he backpedals before I raise a finger to his lips.
“I was only joking. I think it’s great that you are going back into a profession you love. Just no falling for a pretty, little college girl.”
Lucien pulls me in close before wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’re the only one I have eyes for. Besides, I’m over one hundred years old, why would anyone look twice at me?”
“You don’t look a day over ninety-nine,” I tease.
“Take her advice. Nowadays, students will try anything to get an A,” Eli says as he enters the living room with Jayce on his heels.
“Want me to drive you to your first day?” I ask, ignoring the other two.
“Ah, Raven, he’s a big boy. Let him drive himself,” Jayce pipes in. After spending enough time with Eli, he’s learning his own brand of sarcasm.
“I wasn’t asking you, but I know you’re right. I guess I can’t keep him locked up anymore.” I sigh. Something about sending him out into the world is terrifying for me. We’ve had our small pocket of peace. I don’t know that I’m ready for it all to change again. But he didn't come back just to hide.
Jayce walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, snuggling up to my back.
“Oh, a Raven sandwich, I think I’ll like a slice of that,” Eli says with an eyebrow wiggle.
“Seriously? That was cheesy even for you,” I huff. “You better get going, Lucien, you don’t want to be late.”
“I think I have time for one more kiss.” He smiles before leaning in.
His lips are light on mine, it’s torture when he steps back. “Have a great day in your new office. I’m so proud of you three for using your gifts to help people.”
“The money from the book I wrote helped, but who knew that helping ghosts crossover was a good business move?” Jayce says, unwrapping himself from me.
“Did you really have to title it Feeling the Dead? Makes you sound like some sick fuck,” Eli laughs.
“It’s a USA Today bestseller. So, I must have done something right,” Jayce shrugs.
