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“Lightning did all that?” I ask.
“Klyn may have planted some explosives in strategic places,” Kendall says.
Legion mutters his approval.
Out in the parking lot, Chaya lowers her hands to her sides. All at once, the thunder and lightning cease.
The rain slows then stops.
Overhead, the clouds begin to break apart, revealing blue skies on the other side.
Chaya and Klyn walk over to where we stand. “Are you okay?” she asks Legion worriedly.
“We’re both fine,” he tells her, and she visibly relaxes.
Then she throws herself against him in a tight hug. He catches her with one hand, the other still firmly holding mine. He smiles at me over her shoulder.
“I’m okay,” he repeats. “I swear.”
Chaya lets him go and then hugs me. I squeeze her right back, grateful for the ability to do so. When she steps back, Kendall’s eyes are watering, and she finally looks properly happy.
I grab her hand and pull her in for a hug too.
She laughs and hugs me back tighter than ever before. By the time we’re done squeezing each other, we’re both standing in a puddle of water up to our ankles. But it’s still the happiest I’ve felt in months. Maybe years. Maybe ever.
When I finally let go of my sister, Legion is there, planting a kiss on my mouth. “I didn’t want to miss my chance to celebrate with you.”
“Hells, there will be plenty of time for this shit later.”
At Klyn’s voice, we all look over.
He’s standing in the empty lot, naked and bloody and looking more like a wild man than I’ve ever seen with blood and dust streaked through his beard. “Can we fucking go already?”
“Hey, we have a lot of time to make up for,” Legion says, grinning.
Klyn looks at Kendall. “You and Chaya can stay with me for the next month if you want. Those castle walls are thinner than they look.”
My sister snorts. “We might take you up on that.”
I open my mouth to protest but then see the way Legion is looking at me and decide they’re probably right to put some distance between us and them for a while.
Anticipation and pure happiness sing through the mate bond. I look up at Legion, smiling. “Take me home?”
He kisses me thoroughly enough to draw more groans from the others. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Epilogue
Tori
Every day since returning to Tartarus feels like a vacation. Kendall keeps calling it retirement, at which point, I promptly remind her I’m way too young to be called retired. Besides, my new career is still young, but it’s promising. Selling herbs and potions at the farmers market has been more fulfilling than I expected. Mostly because Chaya does the selling while I spend my time experimenting with the best recipe for face cream or brewing salve for burns. But also because none of it involves killing people. It’s a nice change of pace, helping people rather than offing them.
The greenhouse Legion built for me is already packed with more plants than it can hold. The walls are covered in dark vines and black roses—inside and out—but so far, none of them have proven harmful. Legion thinks they’re my magic’s response to Tartarus’ particular brand of shadow magic. As long as it doesn’t interfere with me getting my hands on him every night, I’m all for it.
He’s promised to build me something bigger soon—and it’s not lost on me that we’re not just planning a future together.
We’re living it.
The Keep is feeling more like home every single day.
