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I blinked back surprise and, when Ethan slipped his fingers into mine, squeezed hard.
Seth walked to Dominic, his wings stil pinned, and stood over him. "Messenger, you have failed in your mission, and you have darkened the name of justice. You refused to leave this world when your name was caled into the book. Tonight, justice shal be done."
Dominic swalowed hard, but then he nodded. "Justice shal be done."
Seth lifted the katana, held it horizontal to the ground. And
with a single slice, ripped through Dominic's chest. Dominic and Seth screamed simultaneously, and light burst forth from the wound Seth had made, angry and red, rays of it shooting across the night like furious lasers. The burst of light opened farther, and then Dominic's entire body was engulfed in light. The light pulsed, then again, then faster and faster like a beating heart until it exploded into a trilion red sparks.
They rushed across the sky, fading as they moved, and then the light was extinguished, and Dominic was gone. The only trace of him was the bit of blood that stil stained my sword.
Without a word, Seth wiped the sword upon his pants, then placed it carefuly on the ground. "It is done."
It became D-Day al over again. The only things missing were soldiers and nurses locked in exuberant embraces. Instead, we had vampires and sorcerers.
Jeff and Paige hugged each other. On their knees in the mud, Catcher hugged Malory to him, his arms around her. "It's over. It's over."
I looked up at Ethan, whose eyes were closed in relief.
"She's gone," he said. "Oh, thank God, she's gone."
Thank God, I thought, a silent prayer to whoever might be listening, and wrapped my arms around him. He embraced me.
"She's gone," he said again.
"So I heard. Congratulations." For both of us, I thought.
"You were amazing. A sight to behold. And the swing set was inspired."
"I had a good teacher."
"And don't you forget it," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple.
"She meant me," Catcher said. "Vampires are so arrogant."
I couldn't help but smile. Maybe things could finaly get back to normal around here. Whatever that might be.
Chapter Twenty-four
EXODUS
While the balot box was being filed below us, we celebrated the end of drama with SuperDawgs, fries, and the chocolate-covered cherries Margot brought me as congratulations for feling an evil foe.
Ethan growled happily as I sat across his lower back, rubbing his shoulders. He'd decided he needed a shoulder rub after dinner to erase away al that he'd been through. Since "he'd been through" had been my idea, I didn't think I had much room to argue.
I kneaded his shoulders carefuly, then trailed my fingertips down his back and up his spine again.
Oh, Merit.
I froze. "You just caled my name."
"No, I didn't. You're hearing things."
"No, not aloud. In your mind. I heard you."
I crawled off him, and he flipped over again.
You can really hear me?
I smiled at him. I can indeed. "Maybe you didn't lose the ability to speak silently. Maybe Malory's magic just interfered with the frequency or something."
Ethan's smile blossomed. It clearly meant a lot to him to be able to converse with his Novitiates - and more that the power he'd had for so long hadn't been lost to him forever. I believe this calls for a celebration.
We have chocolate-covered cherries, I reminded him.
I was thinking something a bit more physically taxing, he silently intoned, and then he pounced, his fingers trailing the sensitive skin at my hips until I was wiggling and squealing in a realy unflattering way.
I hated being tickled.
But I'd power through it.
I dreamt of Ethan, but the dream wasn't a harbinger of grief...it was ecstasy. He found me on a boardwalk beside a vast blue sea and we danced until the sun lifted above the sky, my skirt of liquid black silk flowing around us. Boats with huge white sails bobbed upon the water, dancing around our island retreat as we spun to the melody of a song I couldn't hear.
I woke to the sound of a light tap on the door with a smile on my face. Ethan was stil asleep; the automatic shutters stil covered the windows.
I unlocked the door and peeked into the halway. It was quiet and empty, but a silver tray sat on the floor just outside the door.
"What is this?" I quietly asked, holding the door open with a foot while I picked up the tray and brought it inside. I sat it down on a table near the door and looked it over. Two pastries. A cup of coffee and a cup of hot chocolate, both stil steaming. Orange juice, cutlery, and a tidily folded newspaper.
"This, I could get used to," I murmured, picking up the paper.
"Talking to yourself, Sentinel?"
"Just ruminating on how much Margot spoils you. Pastries and coffee, delivered nightly?"
"A man cannot live on meat and potatoes alone. What's in the news?"
I glanced down at the paper. "Sex. Violence. Rock and rol."
Ethan was already out of bed and on his way over. That he was half-naked - clad only in thigh-hugging boxer briefs - was even more distracting than you'd expect.
He grabbed a pastry and took a bite.
"I'm going to take a shower," he said, then turned and walked away. I appreciated the view and also got a pretty good look at the dark tattoo that marked the back of his calf.
"Hey, what does the tattoo mean?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, then stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
It was worth a shot.
It wasn't until I'd dressed and rebelted my katana that I saw the smal burgundy box that sat on the bed. It was bound in a white silken ribbon and topped with a perfect bow.
"Ethan Sulivan," I murmured. "What did you do?" My heart thudded in anticipation.
I picked it up and shook it gently. Something moved around in there, and I didn't hear any obvious ticking. I puled off the ribbon and dropped it on the bed, then lifted off the top.
A smal white card was tucked inside, bearing only the letter E.
I lifted the card.
Beneath it, on a smal pilow of white satin, was a silver key.
I didn't need to bother asking what door it opened; its small white tag was inscribed: MASTER'S SUITE.
Ethan had given me a key to his apartments.
For a moment, I stared down at the unfamiliar weight in my hand and considered the access it offered me. It wasn't the key to a consort suite, where Ethan could stash me as a lover. It was a key to his room - his home - alowing me access whenever I liked, whenever I chose.
However awkwardly we might have started, and however many stops and starts we might have had along the way, there was realy no denying it now: Ethan Sulivan and I were in a relationship.
