Page 134 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

Charley flashed her a nuclear smile and gestured toward thetall glass of water that was her husband. “And the man who just accosted youis—”

“Reyes Farrow,” Sia said, holding out her hand. “Welcomeback to Earth.”

His hand swallowed hers. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Yeah, Marmalade was one giant slumber party.”

“Oh,” Charley said, “remember that time we punked SaltedCaramel Macchiato, and he didn’t talk to us for like ten years?”

Sia laughed softly, but Reyes just shook his head. “Thankyou for taking care of Team Beep while we were gone.”

“Please, it’s been my pleasure.” She turned back to thetruck and struggled to talk with a lump in her throat. “But I think I mighthave to move on now.”

“There’s still time,” Charley said, but she directed it atBenji.

“He can’t, Charley,” she said. “If he inhabits an—”

“—occupied host,” Charley interrupted, “the host will retaincontrol. He knows what will happen.”

That was true. They all did. It was a lesson they learnedearly on. The host had to have left the buildingfirst. Otherwise, the soul inhabiting the body at the time a ka-zhouah entered would still be in control. The ka-zhouah would only be a passenger, but their auras were sopowerful, it would still be able to heal the host.

“But he will still be there,” Charley added.

I can heal him, Benji said.

“And how would we explain that?”

Do we care? he asked. Arewe caring about that now?

“Benji, why would you even consider this?”

Because we’ll still be together. Shefelt his essence slide into her fingers. They had been friends for so long, andshe loved him dearly. But this was a big ask.

Her chin quivered as she fought the urge to hope. The desireto fall to her knees and beg him to save Donovan. But before she could sayanything, before she could do the unthinkable and ask her best friend tosacrifice himself for the love of her life, he was gone.

She gasped and then turned slowly toward the truck.

“Oh, my God. He’s alive!” someone shouted.

Emergency personnel rushed to get the back door open, andDonovan St. James unfolded out of the cab, water dripping off him, smokecurling over his broad shoulders, and nary a mark on him. Sia’s knees almostgave way beneath her. Had Benji healed him that quickly? Or maybe the fire hadyet to spread to the inside of the cab before being doused in water?

Ignoring the EMT trying to put a blanket over his shoulders,he walked up to her, did the hair thing, and pulled her into his arms.

“Are you still Donovan?”

The grin he wore answered for her, but his reply was worththe second affirmation. “I am. Unless you want me to be Captain America. I lookfantastic in a leotard.” He turned to Charley and Reyes. “Aren’t you guyssupposed to be running my bar?”

“We handed the reins over to Beep for a few days,” Charleysaid. “She’ll do great.”

“Like that poor kid hasn’t been through enough. Holy fuck, is that what I think it is?”

Sia turned and saw the hellhound sniffing Charley’s boots asshe rubbed his ears. “That’s King Henry VIII,” she said.

“That is so much scarier than I thought it would be. I’m notsure seeing into the supernatural realm will be worth it.”

Sia pointed to his left. “You might be surprised.”

Artemis ran up to them, her stubby little tail wagging athousand miles an hour.

He knelt to her and buried his face in her fur. “Okay, thisis cool.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sia said.

He wrapped an arm around her leg, keeping her close as hegot reacquainted with the dog that’d stolen his heart. After a few moments, helooked up at Sia and said, “We should probably get to know each other betterfirst, but do you want to get married next week?”

She knelt next to him and scratched Artemis’s ears, herfingers tangling with his as she replied, “I thought you’d never ask.”

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