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Iris held onto him loosely. She watched the cloud, and at the same time wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had Seraphina’s blood on her lips.
“Did you get any of Heather’s telepathy?” he asked.
“Yes. All of it.”
“Good.” He released a sigh, but not in despair. It was a strange thing to talk to the dead, but both Heather and Violet had given him back his life tonight. What he felt was gratitude, deep eternal gratitude.
“Take me home, Connor.”
“No place I’d rather be.”
And that was the truth.
~ ~ ~
Once back in the garden, Iris stared into the face of the man she loved. He’d kissed her about a dozen times, his eyes brimming with tears. He’d professed his love over and over and reaffirmed they were engaged and would soon be married.
She saw how changed he was. The darkness that had held him in its hard grip was now gone. It had been blown away as surely as the blast in No Man’s Land had ended Evan and Seraphina’s tyranny over their lives.
As she caressed his face, she sought about in her mind for the best way to thank him for coming into her life. Finally, she said, “You’ve taken all my pain away. Did you know that? I’d grieved for so long. Now all is made new.”
He shook his head, searching her eyes. “I’m not sure you could have told me anything better than this. When you enthralled me, and I was able to see all that you were, I felt your pain. You’d lost so much. I also had a wish that one day I could ease your suffering. And if that’s what I’ve done, then I’m happier than I can say.”
Iris thought it fitting to take him back into the shower and to clean the debris off their bodies from their final encounter with Evan and his witch. He took her to bed afterward and kept her there for a long time that night and several nights after.
He kept telling her how much he loved her and she returned the favor. She wasn’t sure, given all that they’d been through in each of their alter lives, that the words could be spoken enough. Iris had never thought to find love in the harsh reality of their drug-riddled world.
But here was Connor, a huge surprise in her life, a blessing sent to her by her sister and to some degree by Heather. If she had one struggle, it was finding exactly the right way to tell Connor how much he meant to her.
Then one day, as Connor began moving his things to her home permanently, she figured it out. And she smiled, because he would love it.
~ ~ ~
“Iris?” Connor called out to his soon-to-be wife. She’d been in the garage for most of the evening with the Harley mechanic repairing her police cruiser. It needed a new muffler and gas tank and had other assorted dents one of his workers was repairing. Other than that, it had survived the Sentinel explosion really well.
He’d tried several times to head out to the garage to see what was going on. But each time he did, he got sidetracked with another household project. Iris had one helluva list for him, which included putting his Ducati poster up in the living room. But he needed her to eyeball the height for him.
He smiled.
He’d moved in.
A whole week had passed since his announcement that sent about every territory in Five Bridges on its heels. First, he’d made very public his resignation from the Crescent Border Patrol. Then shortly afterward held a press conference with that prick, Donaldson, announcing that he would be the first vampire to join the Tribunal Public Safety force. Donaldson didn’t know it yet, but Connor was making it his mission to see the man kicked out of the Tribunal, the sooner the better.
Connor had shaken up Five Bridges but good and at the same time had never felt more alive or more determined to make a difference in his world.
He couldn’t believe how much his life had changed.
Not even two weeks ago, he’d been alone, really alone and barely aware how skeletal his life had become. He would be a husband again and once more bound to the obligations of household chores. He couldn’t help but smile. Give him chores any day of the week. It seemed an incredibly small price to pay for being with the woman he loved.
And speaking of her, shouldn’t her cruiser be repaired by now?
“Iris?” he called out again.
When there wasn’t an answer, he got concerned.
He glanced out at the garden, but her latest spell held. Her home was safe. Iris now had a serious witch mentor who tutored her in the ways of fifth level witch-dom. Apparently, her basic power grid was exceptional anyway, but their bond had rocketed her potential into outer space. No dark witch could get through her spell now.
There was also talk she’d one day serve on the Tribunal Council. His chest swelled with a combination of pride and love. Iris had always wanted to make a significant contribution to their world and now she would.
