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crowd was already growing, clusters of people standing around the middle of the street, their heads bowed or turned towards one another in low-voiced conversation. Behind them, the mountain of debris that was once Rain Hotel hulked over the scene like a sentinel, reminding us all of what we’d lost.
I’d thought Holden might meet me, but as I scanned the faces around me for someone I recognized, it wasn’t the vampire I saw. I spotted Penny Alvarez first, her long hair hanging in loose curls around her face, and she wore a pretty black dress that looked like it probably belonged to her mother. Grace Alvarez, the family matriarch, had her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, and on the other side of her Dominick held his mother’s hand.
Where was Desmond?
My heart sank when I didn’t spot him right away. Holden had promised me he was all right, but it had been two weeks since I’d kissed him goodbye. What if he didn’t want to see me? What if he’d avoided the funeral because he knew I’d be here?
What if—?
“You’re losing your edge, kid.” His voice was silky smooth and exactly as I’d remembered it. I don’t know why I’d thought he might have changed during our time apart, but knowing he was still my Desmond, even on such a small scale, made my heart skip a beat.
“This whole not-having-supernatural-senses thing is going to take some getting used to.”
He came up beside me so I was able to see him. In his charcoal-gray suit and lilac tie he looked just melancholy enough to be at a funeral without going for all-out black. I touched his cheek, and he didn’t recoil, but his eyes were shining like he might cry at any moment.
“You said once that if you were ever going to leave me again, you would tell me,” he reminded me. It was a promise even I had forgotten.
“If anyone on earth could have made me change my mind, it would have been you. I couldn’t risk it.”
“How do I know I can trust you not to go away again, Secret?”
I looked up at him, placing one hand on his chest and running my palm down the silk of his tie. So many emotions clouded over him in that moment. Anguish and the faintest glint of anger. I could only imagine what he’d gone through, thinking I was dead for those two days. I’d lost people I loved, and I’d tried to face the idea of losing Desmond, but the sadness of the thought alone was unbearable. I swallowed hard, fighting my guilt over putting him through that. I couldn’t undo the pain I’d caused, I could only promise never to do it again. “I’m back from the dead because of you. The only reason I’m here now is because you and I are supposed to have our happily ever after. I might not be one for cheesy sentiments, but there it is. I’m not leaving you. Not anymore.”
One tear escaped and rolled down his cheek, and I wiped it away, giving him a hopeful smile.
The anger and sadness gave way to relief and pure joy, something I hadn’t expected to see here tonight. He hugged me so tight, my lungs burned. I thought he might never let me go, and I didn’t want him to. He kissed me softly, but long enough to convey more than his words ever could. My cheeks flushed, and I dug my fingers into his back, wishing I could stay enveloped in his safe atmosphere forever.
“No more jumping into the fray on your own, okay?” he said, finally releasing me.
“I think my fray-jumping days are behind me now.”
“Well, don’t get all boring on me.” He kept one arm around my shoulder and guided me towards his family. We exchanged hugs and kisses, and from what I could gather Grace was happy I was still alive. It was hard to tell what she was saying she was crying so hard.
More friends gathered around us. Mercedes and Owen, Tyler and Detective O’Brian, a few of the vampires who had come through the fight with us. Holden had told me Clementine was already gone, off to fill her new role on the West Coast Tribunal. Holden appeared at last, followed by the towheaded form of my father. Holden hung back, and I introduced Sutherland to the others.
If Grace was put off by having a vampire for an in-law, she didn’t let it show. She shook Sutherland’s hand and hugged him warmly. My father seemed uneasy with all the affection, but he went along with it remarkably well before slinking back to stand next to Holden.
A petite redheaded figure moved through the crowd, her vibrant hair standing out from all the black and gray. I broke away from Desmond and ran towards her.
Siobhan stepped out from behind a group of much taller men, and I don’t even know if she saw me before I wrapped her up in a tight hug. Shane emerged behind her, looking as unkempt as always with his two-day beard growth and mussed black hair.
“I didn’t know what happened to you guys.” I eased up on Siobhan and hugged Shane with similar fervor. The last thing I’d heard about their whereabouts was Nolan telling me he’d spoken to them briefly. After we left Keaty’s, I’d never gotten an opportunity to look for them.
Shane seemed bewildered to see me, and only then did it occur to me that some people might not know I was alive.
“We heard…” His voice drifted off, and he and Siobhan exchanged uneasy expressions. I didn’t want to get into the nitty-gritty details of how I’d come to escape death, since it was much too long a story to get into now.
“You should know I’m harder to kill than most people realize. But tell my how you guys got through it.” I was hoping a change in topic might keep them from asking too many questions. Why aren’t you dead was kind of a tough one.
Siobhan took the lead when it appeared Shane was too lost for words to explain. “We tried to get across the Brooklyn Bridge, but the congestion was too much. We ended up in Williamsburg trying to keep the spread down. I wanted to get to the fae gate and bring something through to deal with them, but we got stuck. It wasn’t as bad out there as it was here, though. The damage is minimal. We were lucky, since none of the necromancers were hiding outside the city.”
The story sounded all the more exotic thanks to her Irish accent.
Siobhan took Shane’s hand and squeezed, bringing him back from his stupor. “We’re glad the rumors weren’t true.” The pair of them hugged me, and I wanted draw it out, glad to know my friends had pulled through.
Most of them, anyway.
“Where’s Nolan?” I looked behind them, half-expecting to see him follow.
