AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Julian and I both turn to stare at Shante. Is she talking about my inability to mind my own business or the fact that Law and Maggie are inevitable? Either way, I know she isn’t wrong.
Shante bows to him now, but doesn’t say another word to either of us.
Julian spoke to her shortly after the auction and she shared with him that members of her coven were unhappy with his decision to not end his brother’s life. They believe it made him look weak and would open him up for more ridicule from elder vampires.
Shante told Julian that she didn’t share their concerns, but she must be cautious to not appear to choose his side over her sisters. It’s a delicate balance. Julian appreciates that and is determined not to ever force her to have to make such a choice.
We exit the room out the back door to avoid Law and Maggie. Julian knows I need time to process everything before I share the news with my sister. He walks me out into the gardens where we spent our very first day together.
So much has changed since that time, and that’s the part I’m struggling to wrap my head around. I’m not sad at the prospect of spending eternity with Julian. That’s a dream come to reality. I’m only scared about how that will affect my other relationships.
I had hoped that one day, I might have my parents in my life too. Since they went into rehab, I’ve been excited at the prospect of reuniting with my father and possibly getting to know my mom for the first time ever. It’s something I have wanted my entire life. Would this news only send them back down the path of using? I know their drug abuse was due to magic, but now that it’s been in their system, would it be easy for them to relapse with poor news? It’s not something I want to find out.
Then there’s Maggie. I just got her back. I know this news doesn’t change anything for her, but it makes me sad. Unless something drastic happens between her and Law, she’ll grow older, while I remain the same. That thought makes me terribly sad. I need my sisters.Sisters.It’s so strange to think that one day that could be a reality. Somehow, I know it could.
“Molly’s alive. I know it,” I say to Julian as soon as we are alone, trying to get my thoughts to steer away from immortality. “That’s who she’s seeing.”
“I know,” he smirks, pointing to his head. “I always know.”
“That’s creepy.” I smile, because there’s nothing creepy about sharing my thoughts with Julian. I love his insight and the way he calls me on my bullshit, when my mind starts to wander down paths it ought not.
“We still shouldn’t tell anyone about this until Law and I are able to find out more,” Julian says, and I nod my head in agreement. If word got out to anyone who knows about the legend, it would create a world of trouble for us. As long as Molly is dead, the legend can’t be completed, and that keeps Maggie and me safe. But it’s my mission to find my lost sister. I’ll do anything to bring her home. Even if it means taking on the cruel Fae. We’ve just fought one battle only to have another—more brutal—fight on our horizon. I know the Fae have her and it won’t be easy to get her back. Not when they’ve gone to the lengths they have to keep her hidden.
Julian turns to me, holding me steady by my shoulders and staring intently into my eyes. “We’ll figure this out, Marina. You and me. Everything you want, you’ll have. I’ll go to the ends of the damn earth to ensure it.”
I smile, leaning my head against his chest. His blood pumps through his body and I allow the rhythm to comfort me. “I love you,” I murmur, and his arms wrap around me.
“I didn’t know what I was missing until you walked into my life, Marina. From this day forward I will do everything in my power to protect you and those you love. I know the knowledge of immortality has you rattled, but I promise I’ll do my best to make our eternity feel like a simple lifetime,” he pledges.
I step back so that I can see his face. Grabbing his hands and holding them in front of us, I pour my entire heart into the next words I speak.
“My entire life has been one nightmare after another, Julian. I truly felt hopeless until you walked into that auction. You scared me in more ways than one, but it was the single defining moment of my life,” I beam. “Soul deep, I knew you were my other half. There is no life or afterlife without you by my side. No matter what comes next, we do it together. Always.”
I lift up on my toes and press my lips to his to seal this moment with a kiss. He pulls me into him and deepens it. He literally and figuratively sweeps me off my feet. Our ending may not come in this lifetime or the next, but I know without a single doubt that it is happily ever after.
Epilogue
Four Months Later
I stand outside my childhood home, mouth agape, heart fluttering.
The grass has recently been cut and the hedges trimmed. A fresh coat of paint gives the house the appearance of being new for the first time in my life. A floral wreath with a wooden D in the middle hangs from the door, and at my feet lies a new welcome mat.
“Did you do this?” I whisper, overwhelmed.
I turn to look over my shoulder at Julian, and he shakes his head. “This was all your parents.”
A sob tears through my throat, and my hand flies up to cover my mouth as tears stream down my face. This place has been transformed and regardless of who did the work, it wouldn’t be like this if not for Julian. He got them the help they desperately needed and for that, I’ll forever be grateful.
“They’re waiting for you,” he says, nodding his head toward the door. “Let’s go in.”
My feet remain rooted in place. I’m nervous to see my parents, but not in the typical ways. I’m no longer afraid that my mother is going to continue to ramble on about my dead sisters. Or that my father is going to be passed out in his favorite chair. No, this time, I’m afraid that I am going to let my parents down.
Now that they’re sober, will they be disappointed that I never graduated from college? Worse yet, what will they think when they find out I’m immortal?
Julian comes to my side, grabbing my hand in his.
“Never, Marina,” he states with complete resolve. “They are going to be so proud of the woman you’ve become. This is a new beginning for all of you. For all of us,” he whispers.
