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The demon shoots him an amused glance. “No offense taken. What I’m thinking is that I could found a sort of training center. Have more structured classes and other learning opportunities, a schedule of increasingly intensive forays into regular society as each student is ready for it… Basically, become a lot more orderly about this whole process—and then have a method in place for anyone who needs it later.”
I blink. “Like… a school for shadowbloods? And shadowkind.”
I have trouble picturing what that would look like, but trying to sends a flicker of my own excitement through me. Itwouldbe better for the younger shadowbloods—and the two former inmates in our midst—to have more stability and order in their lives after the confusion we’ve left them with.
“You should bring in a counselor too,” Griffin suggests. “Or someone who has the experience and skills to act as one even if they aren’t officially. There are a lot of emotions to work through, and I’m only good at identifying those—and changing them in the moment if I absolutely have to.”
Toni makes an approving sound. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Pearl nudges her. “You can be our human-shadowkind liaison—on the human side, of course.”
The other woman’s smile turns crooked. “I do have access to a lot of Balthazar’s accounts. He didn’t have any legal next of kin, so no one’s going to come calling for those funds.”
“I don’t think we’ll have any financial worries,” Rollick says wryly. “But part of that comment reminds me…”
He stops and swivels to face us. “You six have taken on an awful lot of responsibility considering how muchyou’vehad to deal with across your entire lives. I don’t expect you to shoulder even more. You’d be welcome at this school of sorts, but just as much as students as teachers. And if you’d rather go off and enjoy your hard-won freedom on your own, I don’t think any of my colleagues have further concerns about you posing a threat to us.”
A strange airy feeling bubbles up in my chest.
Freedom. We really do have that now, don’t we?
As I glance over at my men, the demon lets out a chuckle. “I’ll give the six of you some time to discuss that. Whatever you decide you’d like to do, I’m sure Balthazar’s legacy can pay for it.”
“Absolutely,” Toni agrees.
While the three of them meander back toward the house, I struggle to gather my thoughts. The guys close in around me, Andreas pressing a kiss to the side of my head and Jacob grasping my shoulder.
Dominic catches my gaze. “Now you could have that cabin in the woods you used to dream about.”
I sputter a laugh. “After our experience at Engel’s, it doesn’t really appeal the same way anymore.”
Then I pause, feeling out the whirl of emotions inside me. Thinking about everything Rollick said. “You know, I’m not sure that I really want to be off somewhere apart from the rest of the world after all. The guardians kept us shut away like that our whole lives. It might be nice to actually get to interact with people like we’re normal for a change.”
Andreas’s eyes glint with amusement. “In a big city would be best for that, I think. We’ll stand a better chance of passing for normal when there’s a wider range of humanity around.”
Zian rubs his hands together with sudden eagerness. “Someplace with good restaurants.”
“But maybe not right downtown,” Dominic puts in. “I’d like a garden. And if we’re close to a park, Jacob will be able to go for his runs without dodging pedestrians.”
Jacob tugs me a little closer. “I’ll be happy as long as Riva’s happy.”
Griffin considers me with a serene air. “Is there anywhere you’ve particularly liked the atmosphere of?”
It seems like a difficult question, but as soon as I take it in, the answer pops into my head. I pause, testing out the impression before saying it out loud. “You know, there was that one time years ago when I was on a mission in San Francisco—I saw this building there that just felt… welcoming. Like it was meant for me, or it understood what I was. I know that doesn’t make much sense—”
Andreas gives my braid an affectionate tug. “It doesn’t have to make perfect sense. Let’s go there and see what we can make of it.”
Thirty-Two
One year later
Riva
Ishould have known I’d find Dominic in his garden. The rooftop patio over our penthouse apartment has become his pet project, with flowers of all colors and a gorgeous medley of scents emerging from the planters all around the walls and down the middle of the space as well.
At the squeak of the door, he raises his head where he’s pruning one of the small shrubs. A smile curves his lips under the bright mid-day sun. “Time to get going?”
“We should head out in twenty minutes or so.” I offer him the tall glass I brought up. “I thought maybe you could use some lemonade after all your work.”
