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No. It couldn’t be.
I turned to see Zayn getting up from the loveseat with the biggest, goofiest grin on his face.
“Thank you, boys.” He took the small velvet box, pulled off the ribbon, and knelt down. “Sybil, my sweet, sexy kitten, will you marry me?”
I might have squeaked. “Yes! In a heartbeat.”
“You haven’t even looked at the ring yet,” Zayn said, laughing.
The largest freaking pear-cut emerald I’d ever seen was winking up at me. It sat in a band of roses and vines carved in black gold. It was gorgeous and right up my alley.
“I love it.” He could have proposed with an onion ring and I’d have said yes. But the fact that it fit my style perfectly made it even better.
“I couldn’t see you wearing a dainty ring, so I went for the black gold. I didn’t even know black gold existed until I started looking,” he admitted.
He slid it on my finger, looked at it, then at me. “It matches your eyes and hair.”
“It’s perfect.You’reperfect.” I threw myself at him, and my ratties scrambled to get out of the way as he swooped me up into his arms.
They watched from the safety of one of their hammocks as he carried me out of the rat-io, closed the door, and headed up to the house.
“They can hang out in there while we celebrate our engagement. They have everything they need.” Zayn kicked closed the side door. “And I have everything I need too, right here in my arms.” He headed to the master bedroom and our brand new king-sized bed. “And now I’m going to ravish my little kitten.”
He tossed me on the bed, and I landed on the silky, midnight blue satin sheets we’d picked out last week.
“Do your worst, serpent. Ravish away.”
And there, in the arms of my sexy naga, I was taken to heaven and back.
Epilogue
Zayn
“Areyousureyoudon’t want to stay one more night and leave in the morning instead?” Sybil asked Mom as I helped load her pink and gold luggage into her car.
“You’re sweet,” Mom said. “But I’d rather break the driving up into two chunks and get a decent night’s sleep in between.”
Privately, I thought she just couldn’t handle sleeping in a tent for one more night. The Redrock penthouse was much more her speed. She also loved the freedom of being on the road, and I bet she had a bunch of little stops planned on the way.
Now that I was happily settled with Sybil, Mom was a lot more relaxed. She’d quit her job when she found out I’d broken the curse and had been enjoying life for the past few years.
Mom gave Sybil one last hug before she got into her car and started the long drive back to New York. I’d offered to pay for a round trip plane ticket, but Mom had insisted she’d enjoy the trip more without worrying about things like airport security and being stuck in a tin can thirty thousand feet in the air.
Sylvana had always held a large barbeque every year during the fall harvest season, inviting all family and friends. Everybody would pitch tents in the yard and stay for the weekend. There was good food, drinks, and singing around the campfire. It was something that had meant a lot to Sybil growing up, and Sybil had decided to continue that tradition. This was our third year throwing the shindig.
We would set up a bunch of tents, string up some fairy lights, and order enough meat to feed an army; then, we’d invite my mom, her parents, and all our friends up to celebrate. Even Helen came by every year; we’d kept in touch, and it was nice to know I had more family out there. The Redrocks always brought the booze, since each gargoyle could put back enough beer or whisky to down an elephant.
It had been strange, but good, the first time I saw my mom getting tipsy and having fun with my mate and her friends like they were best buddies. It was even stranger to realize they’d first bonded over being upset with me. Well, that wasn’t something they had to worry about ever again. No way was I leaving again, ever.
Since Gunnar and I had gone to take care of Nigel, I had to consider him a friend now. Eamon too, since he’d helped with making everything untraceable. These people really did care about my little witch.
I’d made Gunnar promise never to tell me anything that might have happened between Sybil and him before I’d arrived on the scene. I knew and accepted that my kitten had dated before she met me, but I didn’t want to hear about it, lest my snake insisted on chomping his ass.
“We really should get going too,” said Sybil’s father, his arms around her mother. “I’ve got a business trip tomorrow and haven’t even packed yet.”
The man was a complete workaholic. Sybil had explained that it was because he was the first in a long line of witches to be born with very little magic and had used work to compensate.
There was another round of hugs, and we were finally alone again; the Redrock brothers and their mates had already left earlier, and Helen with them.
