by Arthur, Keri
His rage and threats chased me out the door. I picked up the backpack and my phone, but as I walked down the steps, awareness stirred.
Maelle had returned.
Her anger—and her hunger—was so deep, so fierce, that it stained the night and burned across my skin. I didn’t stop. I’d made a bargain with the devil herself, and I dared not go back on it. And, in reality, I didn’t want to. He deserved the slow dance of death he was about to get. I only wished the souls of all those he’d killed could be here to witness it.
Her magic surged, and Clayton abruptly fell silent. I climbed into the SUV, started the engine, then turned around and left.
I didn’t look back.
Epilogue
Everything that happened after that was somewhat hazy. I had no memory of reaching Monty, no memory of ambulances or doctors, and only the vaguest recollection of anxious faces staring down at me.
Consciousness was a long time returning; I stirred, aware first of a soft, slow beeping, a rhythm that not only matched the beat of my heart, but that of another.
Belle.
She was here, in the same hospital room, in the bed next to mine.
“And alive, just like you,” she said softly. “But I’m going to fucking kill you when I’m feeling up to it. You scared the hell out of me, woman.”
“Not as much as I scared the hell out of me.” I opened my eyes and studied her. There were healing wounds on her arms and a thick bandage around her shoulder where the black knife thingie had been. The blankets were tucked up over her breasts, so I couldn’t see the state of the wounds on her torso, but given her thoughts were free of pain, they were obviously on the mend.
And lord, it felt so good to have the background buzz of her thoughts in mine again.
“How long have we been here?” I added.
She grimaced. “Five fucking days. My shoulder was a mess, and you were unconscious and unresponsive to any and all treatment, and they had no idea why.”
I did. It was the cost of tearing open the last of the restraints and allowing the full force of my inner wild magic free. There would be further consequences, of that I was sure. “Has there been any blowback from Canberra?”
“Not as yet.” She wrinkled her nose. “Aiden and Monty have been handling all their enquiries, but they’ll want to interview us eventually.”
“Did Monty give them the recordings?”
“Yes. From what he said, they were rather shocked.”
I snorted. “I’m not sure why. We did warn them he’d lost the plot.”
“I think they were rather shocked at just how far he’d fallen, though.” She hesitated, and then added softly, “Apparently, there’s been no sign of either Maelle or Roger. They’re sifting through Émigré’s remains, looking for them.”
“Monty knows she’s not dead.”
“So does Aiden. The council finally told him about her, though I suspect only because he demanded the truth from them.”
I wrinkled my nose. I daresay that meant he and I were going to have another one of those conversations about honesty.
“Have they found Clayton’s body?”
“Yes, although to actually define his remains as a body would apparently be something of a stretch.”
“Maelle did say she was going to bathe in his blood and dine on his agony.” I did my best to ignore the vague pinpricks of guilt. No matter how much they might suggest I should have at least ensured him a quick, clean death, there was no way in truth I could have ever swayed Maelle from her chosen means of revenge. “Was he found within the reservation or outside of it?”
“Out. They’ve declared it a ‘death by unknown supernatural entity.’”
“Is Maelle on the suspect list?”
“From what Monty said, not officially—there’s no evidence linking her to his murder. The High Council’s investigators will probably want to talk to her if she does reappear though.” Belle paused. “Do you think she will?”
“Oh, yes. She still very much wants to taste the power in my blood.” Probably even more so after this whole episode.
Belle grunted. “The investigators also want you to clarify several of the statements you made on the tape.”
I shrugged. It wasn’t like I could do anything to stop them. I’d done what I’d done to save Belle, and now I’d have to live with the consequences. “After which, my father will no doubt send in his auditing team. The next few months are going to be filled with a never-ending procession of nosy Canberra witches.”
“And probably an endless stream of possible suitors for his suddenly not so worthless daughter.”
“Probably,” I replied gloomily.
She laughed. “There is a bright side of all this that you’re forgetting.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”
Her sudden smile was filled with deep and utter joy. “We’re free, Lizzie. We don’t have to run anymore. We don’t have to hide. For the first time in close to thirteen years, we can be who we really are. We can stop, and relax, and live.”
I smiled and reached out for her. She leaned over and twined her fingers through mine. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to. She knew my thoughts, just as I knew hers.
For the first time in a long time, the world was our oyster.
And damned if we weren’t both going to make the most of it.
About the Author
Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has now written more than forty-eight novels. She’s won a Romance Writers of Australia RBY Award for Speculative Fiction, and two Australian Romance Writers Awards for Scifi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance. She was also given a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. Keri’s something of a wanna-be photographer, so when she’s not at her computer writing the next book, she can be found somewhere in the Australian countryside taking random photos.
for more information:
www.keriarthur.com
[email protected]
Also by Keri Arthur
in series order
Blackbird Rising (The Witch King’s Crown, 1)
Blackbird Broken (The Witch King’s Crown, 2)
Blood Kissed (Lizzie Grace Series, 1)
Hell’s Bell (Lizzie Grace Series, 2)
Hunter Hunted (Lizzie Grace, 3)
Demon’s Dance (Lizzie Grace, 4)
Wicked Wings (Lizzie Grace, 5)
Deadly Vows (Lizzie Grace, 6)
Unlit (Kingdoms of Earth & Air, 1)
Cursed (Kingdoms of Earth & Air, 2)
Burn (Kingdoms of Earth & Air, 3)
City of Light (Outcast Series, 1)
Winter Halo (Outcast Series, 2)
The Black Tide (Outcast Series, 3)
Fireborn (Souls of Fire Series, 1)
Wicked Embers (Souls of Fire Series, 2)
Flameout (Souls of Fire Series, 3)
Ashes Reborn (Souls of Fire Series, 4)
Darkness Unbound (Dark Angels Series, 1)
Darkness Rising (Dark Angels Series, 2)
Darkness Devours (Dark Angels Series, 3)
Darkness Hunts (Dark Angels Series, 4)
Darkness Unmasked (Dark Angels Series, 5)
Darkness Splintered (Dark Angels Series, 6)
Darkness Falls (Dark Angels Series, 7)
Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Series, 1)
Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Series, book 2)
Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Series, 3)
Dangerous Games (Riley Jenson Series, 4)
Embraced by Darkness (Riley Jenson Series, 5)
The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Series, 6)
Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Series, 7)
Bound to Shadows (Riley Jenson Series, 8)
Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson Series, 9)
With Friends Like These (Stand Alone Novel)
Destiny Kills (Myth & Magic Series, 1)
Mercy Burns (Myth & Magic Series, 2)
&
nbsp; Circle of Fire (Damask Circle Series, 1)
Circle of Death (Damask Circle Series, 2)
Circle of Desire (Damask Circle Series, 3)
Beneath a Rising Moon (Ripple Creek Series, 1)
Beneath a Darkening Moon (Ripple Creek Series, 2)
Memory Zero (Spook Squad Series, 1)
Generation 18 (Spook Squad Series, 2)
Penumbra (Spook Squad Series, 3)
Dancing with the Devil (Nikki & Michael Series, 1)
Hearts in Darkness (Nikki & Michael Series, 2)
Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael Series, 3)
Kiss the Night Goodbye (Nikki & Michael series, 4)
Lifemate Connections: Eryn (Novella)
