Page 37 of Beneath My Skin

I drew a lungful of air in through my nostrils, held it for ten seconds, then let it hiss out between my lips. Cer was gone. She was really gone this time. Not just being quiet, lying in wait for the perfect moment to curse me. I had a momentary panic as I wondered what I would do without her. What I would be or how my life would progress now that the only person inside of me was me.

I glanced down at my arm and the line of pale, unblemished skin, then let the fingertips of my other hand trail over the area. There would be no more strange Enochian ropes of scar tissue. No more pain where I felt like I was lit on fire. Beneath my skin, I was human.

A weight lifted off my chest, and for the first time since I was six years old, I could breathe easy. Closing my eyes, I took a moment to enjoy the feeling. A groan had them popping open again.

“Dammit. Dax!”

I tripped on my way over to him, landing hard on my knees. Then I scrambled across the broken floor to where he lay on his back. Whatever force sent Cer and me into the bottle had done a number on him.

I knelt above him, one hand holding his and the other pushing the hair out of his face. His skin was warm, his pulse slow and even. But his eyes, framed by long black lashes, were wide open.

“You’re awake. I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened.”

“And you’re alive,” he retorted with a faint scowl. “Funny how things work out. You knocked me on my ass when you popped out of existence.”

I tried not to laugh. “Sorry. But I had this covered. When are you going to learn to trust me?”

“When you stop being so stubborn.”

“Never going to happen.”

“Is she…” He paused. “You know…”

“Gone?” I filled in for him. “Yes, she just left. You missed it. We actually had a moment.”

“Something I’m sure I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”

“Has anyone ever told you what an adorable guy you are?” I whispered to him.

His fingers tightened around mine. “I love you too,” he murmured.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” I reached out a hand and tugged him to his feet. We managed to jump over the worst of the cracked floor and make it out the door.

I watched the snow from his magically-induced storm begin to melt. Rivers of water flowed from drifts and banks and turned into glittering puddles in the parking lot. We were outside of the same office complex as before, the one that housed the antiques shop. Whatever Jacqueline/Berith had managed to do, whatever twisted spell she’d worked, the outside of the building looked as it had the first day I arrived. It was undamaged.

High in the sky songbirds darted and sang their tunes toward the heavens. I wondered if they sang about us, about a love so true not even a demon could destroy it. I smiled at my djinn.

“We’re free.” I leaned forward and kissed Dax. Very lightly. Very aware of his still-healing arm. “Both of us. Although there is the little matter of a wish you’ve been meaning to give me.”

He frowned. “A wish? Are you serious? You’re out of wishes, remember?”

I struggled to pull him up next to me before leaning in to kiss the last remaining brain cells out of his head. “A wish, yes. I like to think you’re more a freelance djinn now.”

His fingers got busy immediately, shifting under my shirt to tickle the skin on my rib cage. “I can’t even believe you.”

“Don’t you want to hear what it is?”

“You do realize I don’t have my powers anymore, right? I can’t just wiggle my fingers or crinkle my nose or whatever it is people think I do and give you what you want.”

“There goes my freelance idea.” I stilled his babble with another kiss. “I want you to marry me, stupid. For richer or poorer. That’s the deal, isn’t it? I’m not exactly up with protocol these days. I’ve been a little rusty on account of the arm.” I held out my forearm for his inspection.

He smiled, and I couldn’t catch my breath. Couldn’t find my balance. “You want me? Like…this? Even though I can’t grant your wishes and call you ‘master’?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that remains to be seen,” I quipped. “Seriously, I want you any way you come. You don’t even have to get down on one knee. Seems like a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. Which I can tell you aren’t going to do.”

“Oh, really? Marriage?” He lowered his mouth to mine and his kiss nearly buckled my knees. “It’s so…human.”

“Disgustingly human,” I agreed.

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