Page 76 of Secrets & Spells
Jared sits up, pulling my limp body with him. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Not to ruin the badass image I was building tonight, but I don’t think I can move,” I admit.
Jared’s warm chuckle only lulls me closer to sleep. “I promise that letting me take care of you doesn’t make you any less of a badass.” He places a gentle kiss on the top of my head. “You’re the bravest person I know, and I’m so proud of how you handled tonight.” He scoops me up, stands, and walks us through to the ensuite. “We’ll get ready for bed and get some much-needed sleep. Then in the morning when everything that happened hits us for real, we’ll be OK because we’ll wake up knowing that we’re facing all of it together.”
Epilogue
Jared
One week later
After completing our mate bond, Selene and I kept to ourselves for the next few days. We both needed the time to recuperate and sort through our emotions after everything that happened with The Raven. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that it was Corbin all along.
For the two days following her abduction, Selene suffered from a migraine—the consequence of pushing her magic to the brink when she trapped Corbin in a vision. I managed to hold off visitors, promising to let everyone know as soon as we were up for having company, and we stayed snuggled on the sofa together.
After hearing what happened, Kendra encouraged me to take some time off from The Chronicle, and I gladly agreed. I don’t want to fall back into the bad habit of burying myself in work to avoid dealing with my problems, especially not now that Selene and I have bonded. While she explained we can essentially turn down the ‘volume’ of our newly formed connection, if one ofus experiences a particularly strong emotional reaction, it will automatically come through the bond ‘louder’.
While Selene napped on Saturday afternoon, I called Mohinder. Talking to him helped me sort through some of the complicated feelings I have about my former mentor turning out to be a serial killer who was obsessed with my birth mother. While coming to terms with everything I’ve learned will take a lot more than one phone call, the conversation helped me sort through my initial racing thoughts. Taking care of Selene while she slowly recovered from her migraine, and daily calls with Mohinder, helped me stay grounded this past week. Without them giving me something to focus on, it would have been far too easy to tumble down the endless spiral of thinking about all the ways that night could have gone so very wrong.
When Selene woke without a headache on Monday I called Gwyn, and she, Brooks, and Eve all stopped by for coffee. The minute she laid eyes on her younger sister, Gwyn dived into her arms. Tears shone in both of their eyes as they embraced tightly. Once they calmed down enough to separate, Selene proudly pulled aside the neck of her thistle-purple jumper, showing Gwyn the bond bite on her shoulder. The move sent both her big sister and niece into a round of excited shrieks, while Brooks offered us his heartfelt congratulations at a considerably lower decibel. They stayed for an hour until Selene got tired, only leaving after we promised to let them know if we needed anything.
The next day Dove and Cordelia stopped by in the morning, and Garrett and Huxley came over on Wednesday evening with dinner from Hunter’s Moon. Rett updated us on what he knew about the investigation—his position as a council member grants him access to information the SIB hasn’t made public yet.
Yesterday Selene and I decided we were ready to go to the town hall to give our statements to the SIB agents. I asked themif Corbin had said anything else about my biological parents while in custody. If I knew their names I could find out more about them, maybe even discover some extended family. Agent Johnson’s pitying look answered my question before he said a word. Apparently Corbin said everything he needed to that night in the barn, and he’s not uttered a word since.
Garrett promised to keep digging, but I made my peace with not knowing anything about my biological parents a long time ago. At least now I know why they gave me up, and that they did everything they could to protect me. That’s enough. Now I’m ready to focus on my new family here in Crystal Lake.
Speaking of, Selene and I are meeting everyone at the closing dance of the Halloween festival. She convinced Gwyn to lift Eve’s grounding for tonight, saying she wanted all of us to be together for her favourite night of the year.
I glance at my watch, noting we should leave soon. “Are you nearly ready?” I call up the stairs.
“Almost.” Selene appears at the top of the staircase looking like an absolute vision. Her dark hair cascades over her shoulders in Old-Hollywood style waves. The lilac satin of her dress hugs her figure before fanning out from her waist in an A-line skirt that stops just below her knees. Watching her descend the stairs, I have to remind myself to breathe.
“Can you put this on me? I’m having trouble with the clasp,” she says, holding out a delicate silver chain with a small drop pendant.
“Of course.” I take the chain and use my other hand to move her soft waves out of the way. A small shiver runs down her spine as my fingertips brush over the nape of her neck. I secure the tiny clasp of the chain and then, unable to resist, place a kiss right over my bond bite on the slope of her shoulder.
“Don’t start something we haven’t got time to finish,” Selene warns, turning to face me and smoothing her hands over the lapels of my midnight-blue suit jacket.
“You look incredible.”
Her cheeks colour to match her lipstick. “Thanks. You look pretty great yourself.” Selene takes her coat off the nearby hook and ties the belt at her waist, bright-blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Let’s go.” Practically bouncing in her silver heels, she slips one dainty hand into mine and leads me out the door.
SELENE
The closing dance of the Halloween festival is already in full swing when we arrive. Pumpkins with a mix of simple faces and intricate designs carved into them are lit from within, lining every path leading to the town square. The stalls and tents with games have been cleared away to make room for the chairs and tables now dotted around the edges for anyone who needs a break from dancing.
The night air is cool, but heating lamps have been strategically positioned throughout the square to keep everyone warm—sometimes human tech works just as well as magic. The band is currently playing a cover of a classic rock song, using the gazebo as a makeshift stage. Locals and human tourists alike dance in front of the gazebo wearing smart suits and beautiful dresses, their happiness palpable.
“There’s your family.” Jared points to a table a few feet away where Gwyn, Brooks, and Eve sit.
“Perfect,” I reply, using our joined hands to steer him in that direction. As we walk over, Michael nervously approaches theirtable, looking adorable in a borrowed suit that’s a little big in the shoulders. He holds out a shaking hand to Eve, and she turns to look at Gwyn with eyes full of hope. My sister nods, and Eve excitedly grabs hold of Michael’s hand, pulling him towards the dancefloor.
“That was nice of you,” I tell Gwyn, hanging my coat over the back of Eve’s abandoned chair when we reach them.
“Well, it would have been mean of me to lift her grounding for tonight on your request only to make her sit here and be miserable the whole time. She knows what she did was wrong and how serious it could have been.”
“You’re a good mum.” I throw my arm over her shoulders in a side-hug as we watch the kids dance. “Are you two not going up there?”
