Page 111 of Discovered Magic
Wilder looked down at her. “Not ominous at all, right?”
“Not the least little bit,” she quipped with an eye roll. “But I guess we should grab Royal and get the hell out of Dodge while we can.”
“Perdition Ridge.”
“Well, considering how horrid The Devil’s Backbone was, I’m glad I skipped history’s more notorious places.” Wrapping her arm through his, she rested her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye to Shadow.”
“Yeah, but something tells me he knows,” Wilder said.
The canyon was eerily silent when they arrived. The breeze carried the faintest trace of burnt ozone, hinting deeper magic had recently been performed there.
“God, I’ll be glad to see the last of this place.” Royal slowly spun in a circle as his raven familiars gathered above them. His eyes traveled upward along the rock walls, stopping on the shelf across the gaping trail—the one where Abbie had first landed.
“Is that your friend?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.” She met Stands-in-Shadow’s steady-eyed gaze. Kissing her fingers, she placed them over her heart, then sent the energy his way.
“Thank you,” she whispered, as he caught the invisible ball and pressed it to his chest.
Though his lips never moved, she could swear she heard him say, “Go in peace, Traveler’s child.”
Beside her, Wilder withdrew the vial and the written spell.
“Home?” he asked softly.
Abbie leaned into him. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER…
In the hearth, a log snapped and shifted, shooting sparks.
Abbie snuggled closer to Wilder as she considered the change wrought by the last six months. After two years of roughing it, she was finding it difficult to adjust to the comforts of regular life—other than hot showers! Now she took extra-long ones. Fuck the water bill.
“Your mind’s buzzing again,” he murmured sleepily as he hugged her tighter and buried his face in her hair. “Nightmares?”
“Not really.” She ran a hand along his side, up his rib cage, to rest over his heart. The steady beat was calming, reassuring her that this wasn’t another phantom dream. Wilder was as real as she was. “It’s been half a year, and I still can’t get used to a plush mattress. What does that say about me?”
“You like it hard,” he deadpanned.
She snorted, trailing her hand downward, finding his arousal, and stroking it lovingly. “That goes without sayin’, cowboy.” His moan made her grin. “Can I just say how much I appreciate your willingness to make up for lost time?”
“I aim to please, Fire Cat.”
Abbie groaned. “Not you, too! I’m never living that nickname down.”
Wilder chuckled. “I’ve seen you in action—in every way—and can say with all truthfulness, Royal nailed it.”
“Part of me loves that you’re friends now, but I also hate when you gang up on me.”
His bark of laughter echoed in the room. “We have to if we want to win an argument. Not that we ever do now that your smartass father is hanging around for every meal.”
“He says he’s making up for the years we didn’t get. Personally, I think he likes a home-cooked meal.”
“Yeah, having Royal move in was the smartest decision we could make. The man’s an ace in the kitchen.”
Abbie gave him a faux sour look. “You’re more in love with him than me.”
