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He pulled her close and kissed her forehead, then pulled away and looked around at the damage to Bruxa’s Eye. “And we’ll fix this.”
“We will. But for now, let’s go to my home. We’ll help clean tomorrow. For now, I just want to look at you.”
He leaned down and kissed her, then swooped her up into his arms. She laughed, then wrapped her arms around his neck. He made his way into her house, then upstairs to the dry part. Thank fates this part of the house had escaped the water.
He set her on the bed, then knelt down before her.
“I made a mistake, Sofia. I never should have chosen power over you. I love you. I’ve loved you for centuries, I was just too stupid and stubborn to realize it.”
She leaned over and kissed him, drawing him up to sit next to her. “You were stupid and stubborn, but you’ve more than proven yourself.” She kissed him again as if she couldn’t get enough, holding her face near his. “And I love you. I know that now. I was just fighting it because I was scared. But I think maybe we’ve always loved each other and that the battle—and your death—were part of fate’s curse.”
“But now we have forever, with nothing standing in our way. We’ll rebuild your city. You’re free of the High Witches. You can do anything. We can live here or in Scotland. Anywhere. Felix and Aurora spend half the year on holiday traveling around in a big motor home. We can do that if you like.”
She grinned and pressed her lips. It sent a burst of warmth through him.
“I know I want to be here part of the time. But then, let’s just see.”
“Excellent.”
She reached up and played with the hair at the base of his neck. The gentle touch—and the knowledge that there would be more—felt like heaven. There’d been no time for touches like these before. And she’d been too angry and afraid to touch him like this.
“I swear, Sofia, I’ll make you trust me again. I’ll make it all up to you.”
“I do trust you. After what you’ve done, how could I not? Things are going to be great from here on out. I’m free of the High Witches and we’re free of your curse. And I’d saythat your sacrifice more than makes up for whatever happened in the past.” She grabbed his shirt, then pulled him down on the bed on top of her. “But I can think of a way you could continue to make it up to me.”
He grinned and kissed her, running his palm down her side to her hip. “I’d be delighted to.”
Epilogue
Malcolm’s Home in Glencoe
December 23rd
“I’d say it turned out all right, what do you say, Kitty?” Sofia looked down at Kitty, who wore a festive red bow around her neck.
Kitty meeped and Sofia nodded her agreement, then sipped her mulled wine and looked toward the fire.
Malcolm’s library was decorated for Christmas with every strand of garland and ornament that she could find. Red and gold, silver and green—it really was a bit gaudy, but she loved it. It was their first Christmas together—and the first Christmas she was able to spend outside of the jungle—and she wanted to enjoy it.
They’d debated spending the holiday in Bruxa’s Eye—which was now entirely rebuilt after a solid month of reconstruction—but had decided it would be nicer to spend itin the cold. This way, all the Christmas songs about snow didn’t make her long for it, because she could go right out into the stuff and roll around.
Which she wouldn’t be doing tonight, because they had guests. Everyone from the university who’d helped them in Bruxa’s Eye had been invited over for a thank-you dinner. They all sat around the fire now—Felix and Aurora, Andrasta and Camulos, Diana and Cadan, Warren and Esha, and Vivienne. Inara and Aleia were pouring themselves wine from the table and gossiping, as they’d gotten into the habit of doing.
Mouse and Chairman Meow, the two other familiars, lounged in front of the fire. If she wasn’t mistaken, Mouse was sitting a bit closer to the Chairman now. He looked pleased. And festive, in his green bowtie.
Everyone was laughing at something Vivienne had said. Snow fell outside the window and holiday music drifted out of discretely placed speakers. The smell of the turkey was making her mouth water.
In short, everything was perfect. She almost couldn’t believe her luck. But life had been so good lately that she was starting to accept it.
She glanced at the door. Malcolm should be here by now. He’d gone to his aether room in the basement to make a last minute gift for Inara—who they’d thought wouldn’t be here.
He appeared in the doorway.
“Finally,” she said as she went to him and kissed him. His mouth tasted of wine and spices. Divine. “What took you so long?”
“A letter arrived. Shot right out of the aether when I opened a portal.”
“From Corrier?” Nerves danced in Sofia’s stomach. For an unknown reason. Malcolm’s warlock powers, and his ability to access the aether, hadn’t disappeared with his death. With the curse gone, they’d assumed his powers would go too. When they’d first realized it, she’d been worried that the curse was still upon him. Though Mnemosyne had said it wasn’t, they’d gone to Corrier to confirm.
