"It's not happening to us," I promise him, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him hard. Pulling back, I smile. "I've never been this ridiculously happy, ever. Seriously, I can't thank the gods or fate or khaos or whatever else enough for dropping your four on my front porch four months ago. The only thing I'm disappointed about is…that I got a period at all."
He understands immediately andawws,hugging me closer for a second.
"Don't worry. It'll happen, Candy." Then he pulls back with a wicked smirk. "And you've gotta admit, we're really all fucking good at the trying part. If you want, we'll just skip the thing at the Amatos tonight and try all night long."
I laugh at his hopefulness. "Tempting, but we shouldn't."
It's a year to the day since the Entity fell. Some people are calling this new holiday Netherbloom, since it's the day the Nether could finally start to bloom again after it was freed.
Zak is starting to protest when a loud bang and a crash sound at the front of the house. Asher shouts my name, and both of our eyes widen as we realize just how panicked our keeper sounds.
I dart into the living room, where Jessica and Athanis are both hovering with wide eyes at the sight of the panicked bounty hunter.
"I'm okay! I'm okay, Zak was just?—"
"Oh my fucking gods," Asher croaks, wrapping me up in his arms. He glares at Zak. "What iswrongwith you? Do you know what kind of hell I was living in for the last few minutes? You dumbassed, shitheaded, infernal motherfucking son of a?—"
Zak looks at me. "You're getting all this, too, right? I swear, he just doesn't know how to stop flirting even when he's not interested."
"Stupid backwards-ass demon culture," Asher grumbles before checking my face, gently caressing my birthmark. "Are you really okay?"
"Yes," I promise before stepping out of his arms to twirl. "What do you think?"
"So cute!" Jess claps before looking at Athanis. "Not to whine, but I'm getting really tired of wearing the same dumb bloodstained clothes."
"As am I, but at least we have learned how to remove them now," he muses, giving her a once-over.
She gasps. "You saucy, scandalous little priest, you. I like the way you think now that I've infected your brain."
"I think I'll rip that to pieces, getting it off of you once we get back tonight," Ian's voice says from the front door, pulling my attention away from the ghosts in the room.
My thrall holds up a couple of grocery bags. I sent him and Asher to the store earlier to get a few things for a new recipe I've been working on for Devil's dog treats. While Ian sets the bagsdown in the kitchen, Kaenon gets back, showers, and dresses in record time.
When he comes out and notices me in the new dress, he smiles.
"Your beauty commands my very soul."
Aww. Who knew I would marry a poet?
"You clean up nice, too," I grin, kissing his cheek.
I grab one of the big plates of cookies I made earlier, and Kaenon grabs another. Once we're all ready to go, including the ghosts, we gather around Asher on the front porch.
"This time, try transporting ustothe house, not half a fucking mile away from it," Zak suggests.
"You know, Dev really doesn't mind the taste of demons. I bet he'd like a half-demon even more," Asher grumbles before glancing into the woods. "Speaking of which, he should go play with his cousins."
He whistles once, sharply. A second later, the loveable, giant black hellhound comes bounding through the woods, stopping near the porch. He leans over to nuzzle my shoulder, and I grin.
Then the transportation magic washes over us.
Once the world stops turning inside out, we're left standing a very short distance away from the Amatos' big house in the Nether, not far from the Gateway. Even in the middle of summer, it's more temperate here. Gods, I can't believe how green and gorgeous it is now, compared to my time spent imprisoned in this once-colorless place.
We must have gotten here at almost the exact time the Baird quintet transported, because they're already walking away from us, passing Maven's motorcycle parked in the driveway on their way to the front door.
Asher tells Dev to go play in the backyard with Blizzard and Marshmallow, adding a very firmdon't play too roughwarningbefore Dev barks happily, loping away from us. When we reach the front porch, Kenzie spots us and squeals.
"Oh my gods! I haven't seen you guys since your wedding—which wassocute, by the way —and also thank you for inviting us to it, because it fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine to go to a human wedding. I mean, I'd seen them before in movies and stuff, and obviously I loved my bonding ceremony with my quintet even though it was during the Upheaval and things were so chaotic—but I'd always dreamed of going to a real human wedding with all those cute traditions. Yours was just so perfect, and thatdress!Oh—let me see the rings again. I know Asher got his all magically tattooed on, but yours was just stunning, and?—"
