"Okay," she finally says, lifting her chin. "I'm really,reallyleaving this time. Cue the tears."
Too late.
"Does it have to be now?" My voice breaks.
She smiles a little, wiping her nose. "I've kind of been dodging Syntyche for a couple of weeks. She's the one who grants spirits guardianship status. She wasn't super happy when I begged for just a bit longer past a year after I died since that's what we initially agreed on, but…anyway." She exhales shakily. "You're happy, El. You're safe now and happy and bound to a quintet who adores you, and I'mso fucking happyfor you. But I have to go. I miss my family so much it hurts, and…"
"And you have your own happily-ever-after to get to," I finish for her, wiping a tear off my face.
"Yeah. Because someone's got to corrupt that sexy elf sooner or later," she sniffs.
I start fanning my eyes. "I know you have to go. Really, I get it, and I'm so grateful you stuck around and got me through so much. It's just…gods, Jess. Without you, what am I supposed to do?"
"Your husbands," she blurts.
And just like that, we're both laughing and crying at once before I try to hug her. My arms pass through her, but the chill is a familiar comfort before Jess pulls away, getting even more translucent by the moment.
She smiles. "Don't cry too much over me, chica. We'll see each other again."
"Bye," I whisper, my heart squeezing painfully at the thought of not being haunted by her anymore.
With a final ghostly kiss on my cheek, she passes through the wall and vanishes.
And just like that, she's gone, passing into the Beyond at last.
It takes a few minutes to stop the tears, but I take a deep breath and reach up, removing my bereavement necklace for the first time in months.
It's so weird to think it's been an entire year since I was imprisoned in the Nether. So much has changed and happened since then, it's hard to believe. My life has gone from self-isolation, fear of burdening others with my emotions, and dreading disappointing my future matches to complete, irreversible joy with men I can't imagine my life without.
I want Jess to have a love like that in the next life, possibly with Athanis. I'll have to ask her all about it when I get there someday.
A moment later, I hear several quiet footsteps nearby. Even without reaching out with my empathic abilities, I know who they are and can’t help but smile.
"Heidi? Are you in here?" Asher whispers.
Sniffing, I slip out of Maven's closet to join my quintet. They take one look at my face, and immediately, I'm wrapped up in a huge group hug.
"Kaenon mentioned he already said goodbye to Athanis and that you might need a second. But we're way too fucking impatient for that," Ian informs me.
"You all right, Candy?" Zak checks.
"I'm good."
Really good. As much as I'll miss her, I'm excited for Jessica to have a new start in the Beyond and see her family again. And I have my new start here, surrounded by all these gorgeous men who just so happen to complete my soul.
"I love you," I tell them. "All of you."
"We love you, too," Asher murmurs. A few moments later, when the group hug is getting a little stifling, he mutters, "Okay, what thefuckis with the bugs? That demigoddess just hunts shit and stabs things to walls. She needs a hobby."
"I'm pretty sure lepidoptery counts as a hobby," I laugh as we break up the hug, Ian leaving his arm around me and Kaenon holding my hand as we all walk out the door to rejoin the party.
The End
