“What?!I don’t?”
“Taz and I are very?”
“I don’t want to presume just yet that we?”
“A new couple, so like?”
Luther and I talk over each other, sputtering denials and chuckling awkwardly.
“Very well.There’s nothing for you here, it seems.”The woman shuts a few drawers, and I take that as my cue to leave, dragging Luther with me.
Before we exit the shop, he turns and looks at her.“Um…thank you.”
She takes another long puff.“I did nothing.”
He shoots me a knowing look.“But still.I hope you’re…one of the good guys.”
“I will always be on the side of boys finding love.”She winks at us one more time, and with that, Luther and I leave the shop.
We don’t make it two blocks before Luther scratches his eyebrows and says, “I’m not…”
“Hm?”
“I’m not…opposed to marriage.”
My heart stops, and I’m sure I’m blushing.“Like…eventually, right?”
“Exactly!”
“A long time from now,” I say.
“Precisely.”He nods, and we both force out our laughter.Before he can stammer any more, a buzzing interrupts us.Luther takes out his phone and listens intently, nodding several times.
“Monster attack.”
“Never a dull moment,” I say with a smile.“Go on.I’ll take the souvenirs back to my place.”
“No!”he says, and my smile falls.“I’m not going without you.”
“Me?”
He kisses my cheek.“Always.I always want you with me, Devries.Whether fucking on the sand or kicking ass, it’s you and me, baby.”
The word forever is the silent quantifier that hangs between us.With another smile and nod, the two of us run off to the nearest portal.I have love in my life along with adventure?what more could I want?
EPILOGUE- LUTHER
“AND WE PRESENTto you, our graduating class of the spring.The best and brightest young mages of the Union are ready to begin their internships in the fall.I give you…the future agents of SPELL!”Chief Tuttle waves his hand away from the podium, proudly displaying the young adults to his right.Applause fills the early summer air here in Scotland, and for good reason.Family and loved ones from around the world are seated in plastic chairs on the grassy knoll to celebrate the latest batch of skilled sorcery protectors.
But no one has as much love as I do.As I hoot, holler, and applaud in the front row, I can’t take my eyes off the taller blond dude standing at the end of the line-up.He looks uncomfortable, not just because he’s clearly a late twenty-something-year-old man lined up with a bunch of eighteen-year-olds.Taz most likely isn’t used to all this organized fanfare and attention.
He needs to get used to it.Because his brother and our friends next to me won’t stop applauding and cheering.And, of course, I love him.When he shines that perfect grin at me, I know he can read my mind.He has to recognize how proud I am of him for fast-tracking through the final examinations to become an agent of SPELL.
The past few months since Vik Devries was saved from the Other Side have been blissfully uneventful.Everyone I know and love is doing alright.Taz and I sleep at his place most nights, and we’re already planning on me moving in when my apartment lease is up.I’ve never fallen this hard or this fast before, but the way Taz makes me feel is unlike any other guy I’ve dated.
We’ve always been on the same wavelength, even when we were at each other’s throats as kids.We were obsessed with each other, but now we have a name for it?attraction.
He saunters over to us with that perfect smile.Before I can get my hands on him, his brother and Necia crowd his space.Everyone congratulates Taz and pats him on the back.Max, Cleo, Girish, and my parents all approach as well.
