He shrugged. “But then my magic continued to weaken and I had to perform the spell again. I coaxed Sarah into it, thinking that using a shifter this time might help me retain the powers I stole. But it didn’t. And what was worse, the memory spell didn’t seem to work as well on a paranormal.”
“And that’s when Sarah figured it out,” Deva said.
Joel nodded. “And the bitch had to tell someone, so I had to take out the wolf alpha, too.”
“Thomas,” Daniel said in a deep, threatening voice. He lunged forward, but I grabbed his arm.
I couldn’t have physically stopped him in a million years, but he halted as if I were strong enough. “Let him finish. It’ll be our last chance to ask questions, since he’ll be going to jail for a long time.”
“That’s all there is to say,” Joel answered, eyeing Daniel with fear. “The spell worked, until recently, so I got Al’s help to set up a trap to steal Emma’s powers once more. Only, all the work I’d done convincing Al that you were just pure evil and deserved it all for what you’d done to your ex. He snooped around. Leaving notes. Watching you. And then he started to doubt you were really as bad as I said, so he had to be dealt with and my plan had to be moved up…” He shrugged.
The sound of sirens coming down our street, and then officers talking hit us.
I wrapped my arms around Daniel’s waist. I couldn’t look at Joel for another minute. “He’s going to jail for the rest of his hopefully short life,” I said. “We will have justice for our families.”
“It won’t just be jail,” Daniel said in a strangely knowing voice. “That wouldn’t be enough. If Karma has come for him, I know he’ll experience every moment of suffering, loss, and pain we ever felt.” His voice cracked on the words.
And then, we were holding each other tightly.
Daniel buried his face into my hair, and his shoulders shook. I was shaking too. It wasn’t enough that we’d lost the people we loved so long ago, we had uncovered terrible stories of betrayal, lies, and cruelty. It hurt all over again.
And yet, this time I wasn’t alone, trying to care for Henry as he grieved. Daniel and I were a team. Partners. More than just that though. In each other, we had a hope that with all this death and destruction, something beautiful could emerge.
“It’s over,” I whispered, stroking my hands through his hair.
Maybe the unhappy spirits, strange messages, and dead bodies were over. But as I heard the cops approaching, I knew that this was only the end to one chapter in our lives.
I hoped the next was better.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emma
“Feel better,” I said. “Tell Deva to make you extra brownies.”
Carol chuckled as she hung up. I’d called to check on her before bed. She had a broken wrist and bruised ribs, but she’d get better. Beth and Deva were working to help her heal faster, which was an even bigger relief. Magic was an amazing thing when you knew how to use it, but it wasn't an instant cure-all.
It’d been a week since we sent Joel to prison. As a human, now without powers, he’d spend his life in jail as a serial killer. The prosecution had plenty of evidence of what he’d done, they’d just have to keep the magic part out of it. And if Joel brought it up… well, he’d go to a secure psychiatric facility. I wasn't sure which I thought would be the better punishment, but I knew Karma would take care of it. My powers always seemed to know what to do and when, even if I had to nudge them occasionally.
I sighed and turned over, snuggling closer to Daniel. “I’m glad you’re here,” I said.
He hadn’t left my side since we watched Joel being carted away, and I was not arguing with it. With his gaze locked onto mine, Daniel lowered his face toward me until I had to close my eyes or cross them. And then his lips took away all of my senses.
In one instant I was surrounded by everything Daniel, like I'd been plucked from the real world and dropped into this sensory overload. The scent of the forest was embedded in him along with a scent that was strictly his own and very masculine. The stubble on his face rubbed against my own as his lips caressed mine. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact, I quite liked the juxtaposition of soft and textured. The feel of his skin and t-shirt under my fingers made me itch to pull the fabric up and expose the rest of him.
The longer he kissed me the more I wanted him to kiss me and the more I wanted him in general. I hadn't felt like this in years and it honestly made me feel like a teenager again, making out in my bedroom, parents telling me to leave the door open. I had actual butterflies in my stomach as his hands gripped me tighter and pulled me closer. It was like we couldn't get enough of one another. Something I only thought young people experienced when it came to new relationships, turned out it didn't matter the age.
His tongue swiped against the seam of my lips and I opened for him. As soon as he began devouring me he let out a deep, rumbly groan that had my insides quivering with anticipation. He tasted like mouthwash and even that sent a thrill through me since that meant that he'd gotten ready for bed here, with me.
I hooked my leg over his hip so I could press myself closer and there was a rumple of approval from him as he broke away from my mouth and began to kiss my neck. My head tipped back of its own accord, giving him access to pretty much anything he wanted. If I was younger I might have been worried about how I looked at that moment, was I sexy enough? Now, I was comfortable enough in my own skin that I knew if he was here with me then he wanted me and I didn't need to second guess that, just appreciate it for what it was.
Just as Daniel’s hand slid under my shirt, heading upward toward my breasts, my doorbell rang. Henry was gone to Alice's house, so there wasn’t anyone else to answer the door.
I moaned and Daniel rolled away. “Seriously?” he gasped. “It’s eleven at night.”
“Come on,” I grumbled. “Go with me. This late, it’s probably the police here to ask more questions about Joel.”
He shuffled behind me out into the hallway and down the stairs. When I opened the door, I realized I couldn’t have been more wrong.
