Reese took the Earl’s elbow in one hand and tightened her grip of Jem’s hand with the other and pulled them to a corner.
“Are you okay?” she asked the Earl.
Gareth darted a glance at Jem. “I will be if I know he will make you happy.”
“I will, my lord.” Jem brought their clasped hands to his chest. “I give you the same promise I gave her.”
“Am I dead in your time?” the Earl asked.
“Yes,” Reese said softly.
“Then be sure, young man,” Gareth held a finger in Jem’s face, “that if you do not make her happy, I will haunt you.”
She would have laughed except that his expression was so intense.
“What will you do now, Gareth?” Reese asked.
“Ellen and I will continue what you have begun,” he said. “I have found more purpose in the last fortnight than I have had my entire life.”
“You and Ellen have the power to save the lives of generations to come,” Jem said, glancing over to where Nellie stood.
The corners of her mouth curved up, and she said, “Into position.”
“Thank you,Reese,” the Earl said.
“Thankyou.” She stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
He shot Jem a sly look and for a second Reese thought he meant to grab her for more. Jem must have thought so too because he tensed. Gareth smirked instead, bowed, and stepped back to the door, but he didn’t leave.
“Make haste!” Nellie shot a glance at the hourglass on the table. The sand was almost gone from the top. “Stand before yourself in the portrait. You must hold hands.”
“Thank you for taking such good care of us, Aunt Nellie,” Reese hurried to say, “even if we didn’t always appreciate it.” The fae woman gave them all an affectionate, understanding smile, like she’d heard similar things many times.
They got into position, and Reese squeezed Jem’s hand. She whispered, “Will your parents be surprised when we come back engaged?”
Beside her, Kaitlyn laughed. “Mom will be relieved. She’s been hoping it would happen for years now.”
“Shhh.” Aunt Nellie did some kind of swirly thing with her hands, kind of like she was making a popcorn ball. Light emanated from the middle and, with each movement, it grew brighter.
Reese squinted, hoping it wouldn’t damage their eyes.
“There you go!” Nellie cried. Like the sun bursting over the morning horizon, the brilliance filled the entire room.
“I’m melting,” Jem mumbled in the voice of the Wicked Witch of the West.
That familiar sensation tickled Reese’s nerves, and she shivered. Everything felt wobbly for a second, but then righted itself. The decor had taken on a more modern feel. They were in their own time.
“They’re all dead.” She burst into tears, and Jem pulled her into his arms.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
“I’M HOME,” JEM SAID AS he opened the apartment door. The smell of cookies told him Reese had been baking, and it made his stomach rumble.
“I’m in the bedroom,” she called. “Did you remember the powdered sugar?”
“That’s what you sent me for, isn’t it?” Jem found Reese sitting at the little computer desk, wearing her robe, her hair wrapped in a towel. He bent over to kiss the side of her neck, and she tilted her head to give him access.
