"I'll protect her," Enzo promised, his arms tightening around me. "You have my word."
Morden turned back to face us, tears shining in his eyes.
My throat tightened. Seeing him like this—vulnerable, grieving—made me want to reach out, but I didn’t know how. So I did what I normally would do with Louis.
I extended my hand toward him. “Father.” It felt strange to say, but also somehow natural. "I'll be fine. I promise."
His expression crumbled for just a moment before he composed himself, nodding. None of us looked okay—bloodied, battered, barely upright. But we'd survived.
Keir clasped Morden's arm gently. "It's time to bury our dead. The battle is over."
Was it really over? Every time I’d thought we were safe, something worse happened. The queen was still out there. Ari had escaped. I wanted out of here. I buried my face into Enzo’s shoulder again, inhaling his masculine scent.
“Pascal…” A soft male voice brought my attention to the present.
Angelo had pulled out his phone. “Bring the limo to the Lumina Glade. Have Elena make something for us to eat. We’re coming home. The battle’s over.”
He put his phone away as he focused on the remaining Dark Demons. “You have a choice. Get the fuck out of here and never come back to New Orleans again, or I’ll fucking rip your throats out.”
The Dark Demons rushed past us, white as ghosts. They were leaderless now, and the fight had left them. I doubted any of them would set foot in New Orleans again. Not with the threat of the Vampire Mafia King hanging over them.
Maybe it was good that there was a monster in New Orleans that terrified the other monsters.
Enzo carried me out of the cathedral and headed through the bayou, not putting me down. His arms were solid, warm, safe—everything I’d been denied for so long. For the first time in days, I let myself truly relax against him. I gave into my exhaustion, and the next time I woke up, someone shook me gently.
“Joy, we’re home,” a husky voice whispered in my ear.
I opened my eyes and looked up into Enzo’s dark gaze.
“Home?”
He smiled. “Crescent Manor.”
I yawned as I looked around the empty limo. “Where’s everyone else?”
He brushed a hair off my face. “You were so tired. We dropped Valentin and Rose off at their home and then dropped off Gunnar and Ebony off at their hotel. We left Zoe at the hospital. She’s healed, but Serenity felt like she needed more observation. You can see her later.”
My body was heavy, sluggish, like I’d been dragged through hell—which I had been. But beneath the exhaustion was relief. Everyone had made it. We’d survived. “I can’t believe I slept through all of that.”
“I can. You were exhausted.”
Pascal opened the door and held out his hand. I put mine in his and noticed it was shaking badly, but I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or fear.
"Joy!"
Steve's voice cracked on my name. Then he was moving—a blur of motion as he reached us. His hands locked around my waist, lifting me effortlessly, and suddenly I was airborne, spinning, the room whirling around me.
Then his arms wrapped around me like steel bands, crushing me to his chest. "You're back. You're finally back." He was shaking—my strong, stoic brother was shaking. Sobbing. "I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never?—"
Tears streamed down my face as I clung to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders. "Steve," I choked out. "I'm here. I'm okay. I'm home."
Steve released me and looked at Enzo. “You did it. You brought her home. Thank you.”
"She's the one who did it," Enzo said, clutching my hand like a lifeline. "But I always knew she would. She's powerful."
Angelo approached, his face grave. "Enzo, you need to get yourself cleaned up. Detective Flanagan is here." He turned to Steve. "Take your sister upstairs and get her cleaned up."
My stomach dropped. It wasn’t over. Of course it wasn’t. Just when I thought we were safe, the next threat arrived. "Why are the police here?"
"Because they think I'm a serial killer," Enzo said grimly.
My face drained and dread rolled up my throat. No. After crossing dimensions, battling demons, surviving torture—we couldn't be torn apart by this. By human police who had no idea what we'd been fighting. I'd just gotten him back. I couldn't lose him again.
Not like this.
