“May? That much time has passed?” Cheryl clutches the baby against her chest.
The front door of King Raphael’s Gothic mansion opens, and Mauricio Libell, the king’s familiar, walks out, followed by Lucca and Saxon. While Mauricio keeps a steady pace, Lucca and Saxon run toward us.
Lucca pulls Manu into a tight embrace and whispers in her ear, “You got me so fucking worried. Don’t do that again.”
“Can’t promise that.”
Saxon hugs me too. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“It’s good to be back.”
Lucca and Saxon turn to Ronan and Cheryl and the kids in their arms.
Saxon’s eyebrows shoot up, almost meeting his hairline. “Holy shit! You made babies? How much time has passed in Ellnesari?”
I laugh when Cheryl glowers at Saxon. “We didn’t make babies, dumbass. Come on!”
He puts his hands on his hips. “Don’t ‘dumbass’ me. It’s totally possible. It seems to be the trend.”
Lucca elbows Saxon as if to get him to shut up.
“What?” Manu cuts in. “Is someone pregnant? Is it Aurora… or is it Miranda?”
“You can discuss that inside,” Mauricio gives us a stern glance. He’s built like a mountain, and no one dares to contradict the male, who was a bear before he became the king’s familiar.
He turns to King Raphael and bows. “My king.”
“Hello, Mauricio. How long was I gone?”
“Four weeks. Nothing has changed yet.” The familiar’s attention switches to Adrian, and for the first time ever, his composed face changes. “Sweet heavens. Adrian Van Helsing?”
“Van Helsing?” Saxon parrots, his eyes going round. “As intheVan Helsing family that wanted to kill us all?”
Adrian blinks fast, looking confused for a moment. “Van Helsing… yes, that’s my family name. As for wanting to kill you all… that I don’t know.”
“You’re alive?” Mauricio continues as if he doesn’t believe his eyes.
“It seems so, but I’m beginning to think that maybe I’m a ghost,” Adrian deadpans.
Saxon shakes his head, grimacing. “Don’t even joke about that, man. I’ve had it with ghosts.”
I wonder what he could possibly be referring to.
Lucca narrows his eyes, scrutinizing Adrian. “Why are you here?”
“I do not know why.” Adrian turns to King Raphael. “But your king does.”
King Raphael grinds his teeth as if debating answering Lucca’s question. Finally, with a sigh, he says,
“It’s complicated.”
“He helped Karl and me when we were trapped in an awful place in Ellnesari,” Manu interjects. “Let’s not judge him too harshly. He’s been a victim of that bitch queen for longer than we all have.”
I pull Manu close and kiss the side of her head, a gesture that Lucca and Saxon don’t miss.
“You’re together again?” Lucca’s brows arch.
“Yes,” I say. “For good this time.”
