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Indestructible.

Randa clung to Kahn, reveling in a new sense of unity. It was impossible to tell where she started and her Match began. Their energies had merged into one, just as Gaia intended.

Kahn seemed to be struggling for oxygen. “Are you okay?” He panted.

“I’m perfect. I’m with my Match.”

“Good.” Kahn collapsed backwards onto the bed, keeping their bodies connected. His eyes were closed, and nothing was moving except his gigantic chest.

Randa sprawled on top of him, a little worried that she’d knocked him unconscious. “Are you okay?”

“I am --without a doubt-- the most okay man in the universe.” He assured her without opening his eyes. “I belong to a hot barbarian. Life is good.”

She cuddled closer to him, shaking her head at his craziness. For a man who never said the right thing, somehow everything he said always sounded right.

Her palm found his, tangling their fingers together. Kahn sighed happily. He loved holding hands. So did Randa. “I think you’re pretty hot, too.” Her thumb traced over his knuckle.

“I know you do.” He sounded self-satisfied. “How could you not? I’m incredible. It was only a matter of time before you seduced me. I was waiting for it.”

Randa laughed at his teasing arrogance. “Yes, I’m sure this was all your idea.”

“It was! …More or less. We were made for each other. I knew I just had to be patient and I’d eventually win you over. It was inevitable.”

“You’re never patient, Kahn. You’re just a hunter lying in wait.”

He grinned, meeting her gaze and letting her see all the love inside of him. “I’m not hunting, anymore. I’m captured. Completely at your mercy, Randa.” He leaned up to kiss the bridge of her nose. “Forever.”

Epilogue

I wrote this manuscript for you.

So you’d understand why I did what I did. So you could see that I had no choice.

So maybe you wouldn’t hate me for it.

Daphne, of the Time House- “After the Fall: A History of the Dark War”

Two Weeks Ago

The Smoke Kingdom

“This whole goddamn plan is now shit! We are swimming in shit. We are drowning in shit. Son of a fucking fucked-up fuck.” Zakkery, of the Smoke House paced around the dungeon with a cigarette clamped between his lips, while he strung together nonsensical, free-verse poems of vulgarity.

Daphne, of the Time House couldn’t wait for him to run out of steam on his own. She was on a tight schedule. “You done with your tantrum yet?”

“I’ve barely gotten started! Did you think any of this through at all? Or are you just making things up as you go along? Huh?”

Daphne ran a hand through her sandy-colored hair. Her whole life she’d been making things up as she went along. She worked hard to hide that fact under a veneer of confidence and fast-talking, but she had a feeling Zakkery saw right through her. “I’m figuring it out, okay?”

“Figuring it out?!” Zakk repeated at a roar. “You should have fucking-A figured it out before we had both of our fucking Matches locked in fucking cages!” He swung an arm toward the Plexiglas cells currently holding Raiden, of the Radiation House and Missy, of the Fire House. “This was not our agreement, Daph.”

“I know!” She shouted back. “I’m sorry I sprung your Match on you and then kidnapped her, okay? I didn’t know what else to do. I needed the damn Happiness box, and Missy had it. You think she was just going to hand it over without a little push?”

“I think you knocked out my Match and locked her in a cage.” He snarled. “Maybe I don’t know exactly what I plan to do with the girl yet, but I sure as hell won’t let you hold her prisoner.”

“That’s super sweet.” Missy interjected in a honeyed voice.

Zakkery and Daphne flashed her identical squints, her inappropriate cheeriness distracting them from their fight. It was hard to know if Missy was crazy or pretending to be crazy. Or which option would be worse.