Page 95 of Grotesque Love

The west wing is on fire, but Jas and Mal have already smashed through a large window, leaving it clear for me to follow with Ari.

Once we’re free of the house, I don’t set us down, not yet.

From the air, we watch as everything is consumed by the flames. Everything except the tower. Our tower.

“Find the groundskeeper,” I say to Mal, who nods.

“Mal…he worked with Carver.” Ari’s voice is quiet, but even with the sounds of the house collapsing, warping and splintering beneath us, we can all clearly hear her words. “He likes to torture little girls.”

He clenches his jaw. “I understand.”

I allow her to slide down my body and into my arms, so she can wrap her hands around my neck as we fly towards the beach.

We land on the sand, the tide retreating as the skyline is filled with black smoke, thick and heavy.

“It’s over, my love.”

She stands there, nightgown and hair blowing gently in the breeze as she stares at the burning ruins of her old life.

We settle on the beach around a small fire, sitting on some large rocks and a fallen tree trunk as the horizon continues to glow orange and red.

It doesn't take long for Mal to return, his mouth drawn into a tight line.

He sits next to Ari before pulling her into his lap. “The groundskeeper is dead, it looks like he was trapped by a falling beam.”

His gaze catches mine over her head, and I know he’s lying for her sake. But I’m glad that what needed to be done has been done.

She nods, and gets to her feet after offering him a tender kiss. He follows her, as if he’s tethered to her by a magic bond, and slides his huge hand around her tiny one.

I find myself joining them, wrapping my arm around her shoulder to kiss the top of her head. “Once the flames die down, we’ll return and see what remains.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Straightening her shoulders, she lifts her chin. “I have you, and that’s all I need.”

Jas joins us, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist with his chin resting on her shoulder.

“We love you, Arianwen,” Jas whispers.

“Our little dove,” I reply.

“Our hellion,” Mal murmurs.

Our words are spoken with reverence, like a vow, our promise to love and protect her for the rest of our days, however long they may be.

“I love you all.” Her words float on the breeze, and wrap around us.

We’ve not yet acknowledged that when Carver dies, the magic that binds us to the estate may fade too.

When the sun rises, she could be alone.

But she will be free, and that’s all that matters.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ARIANWEN

“Rest love,” a soft voice murmurs. A tender kiss is dropped against my temple and I nestle into Sax’s chest. His arms and wings wrap around me, shielding me from the breeze as I curl up on his lap beside the small bonfire they’ve made.

Is it just my imagination, or do Sax’s lips not feel as cold as they once did?

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