Page 86 of Deadly Avarice
Franklin’s fingers intertwined with mine and he brought my knuckles to his lips, peppering my skin with gentle kisses. “You know, this hand looks a little bare. Specifically, this finger right here.” Franklin kissed my left ring finger.
Confused, I pushed myself off his chest so I could look into his eyes. “What are you talking about. I don’t usually wear rings.” Witch and warlock fingers were typically adorned with rings of all sorts. They held power and stored important charms.
“True. But maybe you should start.” Shifting a little, Franklin wiggled his hand into a side pocket and pulled something circular out.
I stared at it. My bangs fell into my eyes, and I pushed my hair back, tucking it behind an ear while Franklin held that fragile circle of smokey black in front of me. Swirls of jewel tones danced across its surface as Franklin tilted the ring, catching different angles of the light.
“W-what…?” My heart pounded and my eyes flicked from Franklin’s to the ring. Licking my dry lips, I tried again but didn’t get much further.
Clearing his throat, Franklin’s free hand carded through my hair, pushing it away from my face before cupping my chin. “I’m probably not doing this right. I’m not down on one knee. Instead, I’ve got you laid out on top of me, resting your body against mine. I want you to know I’ll always be that person for you, Erasmus. I will always be the safe landing your body, soul, and mind need. You’re it—the beginning, middle, and end. I hope and pray I’m that person for you too. Erasmus Boone, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”
I felt tense and loose as a noodle all at the same time. My brain was little more than static, but my heart knew the way and thudded with content joy.
Franklin held the ring between his fingers, the circle open and awaiting my finger. Since words seemed impossible, I slid my finger inside that emptiness, filling it with my flesh.
“Is that a yes?” Franklin asked, his grin wide and welcoming.
“Gaia, yes,” I finally managed. “A thousand and one times, yes.”
“Thank God.” Franklin’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me flat on top of him. The angle was a little awkward, but I didn’t care. This was Franklin O’Hare. I would cross rivers of fire for him. A small kink in my neck was nothingif it meant I got to taste his lips and feel his tongue inside my mouth.
Thoughts of Tenzen Huxley fled my mind. They’d return and bring their shadows with them. Those dark times could wait. Right now, everything was good in the world. It wouldn’t last, which made this moment all the sweeter.
Epilogue
Peaches
“Do you have a few moments?” I asked. Phlox, otherwise known as Agent Frost, was leaning against the bar, his mottled blue and tan wings momentarily still. Phlox was petite, even for a pixie, and had his rear perched on a barstool. Leon was in the corner booth speaking with Lucroy. We’d need to involve our beloveds soon, but I wanted to speak with Phlox in private first. This wasn’t Southeast vampire nest business. It was Magical Usage Council business.
Phlox glanced around as if checking to make certain we were alone. I didn’t like the look in his eyes. Phlox appeared antsy and on edge. While Phlox’s temperament was a combination of his pixie and shifter nature, it wasn’t typical to see him so wary.
“What can I do for you?” Phlox asked, shifting on his stool so he could look me in the eyes. “Do you want some honeysuckle mead?” I noticed Phlox wasn’t drinking any and shook my head.
“Yes, but no.” I had a bad habit of not stopping at a single glass and I needed all my faculties for this conversation. Thankfully the music was low. It was still early in the evening and Dusk wasn’t technically open for business yet. A few of Lucroy’s nestmates milled about, but they were off in their ownlittle worlds and didn’t seem to care much about what I had to say.
Johnny and Elizabeth were busy getting the bar ready to open and also didn’t seem to care what Phlox and I were up to.
My fingers twisted and my wings fluttered, filling the air with dust. It was a good thing Johnny and Elizabeth weren’t close by. Since vampires didn’t breathe, my dust wouldn’t bother them.
“What’s wrong?” Phlox tilted his body forward and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You’re upset.”
I nodded a little too vigorously, tossing my hair back and forth. Like nearly every other pixie, my hair was white at its base and darkened as it grew. My particular coloration was golden-yellow. Phlox was different. His Pallas’s cat shifter heritage gave him a horizontally stripped pattern—alternating between tan and blue.
“A problem shared is a problem halved,” Phlox said. “At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
Phlox’s kindness eased some of my discomfort but not all of it. “I’m not sure if that will be the case here, but I promised Erasmus I’d speak with you.”
Phlox sat back. “Necromancer Erasmus Boone?”
“The one and the same.”
“Why didn’t he just call me? Does this have something to do with Navarre?”
I shook my head. “I’m not exactly sure who that is, so I’d say probably no.”
“Probably?” Phlox looked and sounded confused. I was mucking this all up.
“Sorry. It’s just… This is a little difficult and I don’t want to offend you.”
